The Young X-Men (X-Men Evolution)

by carsonleighlatham

Most people who are born with the X-gene do not know it until they hit puberty. Unfortunately, Marigold's X-gene presented from the moment she was born. All she has known her whole life are the white walls that surround her. No one knows of her existence, until someone makes a call to Professor Xavier and his X-Men team.

25. Day of Recovery

"Frightened citizens flee in terror"

"Who are they? Are we being invaded by aliens?"

"These monsters have wrecked our city and need to be taken down!"

"Fear wins the day as it grips everyone around the world."

"Reports are coming in that the students of Xavier Institute were the monsters fighting"

"We cannot confirm anything yet, but it seems that every students from Xavier Institute is in fact one of these...creatures, and they have been hiding under our noses this whole time."

"As your President, I urge you, above all to stay calm. And to not point fingers."

Every News station was reporting on the fight that happened between the mutants. The secret was out. There was no denying it. Mutants are no longer a secret.

-Streets of New York-

Sirens filled the air as a few of the Xavier students hid in an ally-way, they waited until the blaring lights passed over them, and the stomps of police forces were fading in the background. Sam climbed out from behind the trash bins and quickly looked around, "We're clear." He called out. The other students who were hiding with him came out of their hiding spots and joined Sam in the middle of the ally. "Where can we even go now? There is no way we're going to make it to the emergency point if we can't even cross the streets without getting arrested?!" Amara asked, sounding panicked. "I got an idea...but it's not a good one." Tabatha said, gesturing to the sewage cover on the road. "We've got no other choice. Come on, the others are probably waiting for us." Jubilee said, not looking happy as she and Sam lifted the heavy metal cover to the sewage tank, before they all climbed down, hoping to avoid the police by staying underground.

