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Scene Twelve

There was a hiss and a gurgle as the tank started to drain. In the middle of the suspension Weapon X twitched once, twice, and then his eyes fluttered open. Rage filled the captive, a rage so powerful he ripped through the cords that fastened him into the machine. Flexing his arms he made a double swipe with his adamantium claws. The glass shattered and green solution flooded through the gap. Blaze and Gambit were up and running, refusing to look back. Their feet slipped on the slick floor, but they helped each other and made it through the doors.

They barrelled into one of Jacobi's men. The minion started to object but then saw what they had done and thought better of it. He took a running leap, vaulting over the railing and dropping to the floor below. That released Kurt and Rogue, who ported back to suck Paradox's powers dry. Paradox fell into a Rogue-induced coma, in turn releasing Magneto. Just as Weapon X was stepping from the tank Eric used his powers to haul him back. Magneto exited the room backwards whilst holding Weapon X in place.

Meanwhile Vixen dropped the bodies of her victims and morphed again. Jacobi was frozen, staring at Weapon X. He had his back to the wolf as she launched herself at her enemy. The force of Vixen hitting his back knocked Jacobi over. The two foes tumbled together, teeth and fists and claws flailing. They rolled across the threshold of the adamantium room. Magneto braced himself, forcing Weapon X away from the two as they battled it out.

"Eric!" Gambit shouted, "close the doors!" Magneto gave Gambit a concerned look, but the Cajun was deadly serious.

"Magneto!" Blaze cried out, "Now!"

Magneto needed no more encouragement. He dropped his control of Weapon X, directing his powers instead to close the doors. On the floor of the adamantium room, Vixen and Jacobi looked up in shock as Weapon X was released upon them. A flash of adamantium claws was all that it took. Then… silence….

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"Are you there?" Blaze spoke softly into her cell phone, unwilling the break the deathly quiet that hung over the mezzanine.

"I am," Emma Frost, the White Queen, replied. "You were right to think Jacobi would use me to control Wanda. You can tell Magneto and Storm that their girls are all fine. We will be waiting for you when you get back."

Blaze nodded, a useless gesture when on the phone. Then she hung up. Looking round the room she saw Rogue and Kurt propping a groggy Paradox up against the wall. Magneto and Storm were watching Blaze distrustfully. All of Jacobi's minions were long gone, dead or run away. Gambit was stood by the adamantium doors with his forehead resting on the cool metal. His shoulders were slumped and Blaze couldn't be sure he wasn't weeping. She felt rotten to the pit of her stomach, like an apple riddled with worms.

"Your daughters are fine," Blaze told the worried parents quietly. "Emma Frost is with them. She's been working with SHIELD to infiltrate Jacobi's organisation, so we can trust her."

"How do you know that?" Storm said.

"I… used your computer with its high-level access to run a scan on emails throughout Jacobi's organisation, to see if there were any moles I could use." Blaze replied. "It worked. I'm sorry I had to make you think I'd turned traitor on you. I had to lure Jacobi here tonight or else we never would have got near the slimy worm. The only way to do that was to make him think he was winning."

"You did well," Magneto gently praised the girl. "As did Gambit. I believe the two of you had more or less the same plan in motion at the same time, albeit with different targets."

"He looks awful," Blaze was nearly in tears herself. "What do I do?"

"Give him time," advised Magneto. "He is in mourning, as am I. Believe it or not Vixen, was not always so…"

"Neither was Alessandro," Storm was suddenly hit by the gravity of what had happened. She was a widow. "He could be so good with the girls…" She turned away. Magneto went after her, placing a solemn hand on her shoulder. "I'll sell the company," Ororo decided. "Break it up. No one should be able to control all the media in Bayville. The money can be better used providing for the next generation."

"An old friend of mine once had a dream of an institute where mutant children could find solace and training…" prompted Eric.

"It sounds wonderful," Ororo agreed, "but where could we start such a venture?"

Gambit had overheard them all, though he hadn't shown it until now. He turned away from the door and wiped his face on his coat sleeve. Then he addressed Magneto with a croaky voice.

"Ilehana left the mansion to you, Eric. It in her will. You could start your institute there."

Blaze went to Gambit and hesitantly took his hand in hers. He didn't resist. Magneto and Storm looked to one another and came to an agreement. Charles Xavier's dream would live. The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters would be founded in Bayville.

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"This the loser who 'ported ya here Kurt?" Rogue asked.

"That's the guy," Kurt agreed. They stood over the woozy Paradox, both teens in no mood for an argument with their captive.

"Ya listen here Paradox," Rogue grabbed the mutant by the front of his shirt and gave him a small shake. "A Paradox from a different timeline blasted Kurt an' ported him to this world. Now you're gonna send him back again."

"What makes you think I can do that?"

"Ya gonna do it, or I'm gonna put you so deep in a coma ya ain't never gonna see the light of day again."

"Sounds fair," Paradox reasoned, levering himself up into a sitting position. "Brace yourself boy."

"Wait!" Kurt interrupted. "I need to know how to beat you in my world?"

"She not with you?" Paradox nodded towards Rogue. Kurt shook his head.

"Then try a mirror," Paradox replied. Before Kurt could ask him if he was serious, a blast of purple energy hit him and he teleported…

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…back to the docks, barely ten feet from where he had been when he started. Paradox was fighting with Vixen, who didn't seem able to hold an animal form. She slipped from wolf to alligator to owl to snake… It was painful to watch, never mind to go through but she kept up the barrage with tooth, claw or whatever appendage she had to hand. With Vixen so close to the renegade mutant, Blaze and Gambit's ranged attacks were useless. Kitty came running to Kurt's side to see if he was ok. His reply completely confused her.

"A mirror?" Kitty asked, "Why?"

"D'you have one?" Kurt repeated.

"No, I…"

"Kurt!" Blaze produced a compact mirror, tossing it through the air to him. Kurt caught it in two three-fingered hands. Paradox saw what they were doing, shoved Vixen out of the way and went to blast Kurt before he could get the mirror open. Suddenly there was a flash as the silver glass reflected the blast of Paradox's power right back at the mutant. Before Paradox could even cry out, the blast struck him and he disappeared.

"Is that… it?" Kitty didn't quite believe their luck.

"Kurt, where did you learn a trick like that?" Blaze asked, impressed.

"Paradox told me," Kurt replied, coming over all weak at the knees. Blaze and Kitty had to catch him between them before he collapsed. "Phew, am I glad that's over."

"You and me both," Vixen replied with a kindly Xavier smile. She had retaken human form and was dusting off her palms decisively. "You and me both… Now let's go home."

Roll credits……………………………………………