It was well into the early hours of the morning when Zeryn found herself staring up at the ceiling as she listened to the music coming from the TV. She had an awful nightmare, but didn't feel like getting up to go to the library. All she wanted to do was get up and leave the mansion to face Victor, but she still wasn't physically or emotionally better yet. She knew that once she was better, then she'd leave.

She sighed a little as she rolled over and saw Gambit's coat laying on the bed. She ran her hand along it and felt the holes and tears in it from when Victor got ahold of her while they were fighting. She put her hand on her shoulder, then twitched a little bit, since there was still a bit of pain coming from her shoulder.

"If I wasn't so tired and weak, then I'd be outta here in ten seconds!" She whispered to herself as she grabbed the coat and held her close to her, "I need to stop this before it gets any worse. I don't need anyone else to get hurt."

She closed her eyes as she took a deep breath and slowly let it out. She listened to the music to try and keep herself calm, "I have a feeling the professor's not going to let me do this alone. I'm still scared to tell everyone what happened to me. I really don't need to them to hate me. I'm sure the professor can do some kind mind trick to make them side with me, but that seems wrong. I don't know anymore. Maybe tomorrow night I'll leave. I should be better by then...I hope."

Because she had her eyes closed, she could feel herself starting to drift off to sleep and it wasn't long after that before sleep took over her body.

Logan leaned against the doorway to the training room as he watched Zeryn beating up the punching bag. He had been watching for five minutes now, even thought Zeryn had been in there longer than that. He shook his head some, then walked over to her.

"Don't you think it's time to stop?" Logan asked as he took her wrist, "If you keep this up, then you'll end up knocking the darn thing off the ceiling...not to mention you'll be taking the ceiling with it."

Zeryn looked at him as she breathed heavily, "At this point, I could really care less."

"I don't think the professor would be too happy about that. Now, calm down."

"I can't!" Zeryn took her wrist back from him, "I have a mass of emotions bottled up inside of me and I won't feel better until I beat the living crap outta something!"

"And, knocking the punching bag off the ceiling will help?"

"It was working until you came in here."

"I think you need to take a deep breath and take a break."

"I think I need to get this out before I hurt someone!"

Logan looked at her for a moment. He picked her up, then threw her over his shoulder, "Now, you have a reason to rest."

"GRRRR! Put me down, Logan!" Zeryn glared at the back of his head, then gripped his shirt once she felt him starting to move.

"Like I'm going to allow you to break something in the training room." Logan carried her out of the room and down the hall, "I think you need some fresh air. It'll clear your mind."

"I'd sooner run up a tree."

"Do that, since we'll be outside anyways."

Zeryn sighed a little, then noticed Gambit was coming over to them, "I think Remy's coming. You better put me down, or he'll kick your butt."

"I'd like to see him try that." Logan opened up the door, then stepped outside of the mansion.

"'ey, Logan! W'ere yo' takin' her?!" Gambit asked as he followed after them.

"I'm taking her outside before she knocks the punching bag off the ceiling." Logan took Zeryn over to a tree, then put her down, "You need to sit down and enjoy the fresh air."

"I think I need to knock that punching bag off the ceiling in order for me to feel better." Zeryn sat down, then looked up at him, "You don't have any idea how I'm feeling at this point in time."

"You do that and the professor won't be happy."

"Like the whole ceiling will fall just because I knocked the darn thing down."

"Oh goodness, Cheri. Yo' still upset 'bout w'at 'appened yes'erday?" Gambit asked.

"I will be for quite sometime now."

"Why are you mad about what happened?" Logan asked, "It's not your fault this happened."

Gambit watched as Zeryn pulled her knees to her chest and put her chin on top of her knees, 'Don't yo' be t'inkin' anyt'in' bad, Cheri.'

"All I want to do is destroy that mutant who hurt me. I wouldn't be surprised if those guys were working for him." Zeryn gripped her arms tightly as she stared at the mansion.

"Victor isn't that easy to kill. Believe me, I've had several run ins with him. He'll put up a heck of a fight." Logan said.

"I'm aware of that because I got lucky to excape from him." Zeryn looked at her hand as she made her claws appear, "If anything, all we have to do is cut his head off...see if that works."

"Just try not to worry about it. You're fine now. Enjoy the fresh air and don't go back into the training room." Logan tapped his head, "I'll check up on the professor to see if you've been in there."

"Fine." Zeryn let go of her legs, then laid down on the grass. She closed her eyes, then took a deep breath and slowly let it out.

"Good." Logan looked at Gambit, "Don't you have somewhere to be?"

"No, I don't." Gambit sat down next to Zeryn.

"Don't you two start anything." Zeryn said as she listened to them, "I don't need to explan to the professor why you two went flying through the mansion wall."

"I wasn't planning on fighting him." Logan said.

"Wit' da blood yo' lost, I wouldn' be surprised." Gambit grinned a little.

"My blood lose has nothing to do with it! I don't want to get stuck fixing up your mess!"

"It wouldn't be ma mess, since yo'd be da one flying through da wall."

"Guys!" Zeryn opened up her eyes and looked at them, "You're not helping this situation or mine!"

