--------------------

The next morning...

"Hey, Rogue, time to get up." Ignoring Scott, Rogue pushed her face deeper into her pillow. "C'mon Rogue. We've got a mission, today." Rogue ignored Scott again, hoping he'd just go away. "Rogue, you've got five seconds to get up before I start getting violent."

'He wouldn't dare,' thought Rogue drowsily. Five seconds later, a pillow crashed into the back of her head. Rogue angrily yanked the pillow away from her assailant, sitting up in the process.

"I warned you," smirked Scott. Rogue noted that Scott was already up and dressed. She let out a groan at his incessant readiness. "The shower is all yours. Oh, and you slept through breakfast, so I saved a bagel for you."

Rogue groaned again as she looked around the room. "Slept through breakfast?" She said drowsily. "How early do they stop serving? Its still dark out..."

"Check again, Sleeping Beauty. I've got the curtains down. It's after 10:30." Scott sat down on his bed and turned on the TV. "Any time you're ready," he said absently.

Groaning yet again, Rogue grabbed her suitcase and stumbled off to the bathroom.

--------------------

Lunch time, in the commons...

From behind his glasses, Scott took a good look at the kids sitting around the lunch table. At his insistence, Rogue was the one doing most of the talking. Scott just hung back and clarified a few items. Since the attention wasn't on him, Scott found himself killing time by studying the other kids at the table.

First up was Erin, the potential recruit. Erin was kind of tall, well developed, and had pale blond hair. She could be quite attractive if she tried, Scott concluded. However, she didn't try. 'As if she doesn't care,' he thought. 'Course, that's natural enough. Not all kids care what their peers think...'

Normally Scott would have left it at this, but another thought was nagging his head. "But there's something different about her... The way she looks at people... It's almost... Disdainful.' Scott's brow furrowed. 'Of course... She knows she's a mutant. She's proud of it. She thinks that makes her better than everyone else.' Scott shook his head slightly. 'Hold up, Scott. You've got no proof of that. You're over analyzing things again. And even if she does actually feel that way, it's the Professor's concern, not yours...'

Reluctantly, Scott shifted his gaze to George. 'Nothing to complex here. Dark complexion, unnaturally black hair, heavy black trenchcoat, withdrawn demeanor... The stereotypical Goth. He probably has the same attitude as...' Scott cut off that line of thought. 'Probably sees Erin as a fellow outcast.' Scott looked deeply into George's set back eyes. There was a gleam in his eyes that didn't quite seem normal. '...He probably wishes he were a mutant, too...'

Scott's gaze shifted to the third kid, Alec Cranston. Of the three kids listening to the presentation, Alec seemed to be the most interested. He had long, curly blond hair, which now sported a few pink streaks that hadn't been there the previous day. He had a threadbare gray trenchcoat, which he wore over his AC/DC T-shirt and some jeans. Despite all this, he was probably the most professional-looking of the trio.

'Alec was the one who convinced Erin to talk with us,' mused Scott. 'Which means he really does care for her well being. He's probably known her for a long time... Best friends since they were kids, or something...' Scott paused as Alec asked Rogue a question about the Institute. 'There's something about him, though... He tries to act casual, yet he always has an air of professionalism around him. As if, he's got some responsibility that none of us could possibly know about...'

Scott's reverie was brought to an abrupt end when the school bell rang.

"Well, Ah guess that's all we got time for," said Rogue, as students around her started milling around. "What d'ya say Erin?"

All eyes turned to Erin, who seemed to be giving the offer a great deal of thought. "Well, it does sound nice. And after the incident yesterday... I think going to the Institute may be for the best." Erin smiled nervously. "Of course, there's still my mom..."

"Don't worry about that," said Scott, sincerely. "Marie and I can talk to her about this. Convincing her to let you go to the Institute shouldn't be a problem."

"Great!" Erin began scribbling something on a piece of paper. "Here's my address. My mom gets off work at about five, so you can come over then."

"Cool," said Scott, accepting the paper. "We'll see ya then."

After exchanging a few cordial farewells, Scott and Rogue got up and left the commons. Rogue managed to contain herself until they reached the parking lot, at which point she let loose. "YEEEESS!!! Ah did it, Scott! She agreed!"

Scott chuckled at his friend's over-enthusiastic outburst. "See, Rogue? I told you you were best one for the job. Now, lets get to the car so you can give Xavier the good news."

