The Last Son, Book Four: Destinies

by The Writer with No Name

AU S4. Xover with Superman and Justice League. In the wake of General Zod's treachery, Superman, the Justice League, and the X-Men find the world threatened by evils far worse than any they have ever encountered before. As prophecy begins to unfold, can the young Man of Steel and his fellow heroes defend the Earth against the horrors that loom to threaten it?

6. Revolution X, Part Two

CHAPTER FIVE: REVOLUTION X, PART TWO

Matthews residence, Bayville, September 25, 2009

"…reports are coming in of a localized seismic event in downtown New York. Seismologists indicate that this event, while destructive, is more consistent with an underground detonation. Sources indicate that Superman and several of the Justice League were on-site, but after the event, there has been no sign of…"

Her bedside radio stirred Valerie Matthews' fitful slumber, as she opened her hazel eyes and sat up, her auburn hair slightly mussed from when she'd landed on her bed. Looking herself over, she frowned as she saw that she was still in yesterday's clothes. 'I'd better make my shower quick – I'll need to get the chores done before the boys get home…'

With all haste, Valerie hurried to the bathroom, shedding her jeans and sweater before she hopped in the shower. For a few moments, she was tempted to just sit there, and let the warm water wash away all her stresses…but she had too much to do. Once she was clean, Valerie toweled off, and returned to her and her husband's room, to don a simple, light mauve skirt and a blue blouse, before she moved to her vanity for a touch-up.

She had to cover up those bruises, after all.

Her blush in hand, Valerie briefly paused, wondering just why she and Michael had fought, last night, but she pushed that thought away as fast as she could. 'Mike's been under such strain; I must've upset him.' Still, she hadn't meant to – she'd honestly thought her husband and her eldest son would calm down, now that Duncan had graduated.

Well, now she knew not to bring up the subject of university.

Her change and touch-up complete, with bruises hidden, Valerie went about her business: dusting the house, watering the potted plants, the weekly vacuuming, and then setting out ingredients for the evening meal…

She had just put the chopped carrots in a pot of water when the phone rang, prompting her to answer. "Hello?"

"Mom?"

At her youngest's voice, Valerie smiled. "Hi, sweetie," she greeted. "Is everything okay?"

"Sure, Mom. I'm just finishing up at the skate-park."

Valerie looked worried. "And you're alright? You didn't get hurt?"

Mitchell chuckled. "No, Mom. I fell down a buncha times, but I had my helmet, knee-pads, and elbow-pads on. All I got were a few scratches," he answered. "I don't know what's up; I'm doing that a lot, lately. Maybe I over-greased my wheels."

Valerie could only nod. "Will you be home by suppertime?"

Mitchell sounded sheepish. "That's just it, Mom. I…kinda missed the bus," he confessed. "Could you, maybe…come and get me? Dad'll probably flip if I get home late from skateboarding. You know how he hates it."

Valerie couldn't argue. Their fight – disagreement, Valerie corrected herself – before the last one had been over her not trying to dissuade Mitchell from his favorite pastime like he was. "You caught me just in time, honey; I haven't started actual cooking, so I should be able to get there in ten minutes," she answered. "In the future, though, would you please keep a closer eye on the bus?"

Mitchell sounded contrite. "I will, Mom. I promise," he assured her. "You're the best! See you soon!"

With a genuine smile on her face, Valerie put her cooking supplies away, and hurried to her car. After a ten-minute drive, she pulled up alongside the skate-park, where Mitchell was waiting, in his grey skate-shorts and black sleeveless t-shirt, his neon green helmet over his short red-blonde hair, his face dotted with tiny scratches. Once he'd waved to his pals, Mitchell hopped in the back seat and buckled up. "Sorry about this, Mom. Honest, I thought I'd read the schedule right!"

"Well, just be sure to check, next time," Valerie gently admonished, "and maybe get a shower before your father gets home."

Mitchell sighed. "What's Dad's problem with me, Mom?" he asked. "He's always drawin' about how I'm wasting my time on skateboarding, but it's not a waste! Look at guys like Tony Hawk: they can make millions just on sponsorships, never mind winning competitions and stuff!"

Valerie smiled nervously. "I'm sure he'll come around, honey. He's your father; he just wants what's best for you."

Mitchell looked glum. "I don't know, Mom. Sometimes…I think he and Dunc hate me."

Valerie gasped. "Mitchell, don't say that!" she exclaimed. "Your father and your brother both love you!" She tried to keep the tremor out of her voice. "Sometimes…sometimes families just…disagree, that's all. It doesn't mean they don't care…"

Mercifully, Mitchell didn't catch her voice's quivering. "Sure, Mom."

By then, they were getting close to City Hall, at which point traffic started slowing down. Valerie frowned to herself. "Odd: rush hour's still an hour from now."

Mitchell piped up. "Wait, I know what this is, Mom! Mr. Kelly's press conference is today! You know, on account of him running for mayor?"

Valerie thought about it. "Oh, yes; I did hear that on the news."

Mitchell smiled sheepishly. "Hey, Mom? You think we could pop in and say hi to him?"

Valerie was stricken. "Now?" she asked. "Mitchell, your father and brother will be home, soon…"

"Yeah, I know, but…I just thought it'd be cool if we just said we're pulling for him," Mitchell said. "I mean, Mr. K's pretty cool…for a principal, anyway."

Valerie considered it. She still had some time before Michael got home, and it would be nice to show some support for Mr. Kelly, given his stance on human-mutant cooperation. "Well…I suppose we can stop by for a few minutes."

Mitchell beamed. "All right! You rock, Mom!"

Quickly, Valerie pulled off the main road, and found the nearest parking-space she could, before she and Mitchell doubled-back to City Hall. As they walked towards the Hall, the crowd gathered out front – reporters, well-wishers, riot police – became steadily denser. Chewing her lip, Valerie felt her nerves start to fray with anxiety. What if Michael caught sight of her here? She knew he didn't agree with Mr. Kelly's stance on meta-humans.

What if someone saw past her makeup..?

"Mrs. Matthews?"

Startled, Valerie turned to find a friendly face behind her. "Oh…h-hello, Jean."

In her street clothes, Jean smiled warmly at Valerie. "Wow, this is a surprise!" she exclaimed. "What brings you down here?"

Valerie smiled nervously. "W-Well, I was just picking Mitchell up from the skate-park, and Mitchell suggested we stop by to lend our support."

Jean beamed. "I'm sure Mr. Kelly will be happy to hear it!" she said, before sending Mitchell a friendly wave. "Hey, Mitch."

His face somewhat flushed, Mitchell looked up and away, scratching his head. "H-Hey, Jean."

Valerie looked around the crowd. "I'm beginning to wonder if we came at a bad time, though," she thought aloud. "I mean, what with this crowd, I'm sure he must be busy…"

Jean's smile became a bit strained. "Well, things are a bit hectic," she said, "but I'm sure he'd be happy to see you!" She motioned to the back of the Hall. "I was just talking to him with a few of my friends from the Institute; he should still be there!" With that, she headed further into City Hall, prompting Valerie and Mitchell to follow.

In a few minutes, Jean led them to a back office, where Edward Kelly was going over a few files, with a young Japanese lady standing guard. Spotting them, the girl looked wary. "Jean-san? Who are they?"

"It's okay, Hisako," Jean assured the younger girl. "This is Valerie Matthews and her son Mitchell. Mrs. Matthews, Mitch, this is one of the Institute's new students, Hisako Ichiki."

Her expression apologetic, Hisako bowed. "I apologize for being suspicious, Matthews-san."

Mildly flustered, Valerie waved her off. "T-Think nothing of it."

Rising to greet them, Edward smiled. "Well, Mrs. Matthews, this is certainly a surprise!" he exclaimed. "What brings you both down here?"

Mitchell grinned. "Just to say we're pulling for you, Mr. K."

Edward laughed. "Well, thank you very much! I'm happy to hear it!"

Taking a look around at the numerous security personnel dotting the area, Valerie looked nervous. "Is this normal for an event like this?"

Edward scratched his head. "There have been some…security concerns."

Valerie gasped. "Is it anything serious?"

"Nothing we can't deal with, hopefully."

At the new voice, Valerie turned around…and got the shock of her life. "O-Oh!"

The blue-furred, gorilla-like man behind her sighed. "I suppose I should have expected that reaction."

Edward chuckled guiltily. "Mrs. Matthews, this is Dr. Henry McCoy, a former instructor at Bayville High, and one of the Xavier Institute's teachers. Dr. McCoy, this is Mrs. Valerie Matthews, and her youngest, Mitchell."

Henry nodded. "A pleasure, Mrs. Matthews; I apologize if I alarmed you."

Embarrassed, Valerie shook her head. "Oh, n-no! It wasn't that!" she said, mildly flushed. "It's just…when I saw you, a question popped into my head, but it sounds so rude to just ask it!"

Henry arched an eyebrow. "Was it prejudicial, derogatory, or based on use of the M-word?"

Valerie shook her head. "N-No! Of course not!"

Henry chuckled. "Then compared to some of the things we've heard, Mrs. Matthews, I'm sure your question is hardly "rude"!"

Now Valerie felt as red as Jean's hair. "Well…alright," she said. "I was…I was curious if your knees locked."

Everyone was silent for several seconds, which made Valerie wonder if she'd said the wrong thing…until Jean started to laugh, followed by Henry, and even Edward. "Oh my gosh! I've…I've never even thought about that!" Jean exclaimed.

Mitchell looked confused. "Huh?"

Henry stilled his chuckles. "Basic evolutionary history, Mitchell: the very first trait that set humans' early ancestors apart from other hominids was the locking knee-joint, which enabled them to efficiently walk on two legs, as opposed to four," he lectured, before looking to Valerie. "And yes, Mrs. Matthews, my knees do lock. However, since my mutation has increased my upper-body musculature, I can move more quickly on four limbs, though it is more straining." He smiled. "You needn't worry about offending me; I'm actually surprised no-one has asked that, before!"

Valerie was more than a little relieved. "Oh, good."

Jean was still chuckling, but she suddenly paused, her expression now far-away. "Jean-san?" Hisako asked. "Is everything alright?"

Jean still looked distant for a few seconds, before she snapped back. "W-What?" she asked. "Oh, sorry Hisako. I'm fine; I was getting a telepathic message from Professor Xavier, but I just got…cut off."

Now Henry looked worried. "Odd," he remarked. "What did he say?"

"He was trying to warn me – all of us – about something, but I lost the signal before he could explain," Jean said. "We need to call the Institute, and find out…"

She didn't get the chance to finish, as one of Edward's aide's burst in. "Mr. Kelly?" she asked. "I think you'd better turn on the radio, sir; you're going to want to hear this!" Perplexed, Edward reached for the small radio he kept by his desk, and switched on the main news channel…and they all got the shock of their lives.

"To the human race, the rightful people of planet Earth: we are the Friends of Humanity, pledged to defend the human race from the threats – mutant or extraterrestrial – that besiege it!" a voice declared over the airwaves. "Today, we have won a great victory for our people: the Xavier Institute – one of the key strongholds of the mutant menace – along with numerous mutants and several species-traitors who side with them, is under our control!"

Valerie could only gasp, while the others – especially Jean, Henry, and Hisako – were frozen with horror.

The voice continued. "If the so-called Justice League – who were unable to protect even their own allies, let alone this planet – wishes to avoid further carnage, then the following demands will be met! One: all of our brave fighters unjustly incarcerated will be released without question! Two: as reparation for the damage caused by Kryptonian aggression, the Polar stronghold, and all the technology within hoarded by the krypper from hardworking human beings, will be surrendered to human researchers, for the benefit of humanity! Three: control of the space-weapon will be relinquished to human authorities for use by OUR people and no other! Four: the illegal Justice League will disband immediately, and its Earth-born members will surrender to human authorities! And Five: all non-Earth native members of the League – especially the kryppers – will leave Earth immediately, and NEVER return! If these demands are not met, or if either the League, the muties, or any government agency hostile to human interests attempt to interfere with us, then all hostages will be executed! You have one hour to comply; that is all!"

No-one said anything for several long seconds, until Jean's hands flew to her mouth. "O-Oh my God, S-Scott's still…the Professor…everyone is..!"

Henry's hand was on her shoulder. "Easy, Jean; we need to keep our heads about us," he soothed. "We need to contact the Watchtower; if we're going to have a chance to save everyone, we'll need everyone on board."

Jean started to calm down. "A-Alright."

Valerie looked stricken. "Perhaps Mitchell and I should be going," she said. "You all have more important matters to deal with, and we're probably in your way."

Henry's expression was apologetic. "Not at all, Mrs. Matthews; it's just that, given the last few minutes, things are surely about to get even more hectic than they already are. Perhaps a swift departure might be prudent."

Valerie nodded. "W-Well, I hope you – all of you – come through this okay," she said. "Good luck." As Mitchell simply waved goodbye, mother and son headed back out, as Henry drew his communicator, to hail the Watchtower.

As they walked, Mitchell looked nervous. "Think they'll be okay, Mom?"

"I hope so, Mitchell," Valerie answered. "They're such nice people; I can't imagine why anyone would want to hurt them."

Mitchell nodded. "Yeah," he agreed. "It's really stupid how these guys hate on mutants like that." His head drooped. "Or like how Dad and Dunc do."

Valerie flinched as they reached the car. "I-I'm sure your father and brother don't really feel that way!" she said. "Duncan just…had a bad misunderstanding with some of them, and that probably transferred to your father! If they ever got to know them, I'm sure they'd realize it!"

Mitchell looked sceptical. "Really, Mom? Dunc and Dad changing their minds?"

Valerie felt herself pale. "Please don't say things like that, Mitchell," she said, her tone anxious. "Things will work out with your father and brother. I'm sure they will…"

XXXXXXXX

New York City, a few minutes earlier

Cyclops had only just helped J'onn get Healer into the Javelin's meagre med-bay as the bombs went off, forcing Hawkgirl to get the jet – and everyone aboard – airborne to evade the blast. The ground rippled for several city blocks, before it sank down for several meters, causing every building in the blast-radius to sink with it. "Well, there goes the neighbourhood," Cyclops muttered.

Hawkgirl's eyes were wide behind her helmet as she set the Javelin back down outside the crater's rim. "J'onn, can you sense them? Are they okay?"

The Manhunter's eyes were white. "I am detecting faint life-signs a few meters to the west…under several tons of rubble."

The Morlocks were all aghast. "Are…are they okay?" Scaleface asked.

"Not unless we dig 'em out!" Berzerker exclaimed. "Let's move, guys!"

By the time they had emerged from the Javelin, Power Girl had already touched down in the crater, her eyes flaring as she scanned the rubble, her expression growing nervous. "Dammit! There must have been lead pipes in this section: I can't see through here..!"

Hawkgirl barreled past her, frantically pushing chunks of rubble aside. "John! John can you hear me?" she cried out. "John..?"

Her cry was drowned out by the shifting of the ground, as Superman pushed a half-ton of rubble off his back, revealing Green Lantern, Callisto, Torpid, Spider-Man, Kori, and Wonder Woman shielded in an emerald bubble beneath him. "Well, that was fun," Superman muttered, as he fished the pebbles out of his ears with his finger.

Power Girl folded her arms with a sigh. "I'm not even going to say anything, this time."

With everyone in the clear, Green Lantern dropped his shield-bubble. "Everyone oka – oooff!"

Stricken, Shayera tackled him with a hug…before she regained composure. "D-Dammit, Marine, you gave us all a scare."

Green Lantern looked equally embarrassed as he scratched his head. "Yeah. Sorry about that," he replied. "It wasn't exactly my idea…"

"HEALER!"

Callisto's shout cut Green Lantern off as the Morlock leader sprinted out of the rubble towards the Javelin, with Torpid close behind. The others followed her to the med-bay, and found her knelt by Healer, whose face had gone pale from blood-loss, his shoulder patched with a reddened bandage. At the sight of him, Callisto was in tears. "What were you doing?" she cried. "I had everything under control! I had Torpid! You…you didn't have to do that!"

Healer chuckled weakly. "Yes I did, Callisto," he answered. "A shepherd must tend his flock, and when necessary, drive back the wolves." He coughed. "As best he can, at least."

Callisto sniffed. "We shouldn't have even been here," she murmured. "The second I heard about those bastards, I should've had everyone just grab what they could and run!"

"That wouldn't have helped, Callisto."

"This wasn't our problem!" Callisto insisted, briefly fixing a half-glare on Superman. "It was theirs! We should've just left and gone about our own..!"

A tiny sniffle interrupted her tirade, as Torpid shuffled forward. With another teary sniffle, the silent Morlock pointed to Healer's shoulder, and then to herself.

Healer understood immediately. "Oh, no, honey!" he assured her. "This was not your fault!"

Torpid sniffled again, as she held up her doll – the one she'd gone back for.

Healer smiled gently. "I know you had to save your dolly, Torpid. Nobody's mad at you for that."

Callisto nodded, with a faint chuckle. "You didn't make this stubborn, half-senile old man do anything," she gently teased. "None of us can, including me."

A genuine laugh erupted from Healer, which made him cough again. "I'm not that old, missy." His tone turned serious. "It wouldn't have mattered if we had run, Callisto; unless somebody stands up to people like them, we'll always be running and hiding."

Callisto shook her head. "Healer, I am not going to risk our people for some fight that they started!"

Gently, Healer put his good hand on her shoulder. "Callisto, all that is necessary for evil's triumph is for good people to do nothing," he whispered. "Please, honey…don't let that happen…" As he spoke, his voice trailed off, and he passed out.

Green Lantern was instantly by his side to check him. "He's getting shocky – we need to get him to the Watchtower!"

Shayera was already moving to the cockpit. "I'll get him there," she promised. "The rest of you will be needed for whatever Creed's planning next." As she sat down, she looked to Green Lantern. "We'll talk after…whatever this is."

Green Lantern nodded. "Damn straight we will," he said, as he and everyone else filed out of the Javelin, allowing Hawkgirl to take off.

With everything calm – relatively, at least – Cyclops looked to Superman. "So what exactly happened down there?"

Superman looked just as grave. "Creed's goons used tactical explosives as a distraction. He wanted us too focused on things here to notice anything else."

Kori looked perplexed. "But what?" she asked. "What could he have wanted us blind to?"

As their hearing picked up a tirade on the air-waves, Superman and Power Girl both looked horrified. "Oh…oh, no…" Alison whimpered.

Superman had his communicator out. "Superman calling Watchtower: are you getting this, Batman?"

"Unfortunately, yes," Batman answered. "Based on background chatter, I have reason to believe that the deadline for their demands will coincide with Edward Kelly's intended assassination."

"Huh?" Berzerker asked. "What's going on?"

On the verge of tears, Power Girl was too distraught to answer. Superman was only barely able to answer, himself. "We don't have all the details…but Creed and the F.O.H. have attacked the Institute; they've got hostages."

Everyone was dumbfounded at that. "You're…you're kidding…" Cyclops murmured.

Superman shook his head. "They just aired their demands. Basically, they want access to the Fortress and Sentrius, the release of their people we've jailed, the disbandment and surrender of the League, and for Kara, Krypto, Aly and I to leave Earth and never return. We refuse, and they start killing hostages."

Krypto growled at that. Wonder Woman looked equally furious. "To think, I had thought we'd seen the limits of their cowardice!"

Cyclops felt like he'd been punched in the gut by Zod. "Did anyone…have we heard any…is there any way to make contact?"

"We're still working on that," Superman said, as he put his ear back to his communicator. "Well, Batman? Have we heard anything from our people still in the Institute?"

"Nothing so far," Batman answered. "Sentrius is still monitoring the outbound stream; if we get a fix on a friendly signal, she'll catch it."

Superman nodded. "What about the Avengers, or the Four? Fury must have heard about this, by now…"

"Unlikely, Superman. Richards and his team are still offworld, testing their new star-drive – they're not due back for a few days. As for the Avengers, Fury's been bogged down by red-tape – it sounds like he's dealing with whoever's backing Cadmus."

Superman groaned. "So we're on our own."

"You're surprised?" Batman asked. "I'm en route to Kelly's conference. Grey's team is going to need experience tracking snipers…so you can tell Summers she's fine."

"You're all heart," Superman said dryly. "And if we need more than Sentrius' purely tactical analysis..?"

"You'll have it. Question is en route. Batman out."

As the call ended, Superman could only groan again. "More bad news?" Berzerker hazarded.

"Not great," Superman answered. "Batman just reported no word from the Institute besides Creed's, and neither the Fantastic Four nor the Avengers are available to assist us."

Now it was Spider-Man's turn to groan. "Great," he muttered. "Sorry, guys – I think you just caught my strain of bad luck."

Kori blinked. "But…luck is not contagious."

"Bad luck seems to be."

Green Lantern turned to Superman. "Did Batman say he'd be out of reach?"

"He'll be assisting Jean's team – who are all okay – in rooting out the assassin," Superman answered, "but he sent Question our way."

Wonder Woman looked perplexed. "His informant?" she asked. "Beyond telling us what we already know, what can he do?"

"That is the question."

Even Superman was surprised, as he – with everyone else – turned around to find the faceless fedora-clad detective standing behind them. Kori was the most flabbergasted. "F-Friend, alarm!" she cried. "Your face is missing!"

Lucid gulped. "Aw, man, and I thought we looked freaky…"

Question's hands remained in his pockets, his tone unphased. "The Friends of Humanity have a new anti-mutant weapon: a gas derived from a sports drink – Powr8, I believe – that, in its initial form, hyperstimulated X-gene positive cells. Creed's R&D team were able to isolate and weaponize a compound that causes these cells to metabolically stall…"

Superman caught on. "…rendering their powers useless!"

