Disclaimer: I do not own the X-Men.

LeBeau Legacy: The End
Chapter Six: Heroes and Martyrs
"Many that live deserve death. And some die that deserve life. Can you give it to them? Then be not too eager to deal out death in the name of justice, fearing for your own safety. Even the very wise cannot see all ends."
~J.R.R. Tolkien

Xavier Institute for Higher Learning
Salem Center

Walls of brick and steel crumble with stunning ease in comparison to the work constructing them. What are these objects? Earthen materials, hardened by fire: all elements within Stryfe's control. Softer than earth is the flesh behind the walls. Young, tender bodies thrown on the fire of Xavier's passion, meant to harden with time until they could become the blocks of his empire. The Mutant Liberation Front gutted Xavier of these raw resources. A few well-placed attacks broke loose the chains of harmony, and entropy reigned once more.

They should have known.

For all their experience, for all their knowledge, for all their training…

They should have known that their downfall would come from within.

Stryfe, formerly known as Ethan Fong, knew where to lead his army. He had once been a ward of Xavier's, so he knew the school's weakest points. But since his school days, the campus had gained a new guard dog.

Juggernaut woke up angry.

He ran through the crumbling walls and made his own exit. Stryfe threw up earth crust to stop him, but failed to slow his pace. Juggernaut slammed into Stryfe and they fell together into a cavern created by the crust disturbance.

Meanwhile, Scott and Rahne herded the children out of the building.

The Juggernaut didn't understand why Stryfe smiled as the life was being beaten from him. He didn't know Stryfe was already half-dead from cancer and trauma. Ethan Fong had been a lie. Sinister cloned him from Nate and Honor, and filled his mind with fake memories about a family that never existed. To make things worse, Ethan was sent to the same school as his genetic parents, where they'd become friends. Honor seduced and then blackmailed him. Eventually, the secret came out, and he'd been expulsed for having sex with a minor. Only later, when Honor needed his help, was he told of his true pedigree. Finally, Stryfe knew who he was. A monster. A freak. Nothing was sacred or pure, but in the Savage Land, Stryfe learned that he didn't want to die alone. Xavier's school was the last time anything had made sense. Although the people there had failed him and rejected him, he wanted to feel close to a time when he'd been accepted and happy.

But he wanted to hurt them, too. He wanted to rip away everything they cherished. So he smiled, dying, knowing that Genesis held the Shi'ar codes which would lock the security system into self-destruction.

Scott heard the terrified cries of the students. He felt the explosions and took a serious blow to the head. Random debris, so rightly placed, that it, too, caused catastrophic damage. He lay helpless, waiting for death, when Northstar lifted him and rushed him to safety. Why Cyclops? There were so many injured and no time to think, no time to go back. A firewall chased them to the edge of the property. Northstar collapsed. His body had been pushed to the brink.

Alone in the wood and contemplating his options, the world was dark and silent to Scott. Then the school began to glow and, still silent, the debris seemed to lift. A part of him hoped Jean had come to rescue them; the Phoenix would save the day! Whatever childlike optimism he retained died when the school began collapsing on itself. The self-destruction protocols had been initiated. Chaos and death, blinding and deafening, swallowed him alive.

….::::….

Unknown Location

Six children, aged seven and younger, were sealed beneath a transparent dome. Becca LeBeau pressed her fingers to every inch of their prison, searching for any weakness. Behind her, her brother sat listless and sulked.

"Cut it out, Becca. There's no way outta here."

"Our papa's a master thief. He'd find a way, so I can, too."

"He's the one who put us here!"

Meg and Alexander each held a newborn, but their arms were shaking with fatigue. Alexander whined to his sister until tears ran down his face.

"I can't do it!"

Becca told her brother to help Alexander.

"No way!"

Meg pleaded with him, and guilt goaded him into surrender.

As he took the heavy, warm bundle, she started to squirm and cry out. Ollie panicked, but no one would take her from his arms. Instead, they slowly moved away from him as if he were ill.

"You guys suck!"

Gentle but firm footfalls approached the room where the children were held inside their transparent dome. Even from a distance, Ollie knew the visitor wasn't his father, so he was both curious and hopeful. A monster entered. It was half-man and half-beast: covered from crown to talons with black fur. A sinister rendering of their parents' friend, Dr. McCoy, the children knew enough to be on guard. Their angry little fists made him smile wickedly.

