Yay! Here's chapter six for everyone still reading. ^.^; I hope you like it! As always, review or e-mail me at SetsunaPuu21@cs.com with your thoughts.

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or any of its characters. The original characters are mine; please don't use them without permission.

It is better to light one candle in the present than curse the darkness of the past. ~Anna Eleanor Roosevelt (1884-1962)

Title: Two sides of the same coin

Author: JupiterHalo

Rating: PG to PG-13

Part: 7/?

Date completed: June 8, 2003

*means telepathic thoughts*

//means normal thoughts//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

It had been months after that first attack. There had been others, and the X-Men had been able to prevent anyone from injury, but they still had no idea who was after mutants and why. This was especially frustrating to Jean Grey, since she was the leader. A leader should be able to figure things out. Little did she know that the truth would come crashing down on her.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Jean sighed in frustration. Danny had promised to give her a ride home after class, but he had never showed. He had been acting very strangely over the past few weeks. A date missed here. A dinner or a study date canceled. She desperately wanted to know what was going on with him, but she had learned long ago to respect private thoughts. So she stayed out of his mind. But that didn't mean that she had to like it.

As she started walking down the country road that lead to the Institute, she began to feel very strange. Like something was watching her, but they would not reveal themselves. That was not a very happy feeling, so she began to walk more quickly, scanning the trees and shade beside the road for any signs of movement.

Nothing. It was quiet. Way too quiet. The feeling continued to occupy her mind as she headed home. It seemed like the thing watching her was moving at the same rate she was.

The telltale signs of summer were in the air. The breeze was nice and cool, and the trees swayed back and forth, making a little moaning sound as they moved. But to Jean, there was also something in the air she did not like. Anger. Fear. Excitement.

Without warning, a group of people, the same people who had attacked the girl, jumped out of the trees and started shooting darts with knockout liquid laced onto the tips at her.

She dropped her things and ran, and heard a man's voice yell "Get her! We can't let one of them get away this time!" Jean was frightened, and tried to call the Professor. But she was too afraid to focus.

As the four men came closer (she could see that they were all men, now), one of them hesitated slightly. That action caught her by surprise, and she turned around to look at him.

There was something strangely familiar about the soldier, but she couldn't name what it was. This was the opportunity to escape, but she couldn't tear herself away.

The others in the soldier's group took advantage of this and prepared to ambush her. But just then, a piece of paper floated to the ground in front of them. It was a card. The King of Hearts.

As the group fell into the trap and the card exploded, Jean felt arms wrap themselves around her. "Retreat!" She heard the man who had hesitated before yell to the other members of his team. His voice was familiar as well.

The person holding her ran off, but she turned to look back at the group. Luckily, no one was hurt too seriously, but all were running back into the forest. Another failure.

Jean closed her eyes as the twosome traveled deep into the forest. She knew that she should be afraid, but she knew that her rescuer would protect her. Jean felt totally safe.

When they finally made it to the safety of the forest, Jean's protector set her down slowly, gently. "There. You're safe now."

Jean gasped at that oh-so-familiar and comforting voice and looked up into the face of the person who had saved her. //Oh my god... it couldn't be? Could it?//

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Muwhahahaha! A little cliffhanger for y'all. Please share your thoughts with me about this story. Feedback is good. Peace!

Love always,

~JupiterHalo~