Present Day

New York ll Florida

"Killing him isn't going to bring her back!" Rogue shouted for what felt like the twelfth time. She'd knocked Logan unconscious twice with her ungloved hand, but was having less luck with Victor. He had his claws wrapped around LeBeau's throat tight enough to turn the man's cheeks blue.

"It'll make me feel a helluva lot better," Victor growled, eyes narrowed on the cajun's face. Logan was starting to stir at her feet, dark eyes blinking open first in confusion which quickly melted into fury.

"You're starting to piss me off, darlin'," he growled, sitting up and pinning her with a furious glare.

"The two of you are acting like children," she snapped, patience spent. "We need a plan."

"I have a fucking plan," Victor replied, fingers tightening to fully constrict LeBeau's airways.

"Creed!"

Victor's muscles tensed for a moment, his animal instinct fighting his self control. His control finally won out, and he released LeBeau's throat, leaving him to drop to the floor at his feet.

"She's a hard woman to say no to," LeBeau wheezed.

"So you put her in harms way?" Logan demanded, finally back on his feet, hands to either hip.

"Why don't you tell us exactly what happened," Rogue said, replacing her gloves and shooting Victor and Logan daggers in turn. "Now that these two have calmed down enough to act like adults."

Victor opened his mouth to argue but Rogue pointed a warning finger at him, "Don't."

He turned his narrowed eyes back to LeBeau, growling, "Start talking."

LeBeau had eased himself onto the corner of his bed, hand rubbing the bruised skin of his throat.

"She had it in her mind that the only way we were taking down Sinister was from the inside," LeBeau explained quietly. "And who better to infiltrate than the one mutant he's dying to get his hands on?"

"Jesus," Logan groaned. "She's on her way there now?"

LeBeau gave a short nod, "That was her plan."

"Her grand fucking plan was to waltz in there and get herself captured?" Victor demanded.

"She thinks once she's in she'll be able to reverse the blockage on her x-gene."

"How?" Rogue demanded. "She's a computer whiz, not a neuroscience."

Victor let out a low growl, "Hank."

LeBeau gave a singular affirmative nod.

"He's with her?"

"Yes," LeBeau replied.

"When I get my hands on him, I'll-"

"Logan!" Rogue interrupted his grumbling. "That's good, it means she's not alone."

"Where was she headed."

"Hank tracked a series of medical supply shipments to the coast of Florida, they're taking one of the jets there."

"Florida," Rogue repeated, counting the miles, the hours, in her head. "That's at least three hours-"

"They have at least ten hours on us," Victor said, running both hands through his hair. Fury ebbing to terror at the thought of Kitty left in Sinister's hands for too long.

"We have to get down there," Rogue said.

"Gather the team," Logan said. "We're not leaving without a plan."

"Fuck your meeting," Victor snarled. "We have three hours to talk about it."

"You're not the one calling the shots around here, bub," Logan replied, tone suggesting further violence.

"To hell I'm not," Victor snarled. "She's my mate."

"Creed's right," LeBeau interrupted them, finally lifting himself off his bed. "We need to get moving, at this rate Kitty and Hank have been inside the facility for hours."

Rogue moved past them, "I'll get the others."

"We're not through," Victor said, leveling LeBeau with a glare. "Not by a long-shot."

"Save it for Sinister," Logan snapped, following Rogue out the door.

LeBeau watched Victor, expression wary, "She did what she thought needed to be done."

"She disobeyed me, and-"

"Victor," LeBeau shook his head. "This is about getting her powers back."

Victor was silent, his body still.

"This has nothing to do with you," LeBeau said quietly, leaving Victor alone to gather his staff and join the others.

The trip to Florida took exactly three hours, with Oro navigating the hazy airways south. The others crowded in the belly of the x-jet, spilling over plans, potential snags and above all else, an agreement to ensure Kitty's safety over Sinister's demise.

"We'll have another shot at him," Victor reasoned.

"You're guessing," Scott replied.

"Kitty is more important," Rogue agreed, green eyes stony, expression brooking no argument.

"He's right," LeBeau inclined his chin towards Victor. "If we've learned anything, it's that Sinister isn't going anywhere."