Power Girl was irate. "You couldn't have told us this before now?"

Question – as far as they could tell – didn't bat an eye. "It took some digging, but I was also uncovered their delivery system: miniaturized Sentinels."

Cyclops grimaced. "Terrific."

Green Lantern folded his arms. "Anything else you'd like to tell us?"

Question nodded. "Creed's hostage-crisis is a ruse," he replied. "Those demands his people made are a shot in the dark. True, he'd jump for joy if you all caved, but he's gambling that you won't."

Wonder Woman looked thoughtful. "Then he has another target?" she asked. "What is it?"

"I don't know; none of the intel I gathered before now gave any specific target," Question answered. "For that, I'll need access to a live link to their system…like the CPU of one of those Sentinels."

Scaleface snorted. "Not asking for much, are you?"

"As it stands, all I can say is that Creed's endgame will use that gas and those Sentinels, and will be aimed at innocent mutants. That's it," Question said. "Get me that uplink, and I can get you his plan."

Superman nodded gravely. "Right now, Question, our priority is rescuing our people; once they're safe, we'll get you that uplink."

""We"?" Callisto repeated. "If you want to face down some robot-army, space-man, go ahead; I'm not risking my people for your fight!"

Spider-Man groaned. "I swear, it's one-step-forward-five-steps-back with this chick…"

The rest of the Morlocks nodded. "Callisto, how can you say that?" Façade asked.

Cybelle nodded. "We can't just ditch them after they helped us…"

"Threw us scraps, you mean?" Callisto snapped. "Because that's all they've done, before! They did the absolute bare minimum – just like every other topworlder – and expect us to be grateful for it!" She levelled a furious glare at Superman. "You knew we were starving, Kryptonian! You knew it, you had a freaking palace that could've given us enough food for a year, and you did nothing! And now you expect us to bend over backwards for you?" She laughed bitterly. "Not happening, spaceman! Not for the scraps you've tossed us!"

Power Girl glared back, before she glanced to Superman. "Kal, are you as tired of explaining this as I am?"

His arms folded, Superman held his peace. "Callisto, the reason I didn't use the Fortress to help your people is the same reason I haven't used it to help any one group of people," he said patiently. "What do you think would've happened to all of you if anyone found out I was using Kryptonian tech to assist you?" He didn't wait for an answer. "In the best-case scenario – that I can think of – practically every other group on Earth would either have gone after you, thinking you had advanced technology, started demanding I do the same for them – violently – or some combination of the two! And that's just what I can think of!"

Lucid looked thoughtful. "Huh," he mused. "Gee, when you put it that way…"

Superman nodded. "That, Lucid, is Krypton's Law of Riona Prime: the cornerstone of our foreign policy," he finished. "We tried giving our tech to others in the name of helping them, and it ended disastrously. We're not going to risk that kind of tragedy happening again."

Callisto snorted. "Is that the cop-out you used on the rest of the planet?"

Wonder Woman was irate. "Hera, child, how can you..?"

"We're wasting time," Question said. "If Healer couldn't convince her in several years, we aren't going to do it in several minutes. As far as Callie's concerned, we're all as rotten as her father."

Callisto went deathly pale. "Wha…WHAT did you just say?"

Question turned to face her. "Callie-Ann Belton, born May 8, 1989 to Nathan and Jodie Belton at Midtown General Hospital," he recited. "As early as 1994, Nathan was the focus of several reports of domestic abuse."

Callisto started to shake. "Shut up."

Question didn't let up. "After Jodie's passing three years later – under suspicious circumstances, though the police didn't have enough to open an investigation – Nathan had sole custody."

"Shut up."

"From then until 14, Callie was a semi-regular at both the Midtown precinct and its emergency ward," Question continued. "Like with her mother, police and social services never had enough to charge Nathan with anything."

"Shut up!"

Question rolled right along. "Around that point, both her father and social services lost contact with her altogether: besides a few blood-traces around the Belton household, there was no sign she'd ever been there," he said. "Since then, there'd never been any sign of her…until now."

"SHUT UP!"

Callisto leapt at Question as she screamed, knocking him to the ground as her hands went for his throat, forcing Question to grab her wrists. "SHUT UP, SHUT UP, SHUT UP!" she screamed, tears of rage spilling from her good eye. "You don't know ANYTHING! You don't know ANYTHING about me! Just SHUT UP!"

"Callisto, cool it!" Superman shouted, as he yanked her off of Question by her shoulder. Blind with fury, Callisto lashed out with a slap, which caused her wrist to collide painfully with Superman's forearm as he blocked her. Shaken out of her rage by the pain, Callisto, still teary, stepped back, her gaze still furious. Superman crossed his arms. "This isn't helping anyone, Callisto."

Callisto took a few deep breaths. "Neither was him yapping about things he knew nothing about."

"I agree," Superman answered, as he looked to Question. "What was that, pal?"

Question stood up, dusting himself off. "Just closing an old missing-persons casefile."

Wonder Woman scowled. "You call callously dredging up that poor child's tragedies "closing a casefile"?"

"No. I call it "giving her a much-needed kick in the rear,"" Question retorted, as he glanced back to Callisto. "Whatever you think of me, the League, or the X-Men is your own business, Belton. Just ask yourself one question. Which makes more sense: hating us because you think we're like your old man, or taking down someone who really is like him?"

Callisto froze, as her fury drained off. "I…I don't…"

Question turned away. "Your call."

Superman turned back to the others. "We need to get going; if any of the others escaped Creed's attack, they're going to need us." As the others headed to the Javelin, he glanced back to Callisto. "Our helping you wasn't conditional on anything, Callisto. Yes, chances are, we could use your help, but we aren't going to make you." He sighed. "If you're not coming with us, you can head to Greenwich Village and ask for Doctor Strange; if you tell him we sent you, he should be able to find a place for you to stay until this is all over. That's the best we can do, right now." With that, he, Power Girl, Krypto, Wonder Woman, and Green Lantern took to the air, flying off, while the others followed in the Javelin, leaving Callisto and the Morlocks with their thoughts.

XXXXXXXX

Xavier Institute

As he and his squad of bodyguards walked through the courtyard, now dotted with their Mark Two Sentinels, Graydon Creed had to smile to himself. 'Today is a good day for humanity, after all.'

He'd been initially worried at how quickly the krypper and his flunkies had reacted to their movements, but losses had been expected in Phase One. Now Phase Two was well underway, and Phase Three was almost ready.

In a few strides, Graydon walked into the Institute, where he found several squads waiting within, all of whom saluted at his presence. "At ease, men," he soothed. "Is Reverend Stryker on-site?"

"Yes, sir! He's waiting for you just outside the main meeting room on the top level with our lead tech-man; that's where we've moved the muties that we managed to catch!" a lieutenant reported. "We have a handful that escaped to the lower levels, but we're working on corralling them…"

"What the hell, Creed?"

An eyebrow arched, Greydon turned to find Donnie Drake storming up to him, angry tears in his eyes. "You promised that these goons wouldn't hurt my folks! You PROMISED!" he shouted. "And then you sicced them on my folks! They said you told them to!"

The lieutenant bristled. "You watch your mouth, you snotty little..!"

Graydon calmly raised his hand, quieting his subordinate. "Donald," he said patiently, "that wasn't exactly what I told the men who approached your parents. What I told them was to take them in peacefully if they made no attempt to side with the ice-mutie…but if they did, their orders were to eliminate any species-traitors."

Donnie sniffled. "You…you said you wouldn't hurt them!"

Graydon sighed, and placed a hand on the boy's shoulder. "Donnie, I know how hard this is to hear, but if your parents have really sided with their mutie kid, then there's nothing you or I can do about it," he said. "Maybe they don't realize just how dangerous his kind is to ours. If that's the case, then there may be hope…"

"There is!" Donnie insisted. "I'll make 'em see it! I will!"

"I hope so, Donnie; for your sake, I really do," Graydon said. "But if they don't…you'll need to ask yourself if you're really ready to do whatever it takes to protect humanity." At that, Donnie wnt silent, at which point Graydon walked away, heading upstairs.

As the lieutenant had reported, Graydon found Stryker and their lead tech-expert outside the Institute's meeting-room. As he spotted Graydon, William grinned. "The Lord is smiling on us, Graydon; everything's going as planned!"

Graydon grinned back. "It is, indeed, William…though I think Donald is a bit upset about his parents."

William sighed. "They're still blind about the ice-mutie," he said. "I suppose I shouldn't be surprised." His grin came back. "We may have another bit of good news, though!" He motioned to their tech-expert.

The young man stepped forward, and began to rummage through his backpack. "After we took this place, sir, we started looking around," he reported. "Most of the rooms on the upper levels are all residential. The last one I checked seemed no different than any other…until I saw this."

He promptly pulled out a single, cylindrical crystal, dull white and opaque. Graydon's eyes went wide. "Is that what I think it is?"

"There's no doubt about it, sir. It was a laptop-style device when I first saw it, with some gibberish on the screen that had to be the krypper's language," the tech-man confirmed. "The second I touched it, it changed to what it is now."

Carefully, Graydon took the crystal, running his fingers over its faceted surface. "Have you been able to reactivate it, or pull any data from it?"

"Negative, sir. It's nonreactive to anything I've done, and I haven't the slightest idea how to get an adapter to interface with it," the tech-man said. "It's like those hacks I tried to send at the polar site, all over again."

Graydon frowned. "What about the room itself? Did you get any identifying information?"

The tech-man shook his head. "Nothing, sir. Except for the device, it looked like any other couple's room: a bunch of man's-size jeans, slacks, t-shirts, button-ups, and vests, and several young woman's outfits and unmentionables."

Graydon sneered in disgust. "Their own little love-nest," he spat. "What about Xavier's database? Does he have anything on record about it?"

"Nothing usable, sir," came the answer. "There's plenty on file about the muties and the half-breed, but it's nothing we didn't already know. The one file that references the krypper is written in that same gibberish." He looked grim. "I'm sorry, sir."

William chuckled. "You needn't be so hard on yourself, son," he said. "This little find practically confirms a suspicion we've had about the krypper."

Graydon still looked sour. 'All along, it's been walking amongst us, like it belonged here…and for who knows how long?' he thought. 'Well, that stops today!' "William, is he ready?"

Now William looked like he'd swallowed something nasty. "He's on his way, now."

"Good," Graydon said. "Then let's say hello to our guests." With that, he opened the door, allowing them both to walk in.

The quartet of automatic-bearing guards just inside the door instantly parted, allowing the two of them to see the remaining mutants – minus Wolverine – as well as their handful of human relatives, huddled around the meeting-room table. Xavier himself remained composed, keeping a level glare at Graydon…but that gave way to shock as he saw Stryker. "William."

William smirked. "Xavier," he sneered. "It's been a while, hasn't it?"

One of the mutants – Magneto's son, if Graydon recalled right – looked confused. "You know this chump, Xavier?"

Xavier closed his eyes. "Reverend William Stryker," he said softly. "I knew him before I opened the Institute – his son…"

"That'll be enough of that, Xavier!"

The Professor went silent at that, but one of his students – the Smith girl – spoke up. "So what's the deal, psycho? According to your Racist A-hole Newsletter, you should be painting the walls with our brains; why haven't you?"

Graydon snorted. "As loathe as I am to admit it, you muties have your uses," he said. "Right now, you're all more use to us alive." His eyes narrowed. "Unless one of you makes me think otherwise, of course."

The Smith girl shut up with a scowl, but the Drake boy picked up where she left off. "So what is it, then?" he demanded. "Obviously you want something from us! What is it?"

His mother looked stricken. "Bobby…"

"It's like he said, Mom: he's not gonna hurt us as long as he needs something from us!"

Graydon scowled. "I'd watch that mouth if I were you, mutie," he snapped. "For starters, you're all useful as leverage. If the krypper and its little band want to keep your blood off their hands, they'd better play by our rules."

Xavier frowned. "And what rules would those be?"

William chuckled darkly. "Can't you read our minds?"

"You're obviously using the same kind of psychic jamming technology you used on me in Roswell."

Graydon grinned as he tapped the PSI-jammer he kept on his belt, like everyone else in Phase Two did. "Obviously," he said. "For starters, the krypper can start repaying humanity by ponying up its polar cabana and its keys to the space-weapon."

One of the newer mutants – the boy – snorted. "Yeah, good luck with that one, pal."

One of the younger muties – the one that copied himself – nodded. "Superman'll never give you jerks anything!"

"We'll see," Graydon said. "Right now, though, we're far more interested in what you muties can tell us."

The card-thrower arched an eyebrow. "So y' need instructions on how t' stick y' head up y' behinds?" he asked. "'Cause dat's about all y' gettin'."

William smirked. "Oh really?" With that, he looked to one of the guards, who promptly radioed another on his communicator. Seconds later, two more guards came in, and threw a bruised, battered, and bloodied Wolverine on the floor.

The redheaded telekinetic – the ex-S.H.I.E.L.D. agent – was aghast. "Logan!" she screamed, as she raced to his side.

Wolverine coughed. "S'okay, Maddie," he wheezed. "Told the little prick nothin'."

The sun-powered mutant gulped. "Hey…why isn't he healing?"

The spiked mutant winced. "Same reason our powers are still funky, Roberto: that gas messed us up," he said, before he doubled over with a groan.

The weather-mutant gasped. "Evan? Are you..?"

"I'm okay, Auntie O," the boy answered. "Mostly."

William chuckled. "And that brings us to our next reason," he said. "We needed a trial-run for our latest anti-mutant weapon. After seeing the effect a diluted dose has, I'd say it's ready for full-scale deployment!"

Mystique's frown was sad. "And what exactly would "full-scale deployment" be, Graydon?"

Graydon was instantly irate. "DON'T speak until you're SPOKEN to, bitch!" he roared.

William's hand was on his shoulder. "Easy, my friend. She'll get what's coming to her."

As Graydon cooled off, Xavier spoke again. "You mentioned wanting information, Creed. What exactly do you expect to get from us?"

His head in Madelyn's lap, Logan wheezed. "The little prick wanted info on Flyboy, Chuck," he coughed. "Wanted to know where he hung his cape before he met up with us; told 'im jack squat."

Graydon smirked. "For all the good it did, mutie," he sneered, as he held up the crystal. "We found this in the little nest the krypper and his bitch keep around here, along with a few everyday suits. Odd thing to find…unless he had a secret."

No-one spoke at that.

William chuckled. "Does he have some pseudonym he hides behind when he's not flying around playing god?" he asked. "Does it seem fair that he should get to run away from the consequences of his blasphemy simply by ducking out of that cape? I certainly don't."

"Actually, William, I think it's a bit more than that," Graydon replied. "For an alien, it sure knows a lot of our language's little idiosyncracies pretty well – only someone that was taught it from a young age would catch those! Add in the fact that some twenty-odd years ago – which is just about how old the krypper looks – there was a meteor-shower that deposited chunks of that toxic element across Earth, and I'd say we've got a clear picture!" He glared right at Xavier. "The kryper was raised on Earth, wasn't it, Xavier? It came here as a baby, didn't it?"

Xavier didn't respond, but he clenched his jaw.

That was all the confirmation Graydon needed. "That's where it got its pseudonym from, isn't it?" he pressed. "Some family – most likely a childless one – put their own selfish desire for a kid above the safety of humanity by taking that little monster in!"

William sighed. "It's a disgusting thought, Graydon, but not a surprising one," he said. "Just look at the parents that foolishly protect mutant children, blind to the destruction they cause."

The Guthrie matriarch bristled. "Don't you talk about mah babies that way, ya psychotic..!"

"Believe it or not, Mrs. Guthrie, I wasn't," William said, before he looked to Xavier. "Your precious Professor knows what I'm talking about."

The Drake boy looked confused. "Professor?"

Xavier looked pained. "What happened to your family was horrific, William," he said, "but it was not Jason's fault – he couldn't control his power, which was why..!"

"You knew what he could do," William accused. "You knew full well what sort of hell that little monster could unleash!"

"I knew what could happen if Jason didn't get help!" Xavier countered. "He was only a boy, William! He needed training, guidance..!"

"So you could turn him into a weapon for your filthy kind!" William roared. "That was not why I brought him to you!"

The Chinese girl spoke up. "Professor? What's he talking about?"

Xavier sighed. "Before the Institute was founded, Jubilee, I helped several other mutants, one of them being Reverend Stryker's son, Jason," he confessed. "Jason was only five when his power – the ability to project telepathic illusions – manifested." He met William's glare. "His father wanted his son cured, but I told him then – as now – that mutation is not a disease..!"

"…and when you realized I wouldn't let you use him, you sent him back, knowing he'd do what he did!" William exploded. "I was a fool to trust you, mutie; God warned me what that little monster was the first time his nightmares seeped into our dreams!" He caught his breath. "I ignored His warning, and so He punished me for it; now I know better."

The blue-furred mutie looked horrified. "V-Vat happened?"

Xavier's eyes were closed tight. "A week after Jason came home, he lost control during an extremely vivid nightmare," he said softly. "A nightmare…which spread to his mother and older sister."

William looked lost in memory. "I was giving a sermon, that night; that was why I was spared," he whispered. "I don't want to imagine what my girls saw, to make Charlotte gnaw her wrists open, while her mother tore out her own eyes." He fixed another glare on Xavier. "That was when I knew what the devil had sent into our midst – what you wanted to turn into your own personal weapon." His scowl grew. "And now you've done it with something even more powerful – something with Omega-level capabilities, and access to weaponry capable of levelling our planet!"

Graydon held up the crystal for emphasis. "So what exactly is this thing, muties? We know it can turn into a computer, but what else can it turn into?" he demanded. "How do we use it?"

The Drake boy scoffed. "You're shit out of luck, Creed. All of Krypton's tech is Bio-Coded – it responds to only them. We couldn't turn it on even if we wanted to."

"The kryppers must have some way of going around that!" Graydon snapped. "The younger one – the one that ran with those other muties – could likely do it! Where'd they go, Xavier?"

Xavier stayed silent.

William chuckled darkly. "No matter. We thought you might want to do it the easy way. You'll tell us all you know, one way or another."

"That brings us to our last point," Graydon said, as he looked to their non-mutant prisoners. "All of you – you humans – have a chance these muties don't have. You've heard what destruction they're capable of, and you've seen what otherworldly horrors they've allowed onto our planet!" He smiled gently. "All you have to do is renounce them, and walk away."

The eldest Guthrie girl looked disgusted. "You expect us to turn on our own family."

"When a tree is diseased, it's only natural to prune the infected branches," William reasoned. "Some of you still have normal children – pure children, untainted by that loathsome X-Gene; you can save them." His face hardened. "Or you can let the disease run rampant, and force us to chop the entire tree down."

The Lance woman was aghast. "You can't be serious…"

"We couldn't be more serious, Mrs. Lance," Graydon said. His gaze fell on the younger Blaire girl, holding her cat in her arms. "And what about you, young lady? Do you think it's fair that you and your parents should suffer just because of your cousin?"

The girl glared at him. "Sod off, you stupid prat of a racist wanker!"

Xavier's students choked back laughter, while her mother looked scandalized. "Jennifer!"

"What? He is!"

Graydon sighed. "I see," he muttered. "Well, we gave the krypper about an hour to agree to save you all, so that's how much time you have to change your minds." He fixed a fresh glare on Xavier. "But that doesn't settle you keeping the krypper's secret, Xavier! We know you know about it – why else would you have a file encrypted with that nonsense it calls a language? Who sold out humanity by taking it in, mutie?"

Xavier was firm. "I have no idea what you're talking about, Creed."

Hearing a buzz on his communicator, William checked it…and smiled. "Oh, really?" he asked. "Why don't we see what our newest guest has to say about that?" With that, he opened the door, allowing another person – an utterly emaciated, 30-something-year-old male, with scraggly brown hair, attached to a wheelchair by numerous metallic IV-lines – to roll in, stopping in front of Xavier.

Xavier studied the newcomer for several seconds, before his expression turned horrified. "My God…William…this is your son…"

"My son is DEAD!"

William's shout startled everyone in the room. "My son died the minute that devil-gene woke up in him!" he roared, causing Jason to flinch. "What was left was some thing that the devil would have used to wreak havoc on us good Christians!" He skewered Xavier with a baleful glower. "What name did you give him, Xavier? You're so fond of giving code-names to your freaks! What did you call HIM?"

Xavier closed his eyes. "Mastermind."

William was still shaking, though his voice was growing calmer. "I ignored God's warning, so He punished me by taking away my girls…leaving me with that thing," he fumed. "Well, I learned my lesson! Just as Satan would have used this little monster for evil, I chose to use him for humanity's good!" He chuckled. "Took me a good few months, but I beat the wickedness out of him, and put him to work…which brings us to you, Xavier. Granted, you'd normally be too powerful for him to influence…but with the enhancements we made to him? That's a different story."

Graydon chuckled. "As for the freaks that ran, we'll catch up to them, soon enough!" he finished. "With the gas the teleporter inhaled, they couldn't have gotten far; hell, they're probably holed up in the lower levels! What with those death-traps you've built down there, you've saved us the trouble of mopping them up!"

William nodded. "And we'll be taking care of that species-traitor Kelly soon enough!" he agreed. "Right now, it's time you and your former student had a chat." With that, he nodded to the two guards, who moved to wheel Xavier out of the room, while Mastermind wheeled after him.

