As soon as Ororo sent Peter flying the two creatures lumbered after him in a straight line. What ever was in their way got smashed to pieces. When the helicopter sighted them they called Thomas for instructions. He ordered them to find Peter and take him to the closest clearing large enough for the helicopter to land and then set things up.

As they got close to the clearing Thomas told the others to go around to avoid getting caught in the splash. They ran and entered the side of the clearing in time to see one of the canons setup in front of the helicopter fire thick goo at the creatures. When they were covered with it the operator signaled the man at the other one and he turned it on.

Nothing obvious happened, but the creatures started having difficulty moving, the goo cracking instead of flowing. They had to apply three other layer of it before the creatures were fully immobilized. Once that was done they added hooks to each of them for transport. Henry watched them work, commenting to one of the men that it was an ingenious use of ultraviolet sensitive adhesive.

When the helicopter was ready to leave Thomas made sure Ororo didn't need him before getting on. He watched their cargo dangling under them as they lifted up.

* * * * *

Jean indicated to Scott with a nod the others coming. She had told them mentally where they were as soon as she felt Peter's mind at the edge of her range.

"Is she ok?" Scott asked the paramedic again.

"As far as I can tell she seems fine." The woman answered as she pointed a penlight at one of Jean's eyes and then the other. "There's no sluggishness in her responses, she doesn't seem to have any dizziness or any other signs of head injuries. The headache worries me a little, but I don't have any training with mutant related injuries, so all I can do is recommend you see a qualified doctor as soon as you can."

Jean nodded, "I'm sure they won't give me a choice anyway at work."

"Was anyone seriously hurt?" Ororo asked when she joined them. Henry was with another paramedic to get his hands looked at. There was half a dozen ambulances setup in a semi circle treating those hurt.

"No," the paramedic replied, "everyone who was able to had the common sense to run away. Only some of those who ended up trapped under tents or some of the debris had minor injuries. Ms. Grey and her friend helped us get to everyone still trapped when we arrived."

Scott squeezed jean's shoulder with pride as the paramedic talked. Ororo nodded, showing no surprised that Jean had told the paramedics to look after everyone else before she would let them examine her.

^Go,^ Jean told Scott when she noticed he was watching Bishop surveying the scene from edge of the treatment area. ^I'll be fine,^ she comforted him.

Scott nodded and walked to the man, looking at him in a different light. Even the most peaceful Renegades tended to believe that normal humans were inferior and that hey should be left to deal with what ever trouble they found themselves in on their own. Bishop had not only stayed around to protect humans, but he'd blasted that cart away from him. Scott knew that if the situation had been reversed he wouldn't have even tried to save the man.

"Bishop," Scott said in as neutral a tone as he could. Bishop turned to look at him. "I wanted to thank you for what you did back there." He hesitated a moment before offering his hand, "and I wanted to apologize for the things I've said about you."

Bishop looked at the hand and didn't move. He looked at something behind Scott for a moment and then took the offered hand in his and shook it. "Apology accepted." He said.

* * * * *

Thomas stormed through the agency's offices. Those in the corridor took one look at him and gave him a wide berth. He didn't acknowledge the secretary as he tried to stop him; he entered the Commander's office, slamming the door behind him.

"Yes sir," the commander said, on the phone, raising an eyebrow as he looked at Thomas, fuming in front of the door, "I'll be sending you the findings as soon as the researchers are done compiling them. Yes sir, I know sir. Goodbye sir."

As soon as he hung up Thomas went to the desk and slammed both hands on it. "What fucking right did you have to use my friends like that?" He asked, seething with anger.

The commander looked at him calmly, "is that the proper way to address a superior officer?"

"I'm not talking to my commander I'm talking to my fucking father. What the fuck were you thinking setting us up like that? We're lucky Ororo realized what they were after, otherwise there probably wouldn't have been anything left of us by the time the backup arrived."

The commander left the silence hang for a moment before asking, "are you willing to listen to what I have to say?" Thomas glared at him before nodding reluctantly. "I didn't set you up," he lifted a hand to forestall Thomas' challenge, "When I gave you those tickets we were still looking for some of those creatures from the lab we found from Jean's reading of Peter's mind. One of the caverns they could have taken did exit about twenty miles from the fair. I didn't know that's where they had gone; in fact I was hoping they'd go somewhere else. I wanted you to have a day to relax, *but* I knew that if something did happen, you, Henry, Scott and the others could deal with it."

Thomas looked at his father for a moment, "You could at least have told me, that way I would have been ready for them instead of being caught off guard like I was. I barely pulled my weight."

The older man shook his head. "If I'd told you about the possibility you would have spent your time there on guard instead of enjoying yourself."

Thomas wanted to contradict his father, but he couldn't; the man knew him well. He sighed, "has anyone reached a decision about them?"

"Not really, I want them terminated; it's the humane thing to do, but someone higher is insisting we continue analyzing them."

"Would you terminate all of them sir?" Thomas asked, thinking about the one they had found in the cage, the one with no imperfection, except for the vacant eyes.

The commander knew who he meant. "Doctor Grey confirmed that his mind is completely blank; only his autonomous systems are working. If someone was lying on a hospital bed with as little brain activity as he has, would you hesitate to pull the plug and send him on his way?"

"No sir," Thomas replied softly, "but doesn't Peter deserve to know about him?"

The commander looked at Thomas, his gaze steady, "no, I don't think he needs to know. He's working on rebuilding his life, dealing with having missed two years of his friend's lives and being dead for one. That young man has gone through enough. Seeing that mindless double would only serve to make him doubt the truth of his existence. Do you really want to put him through that?"

"No sir," Thomas replied and then was silent.

"Would it be easier if I ordered you not to tell him?"

"No sir, it wouldn't, but I won't tell him. You're right, he shouldn't have to deal with that."

* * * * *

Jean had spent days being tested by the other doctors at the Agency. After the first brain scan had revealed that a part of her brain had become unusually active since her last one they were all over themselves trying to find out what it meant. Now that they knew she had decided to do something with it.

The commander's secretary let her know he was ready for her so she walked in.

"What can I do for you doctor?" the commander asked indicating the chair in front of his desk.

Jean sat in it. "I'd like to get trained for field work."

The commander raised an eyebrow, "are you certain? Field work is a far cry from the lab."

"I know sir, but with what happened at the fair I think I could be useful in the field," she hesitated a moment, "and I'm developing telekinesis," she said handing him the folder she had brought with her.

He took it and placed it on his desk without opening it. "I didn't think mutations could evolve like that."

"They can't, we don't think it's something brand new with me. That section of my brain has always shown some activity, so we think that it's just that I never bothered trying to use it before."

"Weren't you given the full battery of test when you joined?"

"Yes sir, but only for telepath. As far as I know it's unheard of for someone to have two abilities and have one of them remain completely dormant."

"And it's because of that ability that you want to work in the field?"

"Partially, since I started going out with Scott I've been feeling like I should be doing more than just evaluate psychological profiles or probe minds. To be honest sir, except for Logan's case, anyone of the other psychologist could do my work."

The commander smiled at her. "Now that you've been spending some time actually out of your lab you're discovering that the outside world is interesting, is that it?"

Jean found herself blushing, "yes sir, that's about it."

His smile grew wider, "alright, I'll approve the training, but don't expect to spend all your time outside your lab, while it's true others could do your work, you're still the best one here."

"Thank you sir!"

"Don't thank me until you've asked Thomas what the training entails," he replied with an evil smile.