Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men and I'm using them without permission.
Chapter 6
Celebration of Life
X-Mansion, March 21, Early Morning
/Jean, Cyclops, Wolverine, get into my office right now. Bring Ororo and the girls with you. This is an emergency!/
The mutants herded out of their rooms into the flashing red hallway and started running towards the East wing of the mansion—where Xavier's office was located.
Several minutes later they were all assembled in his office and waiting for instructions.
"I'll get straight to the point," he began, "The Brotherhood mutants are nearby. I don't know what exactly they are up to since they are trying to shield themselves from me, but they are in full assembly and I expect that they have come for Magneto.
"They are currently approaching Grounds X. That's where Magneto's prison is located, underground.
"I want all of you to go down there and prevent them from getting inside. We outnumber them, but Mystique's plan, I'm sure can get them inside.
"Whatever it is they're planning to do, I count on you to prevent them from doing it."
"Will be done, Professor," the fearless leader assured him.
As the X-Men were exiting the office to go on their next (or for some, first) mission, Xavier mentally called Cyclops and Wolverine to stay for a moment.
"Cyclops, watch over the girls on their first mission. Wolverine, please try not to kill anyone, I am being serious."
"Will do, Professor," replied Cyclops
"Will do, Chuck," Wolverine added.
With that, they left to catch up with the rest of the team.
Grounds X, several minutes later
"Ok, people, we're here, now let's not waste any time," Cyclops ordered stepping off the Blackbird. "Jean, scan the grounds to find out where the Brotherhood are."
"Mystique and Toad are inside. I can't fins Sabertooth or Clarice, but they should be somewhere nearby."
"Alright then, let's split up. Jean and Ororo, come with me, we're going inside. Wolverine, Rogue, and Jubilee, you three stay out here on guard. If Sabertooth and Clarice show up, take care of them.
"Alright now people, move it, move it! We don't have all day. Oh, and Logan?" Cyclops said, turning around, "Remember what the Professor told you," he said with a warning glare.
"I'll take care of my business, Cyke, and you take care of yours." Logan shot back.
Within several moments, Jean, Cyclops, and Storm disappeared underground. Logan, Rogue, and Jubilee were left on guard.
Suddenly, Logan unleashed his claws. He took another sniff of the air surrounding him and warned Jubilee and Rogue, "Be careful, girls, we are not alone. I've got Sabertooth and you take care of his kid, got it?"
Neither Jubilee nor Rogue had time to answer, since within moments, Logan was already flying in the direction opposite to where Creed was now standing.
Vic graciously cast aside the freshly cut tree—complete with birds and all—that he was using as his weapon, and started walking towards where Logan was lying unconscious.
Rogue's first reaction was to go help her Wolverine, but she was distracted by a flash of purple and green. Within moments, she was on the ground, a heavy weight holding her down. She looked up and saw that she was lying under a fallen tree, and that Jubilee was fighting off a mutant she assumed to be Clarice.
Further off into the distance, Rogue saw Sabertooth slowly approaching a fallen, unconscious Logan. He was certainly going to kill him, she thought; she had to find a way to save her Logan.
She struggled to get out from underneath the tree that was holding her down, but it was too heavy for her. She called Jubilee for help.
Jubilee glanced in her direction momentarily and sent a plasma bubble her way. The bubble blew off the tree and freed Rogue, but it caused Jubilee to lose her concentration and supremacy over Blink in the fight.
As soon as Rogue was free, she ran to Sabertooth to help Wolvie.
Sabertooth heard her coming, but he was too concentrated on mutilating his main enemy to notice her.
She jumped on him, and, removing a glove, placed her bare hand on the back of his neck, sucking the living energy out of him.
Sabertooth roared with pain that was quickly spreading throughout his entire body. He tried to get her off of him, but she held on tight with her other hand. He fell to his knees with a large thump.
Meanwhile, Blink was about to deliver another, final blow to Jubilee, when she heard Sabertooth's roar. She turned around to see Vic fall to his knees in defeat. For a moment, she thought she heard him cal her name as he struggled to get rid of the mutant on his back.
Blink hesitated. The last thing she wanted to do was to use her powers against another person, even an enemy mutant. But that seemed to be the only way she could help Vic.
She took another look at Rogue, desperately trying to think of any other way to stop her from hurting Creed. She was too far away to fight her, the only choice she had was to use her powers.
She closed her eyes and concentrated on the image of Rogue in her mind.
Logan gained consciousness from Marie's piercing scream. He took one last look at his 'lil Rogue before a shower of her blood covered him from head to toe and her lifeless body fell to the ground.
There was a silence for what seemed to be forever. Rogue's last scream still echoed through the woods.
Logan slowly wiped the blood from his eyes and looked down in disbelief at Marie's crimson stained lifeless body.
He felt the beastly instincts inside him slowly taking over. He unleashed his claws and felt that he was no longer in control of his own body. With a beastly roar, he charged at Blink who was too shocked to react in any way.
Three adamentium claws penetrated the lovely pale violet skin above her bare stomach and went straight through her heart.
Clarice let out a few lifeless gasps before Logan finally came to his senses and retracted his claws from her body. He carefully picked her up, carried her closer to Creed and laid her down on the ground next to Rogue.
Blink gathered all the strength that remained in her body and stretched out her hand to where Creed was lying unconscious. Then, she passed away.
Logan didn't remember much of what happened afterwards. He vaguely remembered the shocked looks on Cyclops' and Ororo's faces when they showed up, and the sad look in Creed's eyes when he gained consciousness and saw what happened to his 'lil Clarice.
He remembered parts of Rogue's funeral. He also remembered Creed's painful roar as he cradled Blink's fragile lifeless body in his arms.
He remembered cradling Rogue's lifeless body in the same way, and the tears rolling down Jubilee's cheeks as he did.
That was, by far, his most painful memory of all.
Time passed, and Logan learned to cope with and overcome his pain, his 'lil firecracker helped him to.
They had shared a common loss, and this brought them closer together. He became like a father to her, and she became his 'lil Jubes. The memory of Rogue stayed with both of them forever.
The End