Their talk done, Graydon headed out of the meeting room, taking a few strides before he leaned over the railing, nearly sick to his stomach. 'I should've blown the bitch's brains out, then and there…'

"I can see you're about as happy to be near your little secret as I am," William observed, walking up to him. "I wouldn't worry about her, much longer."

Graydon nodded absently, as he recomposed himself. "Have we heard from our supplier?" he asked. "Do we have any meteor-weapons?"

William looked grim. "Just three," he answered. "All they could scrounge together was three crystals of the refined element. No more."

Graydon scowled. "The blasted stuff's getting harder and harder to find."

"Yes it is," William agreed, "but, if everything goes according to plan, we won't need any more."

Graydon had to smile at that. "Between Phase Three and Mastermind's session with Xavier, we'll be able to drive these freaks off Earth for good…"

XXXXXXXX

Siryn's teleportation spell was nowhere near as smooth as it usually was, Cannonball noted…right before he fell flat on his face onto the smooth metal floor of the lower levels. The others didn't fare any better than he did, leaving them all dog-piled in one of the corridors. "Owww…" Daisy moaned. "Sammie, what the hell was that?"

Cannonball coughed. "Ask Siryn," he wheezed. "Now could you please get your foot off my ear?"

Daisy blushed. "Oh. Sorry."

Supergirl was the first to disentangle herself, followed by Brainiac 5 and Phantom. "Is everyone alright?" Kara asked.

Shadowcat groaned piteously. "No!" she cried. "Oh my God, it feels like my skull is too sizes too small, and there's an elephant sitting on my chest!"

Avalanche moaned in agreement. "You can say that again, Kit…but I think the elephant is really just Fred sitting on us."

From where he was sprawled on top of the pile, utterly lethargic, Blob just barely managed to roll himself off, which earned a collective sigh of relief from the others. "Sorry, guys."

Daytripper struggled to her feet. "No problem, Fred," she whimpered. "But I still feel terrible…"

Distraught, Miss Martian was next to get up. "Mark? Are they going to be okay?"

Brainiac 5 promptly swept a transcanner wave over his disabled teammates. "I am detecting a low concentration of an unknown toxin in their systems," he reported. "This toxin appears to partially resemble the toxic sports-drink Powr8."

Magma groaned. "Wonderful."

Siryn struggled to sit up. "And our prognosis?"

Brainiac 5 extrapolated his data. "Your collective blood-concentrations appear to be decreasing at a constant rate, so your systems appear to be capable of dealing with it," he observed, "but if the initial dose had been larger, you could have experienced multiple organ-failures."

Cannonball coughed as he got to his feet. "Swell. Mutant Kryptonite," he grumbled. "As if we didn't have enough to worry about."

Supergirl's eyes were electric-blue as she scanned the nearby areas. "We don't have anyone incoming," she reported, "but I'm hearing an elevator turning on from the east side; chances are, Creed and his goons guessed where we went. Mark, is there any chance that gas will wear off quickly?"

Mark re-checked his data. "At the present rate of detoxification, I estimate effective neutralization within five minutes."

Kara grimaced. "They'll be on us way before then," she muttered. "We need somewhere defensible to hole up!"

Siryn staggered to her feet. "The Danger Room's control chamber," she coughed. "That's as good a place as any."

Supergirl nodded. "Mark, do you have those disc-drones of yours working yet?"

Brainiac 5 simply stretched, allowing three hovering discs to pop off of his nano-armour. "They are not yet weaponized, but their shielding and reconnaissance functions are fully operational."

"Good. You and I will scout ahead to the control-room, while your drones sweep the rest of this level," Supergirl said. "Everyone else will follow after us; Phantom, make sure you keep everyone cloaked! Let's move!"

As Supergirl flew ahead, followed by Brainiac 5, Phantom concentrated, generating an invisibility field around the rest of them. After about a minute, they headed after Kara and Mark, while Mark's drones split up in the opposite direction. As they walked, Cannonball gradually started to feel a bit better – like Mark had said, the poison was working its way out of their systems, bit by bit…

"Feelin' any better?"

By reflex, Sam suppressed a groan as Daisy moved next to him. "Gettin' there," he answered. "If we hadn't had a few of us immune to that gas, we'd've been sittin' ducks."

Daisy's expression saddened. "Lahke Supergirl."

Cannonball felt his cheeks start to flare. "Yeah," he admitted. "Kara, she…she's awesome."

Unfortunately, he hadn't said that quietly enough. Daytripper's head almost spun as she whirled to face him. "Wait…Sam do you like Kar..?"

"SSSSSHHHHH!"

Avalanche chuckled. "Called it," he said. "Todd owes me ten bucks, when we get out of this."

Shadowcat fixed her boyfriend with an exasperated stare, before she turned a smile towards Sam. "Are you going to ask her out?"

Cannonball was aghast. "Kitty, are ya NUTS?"

Daisy was oddly downcast. "Why not?" she asked softly. "If ya lahke her…"

Sam's tone was bitter. "Daisy, in case ya haven't noticed, she's from one of the most advanced – if not the most advanced – civilizations in the whole dang universe!" he exclaimed. "As far as she's concerned, Earth's a planet full o' hicks, and Ah'm a hick by Earth standards! From her perspective, the most Ah could be is a hamster in a cage! Forget her being out of my league: we aren't even in the same dang galaxy!"

Siryn frowned, as she folded her arms. "You're not exactly giving her much credit, Guthrie."

Magma nodded. "Kara doesn't see you that way!"

"Guys! She'll hear you!"

Daisy huffed angrily. "So what if she does?" she fumed. "Ah didn't think you were such a chicken, Samuel Guthrie!"

Phantom looked nervous. "Uh…everyone..?" she began.

Sam was in no mood to deal with her. "And what exactly would you know about this, Daisy?"

Daisy exploded. "Ah know what it's lahke to…to have someone ya lahke fall fer someone else just 'cause…'cause ya were too chicken ta say anythin'!" she shouted. "And now yer doin' the exact same thing by not tellin' Supergirl ya lahke her!"

K'imm's warning came a second too late. "Guys, we're here!"

Sam could only blink as he rounded the corner. "Huh?" he asked…right before his eyes intersected Supergirl's wide, surprised gaze.

She'd heard. Everything.

Kara looked just as dumbstruck as Cannonball felt. "I…I should just…I'd better sweep the immediate area," she said quickly. "It doesn't sound like Creed's goons are splitting up, but it never hurts to be sure."

Sam felt something in his chest crack and then fall straight into his gut. "Sure," he replied, trying to keep his voice steady. He managed to look back over his shoulder. "Thanks, Daisy."

Daisy flinched. "Sammie, Ah didn't mean to…"

"Enjoying yourselves, freaks?"

The voice of Graydon Creed over the command center's radio drowned out Daisy's apology, just as the F.O.H. leader's smirking face appeared on the view-screen. "I thought you'd run down there," he continued. "I suppose I should thank you for boxing yourselves in, since it saves us the trouble of hunting you down."

Avalanche glared at him. "Come on down, then. We'll give you a warm welcome."

Graydon laughed. "Tempting, mutie, but I have bigger fish to fry," he replied. "Prying secrets out of your pet kryppers' tech being one of them." He glanced to Supergirl, as he held up a crystal. "That brings us to you, krypper: I'm told that you creatures have some way of locking your tech so only your kind can use it," he spat. "I'm assuming that you must have some way of UNlocking it, so if you want your mutie friends to have ANY chance at mercy, you'd better start talking. Now."

Supergirl just folded her arms. "Shrev'ahk ti hurdo lik ti crenb'oth."

Graydon blinked. "And what's that? The access code?"

Kara's smile was mocking. "No. Shrev'ahk is the imperative form of the Kryptonese verb shrev'ara: to push, shove, or in this case, to stuff," she replied. "The rest of the phrase involves your head and your colon."

It took a few seconds for the others to get it. Shadowcat was the first to start laughing. "Oh, snap!"

Avalanche was full-out guffawing. "Buuuurn, Flygirl!"

Graydon looked ready to spit fire. "You MISERABLE little krypper bitch!" he spat. "You've just signed your friends' death-warrants!"

Siryn chuckled dryly. "Quite the boast from someone who hides upstairs."

"Yeah!" Blob agreed. "You want us, come and get us!"

Creed actually started to smile. "I have a better idea: why don't I let your precious Institute do it for me?" he chortled. "Based on what I'm seeing of this damn school's specs, your "Danger Room" is quite the training-tool – it would be a shame not to make use of it!"

Shadowcat paled. "Guys, nobody go near the Danger Room elevat – AAAAUUGGHH!"

Kitty's warning turned to a cry of alarm as multiple trap-door panels opened up in the control-room floor, which fed into slide-like chutes that dumped them into the Danger Room. Creed's laughter echoed above them. "Enjoy yourselves, muties – I know my men certainly will!" he crowed. "And while you're scrambling for your lives, think about the fact that you're only the first freaks that will die, tonight! Before we're done, there won't be ANY place you muties can hide! And as for your first pet krypper, HE won't be able to hide amongst humanity anymore, either!"

As the PA shut off, Supergirl gulped. "W-What did he mean by that?" she asked. "Is that psycho going to try to hurt Kal?"

Just then, the Danger Room started to whirr, as it began to warm up. "I think we've got other problems right now, Kara," Avalanche muttered.

"Caution: Level Ten Scenario selected; will commence scenario in thirty seconds."

Cannonball paled. "Level Ten? As in, the kind Superman likes to run?"

Magma was trembling. "Mark, please tell us it's been five minutes and our powers are back!"

Stricken, Brainiac 5 shook his head. "Negative, Amara: I estimate another two minutes before your systems metabolize enough of the toxin to reactivate your powers."

"Caution: Level Ten Scenario selected; will commence in fifteen seconds."

With a gulp, Daisy inched closer to Cannonball. "S-Sammie, what do we do?"

"Commencing in 5…4…3…2…1…commencing."

At that, the silver metal of the Danger Room started to shimmer as its holo-emitters powered up. Sam could only scrunch his eyes as he answered. "We stay alive, Daisy," he said. "We stay alive…"

XXXXXXXX

From his viewpoint high above the Institute – out of range of the machine-army patrolling the front lawn – Superman frowned to himself, before he darted across the Bayville skyline, touching down in a field in the local park, where the others – minus Power Girl and Wonder Woman – waited with the Javelin. "We've got a little less than two dozen of those mini-Sentinels out front," Superman reported. "I didn't catch sight of any more inside; Aly, did you see any?"

Power Girl shook her head. "No; the only hostiles inside are Creed and his loonies," she reported, as she suppressed a lip-quiver. "From what I can tell, the hostages are fine, but we're getting low on time..!"

Wonder Woman's hand on her shoulder steadied her. "We will save them, child. Worry not."

Cyclops looked thoughtful. "Do we have any word from our people inside, yet?"

Superman shook his head. "Still nothing."

Green Lantern sighed. "Then that doesn't give us many options."

Kori piped up. "Friends, what of the space-fortress manned by the Sky Lord's oracle? Surely she could smite these foul machine-men with ease!"

"Yeah, along with half the Institute," Berzerker muttered. "Kal, what about that EMP-weapon? Could that work?"

Superman's eyes scrunched shut. "A Polaron blast could knock out the Sentinels," he admitted, "but it would also tip Creed off. We'd need to hit him and his men first, before they can harm the hostages…"

Question piped up. "…and after I get access to one's CPU," he added. "Unless I missed my guess, there's a back-door to the Institute's lower levels by the waterfall on the cliffside."

The Martian Manhunter looked wary. "And how exactly do you know this?"

"Professor Xavier should be more careful in how he disposes of old blueprints."

Power Girl huffed angrily. "You…you go through our trash?"

Question's eyeless gaze met hers with a scoff. "Please. I go through everyone's trash."

With an exasperated groan, Superman spoke before his girlfriend could get angrier. "Even if we head in via that back-door, we'd still need a distraction before we can rescue anyone."

Spider-Man shook his head. "So some of us would get to tango with those tin cans, while the others get stuck with Creed's ranting," he said. "I'm honestly not sure which is worse."

Green Lantern brought up a ring-powered layout of the Institute. "Once we're inside, we should be able to tap into the Institute's video-feeds to locate the hostages," he said. "The most out-of-the-way hack-site is the Danger Room's contral chamber." The room in question lit up. "That solves the problem of locating the hostages, but we'll still need that distraction."

Superman started to smile, as an idea hit him. "All of this – Creed's whole plan – was about hitting us where we live," he said. "He struck at us where we feel most secure, but as it turns out, are fairly vulnerable – let's do the same to him!"

Kori beamed, but then looked perplexed. "A brilliant stratagem, Great One…but how? Would we not need to know Creed's base of operations?"

"What's the cornerstone of Creed's whole operation?" Superman pressed. "How else can he recruit his goons other than convincing them they're acting in humanity's best interests?" His grin turned sly. "Let's yank that right out from under them – that'll take a big chunk out of their reaction-time!"

Now Cyclops was grinning. "So we'd basically be proving him wrong on every conceivable level?" he asked. "I love it!"

Superman gestured to Lantern's map. "Once we drop that bomb on Creed and his flunkies, we'll move in," he said, motioning to the front yard. "Wonder Woman, Lantern, Kori and I will hit the Sentinels out front…and before you ask, Question, we will leave one for you. Everyone else will breach through the cliff entrance, and locate the hostages; after we have eyes on them, we'll deploy."

Power Girl still looked concerned. "Even if they're demoralized, Creed's goons will likely put up a fight," she said. "We'd have to divide our efforts between stopping them and rescuing the hostages…"

"Sounds like you'd need help, then."

Startled by that voice, everyone turned in time to see Callisto pop up a manhole cover, before she emerged from the sewers, followed by the rest of the Morlocks. A flabbergasted Spider-Man spoke first. "How the hell did you guys get here so fast?"

Lucid shrugged. "Hey, the sewers go pretty much everywhere."

Wary, Superman met Callisto's gaze. "What changed your mind?"

Callisto's frown was still in place. "I still don't trust you, Kryptonian, but we can't do anything about you." She smirked. "That psychopath Creed, however, is someone we can do something about," she added. "But let's get this straight: this is for Healer, not you." She fixed a glare on Question. "And if he so much as looks at me wrong, we're gone."

Scaleface arched an eyebrow. "How could you tell the difference if he did?"

Superman chuckled wryly. "Fair enough."

"Good," Callisto said. "And we're not walking into gunfire?"

Power Girl shook her head. "Once we move, my team will deal with Creed's sharpshooters; all you'll need to do is get the hostages clear."

Callisto nodded. "Okay."

"So that's settled? Great!" Spider-Man declared. "Just one question, though: how the heck are we going to rattle Creed's cage enough for him to let his guard down?"

"That, Web-Head, is where your better half comes in," Superman said. "We'll need you to get to Mr. Kelly's press-conference. There should be a good sized crowd there, by now."

Spider-Man blinked behind his mask. "Huh?"

Superman grinned. "Just get there and be ready to move, Little Red; I'll explain on the way…"

XXXXXXXX

Bayville City Hall

From her viewpoint to the side of the speaker's podium, Jean couldn't help but feel anxious. 'This is worse than that speech I gave at the start of last school-year…'

"I take it you're as nervous as I am, Jean?"

Looking over her shoulder, Jean smiled back at her former principal. "Are you sure you're not a telepath, Mr. Kelly?"

Edward chuckled. "If I were, Jean, it would have made my tenure at Bayville High a lot easier!"

Jean suppressed a faint laugh, before her expression turned pleading. "There's nothing we can say to change your mind?"

Edward shook his head. "I'm sorry, Jean, but no," he replied. "If it makes you feel better, my brother spent the past two weeks trying to talk me out of it before all this insanity started…although that was probably because my campaign flies in the face of his agenda."

Jean sighed. "In that case, we'll get out of your way," she relented. "Hank, Hisako and I will keep surveying the crowd, while our backup covers the rooftops."

Edward nodded. "Good luck."

"You, too." With that, Jean walked off the stage, letting Edward review his speech.

Hisako was there to meet Jean as she walked into the crowd. "Kelly-san will not change his mind?"

Jean shook her head. "He's dead set on it," she confirmed, before she switched on her communicator. "Any activity on your end, Batman?"

"Negative, Grey. I've surveyed four of the five most likely sniper-locations," came the gravelly response. "Either they're not here, yet, or they're in the crowd."

Jean cast a stricken glance over the mass filling the City Hall's yard. "Great," she muttered. "Any ideas?"

"Just keep your shields down enough to catch surface thoughts of passers-by, and take notice of any malicious intent. General disgruntlement is fine, but if you catch any specific plans, chances are you'll have our assassin."

"So I'm looking for a needle in a haystack," Jean muttered. "Thanks, Batman. Phoenix out."

As Jean ended the call, Hisako looked grave. "We still have no idea?"

Jean shook her head. "Only that the sniper either hasn't showed, or he's in the crowd," she said. "It looks like we're going fishing." With that, she motioned for Hisako to follow her, as they both started to wade through the crowd.

As she walked, Jean let her mental barriers down just an inch…and was immediately assaulted by an unending wave of stray mental chatter. 'I knew I should've fed the dog before I came here…'

'It's about time somebody started talking about human-mutant cooperation…'

'Kelly says we need to cooperate, but what about the Justice League? What if they turn on us..?'

'Man, I'm not getting paid enough for this. Parker had better get back here, soon…'

With a wince, Jean snapped her barriers shut to get a brief reprieve. "Jean-san? Are you alright?" Hisako inquired.

"Yes, Hisako, I'm fine. I just needed a little break from…" Jean began, but stopped as she saw a familiar face – one she never in a million years expected to see here. "Duncan?"

Looking just as alarmed to see her, Duncan Matthews, his Bayville High letterman jacket exchanged for a Bayville U varsity one, spun to meet her gaze. His expression turned sour. "What are you doing here?"

Jean frowned inwardly at her ex's tone, but she refused to show it. "I could ask that about you," she replied. "I just thought I'd show up to lend Mr. Kelly my support."

Duncan snorted. "Figures."

Hiding her hand behind her back, Jean felt her fingers clench into a fist. "Is that why you're here, too?"

Duncan's laugh was dry. "Hardly!" he sneered. "Dad and I showed up to ask Kelly just what the hell he thinks he's doing!" He looked over his shoulder. "Right, Dad?"

Turning around, Michael Matthews stepped away from whoever he'd been talking with to stand by his son. "Everything alright, son?" he asked. "Is this…person bothering you?"

"Nah, Dad. I'm good."

Jean could feel her skin crawling. "I was just surprised to see you both here, Mr. Matthews," she answered politely. "I figured you both had questions for Mr. Kelly."

Michael frowned. ""Questions" is putting it mildly," he snapped. "Yes, Grey, we do have questions…such as how Kelly expects us to work with…people like you, knowing that if it weren't for you, that monster Zod wouldn't have gotten loose, and we wouldn't have a giant space-gun pointed at us!"

Jean stood her ground. "Sentrius isn't aimed at Earth, Mr. Matthews. She was deceived by Zod, like we all were."

Michael's laugh was hard. ""She"? You actually think of that thing as a person?"

Jean's eyes narrowed. "She is a person, Mr. Matthews – an artificial intelligence. I've actually met her, once. She's not just a "space-gun"."

Duncan shook his head. "Mutants, aliens, and now thinking weapons? That's what Kelly expects us to cooperate with?" he said. "He's nuts if he expects us to go along with him."

"One man's insanity is another man's genius, Mr. Matthews."

Jean was immensely grateful as Hank strolled through the crowd towards them. "If things are as dire as you claim, then I would think that cooperating can only help," he reasoned. "Being at each other's throats seems counter-productive, don't you think?"

Michael only scowled. "Let's go, son," he muttered. "Something around here stinks." With that, he walked away, his shoulder accidentally – or possibly not – bumping Jean's as he passed…and that brief contact, combined with her lowered shields, was enough for her to catch something.

Michael was in his house, in their living room, looming over a cowering Valerie – who had a bruise over her eye – as he shouted. "Dammit, Valerie, I am NOT going to say this again..!"

With a gasp, Jean wrenched herself away from the vision, barely suppressing tears of horror, in time for Duncan to do the same.

Duncan was in an old barn, or a warehouse, watching as his father and Graydon Creed shook hands. "It's all taken care of, Graydon. We now hold the patent on Powr8, and all related products."

Graydon grinned. "Any problems with Spears?"

"None whatsoever, my friend," Michael answered. "One of our friends managed to…convince him to sign everything over to one of our dummy corporations, just before he "committed suicide"."

Graydon chuckled. "Excellent work, Mike. You and your son are a credit to humanity…"

Jean forced the vision to end as Duncan walked away. Hisako noticed her expression. "Jean-san, are you alright?"

Jean could barely breathe. She'd known Duncan and his father disliked mutants – even hated them, after the incident last year at the start of school – but she'd never thought they would…

Now Beast looked worried. "Jean, what happened?"

"They're in on it," Jean said. "Duncan and his father. They're with Creed."

Hisako gasped. "N-N-Nani?"

"You're certain of this, Jean?" Beast asked.

Jean nodded. "I got a hit off both Duncan and his dad," she answered. "Duncan saw his father on the phone with Creed, discussing how they owned all the patents relating to Powr8, after Guy Spears supposedly committed suicide…which I'm betting they had something to do with!"

Beast looked worried. "And Duncan's father?"

Jean scowled. "What I got from him just cements the fact that he's a complete scumbag!" she spat. "He was yelling at poor Valerie…who had a suspicious bruise on her face!"

