Disclaimer: Premise and characters are the property of Marvel, I'm just borrowing them for a bit of non-profit fun.
Thanks for the feedback: raniatlw, Rex, xfearddarknessx, Sophia, MiracleChick, T. Riddle, Tewks
"None of it was your fault Scott," Jean said quietly joining the X-Men's field leader outside of the cave where they'd taken refuge while Storm and Beast tried to talk some sense back into the world.
"Where you able to reach Dr. MacTaggart?" Scott asked.
Jean nodded. "She thinks we have to risk taking him to a hospital. She'll meet up with us before hand, with her being his doctor and all they probably won't start digging too much for a cause. She thinks there's a chance she can keep anyone from realizing he's a mutant. Lance missed the first fight, he didn't end up on the news."
"Todd and Fred did, they'll put it together," Scott said.
"Moira says it's worth the risk," Jean replied with a worried glance at Scott.
Her field leader flinched. "I never should have let Lance come," he said heading back into the cave. "We still have to figure out how to get him to the hospital without getting the police after us again."
Inside the cave Rogue was keeping an eye on Kitty, the sedatives were slowly wearing off leaving the slight girl awake but so drugged out of her skull that she wasn't really aware of the situation. The rest of the X-Men were huddled around Bobby and his portable television.
Fred sat off to one side, staring dazedly into space as if he simply couldn't take in everything that had happened. Todd was huddled in a miserable ball beside his large friend.
Finally Scott forced his attention to the rear of the cave where Logan was watching over Lance. Scott had thought the worst of it, the worst guilt would be the moment after they'd been reunited with their captured teammates. The moment when he turned and saw Lance's body slumped lifelessly against the support provided by Jean's telekinesis, the cost of his decision. They were his team, he'd been the one to override Storm's decision and brought Lance. Had he really believed, even for a moment, that Lance wouldn't use his powers to rescue his friends, his team.
"We've got to get Lance to a hospital!" Jean yelled as Fred climbed into the helicopter carrying the dark haired teen. "He's still alive."
"Lance?" Storm's voice was confused. "How did he?"
"He wanted to come," Jean said defensively as the other X-Men piled in behind them.
"Hospital now!" Toad yelled, "Blame later!"
"Take off!" Scott exclaimed as he boarded the copter.
"What about Mystique?" Bobby asked.
"Not coming," Wolverine said as they lifted off.
"Robert, locate a hospital," Storm ordered.
"No!" Wolverine countermanded. "We take him in and he'll be back in a place exactly like that one within the hour."
"Both Lance and Kitty seem stable," McCoy said.
"We need to go to ground," Wolverine said.
"Where?" Evan asked. "They know about us."
"I want to go home," Fred said quietly.
No one had disagreed and so they came home, to a pile of rubble that had once been their sanctuary.
And standing on a bluff over looking Bayville they wondered about living in a new and hostile world. Until being forcibly reminded that living wasn't necessarily a given.
"Lance!" Todd yelled in alarm. Scott turned to see the lanky teen jerk spastically against his friend's efforts to hold him still. A moment later the earth convulsed in response to Lance's condition.
"Get away from the cliff!" Cyclops yelled grabbing Bobby and pushing the younger boy toward safer ground as the edge of the bluff crumbled. Fred scooped up both Lance and Todd and ran. A fissure opened up beneath Rogue and Kitty. Kurt teleported, snatching them from danger. Jean levitated herself and Wolverine across the obstacle. Beast dove at Storm, knocking her out of the path of a falling branch.
Evan used a handful of spikes to pin a downed powerline. "How do we stop him?" he yelled.
"Lance isn't conscious!" Jean cried.
"Rogue drain off some of his power!" Scott ordered.
"No," Storm said. "We cannot predict how she might react to his powers."
"He's choking!" Fred shouted.
Logan and Hank scrambled across the shuddering terrain. "Lay him down, we gotta clear his air way," Logan said.
Rogue tugged the still sedated Kitty away from an eruption of earth. "This ain't Avalanche's normal quake."
"He's not controlling it," Cyclops guessed.
