Kayla shifted Laura in her arms. It had taken all of her skills to coax her daughter to go to sleep. She hadn't been fond of the idea of using her mutation to get what she wanted from her friends and family. However, Logan had told her they didn't have time to split hairs. If Laura got scared and screamed then she'd not only have given them away but have interfered with her father's senses. Kayla had never had to work her mutation so hard for such a small effect. Laura certainly did take after her father.

Her daughter was awake now, her two-year-old eyes staring and taking everything in. Kayla had washed the grime off her face as best she could and found snacks for her to eat. Margali, a woman she knew as Azazel's foster cousin, had offered her assistance. Her family had been in the opera house almost since it had started, around five hours ago, and were more settled.

Margali had two children as well as her husband with her. Jimaine, who'd just been born, would wake up every few minutes and start crying. Margali would soothe her back to sleep, murmuring lullabies in another language. Her son was handling the situation better, but his eyes had the same look of hunted confusion that Kayla saw in all the children's eyes.

Kayla looked up and saw Emma approaching. She'd changed since the last time she'd seen her. Her jumpsuit was no longer ragged and soaked with blood and soot. Once again it was pure white, and Emma had even managed to wash some of the grit of the battlefield off of her hair and face. Her shoes were still the same though a testament to what she'd waded through.

Emma crouched down in front of her. Kayla reached out and grabbed her hand. It had been over seven years since they'd been in their last hopeless situation together. Kayla didn't have to try very hard to remember their car breaking down and taking her thirteen-year-old sister in her arms. The sirens of the MRD hadn't been far behind and she'd known that they hadn't had much time. She'd never felt so helpless.

However, it wasn't seven years ago. They weren't alone now. Emma was part of an army. Kayla was married with a child. All around them they had countrymen, people who shared a quirk in their DNA. The same people might have been trying to wipe them out, but they were stronger now.

"I'm heading off to the Hellion base," Emma said, "This place is pretty secure right now and I just heard that they've got trouble down there."

"Emmy gone?" asked Laura.

Emma smiled.

"Just for a little bit Laura," she said.

She looked back at Kayla, shifting he weight a little.

"You know," she said, "back when you married Logan, I thought he wasn't good enough for you, that you deserved better."

Kayla blinked, taken a back.

"I never said anything," Emma said, "You were so happy after all. But it's what I thought. What I thought for years really."

She opened her mouth to speak, but Emma shook her head.

"But today I saw how much he really loves you," Emma said, "It's fierce, and it's protective, and it's the kind of love that you deserve."

Emma cocked her head.

"I've never been so glad to be wrong."

"Glad to hear it."

Behind Emma Logan walked up. Emma looked up at him, smiling. He shook his head, sighing and scratching the back of his neck.

"You're an odd one," he said.

"I know," Emma said.

She turned back to Kayla and kissed her sister on the forehead.

"I'll be seeing you soon Máóhkataatoyi," she said.

Kayla smiled at the use of the Blackfoot name.

"Have a good hunt, Ksikksinaattsiwa," Kayla said.

Emma nodded and got to her feet. Kayla saw how much she'd changed over the past few years. It might not have all been for the better, but her sister was going out to fight like she never had when she was younger. There was no more hesitation in her. Emma smiled before she walked off to a respectful distance, leaving Kayla alone with her daughter and husband.

Next to her Logan sat down. Kayla had known he'd be leaving as soon as he got them to safety. It wasn't in his nature to run away from a fight. It was one of the things in common, something they'd been able to relate to about each other. She'd be out there too if she didn't have Laura to think about. As it was, he was the one who was invincible. If anyone was going to go out there into that chaos, it was going to have to be him.

With one calloused hand he reached out and stroked Laura's now chin-length black hair. He paused at a spot behind her ear, tugging on a few strands. Laura giggled softly; she had a ticklish spot there. Logan grinned and turned her head so Laura was facing him. She stared at him intently.

"Daddy?" she asked.

His face softened and he took her small hand in his.

"Hey girl," he said, "I'm gonna be goin' soon. You behave for you mom here, got it?"

Laura frowned, sitting up.

"Where?" she asked.

Kayla shared a look with Logan. Keeping her daughter asleep through the fire and terrors of the city certainly hadn't been easy, but it really had been for the best. She could stay ignorant of what was out there, not know what her father was getting himself into. Laura was too young to understand about healing factors. She'd see the flames but not the defense.

"Work," he said.

It was true enough. Laura accepted the explanation, nodding. Her hand wriggled out of his grasp and joined with its twin to grab the sides of his head, pulling it down to hit hers. Kayla had no idea where she'd learned the mannerism from. It most certainly hadn't been her, and she'd never seen Logan do it before.

"Be seein' you soon girl," Logan said, grinning.

He chuffed her chin and looked up at Kayla.

"Going to be a busy day at the office," she said.

Logan chuckled and stroked the side of her face.

"As long as this is what I'm comin' back to," he said.

He paused.

"Been in a lot of wars Kayla," he said.

"I know," she said.

Logan tightened his grip on her cheek.

"This is the only one where I've got somethin' I wanna protect," he said.

Kayla blinked, holding back tears. She leaned forward and Logan kissed her hard, his lips pulsing against hers. He pulled back, still holding onto her face for a minute. She wondered why he was looking at her with a studying look, but it was almost like he was looking for something in her face. From the light in his eyes Kayla could tell that, whatever it was, he'd found it.

"Give them hell," Kayla said.

"Always," Logan said.

He got up and walked over to Emma. Kayla watched them until they were out of sight, still holding onto her daughter. Her tears fell onto Laura's head and Laura looked up at her.