Beast's eyes scrunched with dismay. "Oh my stars and garters…"

Hisako glanced back at the withdrawing Matthews men. "Should I follow them, Jean-san?" she asked. "If they are involved, they surely know who will strike Kelly-san!"

"We had best not do anything hasty, Hisako," Beast cautioned. "If Duncan or his father know anything, they could tip the assassin off if they spot you. We should notify Batman of what we've found." Promptly, he drew his communicator and hailed their comrade. "McCoy to Batman: there's been a recent development. We have reason to believe that Duncan and Michael Matthews are part of Creed's plot; Jean's mental scans derived Michael notifying Creed that they now held the patents on Powr8…"

"…after Guy Spears' apparent suicide, I assume?"

Beast sighed. "You know, it would be nice to bear some news that actually is news, for once."

"Spears was found dead in his office, just hours ago – initial cause of death appeared to be slit wrists, but the presence of petechial hemorrhage in the eyes, and the absence of inflammation around the wounds suggest he was strangled," Batman replied. "Whether Matthews just brokered the killing or handled it himself, it was sloppy – too sloppy for an organization like Creed's."

Jean leaned in close. "But why kill him at all? What do they need Powr8 for?"

"They've derived a mutant-specific toxin from it, which they've deployed against the Institute via miniaturized Sentinels."

Jean felt her stomach clench at that thought. "Is…have you heard..?"

"We've heard nothing yet from our people inside, Grey, but if you're asking about Summers, he's fine. He was among the team dispatched to assist Superman's team."

Beast spoke again. "Given these facts, I imagine that Duncan and his father know who the assassin is, or at least where he will strike," he observed. "Jean, do you think you can..?"

"Inadvisable, McCoy. If Grey does anything more than a quick-pass scan, Matthews could catch on, and alert the assassin. We'll need to get the information without them knowing."

Hisako spoke up. "Would they have it on their phones?" she asked. "I could get their phones without them seeing!"

Jean blinked. "You think you can snatch their phones undetected?" she repeated. "Hisako…"

"She can do it, Grey. Let her go."

Beast arched an eyebrow. "That's…an uncharacteristic vote of confidence."

"Suffice to say I'm familiar with her family training, McCoy."

Hisako looked perplexed. "How..?"

"Go, Ichiki-hime."

Hisako's eyes went wide, before she nodded. "H-Hai!" With that, she darted into the crowd, slipping past the bystanders as quietly as a shadow.

Now Jean looked confused. "Did…did we just miss something?"

"That would be my guess," Hank said, as he scratched his head. "In any case, we'd best be alert: Edward is about to give his speech."

Sure enough, Edward had walked up to the podium, smiling at the assembled crowd. "Good evening, everyone. I'd like to thank you all for coming, especially given what's happened in just the past hour," he greeted. "I realize that, in the past month, we've all had a big shock – that our world has come under fire from some dangerous forces…again." He managed a faint chuckle, which seemed to dull the underlying tension just a bit. "I also can see how easy it is to point fingers, to try and blame others for crises like this, but personally, I think that throwing blame around is the worst thing we – as a town, a country, and a people – can do right now. This is a time when we should be pulling together, to help and learn from each other."

Despite the tension of the moment, Jean couldn't help but smile. 'You tell 'em, Mr. K!'

"I know a lot of us are scared by what's going on in the world, right now," Edward continued, "and to be honest, I can't blame anyone for that – who wouldn't be? But again, I believe that letting our fear blind us to the best course of action is a recipe for disaster. When people have worked to set aside our differences and stand together, that's when the best of our human nature shows through."

He took a deep breath. "And that, everyone, is why human/meta-human cooperation and inclusion is at the heart of my mayoral campaign," he finished. "Given the number of people with extraordinary abilities in our society today, ignoring them is impossible, and being prejudiced against them runs contrary to our Constitution." He stared out at the crowd. "As I said earlier, this is a time for everyone in Bayville – human, mutant, alien, and everything in-between – to pull together, and make this town – this world – a better place. Thank you."

At those last words, the entire crowd broke into applause, Jean included. With a sigh of relief, Edward waited for the applause to fade. "Well, now that I'm done making an ass of myself," he joked, earning a bit more laughter, "I'd be happy to take any questions you had for me."

One young man raised his hand. "Mr. Kelly?" he asked. "Eddie Brock, Daily Bugle. Your campaign is based on inclusion, but don't you think that a lot of what our society faces today could have been avoided with better regulation of meta-human abilities?"

Edward looked wary. "I'm not entirely sure what you mean, Mr. Brock."

The reporter kept going. "Hasn't the meta-human population been left entirely to its own devices? Isn't it a good idea to implement some method of regulating these individuals?"

Edward stepped cautiously. "It almost sounds like you're talking about "regulating" a utility, Mr. Brock. My campaign will include proposals that reach out to Bayville's meta-human population, to gain cooperation, but it doesn't involve any kind of coercion – last I checked, that was illegal."

The crowd's chuckles quelled Brock's next question, but another reporter took his place. "Mr. Kelly, does this mean you oppose the Superhuman Registration Act proposed by Senator Robert Kelly?"

Edward's chuckle was dry. "I can respect my brother's right to his opinion, and I can understand why he feels as he does, but I can't say I agree with him," he replied. "Then again, I'd like to hear of any pair of siblings that see eye-to-eye, all the time!"

A cold voice interrupted the next reporter. "I see you haven't changed much, Edward," Michael said. "You're taking their side, again."

Edward sighed to himself. "Hello, Mike. Nice to see you and Duncan could make it."

Michael kept his gaze focused on Edward…which prevented him from seeing Hisako as she slipped out of the crowd behind him. "Edward, don't you think you're a little too biased to properly represent everyone in Bayville?" he asked. "After all, you had that problem as principal."

Edward's eyes narrowed, but he kept his cool. "Michael, are you sure this is the time and place..?"

'Wait, Mr. Kelly! Keep him talking!' Jean urgently sent him, causing him to pause. 'I can't explain why yet – just trust me!'

Michael folded his arms. "I think it's the perfect time, Edward," he said, as a handful of others in the crowd murmured their approval. "Don't you think this town deserves to know whose side you're on?"

Edward looked a bit confused at Jean's message, but he kept going. "You're right, Michael – people should know that I'm not on any one "side," which is exactly how I handled myself as principal."

Michael glared at him, oblivious to Hisako inching closer. "Then you consider yourself fair, even when you all but ignored how certain students were threatened by Xavier's pet?"

Edward sighed. "Michael, is this about the times that Duncan and his friends practically assaulted some of Bayville High's mutant students, which forced Superman and his team to intervene?"

Hisako was right behind Michael, but he never noticed. "How exactly can we trust you to protect all of us from that krypper, Edward, when you won't stand up to it?"

Edward held his ground. "From what I've seen, Michael, we've never needed protection from Superman," he replied, "and I'll thank you not to throw language like that around."

Duncan bristled. "What about the time it came after me last year, Mr. K?" he snarled. "The damn krypper almost busted my throwing-hand!"

Edward folded his arms. "With what, Duncan? His face?"

At that, the entire crowd burst out laughing, which made Duncan flush angrily as he went silent. Michael could only glare at Edward, which gave Hisako her opportunity – as quietly as a shadow, she plucked Michael's phone from his back pocket, glanced at the call-history, placed it back in his pocket, and slipped away before the senior Matthews was the wiser.

Inching through the crowd, Jean met Hisako as she finished scribbling a list of numbers onto a sheet of paper. "Most of these are local, Jean-san," she observed, before she pointed at one, "but this number is not!"

Jean was mildly incredulous. "Hisako, that was amazing! Where did you learn to do that?"

Hisako looked nervous. "I…I cannot say."

Jean was confused by the reply, but she didn't have time to press, as she hailed Batman. "Batman, it's Jean. We have a potential lead on our assassin; we're sending it to you, now!"

"Understood, Grey. Just be ready to cover Kelly – if this number blows the assassin's cover, it could force him to take his shot now. Batman out."

For the next few seconds, all they heard was Edward answering more questions, until Jean thought she heard a cell-phone ring in the distance, on a rooftop to the west, just before a familiar black shape swooped over the crowd, releasing a Batarang in mid-glide. The whirling projectile struck true, slamming into the barrel of a sniper-rifle propped on a chimney, which ruined its owner's shot – the high caliber bullet pierced the stage inches away from Edward's foot. At once, Jean raised a TK-wall between Edward and the sniper before the crowd began to panic. "Hank, get Mr. Kelly out of here!" she shouted. Quickly, Beast leapt to a nearby street-light, and used it to vault himself over Jean's barrier, and land beside Edward, only to scoop the frazzled man under his arm and dash out of sight.

With a venomous curse, the masked, black-armoured assassin had only enough time to reload his rifle, before the Dark Knight's armoured boot slammed into his skull, sending him flying. Not wasting any momentum, Batman leapt off as his feet hit ground, to pounce on the assassin and knock him out with a solid punch to the face.

Once Edward was out of harm's way, Jean breathed a relieved sigh, and lowered her barrier, before she ran backstage. "Is everyone okay?"

Edward was a bit rumpled from his impromptu manhandling, but otherwise fine. "I'd appreciate something of a warning next time, Miss Grey."

Jean half-smiled. "Duly noted," she answered, "but I'd prefer there not be a next time."

Beast nodded. "As would we all."

As the three of them walked back into view, Michael was the first to point fingers. "Is this your idea of "making the world a better place," Edward?" he shouted. "Just like before, you're letting these freaks run wild..!"

THUD.

The impact of the Dark Knight's boots behind him stifled the elder Matthews' impending monologue. Turning around, Michael froze as his eyes went wide at the sight of the demonic-looking shadow that loomed over him, with one hand holding the unconscious assassin by the collar. His eyes narrowed, Batman tossed the assassin on the ground in front of Michael. "I think it's time we had a word, Matthews."

Now both father and son were suppressing tremors, Jean noted with a guilty smile. Michael gulped. "W-What is that supposed to mean, freak?"

Casually, Batman fished a phone from the assassin's pocket. "Prior to coming here, this man – one of many low-level contract-killers associated with Graydon Creed, on and off – received several calls from the same number," he stated, dialling the phone as he spoke. "It was the last call he received, an hour before he was scheduled to arrive here." With that, he entered the number…and Michael's phone started buzzing. "It's for you, Matthews."

The crowd gasped.

As Michael sputtered, Duncan spoke up. "T-This is a set-up! You and that krypper are trying to frame my dad!"

Batman's glare silenced the boy. "Keep telling yourself that."

Michael silenced his son with a wave. "Don't say anything else, Duncan. Just get our attorney on the phone."

Jean was disgusted. "That doesn't sound like a plea of "not guilty," Mr. Matthews."

By then, the Bugle reporter – Brock – had caught up to them. "Batman! Any comment on what happened here?"

Batman's stare was flat.

Eddie persisted. "Please, sir, just a moment of your time!"

Out of the corner of her eye, Jean spotted a plainclothes Peter Parker as he walked up to his coworker. "Hey, Brock? That's not gonna work," he said. "I've seen Clark try to interview Bats – it's like getting water from a stone."

Eddie turned to frown at Peter. "Dammit, Parker! Where the hell were you?"

"Got here five minutes ago, Eddie – traffic was nuts," Peter said quickly, as he held up a new camera. "I got delayed because I was upgrading my camera. This baby'll give us a live feed – we time it right, we'll be on the evening news!"

Eddie calmed down. "Oh. Well…good."

Peter motioned to the crowd. "Since Bats isn't talking, Ed, why don't we get reactions from everyone else?" he suggested. "I'm sure they'll have plenty to say, especially once they hear this was an F.O.H. plot."

Eddie's frown came back. "I was going to suggest that, Parker."

As Peter and Eddie headed towards the crowd, a confused Jean reached to Peter with her thoughts. 'Peter? What's going on?'

'CK's plan, Red. Creed threw us for a loop, so we're gonna return the favour BIG-time.'

Jean blinked, but she started to smile as she caught Peter's train of thought. 'That's genius!' she cheered. 'Carry on, then!'

'Will do, Red. Think we can get a comment from you, on the tail end?'

'Count on it!'

Noticing her smile, Batman arched an eyebrow, as a single statement emerged from the endless fog that Jean always found around his mind. 'I assume Parker had an update.'

Jean nodded discreetly, and answered the Dark Knight…while trying to catch a glimpse of something – just one stray thought – from the misty fortress of his head. 'Clark and the others are at the Institute. They're about to move, if they haven't already.'

No such luck; besides his response, all Jean got was more of that mental fog. 'We'd best remain open for reassignment, then.'

Jean could only nod. 'Hopefully, we won't be needed; with any luck, the others have things under control, by now…'

XXXXXXXX

Xavier Institute

Sitting at his desk, Charles casually sifted through his daily paperwork until he found the expense reports he was looking for. 'I'd best file these before I lose them, again.' With the papers in hand, Charles stood up and strolled to the file-cabinet…and froze.

He was standing.

His eyes wide, Charles slowly, gingerly, looked down at his legs – the legs that he could feel and move – and arched his back, wincing for a spurt of pain that never came.

He could walk.

Tears trickled from Charles' eyes as he marvelled at this gift – one which he could keep if he just…

With a gasp, Charles recognized the attack, and shut his mind as hard as he could, cutting off all sensory input. "Jason, STOP IT!"

Instantly, he was back in the lower levls, in the wheelchair, in front of the Cerebro chamber, with a trio of Creed's men at his back. "Open it, mutie."

Charles kept his mind as warded as he could. "So you can use it – and me – to track down an innocent person? I think not."

Snarling, the lead soldier grabbed his collar. "I wasn't asking, mutie!" Yanking him towards the retina-scanner, the soldier forced his eye open as the scan-beam swept Charles' eye.

"Identity confirmed. Welcome, Professor."

As the soldiers wheeled him in, Charles tried one last gamble. 'Jason, I know what your father has likely told you, but he's wrong. What happened to your mother and sister was not your fault,' he called. 'You were so young – too young to control the kind of power you had. I can help you if you'll let me, but you must stop this..!'

By then, the soldiers had wheeled him into the chamber, and walked out, sealing the door behind him. Staring at Cerebro's helmet, Charles considered using it – even in his poisoned state – to send a warning to the others, to tell them what Creed wanted him to do…

…but then he heard a sniffle.

Turning his wheelchair around, Charles saw a young boy standing behind him, no more than 5, with mid-length, grimy brown hair, light skin mottled with bruises, and teary blue eyes, in a bloodstained white nightshirt. Compassion for the child overcame Charles. "What's wrong?"

The little boy sniffled again. "M-My…my Daddy's gonna hurt me, again!" he cried. "Only Superman can help me, but I can't find him! Please, help me find him!"

Charles tried to soothe him. "No-one will hurt you, little one. I promise, I'll help you…"

"You can't!" the boy wailed. "Only Superman can! You're his friend, aren't you? Find him! Please!"

Something in the back of Charles' mind was bothering him, but he put it aside – this child needed him. "Alright, son. I'll try to find him," he answered. He rolled to Cerebro's helmet, and put it on. Instantly, the metal panels of the chamber faded to black, as the whole world became illuminated by the light of mutant life-forces. "There…there are even more than the last time I checked…"

"Alert: new mutant signature detected."

Cerebro's warning drew Charles' attention to a posh residence in uptown Bayville…and jostled something in his mind. "There's a new mutant nearby – his powers just emerged," he thought aloud. "Why, it's…"

The boy pleaded again. "There's no time! Help me!"

Charles shook his head. "I'm sorry," he said, as he sifted through the lights, squinting. "I…I used to be able to see Superman's bio-signature, but with so many mutants, even a signature as luminous as his is difficult to pick out."

"Can't you talk to him with your brain?" the boy asked. "Get into his mind?"

Charles chuckled. "I'm afraid not," he answered. "Kryptonian brain-physiology is very different from ours. There's so much electrical activity in his head, it's impossible for human telepaths to read his mind. It's like why dogs and cats can hear noises we can't – Kryptonian thoughts are too "high" for human telepaths to hear."

The boy sniffled. "But…but I have to find him!" he insisted. "Where does he go?"

With a thought, Charles focused Cerebro on the North Pole, showing a silvery-black silhouette of the Fortress of Solitude, empty save for Superman's faithful A.I. Kurox, looking over a console, his bulky frame the same black-silver as the Fortress. "I know that Superman often goes to his Fortress up north, to train and study," he mused, "but he's not there now." His focus moved skyward, into the Watchtower, which had only a handful of bio-signatures within, none of which glowed like Superman's. "He's not in the Watchtower, either…"

"What about when he first came here?"

By reflex, Charles felt himself recall that fateful day – the day the meteors fell. "I…I shouldn't…"

"Please!"

His mind rewrote Cerebro's feed, depicting the readout on that day: only a handful of mutant signatures, compared to the present. Seconds later, the feed showed one brilliantly glowing dot shooting across the map – the sheer intensity of it had knocked him out, back then, but now he'd had several years to get used to Kryptonian bio-signatures. "He…his ship came with the meteors," he recalled, as the blip shot across the United States. "It…it landed…"

"Where? Where did it land?"

The tickle in Charles' mind came back, full-force. Shaking his head, Charles looked at the boy. "I…I know you…"

"I need to know!" the boy wailed. "I have to find Superman before Daddy hurts me! Tell me!"

Charles watched as the blip darted across the map, vanishing over Kansas. "I…I lost track of him as he passed Kansas; the feedback knocked me out the first time I saw him."

The boy sniffled. "I need to go there! Take me there!"

The force of the boy's plea made Charles comply instantly. Cerebro's image shifted, zooming in on Kansas, but as Charles focused, he still couldn't shake the tickle in his mind.

Something was wrong. He just didn't know what…

XXXXXXXX

A few minutes earlier

As the Danger Room powered up, its holo-emitters quickly replaced the silver metal of the walls with the blazing inferno of a city in ruins, which left Cannonball and his teammates in the middle of a hellish-looking street, littered with broken-down cars. Looking around, Shadowcat grimaced. "W-When did Logan put this in?" she cried. "I sure don't remember Kal ever running one like this!"

Brainiac 5 checked the data-readout on his forearm. "Based on the feed from the Danger Room's systems, this is a fairly recent simulation. Logan only designed it within the past few months," he observed. "It appears to be based on an old "cult-classic" movie."

Cannonball didn't like the sound of that. "What movie?"

Brainiac 5 looked puzzled. "It was done by a "John Carpenter,"" he said. "It involves a dystopian United States using Los Angeles as a penal colony."

Avalanche groaned. "Oh, hell!" he groused. "Did Logan base this off of Escape From L.A.?"

"It would appear so."

Supergirl looked thoughtful. "Mark, you still have access to the Danger Room's systems. Can't you shut the simulation down?"

"I have been attempting to do so, Supergirl," Brainiac 5 answered, as his fingers flew over his arm-computer. "Unfortunately, Creed's people have reinforced the Institute's firewall from wireless access like mine. If I am to have any chance of gaining access, I will need to use a terminal, such as the one in the control room."

Siryn steadied herself. "Kara, do you think you can get him to the control room and deactivate it?"

Supergirl's eyes flared electric-blue as she looked through the holographic illusions, and spotted the control chamber. "Easily!" she declared. "But the question is, can you all hold out that long?"

Shadowcat held her stomach, still nauseous. "How long until that poison wears off?"

Brainiac 5's answer didn't help much. "Approximately one minute, thirty seconds."

Cannonball groaned. "We'll have to!" he said. "Just get Creed's chumps out of our system; we'll improvise!" At that, Supergirl nodded, before she took hold of Mark's arm, and flew them both straight up into the sky.

Seconds after Supergirl and Brainiac 5 took off, shouts echoed from down the street, as about two dozen training-drones – all holographically disguised as tatter-clothed, machine-gun-bearing post-apocalyptic movie-extras – started to run straight at them. Blob grimaced. "Logan had to be a fan of old shoot-em-ups, didn't he?"

Her head now a bit clearer, Siryn looked around, calculating their attackers' likely firing-range, and spotted the rubble behind them. "Take cover!" she instructed. "Those cars can shield us for the time being!"

Her warning came not a moment too soon: just as they'd dove behind the wrecked cars, a hailstorm of bullets peppered the dingy metal, denting chasses and shattering windows. Cringing, Daisy covered her head with her hands as tiny glass shards rained on them. "This is why Ah hate old action-movies!"

Cannonball couldn't argue with her. "Dangit, this isn't gonna hold 'em back for long!" he shouted, as he tried to sense his power – still nothing. "Anybody got their powers back, yet?"

Shadowcat shook her head. "Almost, but not yet!"

Siryn put her hand to her throat, and shook her head. "I can't use my voice, but I'm reasonably certain I could work a spell or two," she reported. "I'm afraid that's all I can manage at the moment, so if anyone had any suggestions..?"

Looking around, Cannonball spotted an old water-tower on a rooftop overlooking their attackers. "Siryn, can you raise enough of a barrier to let someone get to that building?"

"For about thirty seconds, yes."

Cannonball looked to Phantom. "Tinya, can you keep me and Fred cloaked while the three of us run to that building?"

"Well…sure!" Phantom answered. "But why? What's up there?"

"Something that'll buy us time!" Cannonball declared. "Siryn, you get that barrier up! K'imm, you keep us covered if she tires out! Let's move!"

Nobody hesitated at that. At once, Siryn conjured a wall of mystic force just a few feet ahead of their position, pushing back the drone-extras' volley of shots. Quickly, Phantom extended an invisibility field around herself, Blob, and Cannonball, before the three of them ran – albeit at Blob's pace, being the slowest runner – for the entrance to the building. As they reached the entrance with their attackers none the wiser, the three of them zipped inside, prompting Phantom to drop her field to conserve energy for the sprint upstairs. Within minutes, they'd reached the rooftop, where the water-tower stood, its support-struts rusted to the brink of collapse…which was exactly what Cannonball was hoping for.

