Author's Note- I just got back from NY which is why this chapter was so delayed. Oh yeah, could you people just do a quick polling thing for me? Just email, or post in a review who your favorite and least favorite Neo-X-Man (or woman) is and why. It would help me so much because I would like to know what people think of my characters. Thankies.


>SEVEN: Change of Heart<

Something in his being told him that he should go; that the others were right. But the notion was foolish. He should stay. There was no way for them to leave without getting caught. And then they'd get their rewards for breaking the rules. But what punishment could the professor give? What could he do to them? He needed them to fight! He needed them to carry on! Even if Sabine and the rest were stopped in action, there was nothing that the professor could do to them.

And yet, the professor was his mentor, as well as his father's-when his father was alive and Xavier a man of course. Could he really betray all he learned? Tradition. Yes, tradition was very important to his family. His father had been the leader of the X-Men, and now he was the leader of the Neo-X-Men. Tyler knew that perhaps in leading the Neo-X-Men, he was not the best leader, but he tried! Perhaps he didn't always know what was right! Perhaps when their part in this nightmarish world was over and the Neo-X-Men didn't return from what would be their last mission, perhaps people would whisper, "Tyler had spunk, but he was not even half the leader Scott Summers was." Perhaps Sabine was right. He was no leader. He was nothing. Wouldn't that mean that he should cling to the only thing he had: the tradition? Shouldn't he listen to his mentor? Or are all traditions made to be broken?

What a choice it was: hold the tradition and stay at the mansion, and allow what may happen to his friends, and trust that they could make it through? Perhaps even to tell the professor so that they got caught but would not be hurt? To be a leader in the sense that he would stop the team from getting into an impossible mission? To save them all from death? Or should he try and catch up with them? To join his friends? To lead them through...lord knew what was in store for them? To try and save a teammate whom had always been his friend through thick and thin? Perhaps if Mike wasn't dead, they all could accomplish something. Which was the fairer choice? Which was right? What would a good leader do? And most importantly, what would his father do?

***

"Take off in T minus twenty seconds," Hannah, in the cockpit, called to the others, "Everyone ready?"

"Go flight!" Amit, who was acting as a copilot, confirmed the takeoff.

Alyce, who had just finished bringing up a box of provisions nodded, "Go flight."

"Go flight," Sabine agreed, after double checking all the doors and controls. She detested all airplanes, and was rather safe than sorry, especially considering that they couldn't radio for help. Although they kept their personal communicators with them, they weren't very useful for radioing anyone outside of their team, except for the professor, which wouldn't help much considering that going on this mission was deliberately disobeying him.

"Very well. Ten. Nine. Eight," Hannah began and the others chanted with her.

"Seven. Six. Five. Four. Three. Two. One."

"Here we go!" Hannah cried, as the blackbird rose in flight. She silently prayed that she knew how to work the blackbird well enough. Although she often had used the plane as a co-pilot, the pilot's job was so much more complex. To make life harder, she still didn't trust the autopilot. "I'm going to fly slow and low for a while until I get a good feel for the pilot's controls."

Sabine bit her lip. She despised heights, but she was the leader now. She had to stay in control. She could show no fear.

"Amit," she called.

"Yeah."

"Can...can...can ya believe Tyler did what he did?"

"Truthfully? Yeah."

"But...but...the way he spoke to me, like Ah was a child?"

"He's trying to be a leader, darlin', he's just tryn' to be a leader. And because he's the leader, he puts others below him."

"But...dat's not how a real leader is supposed ta act!"

"I never said that I agreed with it. Jus' that I'm not surprised. Pull yourself together Gumbo Gal. Tyler's just a fool. He walks around like a straight-laced jerk 'cause that's all he knows how to be. Don't you work yourself up over him."

"Ah hate him! Lawd! Ah hate him! Ah hate dat boy!"

Alyce walked over to her, "No you don't Sabine."

"Yes Ah do."

"No you don't. Hate is a word for people like the hunters. Hate is a word for people who call mutants spawn of the devil. You do not hate him. Besides, what Tyler does and doesn't do is not the issue right now. Our job is to rescue Mike."

"Yah're right, Lycee. Ah gotta lead now. Gotta get de team to Mike."

"You can do it, Sabs."

"Ah hope so."

Amit turned from the cockpit, "And don't let that dick stop you."

