Hello everyone! Here's chapter ten. Please e-mail me at SetsunaPuu21@cs.com with your thoughts. Or, just click on the review button! I live for feedback. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I don't own X-Men: Evolution or its characters in any form. All of the original characters used in this story belong to me.

The greatest obstacle to discovery is not ignorance, it is the illusion of knowledge. ~Daniel J. Boorstin

Title: Two sides of the same coin

Author: JupiterHalo

Rating: PG to PG-13

Part: 11/?

Date completed: June 10, 2003

*means telepathic thoughts*

//means normal thoughts//

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

The others were already suited up and ready to go by the time Jean got back to the mansion. She walked into the Danger Room and stood next to Rogue. "Hey." Rogue greeted her.

"Hey," she replied. Then she turned to the Professor. "So, what's the situation this time?"

"The same as usual." Charles explained. "We must protect their target but without administering casualties ourselves." Jean nodded and turned to leave. "One more thing," Charles called from behind her. "You won't be alone this time. Somehow, Magneto has also learned about these attacks and has decided to take things into his own hands." He sighed. "The Acolytes are there, as well."

The Acolytes. That meant that Scott would be there. But they were no longer allies, so all Jean could think was //Great. Another thing to make this day even better.//

Charles took a deep breath, then continued. "We must make sure that they don't hurt each other. The last thing we need is someone hurt."

"All right, I understand. X-Men, are you ready to go?" Jean asked.

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

The battle was already underway as the X-team appeared. "Great! What are they trying to do, start World War Three?" Jean heard Kurt mutter under his breath. She smiled a little.

"Let's make sure that they don't." All of them nodded, and prepared themselves for the battle.

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

Charles and Storm were sitting quietly in the study. He was staring out the window, the untouched book in his lap clear proof of the state of mind he was in. "Are you worried about them, Ororo?"

"Because Scott will be there? You think that his presence will affect them?" Ororo laughed a little. "If there's anything I've learned from them, it's that they are willing to overlook any personal problem to come together as a team. I believe that they will complete this mission with utter focus and clarity, just like all the others."

Charles turned to her, and said "You're right. I shouldn't worry." He was about to say something else, but the buzzer attached to the speaker outside the main gate buzzed. He pressed a button on his wheelchair and said "Yes?"

"Is this Professor Charles Xavier?" A man's voice spoke from the intercom.

"Yes. How can I help you?"

"There is a matter I need to discuss with you. One of utmost importance." Charles could feel the calmness emitted from the man outside, but knew deep down that the matter he wished to discuss was anything but calming.

"All right. Please, come in." He pressed another button on his wheelchair, and the gates swung open.

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

"Damn! More mutants!" One of the soldiers muttered under his breath as he tried to sedate his target. The target, this time a boy, panicked and transformed into a bird. It tried to fly away, crying frantically.

Scott evaded another dart and shot an optic blast back at the soldier, hitting him. The soldier fell back, unconscious.

"There are so many of them, this time!" Kitty shouted, also dodging her would-be attacker.

"I guess they're not happy about us thwarting their plans." Jean yelled back, trying to control the bird's mind.

Evan, on the other hand, was having much more luck than the rest of the team. He saw one of the soldiers prepare to attack him, but the soldier instead found himself pinned to a tree. "Gotcha!" Evan yelled and did a little victory dance.

"Help me!" The man called to his comrades, who quickly came to his aid. Scott saw this and prepared to protect Evan. Both sides faced each other, intent clearly written on all of their faces. Jean tried her best to stop all of this, but was ignored by her team and the Acolytes.

Both soldier and mutant had set their minds to hate each other, and were prepared to wipe each other out. All of them were on the defensive, ready to attack.

"STOP!"

Jean and the others turned around to find the source of the command. To their surprise, it was a military man who had issued the order. All of the soldiers present dropped their weapons and came to attention. The fear was still there, but it was more subdued now.

"You will cease this fighting at once." The man walked towards the mutant side of the battle, hand outstretched in friendship. All of the mutants present looked at him with distrust.

"Everyone, it's all right. This man, he is not our enemy." The Professor appeared at his side, intent on defusing the whole situation.

"Soldiers! You will show the respect for our comrades." With that order, all of the men there removed his mask and helmet. Scott tensed his body, still not sure whether this was some kind of trap or not.

Jean, on the other hand, had a completely different reaction. Her eyes widened, and she put her hand over her mouth as she focused on one soldier in particular. It was the soldier who had hesitated before, the one who had looked so familiar to her. She now knew why.

As he removed his mask and helmet, short brown hair was uncovered, along with dark brown eyes. The figure stood tall and proud, weapon at his side. But it was his face that she could not tear her eyes from.

It was Danny.

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

I hope everyone enjoyed chapter ten! Don't worry; chapter eleven is on the way. In the meantime, be safe, everyone!

Love always,

~JupiterHalo~