- Emergency Point/Bayville forest-

Jean, Kitty, Kurt, and a few of the other students were anxiously waiting in the dark. Hours had passed since they all ran from the police, and the sun had set. Turning day into night, making it easier for the Xavier Students to hide from the law. Jean's thoughts were racing, and it didn't help that she could also feel the thoughts of everyone around her also racing. She was so worried, where was the Professor? What happened with Marigold? Where were the other students? How many had been taken by the government? A twig snapped in the forest behind the group, breaking Jean from her train of thought, and Bobby turned quickly, shooting a beam of ice from his hand. Scott, who had stepped on the branch, was able to dodge the beam of ice and push Ororo out of harms way as well. "Hey, hey, chill. It's just us." Scott said, sounding exhausted as he and Storm joined the others. Bobby sighed, "Sorry. I'm just on edge. It seems like everyone is hunting us." He said as Jean ran over to Scott and hugged him. Storm looked at the students she could see with relief, but fear quickly replaced that feeling at all the students who were missing. "Get used to it." Mystique said as she and some members of the Brotherhood walked through the bush, joining the group. Scott quickly looked over the group, but Marigold wasn't with them. "Where is Marigold?! We want answers!" He said, getting in the woman's face. "Marigold got away from me after we were safe from the cops...I activated the Winter Soldier program in her using Magneto's resources. If I had to guess, she is with him right now." Everyone but Ororo seemed confused. "What winter solder program? What is she talking about Ororo?" Jean asked the woman. The teen could sense with her telepathic powers that Ororo was keeping something from them. Ororo frowned. "I will have to explain everything about Marigold later. This is not the place or time, right now I want answers from you." Ororo said turning to Mystique with hate in her eyes. "When I'm ready you will have your answers...look I want you all to know that I had nothing to do with Magneto's plan to expose our little secret to the world." She said, sounding upset herself. Ororo stood behind Scott, glaring at the woman as the rest of the X-men present stood guard, ready for a fight. "It's a new world out there, and we are going to need new leadership...if nothing else this public reaction proves that Professor Xavier was wrong. Humans and Mutants cannot live together in peace!" She said. Jean stepped up, "Why are you and the Brotherhood here? What do you want from us?" Jean asked. "I want the same thing you want. The military has taken a member of my team. I want him back." Mystique said. Scott looked over the Brotherhood group seeing Wanda, Toad, and Lance...but no Blob or Quicksilver. "The problem is that I don't know where to start looking." More rustling could be heard from the shadows of the trees and everyone turned to it. Scott hoped that it was more members of the Xavier Institute, but frowned when a man with an eye-patch walked out of the shadows. "Maybe I do." The man said. "Man, is there any'vone who didn't k'vow about this secret meeting?" Kurt asked. "Who are you? What do you want?!" Mystique asked, getting in front of the Brotherhood in a fighting stance. "I'm Nick Fury. Agent of S.H.I.E.L.D. I've been tracking you for hours." He said gesturing to Scott. "S.H.I.E.L.D?" Kitty asked. "Logan told me about it. It's kind of like a super CIA." Scott explained. "I strongly suggest you forget where you found us." Mystique said as she snapped her fingers, Lance, Toad, and Wanda got into fighting positions. Fury snapped his own fingers, and suddenly people came out from all the bushes and trees around the mutants, guns pointed at them. The mutants huddled together and fearfully looked around. Fury snapped his fingers again and the men all put down their guns, showing that they weren't going to shoot at them...yet. "That's just to prove a point. If I'd wanted to capture you, you would be captured." Fury said, folding his arms. "Then what do you want with us?" Ororo asked. "To give you this. It holds the schematics and maps of the military base where your friends are being held...you will find it very useful." Fury held out what looked like an I-pad to Ororo ,who took it with both hands and turned the device on. "And just why are you being so helpful?" Mystique asked. "Let's just say I've...got my reasons." Fury said to her before addressing the whole group. "Look I can't get involved officially. But I can at least point you in the right direction...good luck." Fury said, and with a wave of his hand the guards all left, Fury walked into the woods after them and the group was still for a few moments. "Their gone...think we can trust them?" Lance asked, completely confused. "I don't know. I sensed that he was telling the truth." Jean said. "Good. Alright then, it looks like we are back in business." Ororo said holding up the device in her hand. "We'll split up into teams. Scott, you and Jean-" Mystique quickly pulled the device out of Ororo's hand before she could continue. "I'll take that! and I'll decide how we move forward with this plan." She said, glaring at Ororo. "What gives you the right?!" Ororo asked in anger, thunder rumbling in the sky above them. "I told you before to back off!" Mystique shouted over the sounds of the sudden storm. Wind started to blow harshly through the trees as Ororo's anger grew. "Storm no!" Jean said grabbing the woman's arm. "Remember the Professor! Hank, Logan, Marigold, and the other students!" Jean said. Ororo frowned, before taking a calming breath. The storm above them calming a few moments later. "Wise counsel." Mystique said turning to Jean. "Alright, our first priority is Magneto. We need to know if he really perished under that sentinel robot." She said turning to Wanda. "Knowing Magneto, I highly doubt it." She said, her voice weak. "I'm sending you and Toad to go into New York to find what you can. The rest of us will use Fury's schematics to plan a rescue mission." Scott stepped up, "But what about Marigold? Do you even know where she is?!" Scott asked her in anger. "Marigold is most likely with Magneto at this moment. I'll let Ororo tell you all about your little mutant while I go get us some transportation. We are going to need it. We will meet back here at 10pm sharp...that will be more than enough time for me and Lance to get us a plane." Mystique said with a smirk. "Like, do we even want to know where your stealing a plane from?" Kitty asked. Lance smirked, letting that be his answer before the Brotherhood left to do what Mystique had told them. Once they were gone Jean and the other X-men turned to Ororo. "It seems v'ike you have some ev'plaining to do." Kurt said. "Yes, yes I do." Ororo said with a sigh.

-Hours Earlier, Xavier Institute-

"Number Twenty five, get me out of here." Scott watched in horror as Marigold took the Mystique's hand, the both of them turning invisible, escaping the police and getting away from the ruins of the Xavier Institute. Once Mystique was out of harms way and Number twenty five was sure that they had escaped she let go of the woman's hand. Mystique turned back to being visible and frowned, looking around in confusion. "Number twenty five! What are you doing?!" She hissed into the open air. The woman couldn't see number twenty five's attack, but she felt the girl's fist connect with the side of her head and the woman fell to the forest floor in a daze. "You are not my Handler. I take orders from my Handler. Where is he?" number 25 asked in a calm, yet firm voice. Mystique felt the girls hands wrap around her throat. Cold fear pumped through her veins, knowing that the girl in front of her wasn't one of the X-men right now. Right now she was an assassin, who wouldn't think twice about killing her. "Y-your Handler is not who he says he is! Mr Wade was only your trainer! Your Handler is a man named Magneto...you know him right?" Mystique asked, knowing better than to lie to the assassin. The girl was still invisible, so Mystique had no idea what she was thinking or doing. "Magneto...yes. I do." She heard the girl say, before the tiny hands unwrapped themselves from Mystique's throat. "I need to report to him. Where is he?" The voice asked, further away from the woman who lay on the ground. "Last time I saw him he was getting attacked by that government robot, but you and I both know that piece of metal was no match for Magneto." Silence filled the air and Mystique thought that the girl had left, but when a fist struck her head again the woman was caught off guard. "Tell me where he might be, or else." the girl said, one of her force fields forming around the woman's neck again. Mystique stuttered through all the secret locations that she thought that Magneto would run off too, and once she was done the force field went away. The woman sighed with relief as she slowly stood up, looking around her for any sign of the girl. But she was gone.