While they headed toward the car, Scott and Rogue's expressions remained cheerful. But although he didn't show it, Scott was worried. Something hadn't quite seemed right with Erin's acceptance. It seemed too... Rehearsed. Scott didn't mention anything out loud because he knew he had nothing to back up his observation. It was just a feeling, and he was probably just being paranoid. Nonetheless, Scott couldn't help but feel uneasy about the whole affair.

--------------------

Outside a block of Newark row houses...

Scott's car came to a halt in front of one of the houses. "This looks like the place," said Scott as he read over the address Erin gave him. Scott unbuckled his seat belt and hopped over the door. "Lets go."

Rogue gave Scott an odd look for a moment, then reached over and took the keys out of the car's ignition. "Uh, Scott, ya forgetting something?" Rogue held up the keys, mockingly.

"Ug..." Scott shook his head slowly.

Rogue hopped out of the car. "Ya look worried, Scott. What's eatin' ya?"

Scott sighed uneasily. "Nothing big, Rogue. Just nerves, I guess."

Rogue raised her eyebrows. "You, nervous? Never thought Ah'd see the day..."

"Oh, quit it. I can't be Mr. Roboto all the time." Rogue giggled at this, causing Scott to scowl. "I can't believe I just called myself that," he muttered. "I've got to stop listening to Evan and his nicknames..."

"That'd prob'ly be a good ideah." With that, Rogue let the subject drop and walked up to the Valchek doorstep. Scott followed her, but his mind remained where it was.

'She's right,' he thought to himself. 'I shouldn't be this nervous. I mean, really, this is just a simple recruiting mission.' Scott forced himself to smile as Rogue rang the doorbell. 'Except we've already been attacked once on this mission. And we don't have any backup... And something just... Doesn't... Feel... Right...'

At that point, Erin answered the door. "Oh, hi guys. Come on it." Nodding politely, Scott did, and Rogue followed after him. "Mom said she'd be a bit late today, so have a seat. She shouldn't take long." Erin motioned to some chairs, then walked off to the kitchen.

Scott took a good look around the room before he sat down. Nothing seemed too out of the ordinary, but his sense of foreboding remained. 'Calm down Scott. You're just being paranoid.' With a grimace, Scott glanced down at his pocket. Though unnoticed by others, the bulge created by his visor seemed glaring obvious to him. 'Very paranoid... Maybe I'll talk to the professor about this once we get done.'

There was a knock on the door. Reflexively, Scott got up and opened the door. To his mild surprise, it was Alec.

"Hey, mate," Alec said cheerfully. "Did I miss anything?"

"Uh, no," Scott replied. "Erin's mom is still at work." Scott paused and gave Alec an odd look. "Why are you here, though?"

Alec shrugged off the question. "Ah, y'know... Just to watch. Maybe help smooth things over. Erin's Mom does know me better than she does you, after all." Scott had to concede that point. "So, can I come in, or what?"

"It's not my house," said Scott as he stepped out of the way.

"Erin won't mind."

Alec and Scott made their way back to the living room, where they were greeted by Erin. "Hey, Scotty. Wanna pop?" Scott nodded, and can was promptly tossed at him. Erin went on to offer the same to Rogue, who was looking through a magazine on the coffee table.

Still trying to hide his uneasiness, Scott took a seat in the corner of the room. After some hesitation, Alec pulled up a chair and sat next to him. "Hey, Scott, can I talk to you?" He asked quietly.

"Sure," replied Scott absently. "We've got some time."

"Cool." Alec scooted a little closer and spoke in a hushed tone. "Look, Scott, I know you're probably not supposed to tell much to 'outsiders,' but what's the Institute really like? I mean, if you've got a bunch of mutants living together..."

Scott nodded, understanding what Alec was getting at. "I'll admit, it gets pretty weird at times. While Institute rules don't allow reckless use of powers, they don't prohibit all use of powers. You'd be surprised how mutants try to 'spice up' mundane activities."

"I'll bet," chuckled Alec. "You ever get any prank wars?"

"A few. But we try to put a limit on that kind of thing." His paranoia finally dissipating Scott began enjoying the conversation. "Lets just say pranks have a tendency to get out of hand, and cause quite a bit of collateral damage. But as long as things stay civil, just about anything is allowed."

"Hmm. Erin should have fun with that..." Alec chuckled, then changed the subject. "So how many mutants do you have at the Institute? It can't be too many..."

"There aren't," confirmed Scott. "Mutants are still rare occurrences. Which is probably a good thing. I'm not sure how the general public would react if our existence became public knowledge..."