"Logan, can yo' leave, so I can talk ta her."

"Can't I listen to?" Logan asked.

"I don't t'ink she wants ta talk 'bout it just yet."

Logan looked at Zeryn, then back at Gambit, "Talk about what? I already know about her powers."

"Jus' leave."

"Alright, I will." Logan glared at him for a moment before he walked off.

Gambit waited until Logan was in the mansion. He looked at Zeryn, "I know w'at yo're t'inkin' an' yo' really shouldn't go."

"If I don't fix this mess, then they'll come here and hurt everyone. I figure if I can take them down, then come back and explain, no one can hate me because I fixed what I started." Zeryn looked back at him.

"No one's gon'a 'ate yo' fo' dis. It wasn't yo'r fault. I know yo're upset, but yo' need ta let it go. At least we'll be ready w'en dey come."

"I'm scared to tell everyone, Remy." Zeryn felt a tear rolling down her cheek, "I'm really scared."

"I know yo' are, but da professor will be wit' yo'. Yo' shouldn't be worried 'bout it."

"I am and I think I will be for a very long time." Zeryn rested her head on her hands as she closed her eyes and tried to relax.

Later that evening, Zeryn snuck out of her room and made her way to the stairs. She paused, then looked down the hall when she thought she heard something. She watched a figure move towards her and it wasn't much longer until she realized it was Gambit carrying his staff.

"I 'ad a feelin' yo' were gon'a sneek out." Gambit stood in front of her.

"I have to stop this before it starts." Zeryn looked at him.

"Yo're not goin' alone. I'm comin' wit' yo'."

"Are you sure you want to come with? Last I heard, you excaped from there. Do you really want do go back?"

"I don't need yo' gettin' 'urt again."

Zeryn nodded a little, "Can you do me a favor before we leave?"

"W'at's dat?"

"Go to Logan's room and get his tags. I want to wear them. Maybe it'll help me feel a bit better."

"I'll be back." Gambit walked off down the hall.

Zeryn sat down at the top of the stairs and stared down into the darkness at the bottom. She could feel a bit of nervousness inside her, but she knew that she had to get over it. She wasn't scared when she left to fight Victor the first time, but she wasn't too sure if it would be just Victor who'd she be facing this time around. She began to wonder if it was a good thing for Gambit to come with her.

She looked up once she heard a clink sound and saw Gambit holding Logan's dog tags in his hand. She took them from him, then put them around her neck, "Thanks for that." She stood up.

"Yo' gettin' nervous?" Gambit asked as he followed her down the stairs.

"A little, but all I want to do is get revenge and stop them." Zeryn walked out of the mansion and into the forest with Gambit following close behind her, "If we can stop them, then everyone will be alright."

"W'at if we can't?"

"We'll take our chances."

"Do yo' know w'ere yo're goin'?"

Zeryn paused for a moment, then looked at one of the trees next to her, "Victor isn't as smart as you think he is."

"He was ne'er smart." Gambit looked at the tree, "Guess e'en he needed somet'in' ta find his way back."

"Which makes this easier for us." Zeryn started to head off towards the lab.

Zeryn and Gambit hood behind some bushes as they looked out at the lab, which wasn't being guarded.

"Ne'er thought I'd see dis place again." Gambit said, "Course, dey probably t'ink no one's gonna come snoopin' 'round a nuclear reactor."

"Except us." Zeryn looked at him, "Are you going to be fine with this? You can go back, you know. I can take care of myself."

"If anyt'in' 'appens ta yo' den Logan will kick ma butt. Plus, I don't need yo' gettin' 'urt."

"I apreciate that. Alright...let's move." Zeryn got out from behind the bush and made her way towards the lab as her claws came out.

Gambit followed after her.

Once they made it into the lab, they snuck around quietly as to not draw attention to themselves. It wasn't until they reached the enterence hall that they noticed Victor was wandering around, probably ready to head off to the mansion. They backed up against the wall in hopes he wouldn't notice them.

"I heard the clinking of your claws against the wall, Zeryn." Victor looked over in their direction, "I see you didn't come alone."

Zeryn stepped out into the hall and looked over at him, "Going somewhere?"

Victor grinned a little as his nails grew out, "Where I go every night. But, I guess that's not going to happen tonight, is it? Are you recovered after what happened yesterday?"

"I'll make you pay for what you've done to me and I won't allow you to hurt anyone in the mansion!" Zeryn glared at him angrily.

"You already have someone with you, so you better hope that you two won't end up trapped in here. That would be bad, wouldn't it?"

"I won't let that happen either!"

"Good luck with that!" Victor ran at Zeryn only to have Gambit stand in the way and send him flying back with his staff.

"I got him! Yo' go an' take care o' Styker!" Gambit said as he waited for Victor to get up.

"I think you should let me handle it." Zeryn said.

"Jus' go!"

Zeryn ran off down the other hall that lead into the lab.

Victor grinned a little, "Do you really think that staff can keep you safe?"

"I'll blow da s'it out'a yo' if I 'ave ta!" Gambit reached into his back pocket to pull out a card.

"I'd love to see you try that!"

