Thank you for the latest reviews (wow, I'm being spoiled all of a sudden) and if anyone's wondering what's happened to Rogue, read on.

CHAPTER 13

The silence in the mansion lounge was almost a physical presence. With all the adults gone, the X-Kids had been left to their own devices but it was impossible to relax when they all knew something was happening. Rogue glanced quickly around at the other occupants of the room: Jubilee, Siryn, Leech, Jones, Artie and a few others. A few days ago, they'd all been treating her like an outcast. But now, after listening to Apocalypse's broadcast, they all had more important things to worry about.

The television was now displaying a female newsreader, her tone calm and measured despite the grim words she had to say."In response to Apocalypse's announcement, the government is despatching a strike force to Brooklyn to meet this new menace and attempt to stop it in its tracks. The military force is being assisted by the mutant group known as the X-Men…"

Rogue didn't listen to hear any more. As soon as she'd heard that phrase, something had switched on in her mind, a sense of purpose. She got out of her seat and headed for the door. She was halfway down the corridor when she realised Jubilee had followed her and was staring after her from the doorway. "Rogue, where are you going?"

Rogue stopped and turned to face her. "To help."

Jubilee stared at her, dumbfounded. "What?"

Rogue could see the incredulity in the other girl's face and knew if their positions were reversed she'd feel the same. But she'd been on the front line too many times to start behaving like a helpless bystander now. "Those are my friends out there. Yours too. I am not going to let them walk into trouble without doing something."

"But what can you do?"Jubilee protested.

"I don't know,"Rogue admitted. "But I am done sitting around."

Apocalypse, once again at giant size, strode majestically across Brooklyn Bridge, dwarfing everything in sight. His four Horsemen – Angel, War, Famine and Pestilence – flew around him. Mystique walked with the group, taking slow measured strides as she basked in the reflected glory of her master. Their invasion was about to begin.

Then they heard the sound of helicopter blades and looked up. A group of military helicopters, accompanied by the X-Jet, swooped over them and came in to land at the far end of the bridge.

"What is it?"Famine asked.

"The X-Men,"Mystique spat. "And the humans."

"The first of the unbelievers,"Apocalypse proclaimed. "They shall be swept aside."

Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler, Beast, Iceman and Magneto sat in their positions as the X-Jet came into land. "Soon as we're out there, find some sort of shelter,"Wolverine instructed. "We don't know what he's going to throw at us."

"You're going to use your cure, I suppose,"Magneto observed with more than a little bitterness.

"No,"Beast replied. "Apocalypse and his followers have been augmented technologically so many times we don't know what effect the cure would have on them."

"What about Warren?"Iceman asked. "He's with them…"

"Then he's with them,"Wolverine interrupted abruptly. "That's all we need to know."

"He may not be completely lost to us,"Nightcrawler persisted.

Wolverine lacked their confidence but something stopped him from dismissing their former friend out of hand. "I guess we're going to find out. Let's move."

As Wolverine, Nightcrawler, Iceman and Beast disembarked from the jet, Magneto move into one of the front seats positioning himself at a console. Storm stood over him.

"This is all you can find for me to do?"Magneto asked unhappily.

Storm had discussed her plan with him during the journey. She knew he would rather be using his powers of magnetism in the battle, but since he no longer had them he'd been the ideal candidate for what she had in mind. "It could be important. If Apocalypse has done what we think he's done, then this could even things up."

Magneto sighed. "It still feels like I'm just minding the car."

Storm looked at him in confusion. "I'm sorry?"

"It doesn't matter,"Magneto replied. "Just a reminder of how little I have left to contribute."

Storm joined her fellows outside. Although all of them had wanted to approach the matter with caution, it only took them a few seconds to realise that a direct confrontation was their only option. Apocalypse's group had stopped in the middle of the bridge, as though daring their opponents to challenge them.

Wolverine, Storm, Beast, Nightcrawler and Iceman led the soldiers from the helicopters across the bridge, stopping about a hundred yards away from the enemy.

Apocalypse looked at them with simmering fury. "You oppose my will?"

"You got it,"Wolverine confirmed.

"Very well."

Mystique and the Horsemen parted, standing off to the side of the bridge to reveal what was behind them. Trundling towards the X-Men and their allies were a large group of roboguards.

"Where did they come from?"Bobby asked.

"You think Magneto was the only one Mystique gave the plans to?" Apocalypse retorted.

Woverine looked with amusement at his old sparring partner. "Is that Mystique? I didn't recognise her without the blue."

Mystique shot him a look of pure venom. "I've waited a long time to see you suffer."

"Still so much anger,"Nightcrawler sighed. "A pity."

"Roboguards are programmed only to attack those who attack them,"Beast pointed out.

"These ones will attack anyone who I command,"Apocalypse replied. "And I have commanded them to attack you."

"That's very interesting." Storm raised her wrist communicator to her lips. "Now."

Onboard the X-Jet, Magneto heard Storm's message. He activated the controls as they'd arranged, broadcasting the signal specified on the computer disc lodged in the ship's drive.

And outside on the bridge, all across the roboguards, mounted lights began flashing rapidly.

"What have you done?"Apocalypse demanded.

"We have the plans as well,"Storm explained. "We've managed to deactivate the sensors that stop the robots from neutralising our powers."

"No matter,"Apocalypse snarled. "Attack!"

The roboguards advanced, weapons firing. Spinning blades emerged from their body, adding an extra danger to the tussle. The soldiers returned fire while the X-Men brought their powers into play. Wolverine extended his claws and ploughed into the roboguards' ranks, slashing and slicing, reducing them to scrap metal. Beast was just behind him, using his strength and agility to leap about among them and smash them to bits.

Iceman brought his powers into play as well, blasting the robots with ice cold air that froze them on the spot. Storm summoned up lightning bolts and hurled them at the roboguards, incinerating them. Nightcrawler teleported in between two of the guards, who instantly turned to face him. As their blades spun towards him, he teleported away again, causing them to slice up each other.

But, whatever the X-Men's skills, they were still vastly outnumbered. Wolverine found himself surrounded by a group of the robots. He slashed at them desperately but one of them was bearing down on him with its blades and he knew he couldn't react fast enough to stop it. Nor could he count on his mutant healing factor if he were cut in half.

Then an energy-charged playing card struck the robot and blew it away. Wolverine looked round to see Gambit, Kitty and Colossus rushing to join the battle.

"You seem to be in need of help,"Gambit remarked.

Wolverine shrugged. "Always nice when the cavalry shows up."

Although Wolverine couldn't have known it, the trio weren't the only cavalry on the way. At that moment, a second X-Jet was heading towards the battle. A figure in X-Men uniform sat at the controls, desperately pushing the jet to its limits in order to get there in time. Rogue.

Rogue was trying to hide it but inside she was shaking. Her nerves were not helped by the makeshift crew she had with her: Jubilee, Siryn and Leech. The three of them had followed her to the X-Jet hangar and insisted on accompanying her. A rescue team consisting of three teenagers with no real experience and one with no real powers.

But Rogue only had to stop and think about how many people she cared about were in danger to push the jet still faster.