"No kidding. 'Eck, I know a mutant, an' I'm still having problems believing in them. For people who don't know one, that's gotta be a scary concept."

"Well, some of the people at the Institute are working on that. While the Institute's main purpose is to provide a safe haven for mutants today, its main long-term goal is to insure that mutants will never be treated as outcasts. The Institute is pledged to promote the idea of peaceful coexistence between mutants and normal people."

Alec regarded Scott for a moment. "Peaceful coexistence... As equals?"

Behind his glasses, Scott blinked at this. "Yeah... 'Course. Why wouldn't we?"

"Well, because you're not," Alec stated bluntly. "Scott, behind those glasses of yours, you've probably got enough power to level a building. And who knows what kind of powers other mutants are packin'. Do you really think that puts you on an equal footing as the average guy on the street."

Scott's brow furrowed. "I avoid using my power. And the Institute makes sure other mutants don't use theirs recklessly either."

"You think that's going to make a difference to people? The fact that you have power over them, even if you don't use it, is going to make people treat you differently." Alec broke off, searching for his next words. "'Sides... Why shouldn't they treat you differently? I mean... Physically, you are different! You're superior."

At the word 'superior,' Scott's paranoia returned with a vengeance. After a moment, he responded in a hushed tone. "Different, yes. But superior... That's a dangerous word to use. It implies that mutants are meant to rule over normal people. And that is not something we want to happen."

Alec continued in the same hushed tone. "Okay, maybe not rule, but you're still above normal. You've got to be some kind of elite. Even if all you do is protect people from other mutants. I mean, how can you justify not using your powers if it can benefit others? You can't! You've got a responsibility to use your powers."

This statement struck a nerve in Scott. Unbeckoned, memories of all the fights he had been in rushed through Scott's mind. He was reminded of all the times his teammates had been threatened. All the times he was forced to use his powers to save others. As these memories threatened to overwhelm him Scott began staring past Alec. "You're right," he mumbled. "We do have some responsibility..."

Alec noted the dazed expression on Scott's face, and knew it was time to make his move. Taking a long moment to consider his words, Alec continued. "Scott, Erin's mother isn't coming."

"What?" Confusion was evident in Scott's voice as his reverie was cut short. "Wha... Why not?"

"Because Erin doesn't live with her mother," said Alec, as he leaned in closer.

"Then... Who does she live with?"

Alec took another moment to consider his words. "Scott, the Institute isn't the only one who offers a safe haven for mutants. Another haven is provided by a man named Nathan Essex. Nathan discovered Erin a few years ago. Ever since then, he's taken care of her, and kept her safe."

Though he still wasn't fully comprehending the situation, Scott had regained his usual analytical composure. "But, why's he doing this independently? Wouldn't it be a lot more efficient if he teamed up with the Institute?"

"He and the Institute have some... Philosophical differences." As he said this, Alec's face hardened, and he looked deeply into Scott's glasses. "Scott, the mutant situation isn't going to get any better. As the years go by, more mutants are going to start showin' up. There's going to be more of 'em, and they're going to show up more frequently, and a lot more suddenly. Before you know it, all the 'havens' in the world aren't going to be able to handle the problem."

"What does that have to do with any 'philosophical differences?'" Demanded Scott.

"When the havens loose control of the situation, the existence of mutants will become public knowledge. And when that happens, things are going to get violent!" Alec's face hardened even more. "The race riots of the past will be nothing like what'll happen then. Mobs armed with machine guns will take to the streets! And they'll be huntin' mutants who can level city blocks with their bare hands!"

"It won't end up like that," retorted Scott, his own expression beginning to harden. "The Institute is working specifically to prevent that kind of mentality. The Institute won't let that happen--"

"They're trying, but they don't have enough time! The situation is just moving to fast for the Institute to handle." Alec inhaled deeply, trying to cool off some. "Yeah, eventually, the Institute's message will sink in. But not before things get violent. And by the time the fighting stops, there may not be any mutants left..."

"So, let me guess..." Said Scott in a deadpan voice. "The 'philosophical difference' is that the Institute thinks a war can be avoided, while Mr. Essex doesn't. Is that right?"

Alec nodded. "Essentially, yeah. Nate is looking for mutants with the most potential. He's taking in those mutants and keeping them safe, so they're still around to do some good after the fighting is over. Scott, he thinks you've got potential. More potential than anyone else he's ever seen! He want's you on his team."

Scott's voice remained deadpan. "Really... So Nathan doesn't think I'll survive the fighting if I stay at the Institute?"