The moment Zeryn set foot inside the lab, she quickly ducked back into the hall when she heard gun shots. She looked around for a place to hide, or for something that could block the bullets while she tried to attack the guards. She took notice to some kind of shield laying by the stairs. She ran as fast as she could over to the stairs, then grabbed the shield and held it up in front of her. She did get a few bullets in her, but she didn't let the pain stop her from heading upstairs.

The second she reached the top of the stairs, she could feel the bullets hiting the shield as she held it out while she stood behind the corner of the stairs. She listened as she heard someone running up the stairs. She turned and stabbed the guard before he could get a chance to fire at her. She thought for several moments, then moved in front of the door way. With all her might, she flung the shield at the guards, which knocked them to the ground and knocked the weapons out of their hands. She ran at them, then kicked the guns away from them.

She kneeled down in front of them, "Unless you want to end up like your friend back there, then you won't touch those!" She held her claws out in front of them, "I'm sure these will hurt ten times worse than Victor's!"

"Very well done. I'm impressed." Stryker walked over to her, "I guess you're not as dumb as Victor took you for."

"If you're trying to flatter me to save your butt, it's not going to work! I'm going to take you down before you get the chance to get the other mutants!"

"Now, now, Zeryn. You have to realize that it wasn't me who gave you the treatment. It was Victor. If you want to kill someone, then kill him."

"I'm not stupid! Remy told me everything and I will not leave until I know that everyone at the mansion will be safe!"

"You do realize that by coming here by yourself, you're putting yourself in even greater danger. You see, I do have a few more guards and several well trained surgeons who can out rule you. One way or another, you'll never be able to save them. You'll be stuck here and so will they."

"I'm not scared of you because I know you can't do anything to me!"

"Really now?" Stryker watched as Zeryn turned her head when she picked up the sound of someone yelling, "But, I think I know someone who can do something to the mutant you like."

'Remy!' Zeryn quickly stood up, then ran down the stairs.

Stryker watched her, then noticed one of the guard starting to get up, "Save it. We'll keep them here. All we need is a tranqulizer gun. That should be enough."

"Do you think there'll be others coming to look for them?" The guard asked.

Stryker grinned a little, "That's why I said to save it. Logan came here before to fight Victor, but he left...it wasn't much longer that he came back to save the girl he loved. They will come, I know it."

The guard nodded.

Gambit fell to the ground as he dropped his staff and gripped his shoulder tightly.

Victor stood over him as he grinned a little, "Did you really think you could handle me on your own? Guess your cards and staff aren't enough to save you."

"Ma cahds...ain't da only t'in' I can...c-c-charge!" Gambit went to grab Victor's leg, but he moved.

"I think I've figured that out already." Victor grabbed him by the collar of his shirt, then lifted him off the ground, "I'm aware that you excaped once and I'm pretty you won't ever be able to excape this place again, if you know what I mean." He grinned as the nails on his free hand grew out.

"I'm jus' s-s-surprised a...m-mutant would work f-f-fo' someone...who 'ates us!"

"There's something I want and I plan to get it. Too bad you won't be around to..." Victor dropped Gambit as he fell to the ground after Zeryn knocked him across the back of the neck with Gambit's staff.

Zeryn kneeled next to Gambit, then looked at his shoulder, "I have a feeling this means we'll have to leave."

"Do yo'...t'ink I-I-I' make it...b-b-back ta da m-mansion?" Gambit breathed as he gripped his shoulder tightly.

Zeryn moved his hand away from his shoulder, then pulled his coat down. She saw the blood was dripping down and staining his shirt, 'I really hope he didn't go too deep.' She thought as she pulled his coat back up.

"Yes, you will. You are brave and we'll make it back. Beast will fix you up." She kissed him on the cheek, then stood up and picked up his staff. She helped him up, then put his good arm over her shoulder. She led him down the hall towards the exit.

Stryker stood in the other hall and looked out at them. He shot a tranqulizer dart and it hit Zeryn in the back of the shoulder.

Zeryn's eyes widened as the drug took effect and caused her to fall to the ground.

Gambit yelled once his bad shoulder hit the ground. He looked at her, "C-C-Cheri?!" He saw the dart, then reached into the back of his pocket. He turned to see Stryker standing at the end of the hall. He pulled out a card, but he didn't have time to use it before he too passed out from a dart hitting him in the arm.

Stryker walked over to them, then looked down at them. He kneeled down and saw blood on Gambit's hand. He moved the coat, then unbuttoned his shirt. He looked at the damage Victor caused. He sighed.

"Victor! I do need them alive, you know!" He called to him.

Victor sat up as he rubbed the back of his neck, "I had to do something! This guy's pretty good with that staff and at hand-to-hand combat!"

"Unless you're scared of him blowing you to pieces!" Victor pulled Gambit's shirt back over the wound, "Take Zeryn and lock her in a cage. I'll fix him up, then lock him up."

Victor walked over to Zeryn, then picked her up. He looked down and saw Logan's dog tags hanging around her neck, 'You still have them, Jimmy, after all this time. Guess you need them in case you lose your memory again.' He carried Zeryn off to the cells.