Wincing against the onslaught of drone-bullets, Siryn felt her barrier start to shrink, as her reserves began to dwindle. "K'imm?" she called, which prompted Miss Martian to reinforce her teammate's wall with her TK. "Does anyone have their powers back yet?"

Avalanche concentrated hard…which caused a few small pebbles to vibrate. "Getting there, Princess."

With a quick look over the edge, Cannonball saw the drones closing on the others. "Guys, we need to push this water-tower over the edge onto those 'bots! That should buy us some time!"

Phantom looked worried. "Uh, Sam?" she asked. "I'm not exactly built for heavy lifting…"

Sam chuckled. "Neither an Ah!" he agreed. "But that's what we got Fred for!"

Flexing his fists, Blob plodded to the tower's side. "Okay, guys! Here we go!" he said. "On 3! 1…2…3…PUSH!"

At Blob's instruction, Cannonball and Phantom moved to his side, and pushed on the tower's corroding struts as hard as they could. For a few seconds, nothing happened…until the metal began to creak and bend, as the tower inched precariously over the edge of the roof. Unfortunately, the creaking metal caught the audio-sensory of one of the drone-extras, who spotted them up above, and opened fire. The trio managed to duck out of the way, but several bullets impacted the ground that Sam was on, and collapsed it…sending Cannonball tumbling into open air.

From her cover, Daisy was just able to see Sam fall, and freaked. "SAMMIE!"

As he hurtled to the ground, Sam swore he saw his life flash before his eyes: it started with his younger years – mostly consisting of Daisy's pranks – before it continued to him helping around the farm, highlighted by Jesse and Paige's births, and then by his powers emerging…which triggered his longtime habit. "CANNONBALL!"

With that cry, everything went on automatic: Sam's arms moved to his sides, as his body went ramrod straight, going stiff as a stream of force shot from his feet, shooting him into the mob of drones and smashing four of them to pieces. Once his momentum dissipated, Cannonball staggered to his feet. "Hey, guys?" he called. "Ah think our powers are back!"

Concentrating, Shadowcat felt the familiar sensation of her intangibility, and grinned. "Magma, Daytripper, Avalanche, cover us!" she instructed, as she hopped out over their cover, and ran for the remaining drones. Quickly, Magma and Daytripper opened up with a salvo of fire-bursts and force-bolts, felling another two drones and giving Shadowcat the time she needed to phase through another three. Once his girlfriend had expended her charge, Avalanche let loose a focused tremor, which surged up the side of the building and buckled the water tower's support-struts, sending the tower toppling over the side. Cannonball barely had enough time to grab Kitty's arm and torpedo-launch them both out of harm's way before the water drenched the remaining drones, washing them away.

While their friends dealt with the simulation, Supergirl flew Brainiac 5 up through the holo-sky, as her eye-rays seared a hole in the command center's floor. The moment they were through, Mark raced to the nearest console, his fingers extending into bio-fibrils that docked with every available USB port. As her comrade worked with near-Kryptonian speed over the keys, while his thoughts seized and re-wrote lines of corrupted code, Kara hazarded a glance at the screen. "How long until we're in control?"

Brainiac 5 winced with mild exhaustion. "Thirty seconds," he reported, before his eyes went wide. "Supergirl, my scout-drones are heading back, with a report: Professor Xavier is in the Cerebro chamber, and..!"

Supergirl's hearing tuned Mark out as it locked onto another noise: the sound of two attack-helicopters, flying across the ruined city towards her friends…with one of them radioing for a satellite-strike! "We don't have thirty seconds, Mark!" she cried, as she dove back through the hole, zooming across the skyline to intercept the choppers, signalling the others with her communicator as she flew. "Guys, you've got choppers incoming! K'imm, be ready to catch if I can't stop them!"

By the time she got her warning off, Supergirl had already caught up with one of the helicopters. Quickly, she grabbed it by the tail and seared its tail-rotors off with her eye-rays, which sent it spiralling down to the ruined streets. The other two were mere blocks away from her friends at that point, prompting Kara to move into double-time. She darted straight at the second chopper, but it had turned into attack position, opening up on her with its machine-guns. Her flight stalled by the hailstorm of bullets, Supergirl watched as the third chopper let loose a salvo of missiles into the street.

Kara was about to shout another warning, but she needn't have bothered: the missiles hadn't even gotten halfway to her friends when they flipped around, and shot back at the chopper, courtesy of K'imm's TK. The helicopter tried to dodge, but the missiles had re-acquired a target-lock – most of them blasted it apart, but several missiles streaked towards Supergirl, prompting her to dart off as it chased her. Banking into a wide turn, Supergirl flew straight at the last chopper, and zipped under it, zooming through the gaps in its landing struts. As she'd expected, the missiles took the bait; as they came at the helicopter, their sensors mistook its heat-emissions for Supergirl's, and auto-corrected, slamming them into the chopper's underside and blasting it to pieces.

With the skies cleared, Supergirl dove for the deck, to rejoin her friends. "Is everyone okay?"

Everyone was panting with exertion, but otherwise looked fine. "Believe it or not, Flygirl, we actually feel a bit better than we started," Avalanche quipped, "which is a first for a Danger Room session."

Daytripper suddenly paled. "Oh, why'd you have to jinx things, Lance?" she cried, pointing skyward. "Look!"

At Amanda's urging, everyone looked up…and saw the flaming jumbo-jet falling from the sky. "Uh…t-that's just a hologram, right Sammie?" Daisy asked.

Cannonball swallowed. "Yeah…but so was everything else here."

Supergirl flexed her fists. "Okay, guys, be ready to run; if I can't slow that thing down, it's gotta hit hard..!"

"Simulation ending in 3…2…1…simulation ended. Thank you, and have a nice day."

Supergirl's determined look faded to bewilderment as the Danger Room switched off. "Oh. Never mind."

Seconds later, a distressed-looking Brainiac 5 emerged from the control-room elevator. "Is anyone injured?"

Beaming, Phantom moved to hug her boyfriend. "Mark, you rock!"

Cannonball grinned. "Good work, Metal-Head!"

At the others' congratulations – especially Tinya's hug – Mark flushed a darker green, but quickly shook his head to clear it. "We have no time for this!" he insisted. "The Professor needs us!"

That got everyone's attention. "What do you mean?" Shadowcat asked.

"Prior to regaining control, I received a data-feed from my remote drones," Brainiac 5 reported. "They recorded Creed's men moving the Professor into the Cerebro chamber…and its present power-readout indicates Cerebro is active!"

Magma gasped. "M-Merciful Juno..!"

Avalanche blinked. "What's the big deal? The Professor wouldn't do anything in there that would hurt anybody, no matter what Creed threatened him with."

Miss Martian focused, scrunching her eyes shut…before she gasped. "H-He's not alone in there!" she cried. "I can feel it: Creed's got another telepath messing with his head! The Professor doesn't know what he's doing!"

Supergirl paled. "Can you stop this other telepath?"

"Not from here; I'll need to get closer to the Professor!" K'imm answered. "Once I'm close enough, I should be able to help reinforce his shields enough to let him know what's going on!"

"How close?" Cannonball asked.

"I'd have to be right next to him in the Cerebro Chamber; otherwise, I might not get through the interference this guy's tossing up!"

Siryn thought fast. "Kitty, you go with K'imm – if she can't shake the Professor out of it, you'll need to short out Cerebro! Go!" Miss Martian and Shadowcat didn't argue – quickly, K'imm took hold of her teammate's arm, levitating them both straight up to the Danger Room ceiling, as Kitty phased them through it.

In a matter of minutes, they had reached the door to the Cerebro chamber, shut tight. Shadowcat flexed her hands. "Okay, I'm ready when you are!"

K'imm nodded. "I've shielded both our minds – we'll see what the Professor's seeing, but it won't affect us like it's affecting him. The second I get a lock on him, I'll try to shake him awake, but if I can't, I'll point out the main console for you."

Shadowcat took a deep breath. "Got it," she replied, taking Miss Martian's hand. "Here we go!" With that, she activated her power, which let them walk through the door…

…and onto a dusty dirt road, underneath a cloudless blue sky. Miss Martian looked perplexed. "Wow. I don't know what I was expecting, but it sure wasn't this."

As she took in the endless fields of wheat, Shadowcat paled. "Oh my God…K'imm, I think I know what this guy is trying to get out of the Professor..!"

"Hello."

Startled, Kitty and K'imm turned to find a bruised 5-year-old boy in a bloodstained shirt behind them. Shadowcat looked confused. "Is he part of the illusion?"

Miss Martian focused…and narrowed her eyes. "No, Kitty: he's the guy doing it!" she declared. "Professor, can you hear me? Whatever he's saying, don't listen!" At that, Professor Xavier became visible, slowly rolling towards a single mailbox on a side-road…with a lone farm in the distance..!

With a shriek, Shadowcat ran to their mentor, stopping his wheelchair before he could read the name on the mailbox's far side. "Professor, don't show him anything!"

Charles didn't seem to hear her. "But I must find Superman…"

"He's messing with your head, Professor!" Miss Martian shouted. "I'm going to try to take this illusion down!" With that, she let loose a wave of telepathic force, causing the countryside to ripple, showing flashes of the Cerebro chamber beneath it…only to resolidify after a few seconds.

The little boy glared at her. "Leave us alone! We have to find Superman!"

At that, Charles put the throttle down on his wheelchair, inching towards the mailbox despite Shadowcat's added weight. "K'imm..!"

Miss Martian was officially ticked. "New tactic, Kitty; I'm going straight for the source!" She glared at the boy. "Okay, you little blurk'grup, consider this your only warning: get out of the Professor's head, or I'll throw you out!"

The boy clenched his fists. "I can stop you!"

K'imm smirked. "One-on-one? Maybe," she conceded. "But hold me off and keep the Professor in line?" Her eyes flared white. "I don't think so."

Miss Martian's surge of psychic force – all aimed at the boy – sent the child stumbling, his head snapping back. "STOP it!" he screamed. Whimpering, he tried to raise a mental guard, but with his efforts divided, Miss Martian tore through it like paper. "STOP!"

With K'imm's second strike, the countryside started rippling again, as the Professor stopped, his vision clearing. "Kitty?"

Shadowcat beamed. "Keep it up, K'imm! It's working!"

Redoubling her efforts, Miss Martian unleashed wave after mental wave, battering the intruder out of their mentor's thoughts. "Stop it, stop it, STOP it!" the boy screamed. "I have to find Superman! If I don't…Daddy'll be so mad at me!"

K'imm ignored him, not letting up for a minute. With most of the illusion fading, Charles regained his senses, his eyes wide with recognition. "Jason!" he gasped, before he looked around, realized what he was about to do…and yanked the Cerebro helmet from his head, breaking the connection.

As the scene faded to the Cerebro chamber, the boy started crying, throwing a tantrum. "No, no, no, no, NO!"

Miss Martian saw her chance. "You were warned, brat! Now get LOST!" she shouted, and let loose one last psi-wave that shattered the invading telepath's construct, causing the boy to fade into nothingness.

With his mind clear, Charles sagged in his wheelchair. "K'imm, Kitty…my God, I almost told him about Clark..!"

With a weary smile, Shadowcat hugged her mentor. "But you didn't, Professor."

Miss Martian relaxed. "So who was that kid?"

"He's not a child, K'imm; not anymore, at least," Charles explained. "It's a rather long story…which I'd rather tell once this crisis is over."

K'imm's eyes went wide as she caught a familiar telepathic signature…and beamed. "In that case, you won't have to wait long!" she exclaimed. Quickly, she moved to the main console, and hit the door control, opening it to reveal the others…plus Cyclops, Power Girl, Krypto, the Morlocks, Berzerker, the Martian Manhunter…and some faceless man in a trenchcoat and fedora. Her smile glowing, K'imm ran to hug her father. "Datya!"

Smiling back, J'onn hugged his daughter. "You are alright?"

K'imm nodded. "Just tired, from kicking out another telepath."

Cyclops looked to the others. "How about you guys?"

"We're okay," Blob reported. "Still a bit queasy from the gas, but nothing a hoagie won't fix."

Shadowcat couldn't help but stare at the faceless man. "Uh…and who's this guy?"

"That is the Question."

Shadowcat blinked. "Ohhhhkay…and what's the answer?"

"That is the answer, Kitty," Power Girl said with a sigh. "Meet Question: investigator, Batman's on-and-off source, and total scuzzy creep, if his trash-diving habits are any indication."

"You didn't complain when they got us in here."

Charles looked to the Morlocks. "Assuming that you came to assist us, thank you," he said, before he looked to Cyclops. "What's the situation?"

Cyclops' smile was strained. "Still unresolved, but our plan's in execution," he answered. "As soon as our strategy deploys, we'll move in to rescue the hostages."

Cannonball arched an eyebrow. "And what strategy is that?"

As she, Krypto, and Supergirl paused to listen, Power Girl grinned. "Just switch on the news and see for yourself..!"

XXXXXXXX

A few minutes earlier

"How are you feeling, Logan?"

From where she was sitting, Mystique glanced to Madelyn, who hadn't left her spot next to a mostly-recovered Wolverine. "Better, Red. Pretty sure the crap Creed Junior's bots fed us is mostly worn off."

Looking around the dozen-odd armed guards surrounding them, Havok scowled. "Not that our powers can do much good now."

Mystique couldn't argue. For the past hour, she'd been watching guard-rotations as best she could, hoping to spot some small gap she could use to morph into a mouse, slip past them and get help, but so far, nothing. "How much time is left?"

Scarlet Witch checked her watch. "Less than five minutes, maybe."

Before anyone else could speak, the door opened, and Donnie walked in, prompting one of the guards to stop him. "Beat it, shrimp. No kids allowed."

Donnie frowned. "Mr. Creed said I could have one more chance to talk to my folks. Ask him yourself."

The guard looked irate, but one of his comrades waved him down. "Just give the punk a minute or two, Joe. Otherwise, he'll be whinin' the rest of the day."

The first guard grumbled. "Two minutes, kid. That's it."

As Donnie walked forward, Iceman glared at him. "What do you want, Donnie?"

Donnie glowered back. "Nothing from you, mutie," he spat, before he looked to his parents. "Mom, Dad, why are you still here? We still have time to go!"

Frank's gaze was flat. "You really mean that, don't you, Donald?" he asked. "You expect us to abandon our son? Your brother?"

Marina was near tears. "How could you, Donald?"

Donnie exploded. "Because he's one of them!" he spat. "Don't you two get it? He's not my brother or your son, anymore!"

Jubilee shook her head. "Wow."

Sunspot snorted. "No offence Bobby, but your brother was born in the wrong decade. It sounds like he'd fit right in with the Nuremburg crowd."

Iceman nodded. "No arguments there, man."

Donnie kept going. "I'm not the problem here! He is! He's the reason you almost got fired! He's why Mom can't go to half the supermarkets back home! He's why I got beat up evey day, last year! Why can't you see that?"

Frank's expression turned patient. "Donald, I think it's time I told you something I should've told you both, a long time ago," he said. "I've had problems at work long before Bobby became a mutant."

Donnie paused. "W-What?"

"It's true, son. I absolutely hate that job – the only reason I'm still there is to get you and your brother through school, and college, God willing," Frank continued. "Bobby being a mutant was nothing more than another straw on the camel's back." He chuckled grimly. "The reason I didn't get fired was because I'm the only one who understands payroll's legacy systems – they boot me, and the whole department's screwed."

Iceman turned to his father. "Dad…why didn't you ever say anything?"

"You had enough on your plate at the time, Robert. I've managed things for almost 20 years there – I can handle a few more," Frank said. He looked back to Donnie. "I wish you'd told us what was happening with you, Donald. We could've gotten through it together…but I suppose your mother and I are as much to blame for not realizing it," he finished. "The point is, we're family, and families don't turn on each other or abandon each other. Whatever that lunatic Creed told you…"

"Oh my God." The entire time, Donnie had been backing away, tears in his eyes. "Oh my God…he was right. Mr. Creed was right!"

Marina reached for her youngest son. "Donnie…"

"He said you'd do this! He said you'd make excuses for him!" Donnie screamed. "And he was right! You're doing it right now! He's the one tearing us apart, and you're just letting him do it! You're just as much a problem as he is!"

As if he'd heard his name, Graydon walked through the open door. "It's time, Donald," he said. "I can't give your parents any more time."

Donnie sniffled bitterly. "Don't bother, Mr. Creed," he spat. "You were right. After everything he's done to us, they're still covering for him!"

Graydon sighed. "For what it's worth, Donald, I really hoped I was wrong about them," he said, before he nodded to the guards. "Bring them."

Nudged forward – hard – by the guards, everyone shuffled out of the meeting-room, and down to the main lobby, where Stryker, with two dozen more soldiers and a concentrating Mastermind, was waiting. As one soldier took out a video-camera, the original dozen pushed their rifle-butts into their captives' knees, forcing them to kneel. "Time's up, everyone," Graydon said. "I know the Drakes have weighed in, but what about the rest of you? Are you really going to condemn yourselves and your normal children to death because of these freaks?"

Mrs. Guthrie folded her arms. "Go to hell, you black-hearted monster!"

Giselle, June, and Jesse all nodded in agreement. "We ain't sellin' out our family!"

Mrs. Lance looked briefly to her daughter…and then shook her head. "I'd rather die."

Graydon sighed. "Mrs. Blaire?"

Bridget scowled. "I believe my daughter has expressed our opinion," she snapped, "though I plan to have words with her about her vocabulary."

William shook his head. "Truly disheartening," he said. "So be it." He looked to Mastermind. "Before you receive punishment, you should know that, as we speak, Mastermind is about to reveal the identity of the greatest traitor humanity has ever known: the one who took in..!"

"MMMMRRRGGHHHRRGGHHHH!"

Mastermind's guttural moan quieted his father's speech as the wheelchair-bound youth spasmed, his head snapping back in a seizure, trickles of blood leaking from his nose. "Mmmmrrggh! Mmmrr – mmghrrr!"

Graydon looked alarmed. "What is it? William, what's wrong with him?"

"I don't know! This has never happened before!" William shouted, as he glowered at Mastermind. "Boy, don't you dare fail me!"

"MMMMMRR – GAH!" Mastermind suddenly straightened up, his eyes open as he gasped for air.

William's smile was eager. "Alright, boy! Let's have it!" he urged. "Who did Xavier show you?" Mastermind was silent. "Well, come on! We need a name, boy!" Mastermind's eyes teared up, as his expression turned anguished. William's smile faded. "You did get the name…didn't you?"

The only sound Mastermind made was a guttural whimper.

William roared with fury. "You worthless little bastard!" he exploded, backhanding Mastermind hard. "I practically handed Xavier to you – the secret was right there! All you had to do was take it!" Mastermind could only answer with a wordless wail, which got him another slap. "I warned you what would happen if you failed me!"

Nightcrawler jumped to his feet. "Vat are you doing? Leave him alone!" he cried.

Graydon was quick to knock him back down with a kick. "You shut your mouth, mutie!" he snarled. "One more word and you'll be the first to go!"

Mystique felt her insides clench. Her eyes shot over the crowd, looking over how Creed's men were positioned. With their powers back, they could break loose if they just had an opening…

'You will get one, Raven.'

Mystique's eyes went wide at the foreign thought. 'J'onn?'

'Just be ready to move. We'll get the civilians clear.'

Reassured and focused by J'onn's plan, Mystique discreetly nodded. 'Alright.'

Graydon's hands were in his hair. "Xavier couldn't have fought off Mastermind alone; he must've had help from either the other mutie telepaths or the Martian!" he deduced. "Dammit, we warned them what would happen if they interfered..!"

"If you wanted my contact info, Creed, all you had to do was ask."

Superman's confident voice, echoing through the Institute's PA, startled Creed, Stryker, and their forces into silence. Polaris looked up. "Kal?"

"Hey, guys. Good to see you're okay," came the response, before his tone turned hard. "To paraphrase our last meeting, Creed, for someone I've only met TWICE in person, you've REALLY managed to tick me off. Seriously, only Magneto and Doom have ever gotten my collar this hot, and they've been in our faces for years. Bravo."

Graydon snarled. "You brought this on yourself and your mutie pets, krypper! None of you have any business being here! You should've stayed and died with your miserable kind and left us in peace!" he hissed. "If you want even a chance to save your muties, you'd better pony up what your kind owes humanity..!"

"Graydon, you're not still trying to convince your goons this is all for humanity's benefit, are you? After all this, can't we at least be honest with each other?"

The statement made Graydon pause. "What?"

"You heard me. Why don't you tell your men the REAL reason the Friends of Humanity exist? Just drop the whole "protecting humanity" act. It's OLD."

At that, the gathered soldiers looked to each other, confused. "Ignore him, men!" William sputtered. "It's nothing but more of the same lies that alien devil spun to the UN! We are the true heroes of the human race!"

"Oh really, Reverend? Let's test that," Superman challenged. "Why don't we let humanity weigh in? Personally, I don't think you'll like what you hear."

Graydon regained his balance. "You're lying, krypper! Once we drive your kind from this world, humanity will cheer us!"

"Fine, then. Don't believe me," Superman retorted. "Just turn on the TV to Channel 6 News. See for yourself."