"Are those battle stances? How precious! Tell me, do you prefer latex, spandex or leather?"

He opened a small door in the dome, and Ollie considered rushing to escape. He wouldn't make it far with a baby, though, and he didn't know what this monster would do to Lauren – or him – if enraged.

"Stay away from my sister!" Meg hollered.

"Relax. The good doctor wants her healthy, so I intend to keep her that way."

In one swift motion, he snatched the baby and pushed Ollie off his feet. The door sealed seamlessly. Becca was immediately against the creases, working her fingers where the door had been. Meg shouted until Mallory started crying, too.

He paid them no attention.

On the other side of the closed door, the infant was dispatched onto Sarah's lap. She resented being used thusly, but her guilt over creating Sinister kept her docile. The Dark Beast left her to it, and returned to his laboratory.

Tessa was waiting on a secure line.

"I have it," she said. "When can you retrieve it?"

"I won't be able to," he said.

"Well, how do you purpose I get it to you? You don't even know where you are."

"Don't be snide, child. What guarantee do I have that this will be successful? The opportunity, once lost, will not return."

"He wanted it badly enough. I think he knows it's the only thing strong enough to stop him."

"I do not like those odds." The Dark Beast sighed and rubbed his face. "Somewhere, there's a portal. I will open it once every twenty-four hours precisely. The first time, I will launch a coded tracking device. It will be your task to find it and wait for the next cycle. I cannot promise a lengthy exposé, so move quickly."

"I don't know if that's feasible. You're not the only with a cover to protect."

"If my daughter dies because of your failure," he growled, "I will hunt you down and tear you apart!"

….::::….

Salem Center

A mile-wide crater marred the earth where the school once stood. If Anna and Emma had come seeking help, they'd come too late. Paramedics swarmed at the scene, but it wasn't hard to find Hank McCoy. Beneath his experienced, blue talons, Scott drifted in and out of consciousness.

"Jean…" he mumbled, "Jean… Why?"

Emma slapped him and screamed, "Where were you?!"

Dr. Reyes pulled her off the unaware man.

"They took my babies! Why weren't you there to protect them!? You should've loved them more than her!"

Anna's stomach knotted as Emma was sedated. It was the best thing. Emma was in hysterics, and clobbering her comatose husband wouldn't help anything. As the drugs took effect, and Emma slipped into slumber, Anna felt more alone than ever. She gently kissed her friend's temple, taking a dose of telepathy, and left.

….::::….

Unknown Location

'I've seen some fucked up things,' Remy thought, 'but this takes the cake.'

Sinister's newest base looked like all the rest – vast and metallic. There were no windows or maps to give away their location; no gauges or water marks to even reveal the pressure it withstood. They might've been at the core of the earth or the summit of Jupiter's moon. Sinister, Gambit and the children had been teleported from a portal in New Orleans. Convincing the kids to jump into a puddle of light had taken all his charm, and they'd obeyed strictly out of trust. He knew he'd never have any credit with them again. The goal now was to keep them safe, and maybe one day, they'd understand.

If he'd found himself chained to the wall mock-BDSM style, he would've felt right at home. Instead, Sinister opened a couple of brewsters and kicked up his feet.

"What… No world domination plans?" asked Gambit.

"Oh, my dear boy, why would I want that cesspit?"

With the flick of a switch, a screen lit up with a news report. A giant crater dented Salem Center, and from the aerial view, the people on the ground resembled ants. Remy tried to glimpse a woman with a tuff of white hair, but Sinister shut it down.

Gambit asked: "You did that?"

"I've been in the Savage Land, as you may recall. No, that was clearly the work of mutant terrorists. Their success confirms my long-held theory that the Shi'ar have turned against your old friends. Jean's return signed their death warrant."

"Not my friends. Except for Anna, everyone I care about is here. And she can take down the Shi'ar and anyone else."

Sinister critically observed the former X-Man. "You forget how fragile she is. I saved Rogue's life, and for my trouble, she drained me to death."

"That was Mystique dat double-crossed you, not Anna. And obviously, you've done okay."