"It's over," Bobby sighed in relief as the shaking stopped.
"He's flatline!" Logan yelled.
"Stand aside," Storm commanded, lightening crackling around her hands.
"Ya got Moira?" Logan asked, his voice dragging Scott back into the present.
"She said she'd meet us at the hospital," Jean said.
"She been watching the news?" Logan asked. No one asked what he meant; there'd already been two reports of people killed by neighbors who suspected they were mutants. If Lance suffered another seizure and someone put the pieces together it was all too obvious what would happen.
Jean grimaced. "Dr. MacTaggart knows about it. She says we have to take the risk," Jean glanced down at Lance, her expression sad. "Moira thinks it doesn't matter. She can't believe he's alive now."
"Logan, you and Rogue haven't been on the news yet," Scott said. "You can get him to Moira."
"I guess there ain't much of a choice," Logan signed.
"We're coming," Todd said grimly.
Scott put a hand on the younger boy's shoulder. "You've been ID'ed, you're being with him only increases the chances of someone realizing he's a mutant."
"Vait," Kurt said holding up his image inducer. "One of you can use it."
"Todd should go," Fred said. "It won't make me smaller and even if I looked different, I'll still stand out, I always do."
Kurt put the inducer on Todd's wrist then activated it. "Oh, better not make you look like me," he said fiddling with the device. "They probably know who I am."
A moment later Todd disappeared to be replaced by a nondescript 15 year old. "Thanks," he said softly. Logan picked up Lance in a fireman's carry, Rogue and Todd followed after him.
****** ****** ******
Pietro tagged along after his father as the older man strode from console to console in his ops-center. "Wanda's in control and she's really-really-really powerful. You could try talking to her. She's everything you want. We could rescue her and everyone then, maybe if you apologized…"
"Quicksilver enough," Magneto snapped. "I don't have time for this."
"Please Dad, they're my friends," Pietro begged. "You can do anything, why won't you rescue them?"
"I said enough!"
Disheartened the silver haired teen left the ops-center to wander the base's halls. The whir of cards being expertly manipulated drew his attention. The Cajun slouched against a shadowed wall, one foot braced against it; head tilted disinterestedly toward his cards, his bo-staff leaned up beside him. Pietro felt the urge to mock the carefully posed air of nonchalance the other mutant projected. "S' yo're de boss' son?" Gambit asked and there was a challenge in his voice.
"Magneto told you that?" Pietro asked, hating the part of himself that could get excited over something so stupid.
Gambit straightened, the cards and bo disappearing into his trenchcoat with a long practiced slight of hand. When his eyes met Pietro's challenge had been replaced by pity. "Sorry kid, I be a sneak-t'ief. I broke into de man's files," he said.
Pietro slumped then grabbed for the one part of the statement he felt comfortable with. "Who are you calling a kid?" he demanded. "You're barely any older than I am."
The other mutant smirked at that but chose not to comment. "I be Gambit," he introduced himself.
"Quicksilver," Pietro replied. "So you guys are Magneto's new team huh? Our replacements."
"I s'pose. We all be Magneto's, oui. Mais I don' know dat I'd call us a team. De big Russian keeps to hisself, t'ink he t'inks he be bettah dan de rest of us. Pyro ain't bad for a game of cards or a drink, don' mean I trus' him. Den dere's M'sieur Chat," Gambit's eyes took on an eerie glow. "I could do wit'out Chat," he said darkly.
****** ****** ******
Todd sat in the back of the car they'd 'borrowed' via Wolverine smashing the window. He didn't bother telling himself it was the cold breeze making him shiver, not when he was holding Lance's still form in his lap, his fingers resting along the underside of Lance's jaw to make sure the other boy's heart didn't stop beating again. Todd was scared to death, too scared to bother denying it.
Outside the car Wolverine and Moira exchanged a few words then Moira and Rahne slipped into the front seat while Logan and Rogue headed back to the others.
