Bedlam

"Well we've finally made it to the X-Mansion," Xavier sighed as they went down the street in a limo.

"Sorry about what happened before," Jessie sighed. "I mean not only did I nearly kill us with the jet I nearly wasted us with the first limo."

"Well that time it wasn't exactly your fault either Jesse," Warren said as he drove.

"I told you that you were driving too fast Hank!" Xavier glared at him.

"You know I think I've been picking up driving tips from Kitty," Hank sighed.

"Jesse it's okay to be nervous," Xavier told him. "Here at the Institute we can help you control your powers in a safe calm environment."

That's when an explosion rocked the street. "What the…?" Warren looked out the window. "Is that smoke coming from the mansion?"

"Oh no…" Xavier sighed.

"Usually stuff doesn't explode until I'm near it!" Jesse said.

"I don't think this is your doing Jesse," Xavier frowned. He saw Jamie waving from the side of the road with Ororo. "Storm! Multiple! What is going on?"

"Professor! Professor!" Jamie said excitedly. "Arcade took over the mansion and threw us out and blasted all of us and Storm got hurt and now everybody's fighting and the mansion's getting all blown up and…"

"Hold on there!" Hank held up his hands. "Hold it! Storm are you all right?"

"I'll be okay," Ororo sighed. "Arcade was the one who infiltrated Cerebro. The X-Men are inside trying to stop him. Somehow he's managed to take over the training drones and upgrade them."

Another explosion rocked the mansion. "Something tells me they're going to need help," Hank gulped.

"Professor you and Jesse stay here," Warren said. "Hank, you're with me!"

"Angel wait!" Jesse shouted. But he was ignored as they made their way towards the mansion.

They made it to the door when it opened. They found themselves staring at seven drones. "Oh my…" Hank gulped. They dodged the blasts as fast as they could. "YEOW! THAT HURTS!"

Warren got hit in the back and he fell to the ground. The drones got in position over him. When suddenly they shorted out. Warren looked up and saw Jesse nearby. "Jesse?"

"I…I couldn't let you get hurt," Jesse panted. "Not after all you did for me. I was afraid for you and I just thought if I could…I can't explain it."

"I think Jesse your unusual aversion to anything electronic may be beneficial considering the circumstances," Hank told him. "Do you think you can do that again?"

"Well I've been doing it for two weeks, so why stop now?" Jesse told them. He followed them inside. "Whoa…" He looked at the destruction around them. "This place is a mess."

"Maid's day off," Hank told him. He heard an explosion. "Sounds like the party's over here!"

They ran into the next room and saw the X-Men had taken out the majority of drones. Jesse concentrated and the drones exploded. "What?" Scott looked. "Are we glad you're here! Angel? And…"

"This is Jesse," Hank said. "Proper introductions can wait for now. What happened?"

"Arcade, he's gone nuts!" Remy spat out. "He thinks Cerebro's a femme!"

"Is he another mutant?" Jesse asked.

"No he's just crazy," Forge told him. "I think he's in love with Cerebro! Or he thinks he's in love with Cerebro."

"Okay that's the big computer that can find mutants am I right?" Jesse asked.

"Correct," Hank told him. "But it is also the nerve center of the mansion. We have to put an end to this."

"Easier said than done!" Bobby pointed as more drones appeared. "Okay how the heck did Arcade make all these things?"

"We're gonna get fried!" Jesse gulped. Then the drones started to short circuit. "Oh…I guess we're not."

"I don't know what you just did but boy am I glad you did it," Sam sighed.

"Let's go!" Logan told them. They managed to get into Cerebro with very little resistance. When they finally broke down the door, they saw Paige, Rogue and Kurt trapped by the force field and Arcade hooked up to Cerebro. "What the devil is going on here?"

"Do something!" Paige shouted. "He's gonna kill himself!"

"What?" Forge yelled.

"He wants to download his brain into Cerebro!" Paige explained.

"But that's impossible, isn't it?" Bobby asked.

"This kid is way beyond disturbed!" Logan growled. "He's freaking off the wall!"

"Cyclops, Iceman, Gambit and Magma take out those drones and free the others!" Hank ordered. "Forge you and Kitty help me stop Arcade!"

They managed to take out the drones with the force field just before more drones appeared. "Oh man…" Jesse gulped nervously.

"Jesse!" Warren shouted. "You're shorting out Cerebro!" The entire room was starting to short circuit.

"It's gonna blow!" Forge shouted. Kurt teleported Rogue and Paige out of the room while Kitty grabbed Tabitha and Amara and phased through the floor. Jean protected the rest of them with her force field when the electricity sparked out of the room. Arcade screamed in agony then fell silent.

"Is it over?" Sam gulped when the sparks stopped.

"Is everyone okay?" Scott asked.

"Define 'okay'," Forge groaned.

"Arcade!" Rogue shouted as she and the others returned to the room.

"Help me get him out of this…" Kitty and Hank ran over to Arcade, lying lifelessly on the ground. They pulled the cerebral helmet off him. He looked a bit singed.

"Oh man he's fried!" Bobby gulped.

"I…can't sense his thoughts," Jean said.

"Is he…?" Kitty put a hand over her mouth.

"He's breathing…" Hank checked him over. "And the outside don't look too bad but who knows what's going on inside. If there's anything left of his brain."

"Well there's nothing left of Cerebro." Bobby groaned.

"I think Cerebro is the least of our worries for now," Xavier wheeled in with Ororo and Jamie behind him. "We have to get Arcade to a hospital and…"

"Ohhhhhh…" Arcade groaned. "My head."

"He's awake?" Xavier blinked.

"Little geek's tougher than he looks," Ray remarked.

"Cerebro?" Arcade blinked as he stirred. "Cerebro…" He managed to get to his feet. "What? NOOOOOOOOOOO!" He screamed when he saw the damage. He whirled on them with tears in his eyes. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO HER?"

"Us?" Bobby snapped.

Arcade glared at them with eyes filled with mad rage. He lunged at Logan and beat his hands against his chest. "WHY DID YOU KILL HER?" He screamed as his furious but ineffectual fists beat against him.

Logan stood there for a full minute in disbelief. Arcade eventually stopped pounding on his chest and sank to the floor. "You killed her! You killed her! Why did you kill her?" He howled.

"He's plum out of his freaking mind…" Remy's voice was in a whisper.

"I'm sorry," Jesse said softly. "It was my fault. I didn't mean it."

"She was my friend…" Arcade shouted. "She was my friend!"

"It was an accident…" Jesse said.

"My friend…my friend…" Arcade sobbed, wrapped up in his own little world.

"I didn't…" Jesse started to say. Scott put his hand on his shoulder.

"Don't blame yourself kid," Scott said. "Things just got out of control."

"My friend…my friend…" Arcade howled.

"Well we won…" Paige looked around. "I think."

"Some victory," Scott sighed.

Be prepared for the shocking conclusion! It's shocking! Oh yes it is!