- Emergency Point/Bayville forest, hours later-

"So this whole time Marigold has had the Winter Soldier Program in her mind, and you never told us?!" Scott asked in anger. "We were not aware of her...condition until Captain Stone was able to find some files on her from the Facility that created her. We have been researching what we can do to help her. Bucky Barnes has also been in contact with us, although he has not been able to join us because of his work with S.H.I.E.L.D. We did not mean to keep this a secret from you, but until we knew the best action to take we were keeping her hidden in plain sight." Ororo finished explaining to the students and they all had different reactions. "So right now...what is Marigold?" Bobby asked, "When we studied Bucky Barnes in history class it wasn't Bucky doing all that stuff. It was some other type of personality using his body right?" the boy asked. "Yes, that is very important to remember. While the Winter Soldier is active Marigold goes deep into her mind. If the Winter Soldier is active when we find Marigold...it will not be her, it will be an assassin. One that will not hesitate to bring u harm if Magneto tells her to." Ororo said with a frown. "So...we might have to fight Marigold?" Kitty asked. "We won't be fighting Marigold, we will be fighting an assassin." Jean clarified. "But how did Magneto get his hands on the Winter Soldier program in the first place?" Scott asked. "There are still a lot of things that I don't know. But now some more things do make since. When Logan and I first picked up Marigold from the Facility after it burned down Mystique and some Brotherhood members were after her too. We always wondered how they discovered her existence so quickly...one of the nurses from the facility had sent us a video message telling us about the attack on the facility hours before it happened. So many parts do not add up." Storm admitted. "We can worry about all that after we get the rest of our team back." Scott said, pushing his anger aside at the moment. "We need to rescue the others before anything else." Everyone agreed, and started getting ready for the infiltration of the government facility where their teammates were being held.

-Plane, hours later-

"Set the course for 115 west, 36 north, and vector 015." Mystique said as she and Ororo sat in the pilot seats of the plane that they had 'borrowed' from the government. "Hey, that's Nevada...Area 51." Bobby said looking at a map from his seat in the plane. "No v'ay." Kurt said, somehow sounding awestruck and nervous at the same time.

-Area 51-

There was a guard watching the video monitors, munching on a donut when a guard walked into the video control room and said that the Captain wanted to see him. "Oh, what did I do now, take over will ya?" The man asked, setting his food down. "No problem," the guard said as the man walked out of the room, as soon as the door shut Mystique let her form change back to her own blue skin as she took a seat in the chair, analyzing the computers and video cameras. She turned the senors off and grabbed the communicator the X-men had loaned her, "Alright, the sensors are off. Move now!" She commanded. From outside the buildings fences the others heard her and started infiltrating the building.

- Wolverine's Pov-

I was strapped to a table, in the middle of some government lab. I could see that some of the x-men and brotherhood were being held in glass prison cells. But lucky they were all okay, a bit banged up and scared. But alive. One government flea-bag was shouting at me, trying to get me to talk. "Who are you?! Who are you working for?!" He shouted, but the man would have to try harder than that to scare me. "What's it to ya, bub?" I growled at him. "Who was behind the robot? Did you build it?! I want answers!" The man shouted, throwing his fist into my side. I growled and tugged at the restraints on my arms and legs, my patience already running far to thin to put up with this neanderthal. I growled, the man took a few steps back, fear in his face.

- Mystique's Pov-

"Iceman, third door to the left. I'll cut the motion sensors." I said into the communicators as I watched the x-men and brotherhood sneaking through the hallways of Area 51 through the video cameras. I was focused on the monitors, so I didn't see the guard that had come into the room until it was too late, he turned on an alarm and I jumped from my seat, attacking him. But it was too late, the whole building knew that there were intruders.

-Cyclope's Pov-

"v'ell, so much for the stealth portion of our plan!" Night-crawler said as he, Jean, Earthquake and I ran down the hallways, the red lights flashing and alarms blaring in our ears. "Come on!" I said, guiding the group down the hallway, but guards started running after us, and soon we were surrounded, guards pointing guns at us. Jean used her telepathy to throw the guns out of the guards hands, while Earthquake made the ground shake, knocking the guards off their feet long enough for us to get away from them. We ran down the hallways and I saw someone coming around the corner, I almost blasted them with my lasers until I saw it was Mystique. "You come with me to get the prisoners, the rest of you hold the guards off!" She said pointing to Kurt who ran after her. Jean, Earthquake, and I turned around to see guards runnign down the hallway. "Let's have some fun." Earthquake said with a smirk.