Moira pulled up to the emergency room entrance of the hospital then rushed inside, Todd heard her voice barking urgent instructions then several orderlies hurried out and took Lance from him. Rahne led Todd into the waiting room, they sat together in silence as the controlled chaos of the emergency room broke around them; Children crying, a man with a hacking painful cough, a woman cradling her arm, whimpering quietly, doctors, nurses and orderlies bustling about their business, the receptionist trying to explain paperwork to a distracted parent and islands of stillness, people like them who could only wait and pray staring blankly at the walls or flinching every time a doctor seemed to start toward them.
The news blared in the background, the footage of the X-Men's fight against the Sentinel showing for what had to be the two hundredth time. And even here, with so many others pressing concerns, people gathered beneath the television, muttering darkly about 'the mutant threat'. Todd and Rahne huddled together in a corner, hoping not to be noticed by those types and the endless night wore on.
They watched as fresh videos replaced the Sentinel footage and drew closer despite their fears as their friends and teammates battle the Juggernaut to a standstill and still there was no word on Lance.
Morning passed into afternoon. Beast and Strom shifted the mood of the congressional hearing in their favor and Trask was arrested. Moira finally returned to the waiting room and sat down beside Todd.
For a long moment she just sat there looking exhausted. Todd waited expecting to hear the worst. "Lance's condition has stabilized," Moira finally said. "But the blood flow within his brain was badly restricted for hours, the resultant increase in blood pressure caused a number of capillaries to burst exacerbating his condition. I've done MRI scans and there is a marked decrease in brain activity. We don't know enough about the human brain to make a definite prognosis, there's always a chance."
"Can I see him?" Todd asked.
Moira hesitated. "He had to be placed on a respirator," she warned.
"I wanna see him," Todd reiterated.
Moira nodded and led him into the intensive care ward. She left him beside Lance's bed.
Todd stared down at his friend. He tried to shut out the quiet beeping of the heart monitor and the whoosh of air being forced into Lance's lungs, the antiseptic smell of the hospital mixed with the smell of blood and illness.
Todd felt his lungs burn as he forgot to breath.
The tube forced down Lance's throat looked painful. His eyes were sunken and looked bruised. His skin was translucently pale. His features were drawn.
Todd pulled a chair close to the bed and sat down with his knees pulled to his chest, arms wrapped around his legs. His vision blurred as he blinked back tears.
****** ****** ******
Pietro sat in front of the TV, for once not interested in channel surfing. As soon as the new cast finished he rewound and started it again. "Where's-Toad? Blob's-fighting-with-them-why-isn't-Toad? He's-got-to-be-there, he's-got-to-be-there!"
He started the video one more time, watching it at half speed, trying to catch sight of the youngest of his friends.
"Enough, shut that off," Colossus ordered, Pyro nodded in agreement.
Pietro ignored them. "He's-got-to-be-there!" he chanted.
"He's not there," Pyro said. "You've been watching that damn thing for almost twenty-four hours, if you haven't seen him yet he's not there."
****** ****** ******
Scott walked into the hospital and glanced around uncomfortably. Ororo stood beside him. Moira met them at the door and directed them into a quiet alcove.
"We best keep a low profile," she said. "Do you know when we'll be able to move him to a more protected facility?"
"The explosion was set to camouflage the Institute's lower levels rather than destroy them," Ororo said. "They will be inhabitable again within the day, the medlab should not require more than a week's repairs."
"You wanted someone to pick up Todd and Rahne," Scott said.
Moira sighed. "Keep the boy occupied, having him sitting here dwelling on things does no one any good."
"Then Lance…" Scott began uncertainly.
"Lance is very badly hurt," Moira said.
"Fred and Kitty both wanted to come," Scott said.
"Perhaps now is not the best time for visitors," Moira said. "Scott if you could ask the nurse to get Todd for you, I'd like to speak with Ororo for a moment."
"How bad is it?" Ororo asked frowning in concern as Scott left.
"With every test I get back the picture looks bleaker," Moira said. "At this point my primary concern is for his friends. I made a mistake allowing Todd to see him here."
Ororo's eyes darkened with grief. "Yes the infirmary at the Institute is a less severe place."