"Mommy?" she asked.

Kayla forced a smile.

"Oh, it's nothing," she said.

She wiped the tears from her eyes and took a deep breath.

"Want to hear a story?" she asked.

Laura nodded, her confusion turning to excitement.

"Alright," Kayla said.

She cleared her throat and smoothed her daughter's hair.

"Why is the moon lonely?"


Susanna took a deep breath. She'd been to the opera house several times in the past for functions. She remembered the constant whirl of state dinners, charity concerts, and other events. She'd always been impressed by how large the opera house was, and how many people always came to the events.

Now the opera house seemed small. She'd seen thousands of people crowded into its halls. It was wreathed by a ring of forces to protect it from the Sentinels and soldiers. Barbed wire and piles of sandbags formed a temporary barrier around it. Everyone was being screened before they came in, all of them looking scared and lost. Some were injured and had been shuffled off for care.

Susanna breathed in and looked behind her. Two X-men, whose names she was vaguely aware were Sarah and Samuel, stood by the door. Neither of them were talking, and she supposed that it was just as well. Despite her reputation as a warm conversationalist by the press, Susanna didn't want the strain of talking in such a situation. There would be too much she'd be leaving unsaid.

Her hand went to her throat. When the tremors had first started she'd run from her room with Lorna with few thoughts other than getting out of there. As a result she knew that she probably looked like a mess. It had been the time of day when things were winding down and she'd thought she could afford to relax.

Nonetheless she was wearing her old silver rose necklace. Susanna turned it over in her hands. The silver polish had worn off it with the years. She refused to have it refinished though. It had gotten that way through nights of tears and constant use. Susanna wasn't going to forget any of it.

Her mind strayed to her friends, the life she'd built on Genosha. It had been a struggle, and sometimes Susanna had wondered what the point of it all had been. However, it was a precious life where she'd been given more than she could have ever dreamed of. She didn't want to lose a single aspect of it.

The minutes seemed to pass like hours. One of her hands traced a pattern on the back of a chair. She'd gotten a balcony to herself, the curtains nailed shut and the door watched. Susanna had to be kept separate and she wasn't allowed to leave the hallway. No one could know that she was there, or the opera house could very quickly turn into a target. She wouldn't risk that.

She'd been told that the Institute had been transformed into the seat of government by Sarah. That meant that her husband was several miles away from her. She had to swallow the lump in her throat when she thought of that. They had always stuck together when something bad was happening, but that was before Genosha. Now everyone was spread out.

Since no two members of the royal family were in the same zone together she could only assume that Lorna was at the hospital. They'd had no word of her safe arrival, but communication was slow in some places. She hoped that Neena was being gentle with her. Neena had been good to her, even if it had been rather awkward having a bodyguard in the first place. She would takegood care of her daughter, but Susanna hoped that she would be able to shield Lorna from some of the horrors of what was happening. She was so sensitive.


Neena pushed through the tunnels, sweat gathering in her hair. Lorna walked behind her, her footsteps tapping on the ground. Arthur followed close behind her. They should have reached the hospital by then. They were moving slower than they should have been though; they were carting along a child.

In her lifetime Neena had been called many things, but sentimental wasn't one of them. There had been little room for sentimentality in MRD custody. At the same time she felt sorry for the girl. She knew the princess was upset. She'd be surprised if any eleven-year-old child wasn't in the circumstances. The world she'd known was burning and now she'd been separated from her parents.

Behind her Lorna stumbled. Arthur righted her and gestured for her to keep moving. The ground was full of potholes and rocks, making it hard for a child to navigate. She didn't try to hold Lorna's hand though. If she did that then she wouldn't be able to reach for her guns. Having the girl be upset for a little while was better than running the risk that she would die.

Behind her Arthur ran a hand through his hair. She wondered if Arthur knew the precarious nature of their situation. They were escorting a child through tunnels to a place that, while it had been established as a safe zone, would not necessarily remain one. Neena had never seen anything like the Sentinels before, and she wasn't sure how to deal with them if they came across one besides aim for the head.

She had Arthur with her though. Neena had thought her mutation was rare. How many mutants had luck-enhancing mutations? When she met Arthur she'd realized that, while it wasn't uncommon, she wasn't the only one. Together she thought that their combined probability-altering field might just be enough to make it safely to the hospital with the princess unharmed.

She'd protected the girl for over four years. It hadn't always been easy, but it had been a duty that Neena had thrown herself into. Lorna had a natural charm that made people want to protect her, to help her, even to turn a blind eye when she snuck off to explore the castle with her friend. That charm would serve her well when she became queen, and Neena had the feeling that she'd break many hearts.

If anything happened to her that night Neena wouldn't be able to forgive herself. Lorna was her charge. The level of trust that had been placed in her over the years as Lorna's chief bodyguard was staggering. She'd done well at it, and she could tell that her life wouldn't be worth living if she failed.

Fortunately for her she was sure that Magnus would share the same view. If Lorna died and Neena somehow lived Magnus would make sure that those conditions didn't last for long. He would blame her and, she'd seen how fiercely he felt about his family, would take his grief and anger out on her. There would be no trial, no hesitation. He wouldn't bother to try to be legal about it.

The blame would be with her though, so in a way it was alright. Neena just wondered if Arthur knew that if Lorna died, they did too. She decided not to tell him. Not then at any rate. Lorna was with them, and there was no point in scaring the princess more than she'd already been scared.

The hospital was their goal now. That's where they'd been instructed to take Lorna, and that was where she was going. If Neena's luck held out, and it tended to do so, then they'd reach it in a few minutes. Already the tunnels were looking more familiar. Come hell or high water, they were going to make it.