Son of Storm and Wolverine:  I see your point, and, point in fact; you have just touched upon something I intended to do. Hold your horses, it'll come

Chapter 41: Road to Redemption

The X-Men climbed out of the Velocity to see their teammates who had not been at the battle waiting for them.  As they staggered out, they quickly took in the battered visages of their teammates.

Rogue, Bobby, and Lorna were the only ones who had managed to avoid being clipped by their opponents, and, indeed, some had been more than just 'clipped'.

Kyle's shoulder was shattered, and would probably take a month or two to heal.  Amara's arm was cut, but Lockjaw's death had been a blow.  Remy had taken knives down both sides, and Evan was burnt badly from the scorching heat of the boiler.  Rahne was so peppered with cuts, that it was hard to find an area without one, and Sam had taken a few tough hits, even in his invulnerable state.

However, it was the figure that Evan was carrying that got their attention.  She had a light complexion, with reddish hair, and green eyes.  She was probably about his height, maybe a little bit shorter, and every bit of her torso and face was burnt.

Dr. McCoy shook himself out of his shock and ran forward, directing the wounded mutants towards the hospital wing.

Upon arrival in the medical center of the institute, he set about treating the numerous injuries the X-Men had earned in their battle.  Outside the room, Bobby sat, staring at his hands.  Jubilee watched her boyfriend from further up the hallway, then, making a decision, walked up next to him, and kneeled down, grasping his hands.  He jerked them away.

"Bobby, what's wrong?" She asked, her tone curious.

"It's all my fault." He said, more to himself than to her.

"What's all your fault?"

He looked up at her, and she saw the haunted look in his eyes.  "During the fight, I found Berserker in the control center. I went to hit him with an ice pillar. I missed, and I activated the mill.  Because of that, Kyle's shoulder's a mess, Amara's head's all messed up, Evan's burnt, that other girl's charbroiled, and Lockjaw's..." at this point, Bobby Drake, the Iceman, Tactical Leader, Member of X-Men: Blue Team, broke down and cried.

As the other X-Men watched, a little shocked that Bobby, who hadn't cried in all the time they knew him, broke down to tears.  Jubilee wrapped her arms around her boyfriend, and spoke quietly in his ear.

"It's not your fault.  We X-Men know the danger when we fight.  I'm willing to bet that Berserker set that up.  You have to hit all kinds of buttons to turn the mill on, so he probably did all that, then put himself in just the right place so that, when you attacked, he just had to dodge, and you turn the mill on for him." Bobby's body racked with sobs, but Jean could tell that her words had registered in the grief-stricken boy.

As Jubilee held her sobbing boyfriend, Kurt and Amanda watched her and Bobby.  Amanda leaned over.

"She really cares for him, doesn't she?"

"Ja, she does.  Zey're not ze only though. I wonder if it's a mutant thing?"

"What."

"To have strong ties at our agez. I mean, look at the older X-Men. Exzept for Evan, zey all 'ave running relationships, even iv zome won't admit it." He said, knowing Amanda would realize who he meant.

Amanda sighed, and leaned her head against her boyfriend, remembering how close she had come to never being able to do this kind of thing again.

Kurt and Amanda had been out at lunch.  Well, not really out, since they ate at Amanda's house.  Well, make a long, long, boring story short, about the time lunch was over, Kurt's image inducer fritzed, at the table.

Mr. Sefton was furious as he strode over, intent on breaking the boy's neck. Mrs. Sefton rose to stop him, only to find that Kurt was no longer there.

"Where'd that little son of a bitch go."

Amanda grinned, "You just described his mother perfectly, may her soul rot in hell. And he used his mutation, dad. He's a teleporter."

As Mr. Sefton watched, Kurt reappeared, squatting on the roof. He then instantly teleported again, as Mr. Sefton brought a shotgun to bear on him.

"YOU ARE NEVER SEEING THAT THING AGAIN!!!"  Shouted Mr. Sefton.

Amanda's eyes widened, and, before she could protest, he began laying down the law.

"You will go directly from one class to the next, or your teachers will call us, you will come directly home after school, and you will not go ANYWHERE without us for the rest of your time under this roof.  We will also be screening your calls, young lady."

As Amanda stared at her father, her mother finally snapped.