Scott glanced at the desk then walked into the intensive care ward. A harried looking nurse gave him a questioning stare. "I'm here to see Lance Alvers," he said and she pointed him in the proper direction.
Scott froze for a moment at his first sight of Lance. Then he put a gentle hand on Todd's shoulder. "Hey, we need to get the Institute ready so we can take Lance home, you want to come help?" he asked.
Todd nodded and let Scott escort him out of the ward.
****** ****** ******
"I am so sick of these prank calls!" Jean exclaimed slamming down the phone.
Kurt glanced up from the wall he was scrubbing soot off of. "Vhich type?" he asked.
"The call and hang up one," Jean said with frustration. "I wish we hadn't gotten the phones fixed, the only reason anyone calls anymore is to harass us!"
Kurt shrugged helplessly. "Amanda called to see if I vere okay," he said.
Jean smiled a little, "Have you seen Scott?"
"I think he's helping Fred and Todd finish restocking the infirmary," Kurt said. He shook his head sadly adding, "I don't think Todd has said a thing since he came back from the hospital."
"And Fred just picks at his food," Jean said. "Pietro betraying them and what happened to Lance all in one day… It's odd how they've attacked themselves to Scott though."
Kurt shrugged, "Scott's good at being solid."
****** ****** ******
Pietro flitted around the Acolyte's common area like a hyperactive humming bird. "What-ya-doing?" he asked leaning over Colossus' shoulder. The big man batted ineffectually at him. "Do-you-think-Magneto's-ever-going-to-let-us-out? I'm-going-nuts-locked-up-here!"
"You are driving all of us insane!" Colossus growled.
Pietro darted away, going to where Pyro was lying back on the couch a loose-leaf notebook propped up against his legs. "What's-that? Oh-it's-a-story-can-I-read-it? Do-you-need-help? I-could-edit."
Pyro flicked his lighter and a moment later Pietro was held at bay by a wall of flames. Pietro made a face at the Australian fire-but then turned his attention on the Cajun.
Gambit was laying out cards across the table with a deliberate care. "That-doesn't-look-like-solitaire," Pietro commented grabbing a seat across from the Cajun and receiving a tolerant grin.
" 'M readin' m' future," Gambit explained as Sabretooth came in and settled in front of the TV and started changing channels.
"Hey-I-was-watching-that!" Pietro protested jumping up. Sabretooth snarled threatening at the teen and Pietro settled back in his chair. "For-real?" he asked Gambit. "Don't-you-need-special-cards-to-do-that? Do-you-believe-in stuff-like-that?"
"Tarot cards be more precise," Gambit replied patiently. "Mais dis deck knows me. I've seen de cards tell de truth too often to not believe dem, oui."
"Really?" Pietro asked. "Would-you-read-my-future? Wait-a-sec, I'll-be-right-back."
"It's like living with a damn two-year-old," Pyro complained as soon as the door swung shut behind Pietro.
"He's not s' bad," Gambit replied. "One of m' cousins was ADHD."
"The blond pipsqueak?" Sabretooth asked smirking with a demented gleam in his eyes.
"Don' yo' mention him!" Gambit spat his eyes burning. "Magneto's de only reason I ain't kilt yo'!"
"Like to see ya try Gumbo," Sabretooth said with a predatory smile that revealed deadly looking fangs.
"Jus' wait, your time's comin'," Gambit promised.
Pietro came back in muttering under his breath. "Why-won't-she-answer-the-phone?" He sat down across from Gambit again, fidgeting.
"Shuffle de cards, let dem meet yo'," the Cajun instructed.
Pietro shuffled the cards quickly then handed them back. Gambit stopped him. "Take a moment," he advised.
Pietro sighed and shuffled again more slowly. "This-is-boring," he complained.
"I agree," Sabretooth said springing at Quicksilver.
"You're-really-slow," Quicksilver taunted sitting on the couch Sabretooth had just abandoned. "I-guess-that's-why-you-don't-fight-fair."
Sabretooth pounced again, landing on an empty couch. Pyro and Gambit were both smirking at the big mutant's inability to lay a hand on the slender teen. He growled at them then fainted toward Pietro.