Alec looked at Scot condescendingly. "Scott, if the Institute does anything publicly, it'll be the first place trashed when the fighting starts. You don't stand a chance if you stay there."

"So you don't think the Institute will be able to protect me."

"Scott, the Institute won't be able to protect anybody. Not you, and not anybody else there..."

Scott abruptly looked up and glared harshly at Alec. "Wrong, Alec. Y'see, I don't need the 'Institute's' protection. I am the 'Institute!'"

"You're deluded," scoffed Alec.

"Really?" Scott's voice developed a harsh edge to it. "I don't know where you get your information, Alec, but you've obviously missed one thing. I am the Institute's senior member! I've watched everyone there since the day they walked through the door. I know them better than they know themselves! They are my friends. My family. My team!" Scott's dropped an octave, giving it an ominous sound. "And if the 'Institute' can't protect them, I will."

"You really willing to do that?" Asked Alec, a sneer etched on his face. "Would you give your life for them?"

His voice only a whisper, Scott replied without hesitation. "In a heartbeat..."

Slightly unnerved, Alec regarded Scott curiously. "You... You really mean that, don't you?"

Scott stared at Alec for another moment, then abruptly stood up. "Rogue," he ordered hoarsely. "Get up. We're leaving!"

Rogue, who had struck up a conversation with Erin, and thus missed Scott's entire exchange, looked up in surprise. "Leavin'? But-- Hey, Scott, wait up!" Rogue scrambled to her feet and tried to catch up with Scott.

"Scott... You can't just walk away like this..." From his chair, Alec glared angrily at Scott.

"Watch me." Scott opened the door. Behind his glasses, his eyes widened in shock as he saw a white haired anthromorphic wolf-like creature standing in front of him. Snarling, the creature leapt at Scott. "Look out!" His battle instincts kicking in instantly, Scott ducked, causing the anthromorph to leap over him. Rogue, however, didn't react in time, and was knocked over.

As they went down, the anthromorph's claws ripped into Rogue's shirt, tearing off a sleeve. "Gah! Let go a' me!" Still not exactly sure what was happening, Rogue tried desperately to kick the creature away from her.

Scott stood up, looking at Rogue and the creature as they brawled on the ground. "Get clear of him, Rogue!" Commanded Scott as he fingered his glasses. "I just need one clear shot..."

Scott's concentration was broken when a blow to the back of the head sent him sprawling over Rogue and the anthromorph. Scott quickly rolled over, and found himself staring into the slit-iris eyes of Bas, the black kid from the school. However, now the kid was wearing brown fur-covered suit, with metallic blue trim. A combat suit if ever Scott saw one.

"What's the matter, Punk?" Bas demanded, upon seeing Scott's expression. "Forget about me?"

"No." With that, Scott raised his glasses and send a optic blast into Bas' chest. With a strangled grunt, Bas was blasted out the door.

"Oh, no you don't!" Yelled Erin over the roar of Scott's blast. With her eyes glowing, a blast shot out from her hands and enveloped Scott. A combination of pain and vertigo assaulted his senses, causing him to loose his grip on his glasses. With Erin's assault still overwhelming his system, Scott thrashed about, lacking the presence of mind to close his eyes. As a result, his optic blast began slashing across the room.

"Erin, are you crazy?!" Yelled Alec as a blast streaked over his head. "You're gunna get us all killed! Cut your power!"

Before Erin could comply, a wild optic blast struck her in the chest, knocking her backwards. Erin made contact with the wall, and the glow instantly faded from here eyes. At the same time, the glow faded from around Scott, and he finally shut his eyes, killing the blast.

By this time, Rogue had managed to beat back her assailant, and she rushed over to where Scott knelt. "C'mon Scott," she said as she helped him to his feet. "We've got to get out of here--"

"You ain't goin' nowhere, little girl!" Rouge whirled and saw George standing in the doorway. "I think you'll be staying right here..." With an evil grin on his face, he began cracking his knuckles.

"Don't count on it, Swamprat!" Enraged, Rogue stepped up and drove her fist straight into George's gut. With a muted splash, her gloved fist made contact with, then went completely through George's chest. Rogue's eyes widened in horror as she realized the implications of this.

George let out a mocking laugh, then grabbed Rouge by the neck. He took a step back, spun, and tossed Rouge into the street. Rouge landed with a dull thud. "I've gotta tell ya, girl. That look on your face was priceless." George reached down to his belt and switched off his image inducer. His skin abruptly became a dark shade of purple. "Just priceless..."

