"My fellow Americans...all my fellow American's, human and mutant. I stand before you now to clear the X-men of all wrongdoing in the giant Sentinel robot disaster. The real criminal suspect behind the Sentinel weapon has been arrested and charged. This has caught us all by surprise, but that isn't any reason for us to judge people solely by their differences. To put it as simply as I can, we need to learn more. We need to be open-minded, and we need to give this mutant question more time."
Kurt turned off the hand held radio that was broadcasting the Presidents speech. All the Xavier students were reunited after some of the X-men fought against Juggernaut and were able to find out that The Professor had been captured by him and put into the same container that he was trapped in. Now they had the Professor back, they had found the other students that had gone into hiding, and after saving the city from the Juggernaut attack the X-men were no longer being hunted by police. The school group stood together in the ruins of their old building. The Professor seated in his wheelchair in the middle of the group. They had a lot of rebuilding to do, both for the building, and for the team. "At least we are all together." Rogue said as the Presidents speech ended. "Not all of us are." Scott said folding his arms. "But we will be, we will get Marigold back to herself and back with us. No matter what it takes." The Professor said facing the group.
- Magneto's Pov-
"And there you have it folks. The Presidents position that the mutant population should be free from persecution."
Magneto's group was watching the news report, some were shocked at the Presidents words, while Magneto stood in the middle of the group, Number Twenty Five tucked under his arm.
"But will it work? That remains to be seen. This is News Channel Five reporting."
"What do we do now?" Pietro asked his father. Magneto said nothing, only narrowing his eyes, deep in thought.
- Days Later-
"First Rahne, now Jubilee." Logan said as he and the Professor stood on the construction sight. People were rebuilding their school, it had almost been a week since Mutants had been exposed to the world, and already two students had been pulled from Xavier. The two were watching as Jubilee's parents packed the girls bags. The teen looked absolutely heart broken. "I can't believe that parents are pulling their kids out of this school. Do they really think it will be any better for them at home?" Logan asked. "I hate to admit it Logan, but I would probably do the same thing." The Professor said as he and Logan gave a final goodbye wave to Jubilee. The girl had tears in her eyes as she ran over and hugged both grown ups. "Jubilee! Come on." Her mother called. The Professor gave the girl one last reassuring smile as she climbed into the car and drove away. "After all, I promised them that their children would be safe here. Obviously that hasn't been the case." The Professor said with sadness. "This is my fault...I should have caught Mystique's scent when she was here posing as you! I should have sensed that Marigold wasn't acting like herself." Logan growled. "And I should have sensed Mystique in Wanda's hospital room before she abducted me, and I should have sensed that the winter soldier program was turned on in Marigold's mind. I sensed the girls mind was not all there once or twice...but I underestimated the assassins ability to lie and manipulate." The Professor admitted. Logan growled, his anger getting the best of him. "I'm going for a ride. Let me know if Cerebro's backup generator picks up anything on baby bird." Logan said before walking off. The Professor let him, knowing that the man needed to deal with his own emotions on his own. The Professor was left alone, and for a single moment he let all the guilt, fear, and anxiety weigh him down. Marigold. He would get her back, not matter what he had to do. There were few things he wouldn't forgive when it came to his old friend Magneto, but taking Marigold. That was one of them. He sighed, before going to check on Cerebro's backup generator. The original Cerebro had exploded with the rest of the Institute, but they had a back up generator that was searching for Marigold 24/7
- The Next Day, Bayville High-
Some of the High School Students had to go to school the next day. It wasn't going great, but no one had gotten into and fights, so Scott considered it a win so far. "Scott!" Someone called his name and he turned to see one of the middle school students running to him. "Scott! My name is Ginger...your friends with my older sister." She said. It took a few moments for the dots to connect, this was one of Marigold's friends. "I remember you," he said turning to her. "Cool, uh I was wondering if Marigold would be at school today. My sister said that you were going to be her and I...I wanted to at least see if Marigold was okay." Scott found himself smiling, at least Marigold had some friend who wouldn't turn their back on her the second they found out she was a mutant. "She's...okay. But She probably wont be at school for awhile." Scott said, hoping that would be enough of an answer for the young girl. "Yea, I figured with everything going on...thank you." She said, before running off to the middle school building. I sighed, before walking into my own doom inside the high school.
