"So what you're saying," said Jean after a very long pause. "Is that there is an exact clone of you running around, and he's the one who committed the murders."
"He had a few screws lose," said Logan defensively. "Department H swore to me that they terminated him." Jean and Jubilee gave him looks. When was the last time anyone had believed Department H?
"Well, at least this gives us a picture of our enemy," said Jean. "He has your mutant abilities, your adamantium, and your memories?"
"Not my memories," said Logan, shaking his had vehemently. "He's not me."
"You got that right," said Jubilee.
"He's crazy, he hates me, he wants to kill me," said Logan. "Simple as that."
"And in order to do that he's stalking all of us," said Jean. "This is really perfect."
"Not my fault, Jeannie," said Logan with a growl. "Just another thing Weapon X did to screw with me."
"And it's placed us all in jeopardy because you didn't tell us about him," snapped Jean.
"Guys," said Jubilee, suddenly looking worried. "Where's Warren?"
"Ah, shit," said Logan, spinning and running towards the front of the mansion. Jean and Jubilee ran after him. Logan stopped in the hallway and sniffed, then ran again towards the foyer. Jean, on his heels, saw the red pool coming from under the coat closet door. Logan yanked it open and Warren's body fell forward, tumbling to the tile.
"Oh my god," said Jean, putting a hand over her mouth. "Logan…he took his wings." Logan's face set, hard and angry.
"We're getting out of here. Now." He turned on Jubilee, who was making a valiant effort not to be sick on the marble floor. "Pack us some things, kid. Jean, come with me and get the car. He's close." He yanked open the front door and was hit in the midsection by a flying mass of blue and white.
"You sick son of a bitch!" Raven Darkholme screamed, pummeling his face with practiced fists. "You killed him! You killed my son!"
"Back off!" Jean shouted at her, grabbing Raven both with her hands and her mind and suspending her a few feet of the ground.
"Let me down, you redheaded idiot!" shouted Mystique. Logan got up and shook his head slightly.
"For chrissakes, Mystique, I didn't do it. It was the Number 2." Mystique stopped thrashing and looked at him, yellow animal eyes going wide.
"No. No way in hell." Jean glared at Logan.
"Oh, I see. You told her all about this."
"Jeannie, it's nothing," he said. He wiped a trail of blood from under his nose and pulled Mystique down. "Number 2 is out, he's the one that got to Kurt."
"How did he get out? Department H had him tucked away so deep it would take a submarine to find him." Logan shook his head.
"He's had a lot of time to think about me. I think he's really gone off the edge." Mystique raised a sardonic eyebrow.
"You mean more off then he was when he came out of the tube?"
"Lot more," returned Logan. The two glared at each other.
"Well this is worthy of a talk show, but we still have the issue of a dangerous, crazy person running lose somewhere," said Jean. "I suggest we relocate to somewhere more secure." She gave Mystique a knowing look. "And I'm sure dear Raven has a few safehouses and/or love nests around Westchester."
"Bite me, Grey," said Mystique.
"Enough!" yelled Logan. "Jean, go help Jubilee. Raven, car." He grabbed the blue woman by her wrist and yanked her out the door.
Jean threw a change of pajamas, jeans, underwear and a fresh shirt into her duffel bag, then as an afterthought added her uniform and boots. As she was heading to the door the telephone rang. She snatched it up. "Hello?"
"Hello, Jean." The duffel slipped from her fingers and met the floor with a thump.
"You…" He chuckled.
"Getting all hot and bothered over me, I see. If I may say, Logan is a fool for giving you up."
"Where are you? What do you want from me?"
"From you?" He chuckled again. "To die, of course. What did you think I wanted?" Jean let her breath out.
"Please leave us alone. No one needs to die."
"Oh you're wrong," he said. "You all need and are going to suffer, just like I have for twenty years. This will be a lot of fun for me, Jean." She spun as her door locked from the outside. "Poor little Jubilee," he tsked. "Think you can get to her in time?" The dial tone sounded. Jean raced over and rattled her doorknob with all her strength. It was jammed solid, and a telekinetic push did nothing to unlock it—something was jammed in the lock.
"LOGAN!" Jean screamed. "Raven! Anybody!" She heard pounding footsteps outside, and then Logan was yelling for her.
"Jeannie!"
"The door's stuck!" Jean yelled.
"Stand back," said Logan. A second later he slashed through the door. Jean raced past him and down the hall.
"He's after Jubilee!" she shouted. Logan caught her arm and hauled her to a stop.
"Wait, Jean, we can't just go in there."
"Of course we can!" she said. "What's wrong with you? Come on!" Logan still held her arms and looked at her.
"Jean, tell me something. If two minds are exactly the same…how can you tell them apart by telepathy?" Jean's eyes went wide as she saw the slave collar and cell phone drawn from behind his back, but he hit her before she could scream. Jean Grey disappeared into the night, leaving only a faint spatter of blood for Logan to find when he came racing in response to her cries.