Still chuckling, George turned his attention to a heavy set bald white guy standing next to the houses. "Hey 'Lith! Keep an eye on the girl. Make sure she doesn't make a break for it." 'Lith nodded silently. "I'm going to make sure Ruckus can handle--"

"HUUUUUUAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!"

Accompanied by an explosion of debris and a sonic boom, Scott Summers flew through the front wall of Erin's house. He got up slowly, clutching his right arm.

Groaning, Bas got up and stumbled toward George. "Uh... What happened?" He asked, still trying to recover from Scott's blast.

"I'd say Ruckus rocked the house," George replied, almost casually. "And ol' four-eyes was right in the middle of it."

Bas chuckled. "Good..."

At that point, Alec appeared at the doorway of Erin's house. "He still up?"

"You... You bet I am!" Scott spat out, finally making it to his feet.

Alec's face hardened into a scowl. He inhaled deeply, then let out a deafening scream. The air in front of him rippled as a concentrated sonic blast passed through it. However, Scott knew better than to get hit by the same blast twice. As soon as he saw Alec inhale, he dove to the side. As the sonic wave ripped past the ground beside him, Scott raised his glasses with his good hand, and let loose an optic blast.

The blast hit Alec's arm, slamming it against the doorframe. Alec let out a string of obscenities as he clutched his arm. "Basilisk, watch the girl! George, 'Lith, Anthro, take care of Summers!"

At Alec's order, the anthromorph leapt through the gaping hole in the wall and charged Scott. Anthro was quickly leveled by another optic blast. However, this proved enough of a distraction to allow 'Lith, the massive white guy, to get close to Scott. With one swipe, Scott was sent sprawling across the pavement.

At that point, Rogue managed to regain her senses. She looked up just in time to see Scott get brushed aside by the massive 'Lith. "Scott!" With a cry of concern, Rogue rushed forward to help her teammate.

"Not so fast, girlie." Rogue felt someone grab her arm, and nearly yank it out of its socket. Rogue turned and found herself face to face with Basilisk. "If Ruckus doesn't want you int'rferin', you won't be int'rferin'!" With that, Basilisk gave Rogue's arm a rough yank.

Rogue dove with the yank, hoping to keep her arm from further damage. She hit the ground rolling, and ended up beside Basilisk. Rogue was back on her feat before Basilisk even realized what she did. Pressing her advantage, Rogue delivered a quick kick to the back of Basilisk's knee.

The kick had minimal effects, barely phasing the black man. Basilisk responded with a backhand chop that caught Rogue in the chin and sent her sprawling. Basilisk rushed forward, reaching Rogue while she was still on her knees, facing away from him.

"Nighty-night, girl." Basilisk's arms wrapped around Rogue's neck, putting her in a sleeper hold. Her breathing was quickly cut off, and she began futily trying to pull Basilisk's arms away from her neck.

Almost futily. Though he wore gloves, Basilisk's battle suit was sleeveless. After her encounter with Anthro, Rogue was also missing a sleeve. As Rouge tried to bull out of Basilisk's hold, their arms made contact, and Rogue's power activated. Basilisk let out a strangled cry as he felt his strength begin to melt away. After only a moment, he let go, falling backwards, while Rogue fell forward, still clutching her neck.

Rogue and Basilisk struggled to their feet at roughly the same time. "I don't know how you did that," spat out Basilisk. "But I'm going to make you sorry you did!"

Rogue's only response was a bestial snarl as she launched herself at her opponent. Basilisk tried to fight back, but was quickly overwhelmed. After being on the receiving end of a series of staggering punches, Basilisk tried to turn the tide of the fight by leaping at Rogue. The move failed miserably, as Rogue caught him mid-air and threw him over her shoulder. Basilisk's flight ended when he collided with 'Lith, who was still menacing Scott.

With Basilisk out of the way, Rogue got her first good look at the battle. Scott was standing in the middle of the street, with George on one side of him, and Anthro on the other side. Scott's right arm hung limply at his side, with his sweater stained a disturbing shade of crimson.

"Scott..." Shocked, Rogue could say nothing else.

At the sound of his name, Scott looked up. His face showed no emotion, save battered determination. "Rogue!" His voice sounded ragged, and almost desperate. "Get out of here! Now!"

The sight of her friend in such a condition unnerved Rogue. The fact that only moments earlier he was sitting in Erin's living room, chatting casually, only enhanced the effect. "But, Scott..."