-Logan Pov-
I was out on my bike again, riding down the interstate, riding had become a daily thing for me. I needed to get away, to think. I saw someone on a motorbike come up beside me, but I did a double take when I saw a young girl who looked too familiar on the back of the bike. She lifted the face guard and I gasped when I saw Marigold was the girl sitting on the back of the bike. The guy driving the motorbike took off, and I growled before speeding up and chasing after him. I didn't care if it was an obvious damn trap, I was getting my girl back. "Professor. I got one guy and Marigold on a motorbike on Interstate 11. Their obviously baiting me, but I'm following them. Send backup to my location." I called in inside of my mind, knowing the Professor would hear me. "Help is on the way! Don't lose them!" The Professor telepathically told me. "Oh don't worry about that. I ain't losing her again." Logan growled as he followed the motorbike off the interstate. The guy drove ahead of him into an abandoned junk car lot and twisted and turned around the junk cars till he lost Logan. The man stopped his own bike and pulled his helmet off, sniffing the air. He picked up the smell of Marigold quickly and drove his bike till her scent was right on top of him. What he found was the man who was driving the bike getting off and taking his helmet off. Marigold was no where in sight, but Logan could smell her. She as invisible then. The man who had been driving turned to face him, his skin turning to metal. I growled and and revved my bike, driving it right towards him, but the man was as strong as he looked, my bike hit him head on but he didn't even flinch. He picked my bike up with his bare hands and I barley had time to jump off before he threw it over his head. It hit the ground and practically exploded into pieces. "Damn, I loved that bike." I growled, extending my claws as I stood in front of the guy. "You got my attention. Now let's talk." I said before roaring and attacking the guy. I got a few good swings in, but before I could really start tearing into him with my claws a force field caught my hands, trapping me. "You got me Marigold, now what's all this about?" I called out, knowing the girl was close. I could smell her. The girl turned visible a few feet beside me, her hand extended as she held me in place with her force fields. "I'm not Marigold. I'm Number Twenty Five. It will do you well to make that distinction next time we fight." She said as her force fields pulled me to the ground. I growled as I was forced onto my back. While the other guy was recovering from the hits I got on him I watched as Marigold stood over me. I looked the young girl in the eyes, but Marigold wasn't there. Her hands wrapped around my throat and I struggled to pull away from her, her hands tightened around me and I fought to each breath that squeezed through my windpipes. "Remember your orders Number Twenty Five. No killing." The man said as he stood behind her, his accent thick. The girl huffed, as if annoyed, before pulling herself off of me. "We are to deliver a message to you Logan." The man said as Marigold stood beside the man. "From who?" I growled. "Magneto." Marigold said, her soft voice did nothing to calm me like it usually did as the girl dug the heel of her foot into my chest. I coughed, the air leaving my lungs from the force of her kick. "When you tire of the public persecution of mutants, then he invites to join him in fight." The other guy said as he watched Marigold dig her foot into my chest. "So-cough- I can be a lackey like you? I don' think so!" I said. "I am no lackey. I...I have no choice." The man admitted. "What's Magneto got on you? We can help you! Join the X-men!" I offered. The man didn't answer, but he made a hand gesture to Marigold and she lifted her foot from my throbbing chest. "Whatever it is there's a way out! You have a choice! Marigold is the one who is being controlled against her will! NOT YOU!" I cried out. A force field wrapped itself around my neck and I cried out in pain. I looked up at Marigold as she stood over me, holding me down. "Baby bird...cough I know you can hear me. I don't blame you for this -cough- not one bit." The girl frowned, her shields tightening. "Magneto says that Marigold is dead and gone. Whoever you are looking for in me is dead." the girl said, her force field tightening around my neck, cutting off my air supply. My vision started to blur. "Number Twenty Five, knock him out and then we will leave." Was the last thing I heard, the last thing I saw was the girls eyes glaring into mine, but they weren't Marigold's eyes, not anymore.
- Later that Day/Xavier Institute-
"I can't believe it! Marigold actually did that to Logan." Bobby said as he and a few of the other students looked through the medical room window, watching as Hank ran a few tests on the unconscious man. "Let me be very frank and clear with you all right now." The Professor said wheeling up to the students who were worried for Logan. "Marigold didn't do this. This is the Winter Soldier Program in her mind controlling her body." He said, looking through the window as well, his eyes landing on the bruises around Logan's neck. "I didn't even know she was capable of doing stuff like...that." James admitted looking through the window with fear in his voice. "Marigold isn't, the young girl couldn't hurt a fly without feeling remorse for it. But the assassin winter solder. That entity has killed many before and will do it if Magneto tells it to. I hate that you have to see this, but this is what we are up against. Marigold has been trained from infancy unlike most of the students here." The Professor explained. "She's going to feel so guilty..." Ray said with a frown. "When we get Marigold back, and we will, we will need to be a comfort to her. We cannot fear her abilities. We must trust the young girl that we have grown to love." The Professor said. Everyone agreed and The Professor sent them on their way before entering the medical wing. "Logan will make a full recovery. But he may not be able to talk for the next few days." Hank told the man and he wheeled in. The Professor sighed as he looked over Logan. "I have to leave soon to go to the town hall meeting. Keep an eye on him?" Hank agreed and wished the Professor luck before he left to go to the town hall meeting, hoping to put on a good face for his students so they all could all start regularly attending school again.
-Logan Pov-
I awoke gasping for breath. "Calm down tiger, you can breath normally." I heard Hank say. A large hand resting gently on my chest to keep me on the bed I was laying on. I leaned back and felt all the pain hit me at once. "Did I get hit with a truck?" I asked, surprised when my voice was barely a whisper. Hank paused for a moment, then sighed and sat down in a chair beside my hospital bed. "What is the last thing you remember?" He asked me. I frowned, thinking back. "I went out for a ride on my motorbike...then some guy drove up beside me, and Marigold was with him! I-" The memories came flooding back. Marigold fighting me. That man turning into metal and saying he didn't have a choice but to fight with Magneto. "Do you remember?" Hank asked gently. "Yea, Unfortunately." I said relaxing into the bed. "How bad does my neck look?" I asked after a few moments. "Not good. Want to see?" Hank asked, holding up a hand mirror. I thought about it for a few seconds. "Nah, I don't want to see what the Winter Soldier did to me...I don't need to." I said with a huff. Hank seemed to understand and after doing a few more tests, telling me that I'd been asleep for over two days. The students had attended the meeting and mutants were allowed to go to public schools. "I can't believe Marigold holds so much power. She never showed such strength during training, or when she was fighting with us." Hank noted. "That's because it was Marigold fighting, and she has a heart of gold. I fought against the assassin that wouldn't hesitate to use all her strength to kill me." I said. Hank sighed. "It's a harsh truth to swallow." He said before leaving me alone with my thoughts.
-Number Twenty Five Pov-
"Я знаю, ты отлично справишься." Magneto said as Number Twenty Five stood by his side. The girl didn't say anything, only stood at attention like good soldiers do. No one, not even the Professor heard the screams of Marigold inside her own head.