"Yes… Thank Apocalypse for my continued survival. When he first found me, I was a pathetic baseline geneticist in an era of ignorance and superstition. He removed my humanity, sharpened my mind, and extended my life. Of course, nothing comes without cost, and the price I paid was work without end. I was a slave to his… good grace.

"Working with Gregor Mendel, I finally unlocked the key to human cloning. It was Apocalypse who supplied the technology for me to transfer my psyche from one shell to another. It's not my premier choice, mind you. I worry how the psyche corrupts during transfers from vessel to vessel. As you know, I have, on occasion, resurrected in the wrong body."

"Miss Sinister," Remy remembered.

"I've also had the wrong mind resurrect in one of my clones. In that instance, I've built in several fail-safes. Should my body house another's psyche, the heart hordes blood flow until it erupts."

"Like Scalphunter."

"I would much prefer immortality. Fewer variables. I've been observing the mutant race since its conception, but none matched the power of Apocalypse. So I began injecting my own DNA with the elite of the homo superior. Cyclops was the first.

"The labor was painstaking. First, I had to locate the prime of the species. Then I had to infiltrate, experiment, and verify my results. Clones lightened my work load, but the most powerful were also the most challenging. And inevitably, the surplus bled into the population, where they encountered the X-Men. I feared Cyclops had discovered my plans when he first met Madelyne Pryor. I gave him too much credit."

"Is that why you poisoned the clones? To burn your bridges?"

"Not all. Oh no, never all. I'm quite fond of some of them. I've also linked the lives of my specimen to my own. My death begins a domino effect resulting in their deaths." His black eyes flashed, "So you see, Mystique double crossed you, too. If she hadn't killed me, your ex-wife would still be alive."

Gambit finished his beer. "What about Maddie?"

"Done. Although I'm curious why you'd risk so much for her."

"What can I say? I'm a sucker for a pretty face…"

"I have enough of Bella Donna's DNA to recreate her-"

"Shut it down, Essex," Gambit said. "No more clones."

"I have enough of your DNA to unravel your complicated genetic history. Surely you know that. You must've wondered who your parents were to participate in the Blackwomb project. Why you were so painstakingly assembled, only to be abandoned to the care of Thieves and Assassins… Miraculously, all mysteries are solved by blood."

"Nothin' in my past's worth re-livin'. What d'you want with my kids?"

"Genetic stock. Our world is finished, but the mutant race shall prevail."

"Don't count out the X-Men yet, Sinister. You've made that mistake before."

"Dead mutants walking – one and all. Mark my words, thief, I have read their future… And it is dust."

….::::….

Kisumu, Kenya

The news media had been covering the Xavier school massacre non-stop. Wolverine already had his ticket back to the States, but Storm was too weak to travel and too weak to leave alone. He'd asked Storm's ex-husband, T'Challa, to send a nurse, but after the Kree disguised as Yukio nearly killed her, they were taking no chances. An armed escort was moving her to Wakanda.

"Nonsense!" Storm blustered. "The X-Men need me!"

She gripped the arm rests of the chair and attempted to stand, but could not find the strength.

"This don't concern you, darlin'…"

"Stoplookingat me… as though I deserve pity!" Her arms kept trembling.

The phone rang and Wolverine left her with her pride.

Suddenly, her body was thrust from the chair and into the wide, blue African sky. The wind blew through her long white locks and stripped away her stale clothes. Ororo closed her eyes and inhaled sweet freedom. Looking once more, she saw a face more precious than freedom.

"Jean!"

"We've been watchin' it on the news," Logan told the caller. "I can be there tomorrow… No, don't bother sendin' a jet. I can't leave any sooner."

He couldn't see the change in Storm, but she was somehow in the room with him and also above the city.

Jean had transcended humanity. Her flesh radiated like stars and her hair danced like flames, but her eyes her permanent presence – so serene. Ororo wanted to hold her old friend but didn't dare. Instead, tears ran down her face.

"I'm afraid I've only made things worse," Jean said apologetically.

"I have missed you. We all have."

"I never left… A spark of the Phoenix resides in every living thing. I was brought together by men hungry for my power. They resurrected me before I could fully form, to control me while I'm weak. I need your help to stop them."

