Final chapter! I hope you enjoyed this story as much as I enjoyed writing it. Which means very much ^^

Enjoy!

~*~*~*

Ben landed gracefully on the garage floor, still holding the dazed Mel. She shook her head, rubbing her jaw where Ben had punched her. Ben dropped his arms, making Mel stumble backward.

"What the hell was that about up there?" Ben hissed, glaring daggers at her. She glared back.

"Why did you do that?" She snapped. "I don't want to fight them."

"Is that it, or do you just not want to fight your precious Kurty?"

Mel blushed. "Leave Nightcrawler out of this."

"It's the truth. You chose him over me, Mel. And I have no time for quitters." Ben could hear the X-men's feet pounding down the corridor on the opposite side of the wall. He looked at her thoughtfully. "I think I'll kill him first."

"No!" Mel could feel herself getting hot, her face flushing with blood.

"You, second."

"You can't -"

"-Watch me."

As soon as the metal door of the garage whirred open, Ben sprung forward. He placed his feet firmly on Bobby's chest then backflipped, pushing his legs forward. Poor Bobby was flung out of the garage before he'd even came in.

Logan whipped his claws out and attacked, swinging them at him as hard as he could. Ben turned to vapor, the claws passing through him. Then he turned and delivered a powerful spin kick to Logan, who crashed backwards and landed on Bobby.

Nightcrawler already knew that Ben was heading for him. He teleported away just as Ben lashed out, leaving the smell of burning brimstone behind him.

Storm and Scott both lunged for him, Storm wielding the glass tube and Scott waiting to blast him as soon as he turned solid. But Ben was too angry, too determined. He ducked under Storm's swing, spinning around to her back and karate chopping the back of her neck. She was flung forward with a yelp, sprawling into Scott.

Mel hovered in the background, too scared to move. Kurt appeared beside her.

"Hi." Was all she could stammer. Before he could reply, a solid fist slammed into his face, reeling him backwards. Ben, who had turned solid again, grabbed Mel by the throat, lifting her off her feet. She coughed and choked, banging her fists on his chest as hard as she could, but her life was slowly starting to slip away.

But then he dropped her as Kurt's tail wrapped around his ankle and pulled hard, tipping him off his feet with a crash.

Logan jumped on his back, pinning him down.

"Its over, kid." He snarled, pushing Ben's head down. But Ben leapt up with a burst of strength, throwing Logan off him.

"Not yet." Ben grabbed a screwdriver from a nearby shelf and lunged at Logan with it. Logan lifted his legs, catching Ben in the stomach and throwing him over his head. Ben crashed in Rogue, crushing her against a car windshield.

Bobby ran forward, pulling her up. His face twisted in anger and he spun around, sending an iceball towards Ben. Ben ducked and the iceball hit Storm, who was just about to hit Ben over the head with the glass pole.

Logan looked at Ben, who had turned to Vapor again, and to Rogue lying on the windshield. Then his head swiveled to a car closest to him.

"Is there a lightbulb over my head?" He asked. Scott looked at him.

"You have an idea?" He raised his eyebrows hopefully.

"No, I'm actually asking you if I have a lightbulb over my head." Logan answered sarcastically. "Of course I have an idea."

Scott ignored the dig, knowing it wasn't the time. "What is it?"

Logan glanced from Vapor, who was fighting Storm, to the car. Understanding dawned on Scott's face.

"Oh no you don't!" He protested. "That's my car!"

But Logan was already opening the front door, jumping into the leather seat.

"My keys are upstairs." Scott stared forward, but Logan flicked out a knife and slammed it into the gearbox. The car spluttered to life as Scott winced.

Ben swung his fist, knocking the glass out of Storm's hand and then kicked his leg out, smashing it into her chest. She was catapulted away and smashed into Nightcrawler.

A loud beep ripped through Ben's ears and he spun around just in time to see a pair of headlights come blasting in his direction.

"NO!" Mel screamed. Despite the fact that he had tried to kill her, she felt herself rush forward, trying to push Ben out of the way. Her eyes widened as she realized she was too late. The car sped past her, the wingmirror clipping her arm as it whizzed by. She felt her arm snap as she jerked, the world tilting as she fell to the floor.

The car smashed straight into Ben. His legs passed through the body of the car, but his chest smashed into the windshield, taking him with it as it careered into a wall.

The room fell totally silent as the incident sunk in.

Then Scott made a strange squeak, like a mouse being stepped on, and hurried to his wrecked car.

Logan opened the door of the car and stepped put, brushing himself down. Storm looked at him accusingly as she hurried to Ben, who had turned solid, blood trickling down a gash on his forehead. She pulled him up off the cracked windshield, pressing her fingers to his pulse. Everyone stared at her, waiting.

"He's alive." She gave Logan a 'look'. "But only just."

Nightcrawler dropped down by Mel, who was still out clod, her arm at an odd angle. He lifted her head onto his knee.

Rogue bent down beside him. "Is she alright?"

"Ja, I zhink so." He whispered quietly.

"We need to get these to a hospital straight away." Storm sent a mini tornado to lift Ben into the air like a stretcher. "Then, this one needs to go to a prison."

~*~*~*

Ben sighed deeply, banging his bandaged head slowly against a wall. The glass prison would hold him for long enough. Long enough for him to think of a better plan, anyway.

He shifted on his glass chair, giving the security guards cold glares as they passed.

Mel avoided his eyes, in a normal prison cell opposite him. She would be let out tomorrow, with a warning. He was set here for the next 10 long years.

How dare she leave him. She will pay. Nightcrawler was a close second, Wolverine bringing up third.

One way or another, all the X-men were going to get what was coming to them. He would make sure.

Not one messes with a Stryker and gets away with it.

~*~*~*

WOOHOO! My first ever X-men fic done and dusted! I hope you all liked it, thanks so much for all my wonderful reviews.

I am currently writing a new X-men fic, so keep you eyes peeled for more of my fics coming soon!

You should read my friends X-men fics, Koburn and Cyrus-Oz. Both of them are brilliant authors. Oh and don't forget Soul Eater, who's writing an X-men Q&A!

Love you all, thanks again!

Tatum