"And you can't be trusted," Logan growled.

LeBeau ignored the jab.

"What about Stryker?" Jean asked. "He's been with Sinister every step of the way."

"Something tells me he won't be with him now."

Jean frowned at Victor, "Why not?"

"Because Sinister doesn't need him, or his money," Logan replied, shaking his head in agreement. "He's right, Sinister will be alone."

"Once we land, we stay together," Scott said. "There's no point in splitting up if there's a single objective."

Heads bobbed in agreement.

"And Hank?" Jubilee asked, dark brows knit with concern.

"Chances are Sinister isn't interested in his powers," Scott replied.

"Kitty may not have taken him into the facility at all," Jean added.

LeBeau shook his head, "He's with her."

"You're sure?"

"Kitty brought him along hoping he'd restore her powers."

"How?" Rogue frowned.

"She's banking on Sinister's equipment being easily accessible," LeBeau replied.

"And if it's not?" Victor demanded.

LeBeau was silent.

"We know the plan," Scott said, his tone bringing a definitive close to the conversation. "Suit up, we land in thirty."

The facility was similar to the Louisiana site, tall walls, almost fully stone and steel. Oro had placed the x-jet in stealth mode, closing in on the facility.

"Twelve seconds," she shouted, hands gliding over the well-used knobs and buttons of the glittering dashboard. "Five-"

The belly of the x-jet opened. Jean brought a number of the team to the ground with her, her auburn hair standing sky high at the release of power it took to both descend and protect. Logan, Victor and LeBeau rappelled to the ground, palms stung with rope burn.

"You're looking green, old man," LeBeau smirked, eyes on Logan.

"Fancy," Logan grumbled, eyeing the armed guards coming to attention at their arrival, pointedly ignoring LeBeau's grinning face.

"Where's the front?" Rogue frowned, scanning the lines of the building, hovering a few feet from the ground.

"We'll make our own entrance," Victor replied, leading the charge towards the closest cluster of men. Scott blasted the wall, creating a wide enough hole to fit them, two at a time, inside the building. Sirens sounded at their entrance.

"This looks familiar," Logan grumbled.

Victor clawed his way through enough men to reach the doorway, fingers sinking into the metal to release it from the hinges. Before long the rest of the team had secured the area and piled up behind him.

"Katherine is our priority," Victor grunted, muscles straining. There was a murmur of affirmation met with the crunch of the door finally giving up and falling inwards with a crash. Victor stepped through, ignoring a singular spray of bullets that grazed his shoulder. Jean was crouched in front of him before any damage could done, palms extended, the gunman flat on his back.

"Sinister," Logan growled, claws peeking between the cruxes of his fingers.

"Rogue's eyes caught on a brown ponytail across the room, gloved finger extended she announced, "I found her."

Every body was in instantaneous motion, Scott and Jean directing their power at Sinister, while Logan and Victor made a dive for Kitty's prone body. Sinister shifted, dark cloak lifting from his body like a dark shadow.

"Hurry," Scott shouted.

Victor reached her first, with Logan close behind him. His hands came down around Kitty's shoulders, lifting her, frowning, "It's not her."

Victor inhaled deeply, her scent was faint but nowhere near as strong as it should have been from arms length away. He stepped backwards, confused, and furious.

"What are you talking about, bub-"

Victor's expression turned to rage as he jerked his attention back to Sinister, "What have you done to her."

Sinister hesitated a moment too long, eyes caught on the body behind Victor.

"She's up to something," Logan said quietly. "And she made it past him."

"We need to search the rest of the facility."

"Go," Logan said, claws slipping free of his skin. "We'll hold him off."

Victor hurtled himself towards the door, barely escaping before Sinister crushed the busted door back into the frame. He rotated his shoulder, feeling the last of the bullets pop free of his skin and click across the floor at his feet. He lifted his chin, closing his eyes, and breathing deeply. Her scent was all over the hallway, her sweat, her terror, when he picked up the scent of her sweet blood his whole body tightened with fury. He stalked down the hallway, allowing his animal senses to guide him.