-Wolverine's Pov-

"Intruder alert! Quadrant three!" The speakers repeated the words loudly. Alarms were going off in the room that we were all trapped in, the guards that had been interigating me ran off ande I growled as I tried to pull the restraints off of me. I was hoping that the Intruders were the other X-men. "Corporal! Secure the holding area!" Somone shouted. I looked up, making eye contact with Spike, who was in a cell across from me. I made a gesture with my hands and he got my message, shooting a spike out of his hand. I pulled the chain of my restraints up and the spike hit it dead on, breaking the chains instantly. "Seems like training has been working for ya bub!" I told Spike as I let my claws loose, breaking the other chains before the guards who hadn't left the room could stop me. "Grab him!" One of the guards shouted. I knocked out all three guards before they could even touch me, and I used my claws to break the cell door that Spike was trapped in. "You get the others out, I'll take care of the army." I said with a growl. Spike agreed and started freeing the others, while I took on the armed guards that were running into the room. I only had to fight a few of them before the others were free and fighting with me, and right as we were knocking out the last few Night-crawler teleported into the room. "About time you got here Elf. We were - " I turned to see that Night-crawler was with Mystique. I growled and faced her, "What is she doing here?" I demanded. "It's - It's a little complex. You see-" Night-crawler said, but was interrupted by Mystique. "He'll send you a memo." She said looking around the group of mutants till her eyes landed on Blob. "Now let's go! All of you!" She commanded.

- Cyclope's Pov-

We were holding off the other guards the best as well could, until Mystique and the others showed up. "Time to clear out! This way!" She called out to us. We ran after the group, and I could see Rogue, Spike, , Blob, and Logan were all with us now. We were able to avoid guards and sealed exits. "Storm, we are going to need pickup service, building five." Mystique said into the communicator. "Shadow-cat, do you think you can phase us through one of those metal doors?" I asked. "Yea, but, like, only two at a time." She said. "I can teleport two out at a time too." Night-crawler said. The two started getting everyone through the sealed door until only I and Mystique were left. Shadow-cat grabbed both of their hands, but I pulled Mystique out of the girls grasp. "Tell us where the Professor and Magneto are or you're not coming with us." I demanded. "Are you insane?! Let me out of here or you will never see The Professor or Marigold again!" She demanded. "There they are!" Guards shouted, running down the hallway towards the three. "Uh, Cyclopes!" Shadow-cat said, wondering what I was going to do. "This is your last chance. Tell us now!" I demanded, When Mystique didn't answer he turned to Shadow-cat. "Get us out of here." I said, and before Mystique could protest Shadow-cat pulled me through the doors with her, leaving Mystique behind. Shadow-cat and I ran to the plane that was waiting for them and climbed on. "Where is Mystique? Earthquake asked. "She didn't make it." I said as the plane took off. I frowned watching the building get smaller and smaller as we flew into the sky. We had some more members of our team back, but not the Professor or Marigold.

-Bayville Forest, hours later-

The sun was starting to shine, making night into day as the exhausted group of x-men hid in the forest, they were on a hill that was close to Xavier's school, but not close enough for the cops to see them. Logan was looking at the remains of the Xavier Institute through some goggles as the rest of the group sought comfort and rest in each other. Logan growled as he pulled the goggled away from his face. "Now what? The Institute is gone. The Professor and half of the Institute students are missing. And Marigold is probably with Magneto under his control." Kitty said, pacing the ground as she vocalized her stress. "We can't even go back to school, it's open season on Mutants." Bobby said with a frown. "V'ell look on the bright side...no homework?" Kurt said shrugging his shoulders. "Scott, it's not all your fault." Jean said trying to comfort the man as he sat on his own away from the group. "Yea right," He said with sarcasm. "Face it Jean, I blew it. I gambled and I lost the one clue we had to finding The Professor and Marigold." He said, sounding so upset with himself. "Hey, if you wouldn't have done it I would have." Logan said walking up to them. "We'll find them without Mystique's help." Logan said with a growl. "But right now we have a world out there to worry about." Ororo said pulling the whole group together. "A world that fears us. Somehow we must teach them that we are the good guys...before it's too late."

-Unknown Area-

"Come here to me Number Twenty five." Magneto commanded. The young assassin did as told, joining the man at his right hand side, while Pietro stood by his left. "You did a wonderful job finding me. I knew that Mystique wouldn't be able to control you for very long. Now that you are here with me. Our Mutant domination is one step closer to being complete." He said with a grin, patting the girls hair down under his hand. "Yes, sir." The girl said, standing in position.