"Now, Rogue! That's an order!" At that point, Anthro attacked. Scott spun around, and tore off his glasses with his good hand. However, Anthro cut his charge short, and avoided the blast. While Scott was distracted, George's arm extended a good ten feet and took out Scott's legs. As Scott fell to his knees, whirled around and fired an optic blast into George's chest. The shot ripped through George's body, doing no harm whatsoever.

As this was going on, Basilisk and 'Lith recovered. Rogue glanced at the duo, at Scott, then back to the duo. Basilisk and 'Lith gave her an angry glare, then charged her. Deciding she couldn't hesitate any longer, Rogue made a break for Scott's car. She hopped over the door, took the keys out of pocket, and started the car as quickly as she could.

Basilisk, still the faster of the two mutants, moved two intercept the car. As the car sped towards him, he jumped onto the hood, ready to rip the engine out. However, with half his power already sucked out by Rogue, he didn't have enough strength to do any real damage. Instead, he bounced off the hood, and fell to ground on the other side of the car.

Rogue spared the fallen Basilisk only a passing glance in the mirror as she sped off. "Ah'll be back for ya, Scott," she said to herself in a half panicked voice. "Ah'll be back for ya..."

With a growl, Basilisk got up and began chasing the car. "Bas! Forget about her!" Yelled Alec, still favoring his arm. "She's not important! Help secure Summers!"

"Don't sweat it, Ruckus," said George, almost casually. "Summers is as good as got."

Scott, who had regained his footing, stared defiantly at George. "Don't bet on it, Goo-Boy!"

George chuckled mockingly. Without warning, his body expanded, with his torso practically flying towards Scott. Scott started reaching for his glasses, but was too slow. George's opened hand smashed into Scott's face, keeping his glasses firmly in place. As a result of the blow, Scott was knocked to the ground, with George's hand still wrapped tightly around his face.

George smirked confidently at Alec. "See? Perfectly under control."

"Good," replied Alec, with a relieved smile. "Anthro, get the neural inhibitor. I'm going to go check on Erin." With that, Alec walked back into the house.

Meanwhile, under George's goop-like hand, Scott was on the verge of panicking. While it seemed as if Rogue had escaped, there was little hope for him to do the same. His arm was broken. He had a splitting pain in his chest. He was bleeding from multiple cuts. His ears were still ringing from Alec's scream. Overwhelming amounts of pain were making it difficult to keep a steady train of though. And to top it off, he was having a hard time breathing under George's suffocating grip.

As Scott hovered at the edge of unconsciousness, he noticed something. It was a quiet crackling sound coming from something near him. Slowly, almost casually, Scott's mind identified the source of the sound. It was coming from his glasses. Since the battle started, his body had taken plenty of abuse, as had his glasses. The abuse had taken it's toll, and now that George's hand was crushing them against Scott's face, the glasses were beginning to crack.

Abruptly, the stress became too much, and the lenses shattered. Scott's optic blast let loose, leaving a gaping hole in George's palm, and sending the lens shards flying. George yelped and yanked his hand away, more due to surprise than pain. Snarling, Scott zeroed in on the source of George's voice. His power flared, and a massive blast sent George flying across the street.

"Ruckus!" Yelled 'Lith. "Summers is loose! He got George and--" 'Lith was cut off as Scott turned his gaze to the massive mutant. The blast caught 'Lith in the chest, sending him sprawling.

Scott heard someone to the right of him. He turned to face the new menace, unwittingly keeping his eyes open and strafing everything between 'Lith and his attacker. The attacker took the blast in the gut, and was knocked backwards. Only then, when he heard his attacker hit the pavement, did Scott close his eyes. Hurriedly, he reached into his pocket and pulled out his visor. With his good hand, he unfolded the ear-straps and slipped it on.

Breathing raggedly, Scott surveyed the scene. Basilisk, his attacker, lay on the ground a mere five feet from Scott. George was still splattered across the street, with 'Lith on the ground near him. With a grunt of satisfaction, Scott noted that Anthro had also on the ground, having been caught by Scott's strafing. With his senses still reeling from the abuse he had taken, he didn't even notice the massive amount of collateral damage that had been done during the battle.

The sound of grunting quickly brought Scott's attention back to 'Lith. Behind his visor, Scott's eyes widened in horror as he saw the behemoth struggle to his feet. Anthro began to stir as well, and would soon be back in the fight. For quite possibly the first time in his life, Scott's nerve failed him...

...And he ran.

A short moment later, 'Lith charged after him, with Anthro hot on his heels.

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