The veins in Logan's hands throbbed and his claws nearly popped out habitually. Instead, he growled: "Whaddaya mean 'missing'?! They weren't even in Salem Center!"

"Jean…" Storm sadly shook her head. "My body is ravaged from years of manipulating powers beyond my control. I am no help to anyone."

"We're a team, my friend."

Jean's flaming hair engulfed the astral plane in the burning form of the Phoenix.

Logan managed to hang up the phone without breaking it, but his molars were cracking under the stress. His godchildren, Ollie and Becca LeBeau, had been kidnapped. The four Frost-Summers children were missing, too. To make matters worse, Scott was preoccupied with the school's devastation. Emma had lost her mind. Remy, who Wolverine had never trusted, was the last person seen with the kids. Logan had agreed to protect those kids on Rogue's behalf – she was always blinded by her love for Remy. Now she was missing, too…

Storm gently placed a hand on Logan's bone-hard shoulder.

He jumped and looked her over, stunned. "How-?!"

"Stranger things have happened, dearest…"

"This can't be good."

She smiled and stroked his cheek. "I would rather go down fighting. If anyone can understand, it's you."

"Glad to have you back, love," he took her hand and softly kissed her palm. "I'd rather go down fightin' with you at my side, and this might be our last hoorah… We've got a Cajun to kill."

….::::….

New Orleans

A line of well-wishers crowded to congratulate the new couple. Beneath Honor's plastic smile, a telepathic conversation was buzzing like a beehive. Nate had opened a channel between her and her brother, and soon found himself railroaded by two unyielding forces.

'René! Stop sulking and get over here!'

'I should've killed 'm! Pay off his family and be done with it. You expect my blessing?'

'I told you I would fix it, and you promised to support me!'

'No, no, no. You tricked me! You're a manipulative liar, and I'm done dancing to your tune!'

'I didn't know Vaughn was gonna jump to my defense, but if you'd had my back-!'

'I don't know what to say!'

'-if you had any credibility with the Guild! Or the Council! We wouldn't need Vaughn, but we do! Because you don't know how to play the game! Let me tell you, little brother, the moment you're perceived as weak, you are. So you can stand there and sulk and say you lost, or you can smile and take credit. I really don't care – we have bigger problems. Nathan, where's Rogue?'

'She and Emma are headed to New York,' Nate told her.

René finally joined the crowds. His eyes were murderous and his smile sharp as a shark's, but he shook Vaughn's hand and hugged his sister. One could only fight one enemy at a time.

'They're going to the X-Men for help?' Honor replied, hugging a tense René. 'I don't like that. It means my dad's in trouble. The kids?'

'Emma says they're missing. That's all I know.'

'Can you sense them?'

'I'm not a human Cerebro.'

René suggested utilizing the Guild, which Nate strongly objected to.

'These people were ready for a Bloody Revolution ten minutes ago!'

'They were scared. Rogue killed a shape shifting alien at my mother's funeral. I'd freak, too.'

'René's right,' Honor chimed. 'They need to act and we need to lead them. There's a good chance the kids are still in town, and if so, we'll find them. What are you waiting for, Guild leader? Give the order.'

Pale and a little breathless, René made some inhuman noise to get attention on himself. Without smiling, he said: "We're all happy for Honor and Vaughn-"

'Should've called me 'your sister',' she telepathically corrected. 'It's more endearing.'

He shot her an impatient look, which couldn't have been timed more poorly, and Nate wondered if she were trying to make him look bad.

"-but dis celebration's gonna be cut short," he continued, a sour look still residing on his face. "Mr. LeBeau and his two little kids are missing. We need to find them before they leave town."

"Right you are!" Honor swept in. "Everyone, get your ears to the ground! I'm offering a ten thousand dollar reward to any information leading to their rescue. If my father's with them, do not attempt a direct confrontation. I want a tail and an immediate notification. It's possible they're in hiding and he may see you as a threat. Marie, you'll stay here with Hero and act in my place. René, Vaughn, Nathan – you're with me. Let's move, people!"