As a murmur began to rise from Creed's forces, Graydon started to sweat. "Don't listen, men! The krypper's just trying to undermine us!" he declared, but one of the men ignored him, and moved to the living-room TV, to switch it on.

The screen was visible and audible all the way into the lobby. "This is Eddie Brock with the Daily Planet, reporting live from the failed assassination attempt on Bayville mayoral candidate Edward Kelly!" the reporter said, before he held the mic out to one of the attendees, a young woman. "Miss, what's your take on what happened today?"

The young lady looked bewildered. "I think it's just plain nuts! I mean, what kind of sick bastard tries to kill a great guy like Mr. Kelly?"

Graydon flinched.

The screen showed Eddie interviewing an elderly man, now. "Sir, what's your comment on the Friends of Humanity being linked to this assassination?"

The old man bristled. "Bunch of Nazi bastards, is what THEY are!" he snapped. "Dammit, I spent four years of my damn life putting goose-stepping pricks like that in the ground! Didn't those damn skin-heads get the message the FIRST time around?"

The screen shifted to Eddie interviewing another attendee. "Yeah, I'm not fussy with how the Justice League and the X-Men handle things, but that doesn't mean I want 'em dead!" the middle-aged man exclaimed. "Who do these F.O.H. monsters think they are?"

The screen shifted to another attendee. "Don't we have enough problems without these lunatics dragging everybody down?" she asked. "If they call themselves the Friends of Humanity, then why don't they BE friends to humanity and go AWAY?"

Mystique – along with her fellow captives – all smirked at that. Graydon, now utterly pale, swallowed. "Shut it off."

By then, most of the soldiers were loosely holding their weapons, and a few had removed their helmets. "Sir…is…are they really..?"

"SHUT IT OFF!"

The first soldier switched off the TV, but the damage was done. "You claim to be humanity's benefactors, Creed?" Superman asked. "Humanity doesn't seem to agree."

Graydon didn't respond.

Superman's voice hardened. "Call me crazy, but from what I just heard, it doesn't sound like whether or not someone has an X-Gene – or non-human DNA, for that matter – is really the issue, here," he remarked. "It sounded like the only problem people have these days are psychotic, self-absorbed hate-mongers." He dryly snorted. "Like you."

Graydon completely lost it. "Shut UP!" he exploded, drawing his revolver and firing at the nearest PA speaker. "The only problem here is freaks like you! If it wasn't for you and that bitch, we all wouldn't be in this mess!"

"I thought we were going to be honest with each other, Creed," Superman's voice snapped from another speaker. "I realize that facing the truth is tough for sociopaths, but can't you at least try? You touched on the real reason, just then!"

Roaring, Graydon shot another speaker, alarming both his captives and his men. "I said, SHUT UP!"

Aghast, William moved to his comrade's side. "Graydon, calm down! This is what it wants: to undermine our..!"

Graydon was beyond reason, now. "I will not be lectured to by that creature, William!" he shouted. "I won't let it stand there and tell me it's my fault that blue bitch left me with that freak that called itself my father!"

A hush fell over all of Creed's supporters. Donnie blinked. "W-What?"

Superman's chuckle was bone-dry. "And there it is, ladies and gentlemen: the REAL reason for the Friends of Humanity," he accused. "Under all Creed's bluster and rhetoric – all his hate-bloated ideals – is just a bitter, nasty little man who thinks an abusive mutant father is reason enough to hate all mutants, and managed to convince others of the same. THAT'S what he'd have you all fight and die for."

William looked inches away from panicking. "Men, don't listen to it!"

His words fell on deaf ears. Slowly, several soldiers looked to their leader. "All of this…was just because…because you can't deal with your parents?" one demanded.

"I'm looking at jail time for this?"

A crazed look entered Graydon's eyes as he stormed towards the hostages. "You think this is a game?" he thundered. "You think I'm kidding about this, krypper?"

With that, he reached out and yanked Jenny away from her parents, causing her cat to drop to the floor with a yowl. Bridget was horrified. "Leave her alone..!"

Graydon was deaf to her cries as he aimed the gun at the tearful girl's head. "Last chance, krypper! Either you back off and give humanity what it needs, or..!"

"LEAVE MY COUSIN ALONE, YOU WANKER!"

Before Graydon could even touch the trigger, the gun was knocked out of his hand by a golden light-blast, as an irate Power Girl slammed into him seconds later, knocking him clear across the lobby with one punch. Turning to her cousin, Alison felt her fury die away as she hugged Jenny. "Oh God, Jenny, are you okay?"

Jenny sniffled, and hugged her back. "I'm okay."

At first, the rest of Creed's forces had been too stunned to even react, giving Cyclops and Berzerker, emerging from the side-corridors after Power Girl, the chance they needed to open up, blasting six soldiers into unconsciousness. "Morlocks, move!" Cyclops shouted. "Get the civilians out of here!"

Callisto was the first one out. "Scaleface, Torpid, give us some space!" she urged. "Everyone else, grab a civilian and haul ass!" At her leader's words, Torpid darted into the crowd of confused soldiers; Creed's men never noticed the smallest Morlock until she was closed enough to use her paralyzing touch, freezing six men in place, while Scaleface grabbed one and threw him into two more, clearing a path for their fellow Morlocks to reach the civilians.

As the Morlocks started to lead the civilians to the back of the Institute, William had regained enough of his senses to respond. "For God's sake, don't just stand there, men! Open fire!"

Frantic and disorganized, the F.O.H. force opened up on their former captives, but the Martian Manhunter had already emerged from the floor, raising a TK bubble to repel their shots. "Callisto, hurry! Get them out of here!"

Raising a light-wall around herself and her cousin, Power Girl pointed to her aunt and uncle. "Jenny, you have to go, now!"

Jenny was about to run, but she froze. "Gadget!" she cried, pointing to her cat, meowing in the middle of the lobby. "W-We have to save Gadget!"

Power Girl tried to turn to grab her family pet, but a burst of bullets against her barrier stopped her. "Krypto!"

The Superdog was in the middle of chomping the seat of a soldier's pants when he heard Power Girl's cry. Looking to the yowling cat, Krypto let out a canine groan of exasperation, before he zipped to Gadget's side, carefully picked up the cat by the scruff of his neck with his teeth, and flew after the retreating civilians.

With their leverage gone, William started to panic. "Fall back! Everyone, head to e-vac points! The Sentinels will cover us!"

As the F.O.H. force started to inch out, grabbing their dazed leader on the way, Cyclops moved to his recovered comrades, his eyes narrowed behind his visor. "X-Men, X-Force, let's take these racist pricks down, once and for ALL!"

That was all the others needed. As one, they charged, forcing their attackers out into the open front yard, before they could escape.

XXXXXXXX

The second he heard Power Girl yell at Creed, Superman knew the time was now. "Lantern, Kori, Diana, with me! GO!"

Like lightning, the four of them dove out of the clouds straight at the massed Sentinels on the Institute's lawn. The mutant-killing machines barely had enough time to look up before Superman buzzed past them, his sweeping eye-ray melting four of them into slag as he touched down, turning to blow an icy haze over the lawn, obscuring their thermal tracking. His ring having already painted his targets, Green Lantern dropped into the middle of their formation, unleashing an emerald beam that morphed into a massive set of spiked pincers, mashing three Sentinels into scrap, clearing the way for Kori and Wonder Woman.

By then, the Sentinels had realized they were under attack, and started firing blindly into the air, forcing Diana to cover herself and Kori with her armlets, quickly blocking their shots. Once the Sentinels emptied their magazines, Wonder Woman peeled off, while Kori let fly with her energy-blasts, felling two more Sentinels as she pulled away. Rolling as she landed, Diana drew her lasso and let it fly, snagging another of the killer robots. Before it could react, Wonder Woman yanked it off its feet and whirled it like a ball-and-chain, smashing it into two more Sentinels as she let it loose.

As his icy smokescreen started to clear, Superman could easily see Creed and his men start to pull out of the Institute…but this time, he could tell that their discipline had all but evaporated. While a bruised Graydon held position with an older man and a young man in a wheelchair, most of their forces were running scared, leaving them with about a third of the force they'd started with. Seconds later, the previously-captive members of the X-Men and X-Force, with Cyclops in the lead, chased after them. His hand on his visor, Cyclops let loose an optic-surge that flattened three Sentinels. "Wolverine, Polaris: clear a path to Creed!" he instructed. "Nightcrawler, Boom-Boom, Spyke, Mystique: once you get a shot, take Creed and Stryker down! Everyone else: break and attack!"

Popping his claws, Wolverine grinned savagely. "Junior, you just said the magic words!" Snarling, he tore into the nearest Sentinel, practically disembowling it in seconds, while Polaris gestured at three of the remaining soldiers, and yanked their weapons away with her magnetism. Sensing their quarry had recovered, two Sentinels tried to rearm their gas-dispersing weapons, but Iceman quickly froze them solid with a burst of cold air.

At that point, the remaining Sentinels knew they were in major trouble. "KRYPTONIAN LIFESIGNS DETECTED: UNITS MS-X1, MS-X7, AND MS-X13, DEPLOY COUNTERMEASURE."

Superman had just closed on a Sentinel and smashed his fist through its torso, to rip out a large chip – its CPU – when three Sentinels took to the air, and fired three beams of toxic-green energy at him, blasting him clear across the field. Horrified, Power Girl rushed to his side, raising a light-barrier around them both to deflect the Sentinels' follow-up shots. "Kal, are you okay?"

Pale and queasy from the surge of Kryptonite radiation, Superman got to his feet, and tapped his belt to extend his nano-suit, breathing easier as the silvery coating filtered out any additional radiation. "I'll live, Aly," he replied. Looking to Cyclops, he tossed the CPU his way. "Scott, Question needs that to crack the Sentinels' code! Keep him covered until he cracks it!"

With a nod, Cyclops caught the CPU, and handed it to Question. "All yours, pal!" he said. "Storm, Madelyn, give him some cover!" Taking the CPU, Question inserted a wire into its circuit-board, before connecting the other end to his PDA, typing furiously all the while. As Question worked, Storm hovered into the air, her eyes white as she darkened the skies with a gesture, to unleash a torrent of chain-lightning that shorted out five of the remaining Sentinels that flew up to intercept her. The remaining five started to get a lock on her, until one of them, overridden by Madelyn's TK, was yanked out of formation, its weapons turned on its brethren until they were reduced to scrap. With the others down, all that remained for Madelyn was to focus all her TK on the last one, crushing it down to the size of a pool-ball.

Spyke was halfway to Creed and Stryker when the last Sentinel went down. Forming a bone-staff from his forearm – which caused part of his bony armour to break off – he used it as a vaulting pole, launching himself over two of the bewildered soldiers in their way, and land behind them, taking them down with a sweeping-strike. Frantic, two more tried to level their guns at him, but Boom-Boom had already closed on them from behind; quick as a flash, Tabitha's fast hands slipped mini-charges into the chambers of their weapons, causing catastrophic backfires that knocked them on their asses.

With only one soldier left to guard them, William was on the verge of panic as he turned to Mastermind. "Boy, generate another illusion! Cover our escape!" Mastermind scrunched his eyes with a wordless grunt, but he was far too exhausted by Miss Martian's earlier assault. Tearfully, he looked to his father, but all he got in response was an angry glower. "Boy, when I tell you to do something..!"

He was interrupted by Kurt's sulphurous bamf, as Nightcrawler teleported onto the head of the last soldier, and then flipped off, grabbing and throwing him aside in one move, vanishing in another cloud to reappear between William and Mastermind. "Tell me, Herr Stryker," he snarled, "vat kind of holy man tortures and mutilates an innocent child, let alone his own?"

Nightcrawler's reappearance startled Stryker, but not enough to keep him from drawing his pistol. "The kind that recognizes devils like you when he sees them!" He was about to pull the trigger, but Kurt bamfed away to his side, where he snapped his tail like a whip, knocking the gun away from the mad reverend. Before Stryker could respond, Nightcrawler flipped back into a handspring, slamming his feet right into William's face, knocking him flat on his butt, out cold. Stopping to catch his breath, Kurt looked to Mastermind, and raised his hands. "Take it easy," he soothed. "He can't hurt you, anymore…"

"You're one of hers, aren't you?"

Slowly, Kurt turned towards Graydon, who had drawn his revolver, and aimed it at him. "The skin, the eyes…they're hers!" he accused. "I've seen glimpses, but I could never tell for sure, until now!"

Kurt swallowed. "Ja," he replied. "Raven Darkholme – Mystique – is my mother, just like she's yours; ve're half-bro…"

"DON'T say it!" Graydon exploded. "You are NO family of mine, you disgusting mutie!" His finger moved to the trigger. "I should shoot you just to see the look on her – ARRGGHH!"

His aim was wrecked by a fearsome blackbird – a raven – that dove from the sky and sunk its talons into his shoulder. Her body shifting back to its natural state, Mystique landed in a crouch, glaring at her former son. "You were going to shoot your own brother," she hissed. "Me, I could understand, Graydon…but Kurt did nothing to you."

Graydon staggered back, and shifted his gun to his good hand. "He did the same thing you did, you rotten bitch! He was born!"

Mystique rolled forward, dodging Graydon's shot. "So that's it? That's your choice?" she spat. "You really amaze me, Graydon: for someone who hates his father so much…you've become just like him! Sabretooth would be so proud!"

Her remark stunned Graydon enough to spring her trap. With one leap, Mystique looped herself over Graydon's gun-arm, twisting around to catch his neck in the crook of her knee, choking him out and forcing him to the ground as she wrenched the gun from his hand and put it to his head. Graydon remained defiant. "Well, bitch? What are you waiting for?"

Raven's golden eyes narrowed as she thumbed the hammer back. "I brought you into this world, Graydon Creed," she hissed, "and after everything you've done, it would be my pleasure to take you out of it!" Her finger inched to the trigger, ready to pull it and end him…

…but then she caught sight of Kurt's pleading eyes, watching her.

Raven's fury died away. "But you're already broken, Graydon," she said, pushing the hammer back to its resting position and throwing the gun aside. "Look around: your little crusade is done. You lost." His eyes wide, Graydon looked around, going pale. Raven allowed herself one last smirk. "I'm sure that Fury will enjoy having a nice, long talk with you."

The entire time, Donnie had been crouched in the middle of the fight, his hands over his head as everything raged around him. When the battle began to grow silent, he raised his head, in time to see Mystique take Graydon down, and then throw the gun away…

As he spotted his brother, Iceman walked forward. "It's over, Donnie."

Tears in his eyes, Donnie glared at Iceman…and then looked to the gun.

Iceman felt his blood go even colder than his powers. "No, Donnie," he begged. "Don't, man."

On his knees, Donnie started to crawl towards the weapon.

Stricken, Iceman motioned for Jubilee to back him up. "Don't try it, Donnie," he pleaded. "Please, don't…"

Donnie grabbed the gun and got to his feet, aiming it at Mystique. "Get OFF him, you mutie bitch!" His finger moved to the trigger.

Iceman's response was reflex. "Jubes, GO!" Instantly, Jubilee let loose a pyrotechnic burst that knocked Donnie's arm to the side, wrecking his aim, just before Iceman's frigid blast took him full in the side, freezing him to the ground.

With all the Sentinels wrecked and the soldiers either out cold, on the run, or surrendered, everyone gathered around Mystique as she stood up, keeping her foot on Graydon's chest to pin him. "Well, that's that," Green Lantern said.

"Looks like it," Superman agreed, as he glanced to Graydon. "Oh, and Creed?" He tapped his belt-computer…which instantly caused the crystal-driver in Creed's pocket to rip out of his coat and fly into Superman's hand. "I believe this is mine."

Graydon looked ready to spit fire.

Looking around his fellow students, Cyclops finally let himself look relieved. "Everyone okay?"

Spyke looked perplexed as his stretched his now-bare arm. "Yeah, Fearless…but I think I'd better check in with Beast, once he gets back."

"Sure, Evan," Cyclops said. "Now that this nightmare is over, we all should…"

"Nothing is over, mutie!"

Graydon's sour look gave way to crazed glee, as he started to laugh. "You may have stopped us, but the Friends of Humanity's final act of courage will resonate across the globe!" he chortled. "Our sacrifice will inspire legions of other heroes to take up our cause! You've won nothing!"

Wolverine scowled, as he popped out his claws. "Start talkin', bub…"

"Don't bother," Question interrupted, as he walked over with the beeping CPU. "I've already sussed out the third phase of Creed's scheme."

Graydon's smile wavered.

Power Girl frowned at Question. "Do you plan on sharing?"

"These Sentinels were just prototypes, like the gas – trial-runs for a larger deployment. The CPU was kicking back data to an off-site wireless server," Question explained. "The carrier wave this thing used matches another transmission I tracked."

Superman looked worried. "Tracked to where?"

Question's eyeless gaze settled on him. "Where on Earth could Sentinels carrying mutant-killing gas do the most damage?" he asked. "Where can anyone find the highest concentration of X-Gene-positive individuals in the smallest land-mass?"

Wonder Woman gasped. "Oh, Hera..!"

"Genosha!" Cyclops exclaimed.

Question returned his gaze to his PDA. "I was able to get a fix on the confirmation-signal; it's just a few nautical miles from Genosha's coast," he reported. "Chances are, they're coming in through the seaport, and will activate as soon as they arrive; there's still time! I think I can figure out their deactivation code…"

"…then you use it as soon as you've got it!" Superman declared. "Wonder Woman, Lantern, on my wing! Let's move!" At once, the three of them took to the air, moving into close formation, which let Superman hold onto them by their forearms as he accelerated towards Genosha.

Within minutes, they reached the Genoshan coastline, where several cargo ships were coming in. As the three of them stopped to hover over the largest seaport, Superman winced as he activated his X-Ray vision, still a bit woozy from the Kryptonite blasts. "I'm not getting anything yet," he reported. "Lantern?"

Green Lantern's wrist was encircled by an emerald scan-readout. "One of those ships is riding lower in the water than the others," he noted. "It could be nothing, but it's all I've got, right now."

Wonder Woman looked grave. "At the very least, it merits investigation."

Superman nodded in agreement, as the three of them dropped altitude, landing just outside the vessel's bridge, which drew the attention of its crew. "Captain, what is your cargo?"

The captain, a portly man in brine-crusted jeans, sweater, and a faded blue jacket, scratched his head. "Just computer-parts, Superman."

Green Lantern folded his arms. "You're sure? Nothing out of the ordinary?"

The captain paused. "Well, we did pick up a couple extra containers on our last stop, but they were clear; the report my crew gave said so."

Superman was wary. "But you never examined them, yourself?"

Now the captain looked suspicious. "No, I didn't…and I'm starting to think I should have," he said. "Why don't I show you which ones I…"

BOOOOOOOM!

The captain's voice was lost in the explosion as the tops of several containers were blown off, allowing more than twice the number of mini-Sentinels as had attacked the Institute to fly out. "Never mind, Captain!" Green Lantern said. "I think we can figure it out from here!"

Superman grimaced. "We need to get ahead of them! If they get to shore, they could gas the entire island! Move!" Instantly, the three of them were back in the air, racing after the swarm of Sentinels blazing for the shoreline. As they closed on the Sentinels, two of the machines spotted them, and unloaded salvos of missiles back at them, but Superman easily detonated them with his eye-rays, before he flew ahead of the swarm to fry eight of the lead Sentinels. The swarm quickly banked left to avoid a pile-up, as Wonder Woman predicted; matching its path for a few seconds, Diana turned left and plunged into the swarm, grabbing onto one Sentinel and forcing it to fire on its fellows, blasting five more of the machines before she crashed it into a seventh. Green Lantern was close behind, his ring morphing into a wrecking-ball that smashed into the swarm from the rear.

Despite their efforts, the swarm reached the Genoshan coast in less than a minute. As they sighted their targets – the coastal port city – the Sentinels started to arm their gas-weapons. Superman moved to intercept them, but he knew he couldn't stop them alone. "Lantern..!"

"On it!" Green Lantern shouted, as he took aim, and fired a ring-beam, which expanded into an enormous backhoe's scoop, large enough to catch each and every gas-canister launched by a Sentinel. On impact, the canisters broke open, and released the gas, but Superman quickly unleashed his frost-breath, supercooling it into a huge chunk of toxic ice.

As they realized their initial attack had failed, the Sentinels started to break formation, and spread out to other parts of Genosha – to try their gas-attack again. Firing his eye-rays, Superman took out another four Sentinels before he felt his nausea return, and fished out his communicator. "Question, we need that shutdown code!"

"Just cracked it; I'm sending it…now!"

The very moment Question spoke, every Sentinel suddenly spasmed in mid-air, as their thrusters shut off, sending them tumbling lifelessly to the ground. Superman let out a relieved sigh. "Nice work, Question."

Catching her breath, Wonder Woman moved to hover beside him. "These monstrosities are dispensed with?"

Superman nodded. "Yeah, Diana; Question hit the off-switch."

Wincing as he continued to heft the frozen gas, Green Lantern joined them. "Great. Anywhere I can dump this crap?"

"We should get a sample to Hank, so he can start working on an antidote if we ever see it again," Superman said. "As for the rest, just treat it like Kryptonite: deep-six it into the sun!"

"Wisely said!" Diana agreed. "I will question the crew of that vessel who inspected that crate; if they are Creed's men, I will deliver them to Genoshan authorities!" She met Superman's eyes. "And you, Clark, should return home, and ensure everyone is well."

Superman didn't argue. "Sounds good to me. I'll check in after I get there." With that, he turned and flew off, heading for the Institute, as he started to smile.

It was over.

