Shout-Outs!

Rogue77: I've never plaed that game, but it sounds fun! Yeah, dislocating shoulders always give me the heebie jeebies.

Radical-Seto: Well, things are about to get real nasty between those groups, so we'll know soon.

Dragonet: Well, traditionally that would be true, but Danny isn't above the sytem of nature, she's part of it. Dogs eat rabbits. Rabbits eat lettuce. Fish eat bugs. Danny is omnivorous, and eats whatever she wants.

Realm9: I think that's where it's spiraling too. Of course, they may never play football in Bayville again…

Raliena: They won't help him this time, she's wearing ugly hospital whites. But I can give you plushies! *gives all plushies.*  

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Ororo jumped to the phone when it rang. She had been hoping for some word from her nephew all night.

"Hello? Evan?"

"…."

"Evan?"

"Is that his name?"

The voice was calm, but betraying no hint of emotion.  She gripped the phone tightly.

"…Are you still there?"

"What have you done with Evan?" She demanded.

"Nothing."

"Let him go, I swear, as soon as I find out who you are—"

"Ororo?" Logan looked surprised as he walked in.

"Who are you?" She yelled into the phone, taking no notice of him. Logan walked up swiftly and pulled the phone from her.

"Who is this?" He said gruffly.

"Funny, your voice was so much lighter before." The voice responded with a hint of amusement.

"He has Evan!" Ororo hissed into Logan's ear.

"What you want with the porcupine, bub?"

"Nothing. I want something else."

"And what's that?"

"The girl."

"What girl?"

"Don't play me for a fool. Your comrade's life lies in the balance."

"What do you know about this?" Wolverine snarled.

"Everything. I know you have a young girl that you kidnapped. So I kidnapped someone you know. And I'm sure you can understand the rest."

"We didn't kidnap anyone."

"I know people who would say differently."

Logan sighed angrily. "What do you want? Prisoner exchange?"

"You're a smart man."

"What's going on?" Ororo asked. Logan shook his head.

"Where is this gonna take place? The docks?"

"The docks…no. I think we'll let it take place at the old football fields.  You and the girl, we'll deal from there."

"How do I know you ain't gonna double cross me?"

"You don't."

"That's not going to work."

"Neither is the porcupine. That is, unless I get the girl."

Logan growled into the phone. The voice didn't show any sort of intimidation.

"Have a nice day."

^*^*^*^**^**^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^^*^***^^*^*

The car screamed to a halt next to a café in town. Buddy and Daria got out and began searching the area. They didn't have to go very far, however.

"Daria!"

Daria whirled around to see Gepetto running to them.  She squealed and scooped him up in a hug. 

"You're okay!"

"Yep! And Arcane knew you were going to be here! He sent me to get you guys. He wants you to ditch the van and come over to his apartment."

"We have a problem. Julian will not fit in." Buddy pointed out.

"It's in a secluded part of town. It's all good."

*^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^^*^**^*^*^

So sleepy…

I was lying on the floor, trying to figure out what was wrong. My skin seemed to be turning gray before my eyes.  Then again, everything was looking gray. I felt thin and weak.

Maybe I just needed a little sleep…

*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^*^**^

"Oh, it was perfect! Alter her perception so she couldn't see me, shoot her with this little bullet, it dissolves in her bloodstream and wham! She's six feet under!"

"You spent so much time talking that guy into making you special bullets for that girl, you could've ripped her apart already!" Hyena hissed angrily.

Hyena stood six feet tall, with heavily spotted fur. She looked quite a bit like her namesake, and she stood on two feet hunched over. She was mean and short tempered and had the strength to make it dangerous. She didn't have any healing factor, but she did have a speed and teeth to make everything think twice about messing with her. Shorts and a t-shirt was all she claimed to her name.

Brain Wave glared back at her. "I want her to suffer for what she did. She deserves to die without knowing why!"

"So you use an incredibly hypothetical disintegrating bullet to get the job done?"

"What do you know?" Brain Wave soured.

"Just think—All that money you put into this, and there is a huge chance it might just not work."

"Shut-up!" Brain Wave snarled.

*^^*^**^^**^*^*^*^**^*^*^^*^**^*^*^*^*

Wolverine shouldered the girl as he stepped into the field. She had fallen asleep and all tries to wake her had failed.

The X-men were hidden in the shadows, even though he had forbidden them to. They had thought to sneak after him, but he knew they were there. 

He stood on the fifty, waiting for the mysterious caller to show himself. The wind changed direction suddenly, and he caught the scent of the porcupine.

Logan looked over. There, walking towards him from the goal, was a figure in black, dragging the porcupine after him.

Logan waited until they were ten feet apart.  The figure stopped and dropped Evan.

"What a beautiful night." The figure said. Logan couldn't see his face very well.

"Cut to the chase. Why do you want this girl?"

"Your business is not to know. Your business is to get your boy scout back and hand over the girl."

"She's sick."

"I can see that. If she wasn't, you'd be in a world of hurt."

"You don't care about her. Why do you want her?"

"Enough." The figure said harshly. " I don't have time for this."

Logan unshouldered the girl. The figure walked forward and pulled her away from him. Logan moved past him to Evan. He pulled off the gag.

"Logan, he's got people all over this place!" Evan shouted as soon as he got the gag off. Wolverine snarled and brought out his claws, but the figure had already hit the steps carrying the girl up the stands.

Logan slashed the ropes from Evan and took off after the figure. A sudden explosion in the visiting stands saw Cyclops tangling with a massive furred mutant.

Logan took off up the steps. He wouldn't get away.

^*^*^*^**^^*^*^*^**^^**^*^^^^*^*

Rogue was about to cut off the dark figure when she came face to face with Daria.  Then she got punched.

"Arcane is with us. We take care of our own, babe."

"Niheeheehee…"

Rogue got up and was about to say something back when a flaming dragon flew overhead.

"What the?"

"HAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Pyro was on the stands above, flamethrowers creating intricate displays.

"Hey! I'm the only one allowed to laugh evil around here!" Gepetto yelled angrily. Then he ran away because Pro pointed the flamethrowers at him.

"Wow. He's kinda crazy.  He's not my type though."  Daria mused. "I like 'em tall and dark. And furry."

Rogue stared at her. "Furry?"

Daria winked at her. 

*^*^^*^*^**^*^^**^^*^^***^*^*^*^

Buddy was in the middle of big trouble. The telepathic Redhead had been his first enemy. Then the big cat-like man caught him off guard and sent him flying down the steps. And those were a lot of steps.

Buddy hit the steps hard before he was able to shift his weight. He managed to upright himself.

The big man was threatening the red head, trying to jump up and catch her.  This perturbed Buddy.

So of course he had to jump back into the fight.

*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^^

Stray was dividing himself between the valley girl, a furry teleporter, and a metal man that had just shown up.

"Multitasking is fun!" He yelled as he picked up the teleporter and flung him across the field. Or would have, if he hadn't teleported.  He kept tentacles as far away from the Valley girl as possible, she seemed to like shorting him out. And the metal man was trying to grab his tentacles and hold them, but he got picked up off the ground and thrown across the railing into the stands. 

But he didn't hit.

The metal man floated back to the ground. The teleporter and valley both jerked their attention to the air. He did too.

A man in a purple cape came floating down.

"Greetings. My name is Magneto."

^*^*^*^*^^*^*^*^*^**^*^*^*^***^*^*

Hyena will take reviews today! Be careful, she's grumpy.