Quicksilver darted out of the way, realizing that he'd been played only after he felt burning lines of pain across his shoulder as Sabretooth tagged him.
Feeling queasy Pietro watched the big mutant lick the blood off his claws. "Nothing like a little chase to work up an appetite," Sabretooth purred. "Better run Mousy, I'm in the mood to play."
Pietro felt his pulse quickening, looking into Sabretooth's amber eyes he had no doubts that the big mutant would hunt him down and kill him, for food or just for the fun of it and with his blood staining Sabretooth's claws even his mutant speed didn't make him feel particularly safe.
Sabretooth slowly grinned at the boy then lunged forward. Pietro sprinted out of the room. Sabretooth bounded after him.
Pietro knew he should be able to run rings around the other mutant, but the base was feeling smaller every second and Sabretooth showed no sign of tiring of this game. Pietro tugged desperately at a locked door then doubled back trying not to notice how much of the narrow hall Sabretooth took up as he tried to slip past the feral.
A clawed hand wrapped around Pietro's throat, lifting him off the ground like he weighted nothing at all. He kicked and struggled futilely, finally wrapping both hands around Sabretooth's wrist just trying to keep breathing.
Sabretooth tightened his grip, laughing. Black spots danced before Pietro's eyes, distantly he heard a voice scream, "Etienne, no!" then an explosion tore him free of Sabretooth's grasp.
Woozy from lack of oxygen and being slammed into a wall, Pietro looked up to see Gambit and Sabretooth going at each other full-tilt.
The Cajun thief employed both explosions and bo-staff with expert skill to keep the feral mutant off balance, but Sabretooth shrugged off the blows with ease.
Grinning fiercely Gambit lunged forward using his bo-staff like a spear, putting all his weight into the blow. The end of the staff sank between Sabretooth's ribs, Gambit used it to channel his charge deep into Sabretooth's body, blowing off the end of the staff and putting a huge hole in the feral's side.
One hand over the wound Sabretooth lunged, his claws stretching toward Gambit's throat, intending to tear it out.
A pair of metal bars flew between the two, pinning them to opposing walls.
"Enough!" Magneto thundered. "How many times must I forbid this ceaseless feuding? You are both sworn to me."
"I t'ought yo' might not like Chat killing your new recruit," Gambit said gesturing to Pietro.
Magneto stared down at his son, his eyes coldly noting the bloody gashes across Pietro's shoulder and the ring of bruises around his throat then turned away disappointment in his eyes.
"You two will not fight," Magneto ordered turning to leave, trusting his orders would be carried out, at least for the moment.
"Saved by the bell again, huh Cajun?" Sabretooth said smirking.
Gambit's quick eyes gleamed as they fastened on the way Sabretooth had to hold his injury closed to keep his guts in. It was already beginning to heal, but it was no trifling hurt either. "I bloodied yo' dis time," he said.
"I've gotten worse shaving," Sabretooth replied.
"I s'posed dat 'xplains why yo' gave it up," Gambit said offering Pietro a hand up. "Yo' 'kay kid?"
"Don't help me," Pietro said angrily shoving past the other mutant and storming back to his room.
****** ****** ******
"I brought supper," Rogue said sitting a tray on the desk beside Kitty's bed.
When Kitty remained curled up under her covers Rogue gave her shoulder a gentle shake. "Come on girl, it's been three days, ya can't spend your whole life in bed."
After a few moments Rogue sighed and sat on the edge of the bed, carefully she started untangling Kitty's hair, humming softly.
Finally Kitty turned a tear stained face toward her friend. "It just wasn't real until I saw him," she said. "Dr. MacTaggart and the Professor and the other teachers kept saying things like they didn't think Lance was going to wake up but I didn't listen. He's not even breathing except for that machine Rogue."
"Ah know," Rogue said.
"I can't believe Pietro betrayed us, the guys, like that," Kitty exclaimed. "This is all his fault. He let us walk into Magneto's trap. We got caught and Lance had to come after us."