***

Dust collected on the ancient motorcycle. It hadn't been used since...oh who knows when! His father had probably been the last one to ride it. What a chilling thought it was, having to ride the vehicle of a ghost! He wasn't even sure that it would work anymore, but now, he had no choice. He had to leave the mansion undetected, if he was going to go at all. Wishing that he could take one of the modern jetbikes that be was familiar with, he sat on the motorcycle. Such things were inventoried on a daily basis, but the older equipment from the times of the original X-Men was kept for memory's sake. The key had been left in the ignition for no one had any need for it any more. No one except for Tyler that was. Half wishing and half praying, he turned the key, had nearly fell off his seat at the sound of the roaring engine.

"It still works! After all these years, it still works!" He cried. He pressed the clicker to open the garage and sped off, hoping that somehow he could catch up with the others before it was too late.

***

It was dark and cold when he awoke. For all he could tell, he had been lying there for weeks. Glancing at his watch, he realized that it had stopped long ago, not aiding him in his quest to find out the date and time, and for that matter, where he was.

As his eyes adjusted to the dim light, numerous stacked metal crates came into view. Creating some "fireworks" in hope that their light would aid his sight, to no avail. The quick blasts of energy blazed like explosions and then died faster than the eye could blink. Sighing at his luck, he realized that he had overestimated his well-being. A wave of dizziness overcame him, almost bringing him back to unconsciousness, but he struggled against it, fighting it to the end.

Head in his hands, he tried to recall all that had happened. He had been on a mission with the others, and then, suddenly, as if they had known all along where he was, they grabbed him, and then all was as black, and as dim as much of his past remained. The lightheadedness overcame him again. It was too difficult to think, too difficult to breathe, too difficult to use his powers. The darkness faded into an impossibly deeper shade of black...

***

"You think Mike's going to be alright?" Alyce asked.

"I hope so," Hannah called back from the cockpit, "Don't worry. If anyone can save him, we can."

"Hey flamn' cat take a look at this," Amit pointed down to radar screen.

"What the...what is that?"

A strange shape flashed on the radar screen. Usually, it would not pick up ground vehicles, except if one seemed to be tracking them. This new use of radar had proved a lifesaver many times on many missions.

As if in answer, Sabine's com link cracked to life. "This is Telepath paging first-in-command Hera. Do you copy?"

"Tyler! But...Ah..well..uh...What de hell are ya doin' here?"

"Thought you might need another person."

"But Ah thought..."

"Well, let's just say I had a change of heart, fearless leader. Are you going to welcome me aboard or leave me out here with this ancient hunk of junk?"

Sabine paused, considering it for a second. "Lycee, let down a cable for him to climb up."

***

Moving. Something in him told him he was moving. Pain. Lots of pain. Wake up....wake up...but he couldn't. He refused to open his eyes. Was this death? No. It was too real. He was alive, but in a nightmare.

Sweat, dripping and clamming chilled him to the bone, as he felt around blindly. The floor was metal. A sudden pain rushed to his legs, and he was afraid that he was bleeding. Was he? No...it was something else. A bruise perhaps. Were the others coming after him? Oh how would they ever find him? If his location was not even known to him, how could he even pray that help would find him?

***

"You don't mean we're heading all the way to Alaska!?" Tyler exclaimed.

"We have to! They've taken him to Mutant City!" Amit said, "Are you going to be part of this mission or not?"

"Do we have enough supplies?"

Hannah sighed, "I think so. Alyce packed a bunch."

"There wasn't enough planning. We don't know what's in Mutant City! No X-Team has ever gone there! Well...then again...there was Ramon of Neo-Excalibur, may his memory live on. The point is, no mutant has ever come out of there alive!" Tyler was outraged.

"Well, he's not there yet!" Amit turned on him, " we can stop him on the way. 'Sides, perhaps we can do some research for your precious professor!"

The two boys glared at each other, dagger-sharp silent messages being sent through a single look.

* Neo-X-Men! I am very disappointed in you * a voice boomed through their heads, and rattled their subconscious, * I suggest you abandon this mission and return to Westchester at once*

"What in tarnation?" Sabine cried.

"It's the professor!" Alyce cried.

"Ah'm sorry, suh!" Sabine yelled out to whoever was listening, just to be sure the professor could hear, "But we care about Mike an' we're not leaven' him ta die!"

* Turn back. Now! Tyler control your team! You know that to turn back now will ensure the continuation of the cause. It's what your father would do. You want to be a good leader, don't you?*

"No!" Tyler screamed, as if trying to convince himself it wasn't true. Everyone stared at him, shocked at the sudden change of heart. "We cannot turn back now. We have a teammate to save!"

* If you do not turn back this instant, you will not be aloud in Westchester. You'll be on the streets *

"Don't worry," Tyler whispered, "he can't throw us out. He needs us to fight.

"We'll have to take that chance," Alyce yelled.

* I warned you * the dark voice in their minds rang on and on and on.