CHAP13

"Ororo! The kids! They're gone!" yelled Logan. Ororo rushed down the stairs.

"gone? But how?"

"they snuck out! I think they went to find th' professor."

"where could they have gone?" Ororo gasped.

"I dunno', that's the problem." Logan ran his hand through his hair. Jean listened

from the top of the stairs.

"they're gone?" she gasped. She knew what she had to do.

"Cerebro..."

Meanwhile back that the government testing facility, Aurora continued freeing the

captive mutants while Kurt danced ecstatically at her side.

"CELLS 50 THROUGH 55 OPENED." The computer said. Aurora gave Kurt a

high five and laughed as he did a little "we're saving mutants" dance. She glanced at the

screen. There were two more cells. Isolated from the others.

"it's the professor. I know it." Said Kurt. Her finger lingered over the key to open

the doors for a few minutes.

"professor.." She whispered. Just as she was about to push the button, the door

flew open.

"Stryker!"

"that's right, my little lost sheep." He stepped through the doorway. Kurt turned

to protect Aurora.

"back off." He growled at Stryker, his yellow eyes gleaming with rage.

"I see you've brought your friends into this, hmm?" Stryker looked past Kurt.

Aurora looked into Stryker's eyes. Fear began to consume her.

Meanwhile in the hallway, all of the guards had been taken down, and Rogue,

Remy, Toad, and Kitty ushered the now free mutants out of the doors.

"that's all of dem, no?" asked Remy.

"no. we still need Magneto and the professor. Where could they be?" Rogue

questioned.

"Let's start searching, huh?" suggested Kitty.

"ok. Remy and I will go this way, you and Toad go that way." Rogue said.

"ew! Like, no way!" Kitty stuck her tongue out in disgust.

"Kittey'...just do it." Ordered Rogue, slipping her gloves back on. She took

Remy's hand and ran down one of the corridors while Kitty and Toad headed down the

other.

"come on, Aurora...you don't really want to bring these kids into this, do you?"

Stryker extended his hand to Aurora.

"Aurora! Don't listen, it's a trap! He's just trying to get you to come vith him!"

Kurt pulled her back. Stryker Reached out to touch Aurora. Kurt grabbed his hand and

clenched it in his fist, hearing bones cracking. Stryker screamed. Kurt let go of Aurora

and faced Stryker who was holding his hand in agony.

"you're a strong little thing, aren't you?" Stryker reached back on one of the

medical tables and grabbed a needle. "let's see how strong you are now!can you escape

me now?" He lunged toward Kurt with the needle in his hand.

"no!" Aurora screamed. Kurt picked up a medical tray and smashed him over the

head with it, sending him tumbling over the cot.

"try and escape that, dumkoff!" Kurt yelled. Stryker pulled himself up. Aurora

turned quickly and reached for the button to release the last two cells.

"Aurora! Don't!" Stryker pulled a gun from his pocket. Aurora froze in her tracks.

"come on, Aurora! Ve'll 'port out of here!" Pleaded Kurt. "aurora?"

"no. get out of here, Kurt." she said.

"Aurora..."

"go! Now!"

"no, Aurora. I'm taking you with me!"

"then you leave me no choice..this might hurt a little..." She drew back her

hand.

"Aurora? Aurora, don't..." she fired a large electricity ball at him and he dove

for cover near the cot, opposite of stryker, and hit his head. He was unconscious. Stryker

laughed.

"HA! With every energy blast you let out you die a little more! You know it's

killing you, Aurora." He grinned sinisterly.

"maybe..." She said. Kurt began to open his eyes. Everything was blurry.

Aurora turned to the computer and hit the last key to release the last two cell doors.

"ISOLATION CELLS RELEASED!" screamed the computer.

"you leave me no choice!" Stryker pulled the trigger on the gun.

"NO!!!!" Kurt leapt up and teleported in front of Aurora...and in front of the

bullet.

"those cells just opened down dhere!" Remy told Rogue as they ran through the

hall in search of the professor. They rushed to the two doors. Inside, sure enough, were

the professor and Magneto. They seemed to be in a dream state, catatonic. Rogue rushed

in and checked the professor's pulse.

"still alive. What about Magneto?"

"yeah, he's fine. Now let's get out of here!" Remy grabbed Magneto under one

arm, and wheeled the professor with the other.

"I just got this strange feelin', Remy. Find the others and take the professor an'

Magneto outside. I'll meet you there." Rogue began to walk the other way.

"where are you goin', Rogue?" asked Remy in shock.

"to help my friends."