Twelve
Jubilee was crying and saying Kitty's name over and over when the alarm sounded. "What the -?" she was startled. "That's level five. The school's under attack!"
Kitty, this strange new Kitty, looked grim.
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Bobby Drake took off his headphones and listened to the alarm.
Ice formed on his fists.
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"I'll take the east wing," Scott Summers said to Henry McCoy and Ororo Munroe. Jean Grey stood by his side.
Ororo nodded. "I'm on kinder duty."
"Hank will patrol the west wing," Jean said. "I'll be in the war room. Logan, you with us?"
He gave her a feral grin. "Of course. I'll just be killing things."
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"Everyone, stick close to your buddy!" Sam Guthrie told the younger children "We're moving!"
Jones punched in the security code and the panic room opened.
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Carol Danvers flew along the empty hallways of the school. She had managed to defeat her two opponents, but more had arrived to take their place. She knew she couldn't beat them all, so she decided that to retreat was the best option for now.
Carol.
She faltered in mid-flight. Did someone just say her name? It sounded very close, like the person had whispered in her ear.
Carol.
She landed on her feet, looking around her and frowning. Who was speaking to her? There was no one that she could see.
A movement up ahead caught her attention. Someone had appeared. A girl. She wasn't a duplicate, but she was wearing a similar-looking uniform though hers had no sleeves. Her bare arms were pale, almost as pale as the white streaks in her dark hair. She watched Carol silently.
"Who are you?" Carol asked.
The stranger didn't say anything.
"Okay," Carol shrugged. "Let's just fight then." With a cry, she charged at this new enemy.
A hand easily caught her and closed around her throat. She tried to throw the girl off her, but she couldn't seem to get a good grip on her adversary. She suddenly felt weak. It was as if she was losing her strength.
When she finally realized what was happening to her, Carol began to scream.
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"Oh, this is so not good," Jubilee muttered to herself as she ran. She was looking for Kitty, who had done the blurring thing and left her on her own without a word of explanation. There was a procedure to be followed in situations like this, and Jubilee knew she was supposed to be in the panic room by now with the children, but she couldn't go hide when her friend was still out here. She had to make sure that Kitty was all right. The girl had already died once, during the last time the school was attacked, so there was a genuine cause for concern about her welfare.
"Where the heck did she go? Kitty!" She was on her way to check the ballroom, just in case, when the scream of someone in pain stopped her in her tracks. Her heart pounding in fear, she followed the sound.
"Oh, my God!" She found herself staring at a familiar figure. "Rogue? Carol!" She didn't even think twice. She threw herself against her old schoolmate. The impact forced Rogue to release Carol. But Jubilee now came into contact with Rogue's lethal skin.
She was on the verge of losing consciousness when she felt someone wrench her free from Rogue's grasp. Whoever had saved her had the coldest hands.
Before she slipped into darkness, she saw his face.
"Bobby," she sighed gratefully then remembered nothing more.