XXXXXXXX

Matthews residence, Bayville

"…sources now indicate that the sporadic attacks across the country, as well as the attack on the Xavier Institute, were all part of a larger campaign organized by the terrorist group known as the Friends of Humanity, which culminated in an attempted chemical attack on the sovereign nation of Genosha. All of these attacks were foiled by the joint efforts of the Institute and the Justice League, which seems to have demoralized the Friends of Humanity; in fact, it would be reasonable to say that this incident could mark their death-knoll…"

Chewing the side of her lip nervously, Valerie switched off the radio and returned to her cooking, just in time to keep the pasta from boiling over. Michael and Duncan would be home soon, and she knew that hearing about the Justice League or the Institute kids always got her husband in a foul mood. 'It's strange that they're not home, by now…'

THUMP!

Startled by that thud from the living room, Valerie turned off the burners and hurried out of the kitchen. "Mitchell? Is everything alright?"

Mitchell looked like he had been on the couch watching TV, and slid right onto the floor. "S-Sure, Mom!" Mitchell said quickly, as he stood up. "I probably just had some board-grease on the back of my – whoa!"

Valerie was already in motion when she saw her son slip. "Mitchell, are you alright?" she cried, helping him to his feet. "Be careful, honey! You could slip on this…carpet?" Her voice trailed off as she looked at the floor – the carpeted floor. "Mitchell…how did you slip on the carpet?"

Mitchell looked on the verge of panic. "M-Mom, I can explain – dammit!" He slipped again, and this time Valerie saw his feet slide right out from under him, as if the carpet was soaked in axle grease.

Slowly, it began to dawn on Valerie. "Mitchell…is this where all those bruises came from?"

Mitchell looked ready to cry. "M-Mom…"

Valerie's eyes were wide. "Mitchell…are you a mutant..?"

That was the magic word. Mitchell burst out crying, and dropped onto his rear. "Oh, God!" he wailed. "Why? W-Why did this have to happen to me?"

Valerie was near tears, herself. "Oh, no, honey!" she cried, as she pulled her youngest son – her baby boy – into a tight embrace. "It's alright..!"

"No it's not, Mom! It's not alright!" Mitchell bawled. "You've heard how Dad and Dunc talk about mutants! I'm dead!"

Valerie flinched. "Mitchell, your father and your brother may have had some disagreements with Professor Xavier and his students, but that doesn't change how they feel about you..!"

"Mom, are you kidding?" Mitchell sobbed. "You can't tell them about this! Dad hates mutants! He'll kill me! And that's just if Duncan doesn't get to me, first!" He burst into a fresh round of sobbing. "I'm…I'm gonna die! I'm really gonna die!"

Mitchell's anguish tore at Valerie's heart. Sniffling, she pulled her youngest closer, letting him nuzzle into the crook of her neck. "Okay, baby," she promised. "I won't say a word to your father or your brother about this unless you want me to."

Just as she said that, she heard the sound of her husband's car pull into the garage. "That's them now," she said. "Just go calm down in your room, honey. I'll handle your father." With a sniffle and a nod, Mitchell got up, and made his way to his room, making sure to brace himself against the wall as he walked. As she heard Michael and Duncan in the entrance, Valerie took a deep breath, put on a smile, and walked into view. "Hi, boys! How was your..?" she began, but froze as she saw their expressions. "Michael, what happened?"

His face sour, Michael moved past her towards his study. "Pack a bag, Valerie. We need to get to the airport. Now," he grumbled. "We're going to take that vacation you're always bothering me about."

As her husband started stuffing financial papers into his briefcase, Valerie could only look confused. "Michael, what's going on?"

Duncan was looking out the window. "No sign of him, Dad. Think we lost him?"

"I doubt it, son," Michael muttered. "Until this dies down, you're in charge of the estate. I'll move enough into our offshore accounts to keep your mother and I comfortable until then."

Valerie was aghast. "Michael..!"

Michael groaned. "One of my ventures fell through, Valerie. In order to avoid the fallout, we need to get out of the country, for a while."

""Out of the country"?" Valerie cried. "What kind of an investment was this?"

"The kind that would safeguard our children and their children's futures, Valerie!"

Duncan moved away from the window. "Still no sign of the Bat-freak, Dad. If you and Mom are gonna book, you'd better go soon!"

Valerie's confusion doubled. "Batman?" she asked. "Why would he be here?"

Michael glared at her. "I am not having this discussion, woman! Get your things together and get in the car!"

Valerie's eyes started to widen. "Michael…this doesn't have anything to do with what happened today, does it?" she murmured. "Does it?"

Michael ignored her.

Valerie's hands flew to her mouth. "Michael, what did you do?" she cried. "What were you "safeguarding our children" from?"

Turning towards her, Michael took one step, his fists clenched. "I told you, Valerie: I am not having this discussion!"

Quietly, Duncan moved to another room.

Valerie's horror was spiralling out of control. "Are you…are you and Duncan a part of this?" she gasped. "All those times you two were out at your "country club," was that what you were doing? Planning to hurt innocent people?"

"Mutants, Valerie; not people. Mutants."

Valerie shook her head in dismay. "Oh my God!" she cried. "Michael, how could you? You…you helped that maniac attack those…those innocent children? What if it was your child..?"

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH!"

Michael's roar came just before he backhanded her hard, sending Valerie crashing back over the coffee table, landing with a sharp cry. Wincing and fighting tears, Valerie got to her knees, rubbing her back and gingerly touching her newest soon-to-be bruise on her face. Michael's face was still red with fury. "Don't you EVER say that again!" he bellowed. "My sons are not muties, is that clear? They're pure! Normal! They're not some disgusting freaks of nature, do you understand?"

He meant it. As she looked into her husband's eyes, Valerie knew that he meant it. 'Even if it had been one of ours, he would have still done it.'

Out loud, she heard herself say, "I understand completely, Michael. I just…I need to get my things together; I'll only need a few minutes."

Michael calmed down. "Good. Just be quick about it." With a teary nod, Valerie got up, and made her way upstairs.

Still on autopilot, Valerie made her way to Mitchell's room, and shut the door, before she hugged herself, barely able to suppress tears. Mitchell had just been sitting on his bed reading a skateboard magazine when she came in. "Mom? What happened down – whoa!" His question turned into a cry of alarm. "Mom, what happened?"

Valerie didn't think she could speak without crying.

Now Mitchell looked pale. "Mom…did Dad…is Dad…hurting you?"

Never before in her life did Valerie feel like such a complete and utter failure. Not only had she married a racist monster, she now had to leave with him and leave Mitchell with Duncan, who was of the exact same mindset as his father; if he learned his little brother's secret..!

She had to take Mitchell and get away, but she couldn't; not without help.

Suddenly, Valerie's tears slowed, as she recalled Duncan's words. Almost as if in a trance, she moved to Mitchell's window-balcony, and slid the door open, to step onto the balcony. "H-Hello?"

Standing up, Mitchell was confused. "Mom?"

Valerie felt her tears come back. "I…I know you're after my husband for what happened, today," she whimpered, "so that means there's a good chance you're after me, too."

Mitchell scratched his head. "Huh?"

Valerie could barely hold back her sobs. "It…It's not safe for my son here, anymore!" she cried. "P-Please, if you're out there, I don't care what you do to me, but help me get him out of here! Please!"

Her eyes were scrunched when she heard the soft rustle of the trees just in front of her…and when she opened her eyes, she gasped as she saw the terrifying silhouette of the Batman, his wing-like cape folded around him as he stood on the branch meters from her, his shadow seeming to loom over the entire house. Mitchell sounded just as terrified as his mother. "Whoa," he murmured. "Mom, what's going on?"

Valerie was about to answer, but the faint click of something hitting the ground drew her attention to the tiny black sphere Batman had just tossed at her feet. "Get your husband and older son in the same room," the Dark Knight's hellfire-on-glass voice instructed. "Once you do, depress the grey end of the flash-bang and roll it towards them – they might see it if you throw it. After that, get yourselves behind a corner, crouch down, and cover your eyes and ears. Once it detonates, get to your car as fast as you can; I'll make sure he can't follow you."

As terrified as she was, Valerie managed a grateful smile before she picked up the flash-bang. "Thank…you?"

Batman was already gone, as if he'd never been there.

Clutching the weapon to her chest, Valerie turned to her son. "Follow me, baby," she said. With that, she made her way back downstairs, into the living room where Michael was. "Duncan?" she called. "Could I talk to you both for a minute?"

Seconds later, Duncan walked in with a scowl. "What is it, Mom?"

Valerie forced a smile as she walked behind the coffee table. "I…I just wanted to apologize to your father for doubting him," she lied, "and to thank you for agreeing to look out for your baby brother."

With that, she discreetly thumbed the grey spot on the flash-bang, and rolled it under the table, towards her husband and older son.

Mercifully, neither one noticed. "You called us here for that, Valerie? We don't have time for..!"

"Mitchell, get DOWN!" Pulling her youngest around the nearby corner, Valerie knelt down and embraced Mitchell, covering his face and ears before she covered her own.

BANG!

The flash-bang's blast almost rattled Valerie's teeth out of her mouth, leaving a distinct chemical scent in her nose. Once the shockwave was spent, Valerie got back up and looked around, to spot Michael and Duncan on the floor, groaning. "Run, baby!" Valerie cried. "We have to get to the car, now!" Mitchell didn't argue, as he ran with her into the garage. On her way in, Valerie slammed the door-opener, before she ran to her car…and noticed a bat-shaped splotch of some kind of gel on Michael's car…

"Mom, keys!"

Mitchell was already in the front seat when Valerie realized she didn't have her keys. Frantic, she raced to the side-bench where the keys hung…and froze as she saw Michael half-stagger into the garage, with Duncan close behind. "What the hell did you do, woman?"

"MOM!"

Just as Mitchell cried out, Valerie saw her husband take one step and slip, crashing into Duncan. With both of them down, Valerie grabbed her keys and raced back to her car, leaping into the driver's seat and gunning the engine; as her car peeled out of the garage, Valerie saw Michael get back up and run to his car…at which point the gel-splotch ignited in an impressive blast, knocking Michael flat on his back and ruining the car's engine.

With the house behind them, Valerie kept driving, until she realized she had no idea where to go. "Mom?" Mitchell asked. "What now?" Valerie didn't have an answer.

And then she heard it.

The low rumble of a powerful engine caught Valerie's ear as a long, sleek, jet-black, high-tech car slid out of the evening highway shadows alongside her modest little vehicle, before it effortlessly pulled ahead of her…and started flashing its indicator light.

It wanted her to follow it.

Mitchell was confused, but also awed. "Is that who I think it is?"

Valerie didn't answer. She just followed the car onto the off-ramp, heading into Westchester, hoping that wherever it led her would be safe…

XXXXXXXX

Watchtower

After towing the frozen gas out of the atmosphere and chucking it towards the sun, Green Lantern proceeded to the Watchtower with the small sample of toxic ice he'd saved. Coming in through the vehicle-bay, he proceeded to the Monitor Womb with his cargo. "Sentrius, we're gonna need a full chemical analysis on this stuff sent to the Institute before it melts; it's too dangerous to store on-site."

"Acknowledged, Corpsman Stewart," Sentrius' crystalline avatar reported. "It should be noted that Morlock-designate Healer has been tended to; as of five minutes ago, his condition is suitable for transport. Colonel Hol is preparing him as we speak."

Green Lantern grinned. "Good to hear."

Sentrius paused in her typing, to look over her shoulder. "Corpsman Stewart, I wish to clarify something."

"Shoot."

"It is my understanding that the human designated Graydon Creed is directly and indirectly responsible for over 85 percent of the hate-crimes against mutants in the past two years," Sentrius observed. "Yet, in all probability, he will be incarcerated."

Green Lantern nodded. "For the rest of his rotten life, with any luck."

Sentrius frowned. "Why did Commander El not simply terminate him?"

John's eyes went wide. "Whoa, missy. We don't play judge, jury, and executioner unless we're at war. The rest of the time, we let the justice system handle guys like him."

"Corpsman, what purpose can incarcerating individuals such as Graydon Creed serve?"

John took a deep breath. "For one thing, he may have intel that can help us bring down bigger fish," he said. "And second, part of our system aims at rehabilitating offenders…"

"Corpsman, given Graydon Creed's prior behaviour, the probability of rehabilitation is less than .005," Sentrius countered flatly. "Furthermore, given his limited skill-set, it is unlikely he will contribute to Earth society in a meaningful way if rehabilitation were to succeed. When this is combined with the potentially catastrophic consequences of a failed rehabilitation, termination is the only logical option."

As much as he wanted to, John couldn't think of a response.

Fortunately, he didn't have to; at that time, Hawkgirl emerged from the elevator with Healer, the Morlock priest now sporting a bandage around his shoulder. Spotting Green Lantern, Healer smiled. "Ah, Lantern! I was just telling your comrade what an amazing place your Watchtower is!" he exclaimed. "The view of Earth alone is spectacular!"

Green Lantern chuckled. "Hey, that's half of why we built it up here!" he quipped. "So, you feeling okay?"

Healer lightly winced. "Well, my arm and shoulder are more than a little sore, and I'm sure I'd best refrain from using my powers for a while, but beyond that, I cannot complain."

Shayera smiled gently. "I'm sure your flock will be glad to hear that, Healer," she said, as her eyes drifted to John's. "Now that the crisis is over, they should be waiting for you at the Institute."

"Well, we had best get going!" Healer said, as he glanced to the two of them. "I'll wait for you in the vehicle-bay; I'm sure I can find it…so that you both can talk." With that, he headed off.

John had to hand it to him: the old preacher didn't miss much.

Shayera took a deep breath. "So…can we get out of here?"

John scratched his head. "Yeah. Sure." With that, he followed her further into the Watchtower, out of Sentrius' range.

Shayera looked embarrassed. "I…I was really short with you, today."

John shrugged. "Maybe a bit," he conceded. "It might help if I knew what I did…"

"I heard back from Thanagar, today."

That got his attention. "What?"

Shayera nodded grimly. "The Gordanians have fully mobilized; they outnumber us three-to-one," she murmured. "They've taken three of our long-range outposts, and countless prisoners." She lowered her head. "It's…it's going really bad, John!"

Quickly, John moved to hug her. "Why didn't you say anything?"

"How could I? How could I say this without Kal hearing, or…or without anyone finding out why I was really sent here?"

John started to catch on. "Shayera…"

Shayera sniffled. "I know what I was ordered to do is wrong, and I hate myself for even thinking it," she said, "but…but I'm starting to wonder if Admiral Var was right…"

John had to nip this fast. "We'll figure it out, Shay," he promised. "Between having Councillor Wazzo on our side, and the Guardians, we'll find a way to negotiate peace without putting your or Kal or anyone in a compromising position. I promise."

Shayera smiled thinly. "Thank you, John," she said quietly. "There are days when I don't know what I'd do if I didn't have you."

John smiled back. "Likewise."

Shayera chuckled. "Just don't let on that I had this little breakdown, or your butt's my training-dummy, Marine."

John laughed. "Deal!"

XXXXXXXX

Xavier Institute

By the time Superman returned to the Institute, all the others had come home, in time to see Graydon, Stryker, and all their hired goons get piled into a van bearing the S.H.I.E.L.D. insignia. Grinning, Boom-Boom playfully waved at them. "So long, jackass!"

Gambit chuckled. "Don' drop de soap, now."

Iceman was less enthused, as he, his folks, and Jubilee watched several cops usher Donnie into a separate van, bound for a juvenile center. "Don't feel bad, Bobby," Jubilee said. "You didn't do this; Donnie did it to himself."

"Yeah?" Iceman asked. "Then why do I feel like crap?"

His father's hand rested on his shoulder. "Because you had to make a difficult choice, son – one which he forced you to make," he said. "Your mother and I aren't happy about this either, but we're not upset with you."

His mother nodded. "At least now, Donnie has a chance to get some help."

The whole time, Black Canary, her mother, and Siryn had been in earshot. Dinah didn't quite look at her mother, but by her tone, she might as well have been. "Yeah, it sucks having to choose between family members, doesn't it?" At that, her mother looked away.

Siryn arched an eyebrow. "Care to elaborate, sister dear?"

Black Canary frowned. "Baby steps first, Princess."

As she saw Superman walk towards her, Power Girl smiled worriedly. "How are you feeling?"

Superman winced as he stretched his shoulder where the beams had hit him. "I'll be woozy tomorrow, but nothing worse than that," he said. "Smashing up more Sentinels likely didn't help much."

"But you stopped them?"

Superman nodded. "Every last one." He looked around. "How are things here?"

Power Girl shrugged. "No casualties, baby – everyone got out fine," she said. "The Kryptonite's on its way to the sun, and Jean just reported that Mr. Kelly's safe and sound." Looking a few feet ahead, she chuckled. "We even have an unexpected surprise!"

Following Power Girl's gaze, Superman couldn't help but grin at the sight of Gadget happily rubbing up against an annoyed Krypto. As Alison's family pet purred, Krypto started to growl. "Krypto, be nice!" Superman warned, which made the Superdog's growls give way to low grunts as he sat down.

"Aly?"

Power Girl froze as she heard her cousin's voice. Slowly turning, she found Jenny there, with a faint smile on her face. "I'm glad you're okay."

Alison faintly sniffled. "I'm…glad you're okay too, Jenny," she answered. "I'm…I'm so sorry this happened…"

"It's okay," Jenny answered. "I had time to think about it, and I get that you and Superman and the League can't be everywhere, now." She shrugged. "I mean, school for me is plenty tough, and you've got university, plus school here, plus working with the League!" Her smile grew. "So you don't have to worry about me, Mom, and Dad…but would it be a big deal if Gadget stays with you for a while? I think he misses you."

Power Girl suppressed another sniffle. "I don't think that'll be a problem," she answered. "So…we're okay?"

Jenny beamed. "Uh-huh."

Alison fought tears as she knelt to hug her cousin. "Thank you," she whispered. "I love you so, so much. You know that, right?"

Jenny nodded. "I love you too, Aly," she answered…before she grinned. "So when are you and Superman getting married?"

"JEN-NY!"

Superman managed to keep himself from laughing – and flaring as red as his girlfriend – at Alison's embarrassed cry, until the sound of a high-powered engine roaring by drew his attention towards the Institute gate. Cyclops and Jean also took notice. "Scott…was that..?"

Cyclops nodded. "Batman's car – I'd know the sound of that sweet engine anywhere."

Seconds later, a second car – with a normal engine – pulled into the Institute's yard. Warily, Wolverine moved next to the Professor. "You expectin' company, Chuck?"

As he saw who it was, and remembered part of Jason's illusion, Charles' eyes went wide. "Actually, I believe I was."

The sight of Mrs. Matthews getting out of the car – with a reddened new bruise on her face, as well as older ones under her running mascara – made Jean gasp with horror. "Mrs. Matthews, what happened?"

Mitchell gulped as he got out. "Yeah, I'm…kind of a mutant," he said. "Who knew, right?"

Valerie sniffled. "I…I had to get him out of that house," she murmured. "If it hadn't been for Batman, I don't know what I would have done!"

Charles raised his hands in a calming gesture. "Don't worry about that, Mrs. Matthews," he said. "Hank, would you please show them to the infirmary for a checkup?"

Beast nodded. "Of course, Charles." With that, he gestured to the front door, prompting Valerie and her son to follow.

As the new arrivals headed off, Superman could only blink. "Whoa."

"Yeah," Power Girl agreed. "Even with Creed and his chumps out of the picture, we still have repairs, homeless Morlocks, and now this, too."

Her words trigger a memory in Superman's mind. "I think I have an idea for that second one," he said, as he fished out his communicator, and dialled a familiar number. "Hey, Stone? Mind if I drop by, tomorrow?" he asked. "I think I've got a proposition for you and Mackenzie…"

XXXXXXXX

With the crisis over, the first thing Sam did was head to his room and change out of his sweaty uniform and into his street clothes…after he'd checked the room for booby-traps, of course, since Crazy Daisy was still on-site. With his room safe and his change done, Sam headed outside, first to say goodbye to his family, and then veg out for some well-earned TV-time.

"Sam?"

Kara's voice made Sam freeze in his tracks as she walked towards him. "Can I talk to you?" she asked, looking pensive. "About…what happened?"

'Hoo, boy. Here it comes.' Sam gulped. "Sure."

Kara took a deep breath. "So…about what you said." She managed a thin smile. "Look, Sam, I was absolutely flattered to hear that, but…"

"You don't have to say it, Kara. Ah get it," Sam said. "Ah'm sure a Kryptonian gal has higher standards than some Earth hick."

Kara blinked. "What?"

Sam winced. "Well, it's obvious, ain't it? Ah don't measure up to the sorta guys you woulda dated back on Krypton…"

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, Sam!" Kara exclaimed. "Do I look like Zod? Yes, I don't think of you in a romantic way, but that's not why!"

Now Sam was confused. "But…from what ya said to Daisy's brothers…"

Kara slapped her forehead. "I was trying to get them mad so they'd fire on me!" she said. "Seriously, Sam, if you think I think you're too dumb for me, think again!" She chuckled. "Actually, compared to Kal and Uncle Jor, my brain is pathetically average by Krypton's standards!"

"Oh," Sam said. "But…then why..?"

Kara blushed. "You remind me way too much of Kal, okay?" she admitted. "Granted, you don't have his brain – and neither do I – but after today, I can see the personality-resemblance more than ever." She chuckled. "You even lived on a farm."

Sam thought for a minute. "Huh…you got a point there, Kara."