…:::…

Capital Building of the European Union
Paris

It was a long shot, but the only lead Emma had: the Hellfire Club. She had been its White Queen during the Dark Phoenix debacle, and residing in Anna's mind, shared the knowledge necessary to pass herself off as Emma Frost. A member of the Inner Circle had a lifetime membership, so access was granted. Since Emma hadn't actually been seen by the Club for ages, and Anna's absorption also stole Emma's style, her appearance was hardly questioned.

'Sinister and the Hellfire Club were both after the Phoenix force,' Emma reasoned, 'They must have information on him… A base, an associate, something to lead to my kids!'

She was right.

With unlimited access to files on Sinister, Anna started at the beginning.

He had been born Nathaniel Essex in 1829, London. He became a geneticist, married, and had a son who died tragically young. Shortly thereafter, he vanished, but not before having a photograph taken. Between a top hat and mustache, Anna saw the eyes of the man she loved.

"It can't be-!"

…:::…

Unknown Location

Gambit was not surprised when Wolverine and his team landed squarely in Sinister's trap. In fact, he felt slightly vindicated. He'd made the right decision by bringing the children to Sinister. If Wolverine, Storm, X-23, and Rachel Grey could fall so easily, Gambit would have fared no better. Then he stopped himself. Only four X-Men were sent to rescue the kids? Certainly not. This was just the first wave. Even with the school demolished, Cyclops would have found more than four agents.

Where was the cavalry?

"Looks like you were right," Gambit told Sinister. "Although you don't need me to tell you that."

Gambit noticed he had crossed his arms, just like Sinister, and instead moved his hands behind his back as the scene unfolded.

Between the ladies Mastermind, the X-Men were caught in an illusion so powerful that not even Logan's indomitable will or Rachel's legendary telepathy could break free. The illusions fed off their deepest desires, creating a cage they wouldn't wish to escape, even if they could.

Mariko gently ripped Logan from a bad dream.

"What is wrong, my love?" she asked softly.

"Mariko?!" He unsheathed his claws. "Sorry, love, but you're dead. You're only alive in my dreams."

"What about me, runt?" Sabertooth asked, crashing through a window.

"Rogue should've been among them," Sinister complained. "Even if Cyclops hadn't sent her, she would have come for her children. I could have protected her here. Now, she'll be lost with the others."

A low but irritating alarm cut between them. Gambit couldn't find the source of the noise and wondered if this was his preamble for another wave of X-Men. But Sinister didn't flinch. A holographic woman with a severe haircut and hard face approached Sinister.

"There's a problem with the children-"

"Then solve it," Sinister snapped.

"Yes, sir. I need your permission to temporarily release them."

"Of course they need released," Gambit rolled his eyes. "Haven't you let them use the bathroom? Are you feeding them? The babies need t' eat often, and the kids need t' run. Does Sinister need to instruct you?"

Sinister's black lips smiled with approval, and he waved the woman away.

"I don't trust her with my kids," Gambit said.

"I have saved your offspring from certain death. Trust that I would not let harm come to them here. You and I have other priorities."

Sinister revealed another holographic screen with police transcripts, recorded phone conversations, and pictures of assaults: Rogue breaking Remy's neck; Storm being strangled by Yukio; Tessa gunning down Essex.

"Warskulls have infiltrated the X-Men's ranks," said Sinister. "Along with mutant terrorists, they've 'thinned the herd'. Who possesses such power and foresight, except the Shi'ar? With the return of the Phoenix, they have every reason to destroy the protection she finds among the X-men. As we speak, Xavier and his lackeys are planning a full scale war. But they've been misguided. Lilandra is a helpless puppet, too proud to seek her only hope for salvation - Xavier's aid. Of course, with Jean Grey, the X-Men could dismantle the Shi'ar Empire…

"What we're witnessing is a clash of Titans, Gambit – possibly on a galactic scale. That's what Apocalypse considered himself: a Titan. Forgetting that those first gods were overthrown by their children.

"In the grand scheme, we have no allies. No one cares for this planet or the mutant race. We've been the cause of too much grief over the years. To them, this is payback. But I have ambitions of my own, with too many years invested in my own dreams to see them sacrificed to another's cause. I seek only to save who I can, to complete my work again a better day.

"I want you by my side, Remy… Because where else should a son stand, but with his father?"

To Be Continued…