"Pietro couldn't have know what would happen," Rogue said quickly, defensively.
"He turned on his friends to stand with Mystique, then he betrayed her to Magneto," Kitty said, with growing anger. "He isn't loyal to anyone!"
They were interrupted by Evan's raised voice. "Whoever you are say something!" he yelled. "I dare you. Are you scared I'm gonna recognize your voice, coward!"
"Evan just hang up," Rogue yelled heading for the hall. "Don't give 'em the satisfaction."
Kitty followed after her. "The danger room is fixed right?" she said. "I'm going to find a program with Pietro in it."
****** ****** ******
Pyro sat in the control room, boots casually propped up on the consol. Pietro slipped in and appeared startled to see the other mutant. "You trying to call your mystery girl again?" Pyro asked.
"So what?" Pietro snapped. "Are you just going to sit there?"
"You're not the only one's who's bored around here," Pyro said.
After a few minutes Quicksilver asked, "So what's with Gambit and Sabretooth?"
"Who the hell knows," Pyro snorted. "I mean Gambit shows up all laid back, laissez le bons temps rouler, until the mountain man walks in, the next thing anyone knows it's taking Magneto and crowbar to pry them apart."
"Really? Sabretooth attacked him?" Pietro asked.
"That's what you'd think," Pyro said. "But Gambit's got some sort of scar that doesn't fade and 'Tooth, he likes picking at it. Gambit always ends up throwing the first punch. Sometimes I get the idea Gambit hangs around because he likes Magneto refereeing their fights while he tests the limits of 'Tooth's healing factor."
****** ****** ******
Scott lay in his bed waiting for the rest of the Institute to fall asleep. When everything was silent he rolled to his feet and slipped out into the hall.
On silent bare feet he padded past the sleeping area. He opened the door to the infirmary being careful not to wake Moira, who'd chosen to make up sleeping quarters there in case the worst happened.
Scott stood in the doorway, light from the hall illuminated Lance's form. For a few minutes Scott watched the mechanically precise rise and fall of the other teen's chest as his body was forced to breathe then Scott continued his pilgrimage ending in the control center above the danger room. "Run scenario, Day of Reckoning," he said as he typed. The computer screen came to life showing a replay of the rescue operation.
Scott watched as Avalanche spotted a sniper and used his powers to spoil the man's shot. "Rewind, remove Avalanche from the scenario and play," Scott requested.
The scene replayed, Scott flinched as the bullet found its mark and Jean's skull exploded in a spray of blood.
"Probability of Cyclops or Grey spotting sniper?"
"Cyclops: probability 44%, Grey: probability 46%."
"Rerun the scenario, assumed Grey spots the sniper," Scott commanded then sighed in relief as a telekinetic shield harmlessly diverted the bullet.
The scenario continued with Scott occasionally, stopping the program and overriding the probabilities.
"Stop," Scott exclaimed. For a moment he put his head down on the desk.
"Rewind to start," he typed. "Reintroduce Avalanche. Run scenario as if he were baseline human."
A slender hand reached over Scott's should and shut off the computer. "So this is what you do rather than sleep these days," Ororo said. "Perhaps talking may prove more help."
"About what?" Scott said.
"What do your scenarios tell you?" Ororo asked.
"No matter what I try, if Lance doesn't use his powers our odds of rescuing the others with no casualties goes down 20% and the odds weren't good to start with," Scott reported. "Like Lance would have just acted as a third set of eyes anyway… If he isn't there more people die."
"Then you're scenarios support the decision that was made," Ororo said, her voice neutral.
"I walk next door and they're just a bunch of numbers," Scott said. "They don't mean anything."
"And yet there is meaning in Lance's choice," Ororo said. "The teaching staff feared he would use his powers in a moment of temper or foolishness, throwing his life away for nothing. Lance chose to accept the risk to himself to protect his friends."
"You wouldn't have let him come," Scott said.
"I did not consider the possibility we would fail without him," Ororo replied. "I would not have asked him to live with that failure knowing he might have been able to change the outcome had he been present."
"There had to have been a better way," Scott cried.
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