Kara smiled. "Sorry, Sam. It's just…I'm not sure if romance is something I'm ready for, right now," she finished. "No hard feelings?"

Sam sighed. "Nah, I guess not," he said. "Anyway, Ah'd better go say goodbye to Ma, Jesse, June, and Giselle."

Kara nodded. "Talk to you later?"

"Sure." With that, Sam strode off.

As expected, he found his mother and siblings waiting downstairs. Jesse noticed his expression. "Everythin' okay, Sam?"

Sam nodded. "Yeah, Ah'm okay," he said. "Just…tyin' off a loose end."

Giselle wasn't fooled. "Is this about Supergirl?"

Sam sighed. "Okay, fahne; she just let me down easy," he admitted. "Ah remind her too much of her cousin."

Annabeth blinked. "Oh."

"Huh," June remarked. "Well, that might be the nicest way to tell someone you ain't interested that Ah've ever heard."

"Ah guess," Sam said. "So, where's Daisy?" He looked wary. "Please don't tell me she's off settin' up one of her..!"

"They were gonna kill Mrs. G. an' her family, Pa!"

Daisy's voice came from around the corner, prompting Sam and the rest of the Guthrie clan to peer around to find her on the phone, freaking out. "What was Ah supposed to…you KNEW?" Daisy cried. "Daddy, how could you? They're our friends! You an' Mr. G. were on the same football team, growin' up! Mrs. G. introduced you an' Ma!" Her eyes went wide. "Ah betrayed our…you mean you AGREE with what that psycho wanted to do?" She shook her head, her expression going angry. "Fahne! If that's what you wanted us to do, then Ah don't WANT to be part of this family!" With that, she slammed the phone down, and immediately started crying, sagging to the floor.

Sam looked stricken. "Daisy?" he asked. "What's goin' on?"

Daisy tried to control her sniffles. "M-Mah Daddy just turfed me out!" she whimpered. "S-Said "No child of mahne would turn mah boys in fer a bunch of unholy freaks"! He j-just told me not to…to ever show mah face on our farm, ever again!"

Aghast, Annabeth moved to hug her. "Oh, honey…"

Daisy burst into fresh tears. "Ah…Ah don't know what to do, or where to go!"

"Ah do, sweetheart: you are just gonna come live with us!" Annabeth assured her, giving her a kiss on the forehead. "If your Pa is fool enough to kick out a wonderful young lady as yourself, then a pox on him! His loss is our gain!"

Daisy's tears began to slow. "R-Really?"

Annabeth nodded, before she fixed a challenging eye on Sam. "Unless someone has any objections?"

As the expectant gazes of his entire family fell on him, Sam knew he was cornered. Besides, looking at Daisy's hurt, hopeful face, he couldn't object…no matter how many times she'd pranked him. "None here, Ma."

Daisy's grateful smile made his spine feel tingly. "Thank you, Sammie."

"Sure, sure," Sam muttered. "Ah'll just have to make sure Ah got life insurance, next time Ah drop by."

Daisy's smile turned to a pouting frown. "Sammie!"

Annabeth sighed, and looked skyward. "Lord preserve me, but he's just as thick-headed as his father…"

XXXXXXXX

"Are we finished, Hank?"

Chuckling to himself, Hank removed his stethoscope from Raven's back, his examination finished. "Yes, Raven, we're all done."

Raven arched a ruby eyebrow. "And?"

"Well, I'm still going to follow up with you and the other gas-victims in a few days," Hank said as he jotted down notes on a chart, "but from what I see now, you're perfectly fine."

With a smile, Raven stood up from her seat on one of the infirmary's stretchers. "Good."

Dropping his pen in his lab-coat's pocket, Hank walked to his next patient. "How are we feeling, Evan?"

Looking a bit nervous at how a bone-plate had dropped off his other arm, Evan gulped. "I'm okay, Dr. McCoy," he said. "Just a bit freaked-out. What's going on?"

Picking up Evan's chart, Hank looked it over. "I'll probably need to run some more tests in a few days, but it looks like your X-Gene osteoblast activity is decreasing."

Evan paled. "I'm losing my powers?"

"No, no!" Hank assured him. "I can see here that their level of activity is higher than average; they're just dropping back to the level of activity you had before you were poisoned with Powr8."

Raven blinked. "Hank, does that mean..?"

Hank nodded. "It's going slowly, but it looks like your cells are becoming "active" instead of "hyperactive," Evan," he finished. "In a few days or weeks, your osteoclast activity should have things back in balance."

Evan was overjoyed. "I'm…I'm not gonna be stuck in this bone-tuxedo, anymore?"

Hank grinned. "That would be my guess!" he said. "Since you were poisoned with the original mix, the gas' effect must have simply canceled out the Powr8's effect, "resetting" your powers!"

Evan whooped. "That's awesome!"

Raven suppressed a smile. "I suppose two wrongs can make a right, after all."

Hank's smile faded. "One more patient to go," he remarked, as he walked to the third exam-room, while Raven kept her distance, staying back as much as she could.

As Hank drew near, Valerie jumped, but calmed as she recognized him. "H-How's Mitchell? Is he alright?"

"He's fine, Mrs. Matthews," Hank said softly, fishing a mini-flashlight from his pocket. "Professor Xavier is speaking with him, as we speak. Right now, though, I'd be more concerned about these bruises. Keep your eyes on my finger, please." He held the pointer finger of his free hand out while he shone the light in each of her eyes. "Your pupillary light reflex appears normal, so I don't think you're concussed," he observed. "Still, these bruises are nothing to sneeze at…"

"O-Oh, these? I just…I walked into a door!" Valerie stammered, with a helpless laugh. "M-Michael always says I'm so clumsy!"

His eyes sad, Hank didn't laugh. "Mrs. Matthews, I did my residency in a trauma unit. I know what getting hit by a real door looks like," he said. "And I think you should know that, today, Jean bumped into your husband enough to get a partial telepathic scan…which showed her where one of those bruises really came from."

Valerie looked like she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. She tried to control herself. "It…It was my fault! I started the argument!" she said quickly. "Michael's not a bad person – and neither is Duncan – but…he just has a short fuse! He never meant to; it's just…I'm always saying the wrong things!"

Hank didn't say a word, but his expression just got sadder.

Valerie kept going. "I try to be careful, but I end up making him mad," she whimpered. "He's always sorry when it happens, but I should know better than to…than to…" Her tears finally broke free, sending her into a litany of sobbing. "Oh, God! I…I can't even convince myself!"

Gently, Hank held her hand. "Mrs. Matthews – Valerie – why didn't you tell anyone? Why did you stay for so long?"

"M-Mitchell! Mitchell needed me!" Valerie blubbered. "I…I know I'm horrible for even thinking this, but Duncan, he's…he's just too much like his father!" She sniffled. "I tried to teach him better – really, I did – but he's never listened to me!" She wiped her eyes. "But Mitchell, h-he's so much like me, and I was so afraid that if I tried to leave, I'd lose custody of him, and then Michael and Duncan would turn on him, o-or worse, make him l-like them!" She buried her face in her hands. "I knew I could bear things until he was old enough to leave, but…but when I knew he was a mutant…I-I was so scared of what Michael would do!"

Raven just managed to catch that statement, silently thanking her lucky stars that she had someone like J'onn…before she remembered their last conversation.

"Mom?"

The sound of Mitchell's voice drew Raven's gaze to the youngest Matthews, as he and Charles entered the infirmary. "I hope you're feeling better, Mrs. Matthews," Charles said. "I was just telling your son what a remarkable gift he has." He smiled. "Based on the data I got from Cerebro – my mutant-detection system – Mitchell has the ability to manipulate the force of static and kinetic friction: he can amplify it considerably, or nullify it completely."

Mitchell scratched his head. "I think I've been doing that second one a lot, these days."

Valerie gulped. "You can help him?"

Charles nodded. "We'd be happy to enroll Mitchell in the Institute," he said, "but he added one stipulation to my offer."

Mitchell looked to his mother. "Bottom line: I'll stay only if you can stay too, Mom."

Valerie started to tear up. "M-Mitchell…"

Mitchell looked ashamed. "I didn't see how Dad was hurting you, Mom," he said. "I should've, but I didn't. I figured that, if you stay here, Dad can't hurt you, anymore."

Valerie looked trapped. "I-I couldn't!" she said. "I mean, I'm not a mutant..!"

"We're not the ones who drew the line between humans and mutants, Mrs. Matthews," Charles said. "You're more than welcome to stay with us as long as you wish."

With a sniffle, Valerie nodded. "Thank you."

Not to intrude any more, Raven slipped out of the infirmary, where she found a plainclothes Clark and Alison speaking…with J'onn. "Does Batman or Question have any information on Matthews, now?" J'onn asked.

Clark shook his head. "While Batman was escorting Valerie and Mitchell, Michael likely fled the country."

Alison looked disgusted. "Can we get INTERPOL to issue a warrant, or something?"

"If we had more, maybe," Clark said. "But with only a number, and Jean's telepathic say-so? It'd be either inadmissible or circumstantial…no offence to Jean."

J'onn frowned. "Michael Matthews should not be allowed to escape justice…but without Creed's contacts, it is unlikely that he can cause any significant harm."

Clark nodded grimly. "That was Batman's assessment," he agreed. "Since we've already got the big fishes, saving Valerie and her son took priority."

Alison folded her arms. "Duncan's still in town; any chance we can sweat it out of him?"

Both Clark and J'onn chuckled guiltily. "Ethical issues aside," J'onn chided, "Michael would not likely tell his son where he went, for fear that we might try to do just that."

Alison sighed. "Darn." She managed a smile. "At least Mrs. M. and Mitch are okay."

"Yeah, which means we've got two more to accommodate," Clark said. "Add in the repairs, and this place'll be packed."

Alison groaned. "Yay."

Clark started to look a bit nervous. "I…might know how to free up a bit of space."

Alison blinked. "Oh?"

"It's just…you know I have an apartment as part of my cover in Metropolis," Clark said quickly. "I signed my lease today, and the superintendent mentioned…if y-you were interested at all, it wouldn't have to be permanent – j-just until renovations were done!"

Alison started to smile. "What wouldn't have to be permanent?"

Clark was sweating a bit. "I just thought…I just wondered…would you mind too much…if I asked you to move in with me?"

Alison's eyes went wide in surprise.

J'onn covered a knowing smile.

At his girlfriend's expression, Clark rapidly elaborated. "I-I mean, we practically live together, already!" he added. "It's a quiet little place – so no prying eyes and ears – and I know we'd have to be careful about coming and going, but I thought…"

"Yes," Alison said, smiling happily. "Yes, Clark: I'd love to move in with you."

Clark grinned goofily. "G-Great!"

J'onn chuckled. "In that case, you both should tell Charles that a room just became available," he said. His tone turned serious. "Is there any word on Healer's condition?"

"Yeah, Shayera said he's more or less patched up; he'll be fine, as long as he takes it easy," Clark said. "I asked Shayera to drop him off with Vic."

Alison looked a little worried. "Are you sure about this, Clarkie?" she asked. "None of us knows much about this Fox woman."

"Vic trusts her, Aly," Clark replied, "and from what I saw, she and her friends do good work. If this pans out, maybe the Institute can work with them, more often."

Alison nodded reluctantly. "If you say so, baby," she relented. "I guess we should let the Professor know about our plan." With that, the two of them headed into the infirmary.

Only Raven and J'onn were left. As J'onn's ruby gaze fell on her, Raven felt her heartbeat pick up a bit. "You're okay?"

J'onn nodded. "I should be asking that," he chided gently. "I'm not the one who was poisoned."

"Hank cleared me, J'onn. I'm fine."

J'onn still looked grave. "Then why are you so anxious?"

Raven sighed to herself. 'Serves me right for trying to keep secrets from a Martian telepath.' "I'm just…not happy with how we ended our last conversation."

J'onn closed his eyes. "I should not have pressed matters, Raven," he conceded. "I did not mean…"

"Oh, no, J'onn!" Raven exclaimed. "That's not it, at all!" She took a deep breath. "We just…haven't really talked much about our respective pasts; with good reason, in my case."

J'onn looked at her again. "I know that your past was a difficult one, Raven; I do not begrudge you for…"

"J'onn, you wouldn't have even known me back then, and I doubt you would have wanted to," Raven whispered. "You just saw an end-product of some of what I did!"

J'onn followed her reasoning. "Graydon."

Raven nodded. "I created him, J'onn; by leaving him with Sabretooth, I all but hand-forged him," she confessed. "If I hadn't been so…so callous or selfish – if I'd found him a good family like with Kurt instead of just throwing him away – he might have been completely different!"

J'onn's hand caressed her face, brushing away a tear she hadn't known she'd shed. "We are all shaped by our pasts, Raven, but our future is our own choice," he said. "Regardless of your mistakes, the ultimate responsibility lies with him. Graydon could have tried to develop empathy for others that suffered like him instead of embracing hatred."

Raven looked down. "I had a gun to his head, J'onn. I was going to kill my own son. If Kurt hadn't been there, I likely would have done it," she whispered. "I think I've changed so much, and then I go do something like that." She looked up at him. "Can you honestly say you don't begrudge me anything, now?"

J'onn's expression was sad, but knowing. "Raven, Martian society consisted of not one, but two types of Martians: Green Martians, like me, and White Martians," he said. "For most of our recorded history, relations between our peoples were embittered by intrigue and prejudice. It was only in the last 200 years that relations became peaceful."

Raven was confused. "J'onn, why are you telling me this?"

J'onn looked haunted. "When I commanded Mars' Planetary Vanguard, part of my duty was to resolve – or in many cases, quell – uprisings or protests against the status quo, whether they were by White or Green Martians," he said. "Many times…they turned very violent." He looked at his hands. "No matter how many times I told myself it was for the sake of peace, for all our people…I shed the blood of my own kind."

Raven gasped. "J'onn…"

"I will not claim to understand all of what you endured, Raven," J'onn finished, "but I believe that I can relate…and I am certain it will not change how I feel."

There were no words she could answer with, so Raven didn't use any. 'J'onn?' she thought. 'I love you.'

J'onn's smile was wide. 'And I love you, Raven.'

Raven's smile turned lascivious. 'Now, why don't we retire to my room?' she suggested. 'You can probe my mind…and maybe other things?'

J'onn's mental chuckle was resonant. 'Raven, you read my mind…'

XXXXXXXX

Undisclosed location

"Well, that was a disaster."

In the dim light of HYDRA's secret outpost, amidst the multiple computer-screens – many of which showed Graydon Creed's capture – Madame Hydra scowled. "We'll have to move quickly."

Next to her, in his immaculate black uniform – modeled after his SS uniform – the Red Skull nodded. "How much do zhey know of us, Blaire?"

Gulping at the use of her birth-name, Madame Hydra thought fast. "Creed and Stryker know nothing of our main goals," she confessed, "but they know about Project: Galatea; Creed twisted it to suit his propaganda. In addition, they know about the bases we used to supply and equip their forces, as well as the facilities we used to develop the Sentinel-Drones…"

"Too much, zhen," the Skull growled. "Zhis is disturbing, Blaire. Ve have already strained our resources in zhe U.S. Senate to keep zhe Captain and his Avengers out of it. If either one talks..!"

"We still have options, sir!" Madame Hydra said. "Our operatives in the Justice Department can have them both declared insane; with the younger Drake boy as an obvious example, it won't be a stretch!"

The Red Skull calmed at that – he even chuckled. "Zhe brother of a mutant serving our purposes – ironic, nicht wahr?" He turned serious. "Is anything salvageable from zhis…verdammt scheisse?"

Madame Hydra let her smirk come back. "We were able to successfully test the viability of the anti-mutant gas; if Xavier or his brats interfere, we'll have that option," she reported. "The Sentinel-Drones are potentially of use, but they'll need additional augmentation with Kree and Skrull technology in order to be viable against the League…and they're years away from being effective against that battlestation's drone-army."

The Skull nodded. "As expected," he said. "Ve'll have our operatives salvage more from the handful of Kree and Skrull wreckages ve have secured. And vat of Project: Galatea?"

"I was just about to check in with Essex about that," Madame Hydra said. "If you'd accompany me?" With that, she strode out of the command center, followed by the Skull.

Within minutes, they had reached the laboratory where Sinister, his lab coat over his usual bodysuit, was checking over a computer-readout. As he saw them, he smiled that toothy grin. "Why, my dear Madame, and the Red Skull himself! What an honor!" he exclaimed. "What can I do for you?"

The Skull did not smile. "Ve require an update on Galatea, Essex. Given zhat you have been absent on more zhan one occasion, it does not inspire confidence."

Sinister didn't bat an eye. "Surely you understand that I must, on occasion, acquire data and raw materials from outside sources, Herr Skull."

"Such as zhis "Apocalypse"?" the Skull accused. "Ve have sources in S.H.I.E.L.D. zhat suggest you vork vith him."

"Then you should employ better spies, Herr Skull; clearly, your sources failed to note that my time with Apocalypse was intended to acquire intelligence."

"A double agent." The Skull's tone was flat. "Zhis does not inspire confidence, Essex."

Sinister's grin grew. "Then perhaps this will!" With that, he gestured to the large tank behind him.

As she looked at the tank, Madame Hydra smiled. "When will she be ready?"

"A month or two, give or take."

Now the Skull was smiling. "Excellent," he said. "Ve have just zhe mission for her."

Sinister turned to gaze at his creation. "I'm sure she'll be glad to hear it," he replied, "isn't that right, Galatea?"

Floating in the pale green liquid inside the tank, the naked young woman – a perfect copy of Alison Blaire – gave no response…until she opened her eyes…and smiled darkly.

XXXXXXXX

Queens, New York City

"So what are we doing here?"

As she and the rest of the Morlocks got out of the X-Van, Callisto turned to Superman – who looked just like any other top-worlder, now that he was in street-clothes – and Wolverine as they got out of the front seats. "You need a new home, right?" Superman asked. "A friend of mine is going to help with that."

Callisto still looked suspicious, especially once she saw an African-American youth with a cybernetic eye walk into view. "This them, Kal?" he asked. "The kids you were talking about?"

"Yeah, Cyborg," Superman said. "Think you, Mackenzie, and the others can handle a few more?"

The newcomer – Cyborg – shrugged. "Don't see why not."

"Hold it!" Callisto shouted. "If you think we're going to let you boss us around..!"

"Callisto, has everything that's happened today taught you nothing?"

Callisto went silent as Healer – wobbly and bandaged, but very much alive – walked out from behind Cyborg. The other Morlocks were overjoyed, racing to their mentor to hug him. "Healer, you're okay!" Lucid cheered.

Healer chuckled. "As long as no-one hugs me to death," he joked.

Callisto managed to keep herself from crying, as she moved to hug him. "You gave us all a scare, old man."

Healer hugged her back. "Believe me, Callisto: getting shot wasn't my idea." He met her gaze. "I've been speaking with the people that run this center: they're all wonderful, and the center itself is a vast improvement over the sewers. We all have a chance, here."

Despite herself, Callisto fixed a sour eye on Superman. "More of your charity, Kryptonian?"

"No, Callisto," Superman said, his voice firm. "This isn't charity. While you're at the center, they'll need you to look out for the kids that are already there – to keep them safe on the streets, and to watch out for anyone that we or Professor Xavier missed. You'll be expected to pull your weight."

The Morlocks all looked to each other. "We can do that," Lucid said, as Torpid just nodded.

Callisto's suspicion started to dim. "That's it?"

Wolverine shrugged. "Unless you'd prefer the Institute and do training sessions with me."

Façade paled. "Here, Callisto! Tell 'em we'll stay here!"

Callisto sighed. "Fine," she muttered. "We'll play it your way, spaceman."

"Good." With that, Superman and Wolverine started to head to the X-Van, but not before Superman paused. "Oh, and one more thing, Callisto: before he left – probably to investigate popcorn flavours, or something – Question wanted me to give you this." With that, he flicked a small card towards her.

Perplexed, Callisto caught the card. "What is it?"

"Contact info for your mother's sister. She's the one who opened the missing person's report," Superman answered. "From what Question told me, she's been turning the country upside-down ever since you vanished."

Her face pale, Callisto stared at the card. "I-I…"

"It's your decision, Callisto. Question just thought you should know." With that, Superman and Wolverine got in the van, and drove off.

His eyebrow arched, Cyborg looked to Callisto. "You gonna call your aunt?"

Callisto was still dumbstruck. "I…don't know."

Cyborg shrugged. "Okay," he said, as he motioned towards the center. "Why don't you come meet the others? Mackenzie Fox – we call her Foxy – is an angel, and so is Jessie. Jess' boyfriend Luke's a bit of a hardass – you'd be too if you were a Ranger – but he's a good guy." He frowned slightly. "As for Bee, she's just nuts."

At that, Torpid giggled…which was a kracle in and of itself.

Cyborg grinned. "Well, sounds like we got an endorsement, here!" he laughed. "So how about it, Callisto? You in?"

Looking around, Callisto let the first real smile she'd had since the whole mess started – and probably in years – cross her face. "Yeah, I'm in."

And with that, the Morlocks followed Cyborg to their new home.

XXXXXXXX

Author's Note: Okay, this one took a tiny bit less than THREE months. Again, something of an improvement.

Coming Soon:

From the darkest depths of the universe, the most ancient of nightmares makes its presence known.

With their leader snatched from Earth, our heroes race to mount a rescue-op…

…but can even a Man of Steel endure this hell?

The darkest time of Superman's life is nigh.

Be there, in "Apokolips Now!" coming to your computer soon.

Brace yourselves, folks…