"MICHAEL JOSEPH SEFTON, YOU BIGOTTED BASTARD!!!! THAT YOUNG MAN IS PROBABLY ONE OF THE NICEST PEOPLE I HAVE EVER MET, AND YOU ARE TRYING TO TAKE OUR DAUGHTER AWAY FROM HIM BECAUSE HE'S DIFFERENT? I CANNOT BELIEVE I EVER MARRIED YOU, OR WHAT I SAW IN YOU!! WE'RE THROUGH, YOU HEAR ME? THIS MARRAGE IS OVER!!"

With that, she stormed up the stairs, and began packing some of her things.  Mr. Sefton followed, and, as Amanda and Kurt, who was hiding in their closet, watched, he slapped her, hard.

As he opened his mouth to speak, Kurt appeared with a BAMF.  Grabbing Mrs. Sefton with his hand, what she had been holding with his dexterous foot, and her bag with his tail, he again disappeared.

As Mr. Sefton gaped, he appeared again, wrapped his arms around Amanda from behind, and vanished.

He set the girl down next to her mother, who watched, amazed.

"That was, good timing." Said Mr. Sefton.

Kurt smiled, "Yeah, well, X-Men training and all."

Mrs. Sefton looked around, and saw that Kurt had landed them in one of the seedier areas of town.

"What are we doing here?" She asked, appalled.

"Rally point." Kurt said simply, as he grabbed a pen-shaped device from his backpack.

"This is Nightcrawler, any X-Men on ze buzz?"

For a few seconds, nothing but static came from the pen, then, as Mrs. Sefton began to become concerned with his sanity, a voice came out of the pen.

"This is Shadowcat, better have a good reason for interrupting me and Avalanche."

"Mr. Sefton tried to powder me vith a shotgun."

Mrs. Sefton was shocked when the girl on the other end went ballistic.

"THAT BIGOT!! ARE YOU ALRIGHT? WHERE ARE YOU? ME AND AVALANCHE WILL COME AND GET YOU NOW!"

"I'm fine, he vas to slow.  Ve're at RP 72."

"Whose with you?"

"Amanda and Mrs. Sefton."

"Gotcha."

Within twenty minutes, Mrs. Sefton saw a green jeep pull up in front of the alleyway.  Kurt and Amanda both stood up, and, as Mrs. Sefton watched, two familiar people got out of the jeep.

After the introductions, Kurt, Amanda, and Mrs. Sefton headed to the institute with Kitty and Lance.

Upon arrival, Professor Xavier was informed of what had transpired, and Mrs. Sefton, seeing that, even with Sensei, the teachers were outnumbered, asked if they could use an extra pair of hands.

The Professor smiled, "Of course. You wouldn't be the only normal person either, Mr. Trevais, the self-defense instructor, is a non-mutant.  Do you have any skills you could help with, besides helping keep these occasionally rather rambunctious teenagers in line?"

"Well, I'm an RN..."

Dr. McCoy's face lit up.

"Really?  You have no idea how much of a blessing that is? Imagine taking care of over 20 young men and women who can't all manage to go a week without breaking or spraining something."

Mrs. Sefton shook her head, and the decision was made.

Now, Amanda reflected, her mother was seeing the worst of what life at the institute was, the times when the team was battered and broken.

At that point in time, Mrs. Sefton walked out with Dr. McCoy, the injured X-Men in tow.

"I certainly hope its not always like this." Said Mrs. Sefton.

"No, this was a mission that went very, very poorly." Said Dr. McCoy.

"You don't need to tell me that." Muttered Bobby.

Mrs. Sefton looked over at the young mutant, as he stood up, and faced Professor Xavier.

"Professor. I feel I am no longer fit to lead X-Men Blue. I formally step down from my position as Tactical Commander."

As the other X-Men gaped, the Professor began to respond.  Before he could, however, Kyle spoke.

"And who would you have lead?"

"Anybody! Sam, for all I care."

Sam looked at him, "Ah hate to break it to ya, but Ah'm not a stratagist."

"Roberto, then."

"Are you kidding, man?  Even I know that I'm not a leader, I get angry to quick."

"Rahne?"

"Boyo, I'd probably lose me head the second someone threatened me Sammie."

"Jubes?"

"Bobby, I couldn't do your job to save my life!"

"Tabby?"

She gave him a strange look. "Do you WANT to get pranked?"

"Amara then?"

"I may have been raised to lead a country, but that doesn't mean I'm fit to lead the X-Men."

"Kyle?"  Bobby's tone was pleading now.

"No, Bobby.  I can't see, remember? That's a crucial part for any leader, the ability to evaluate the situation with a glance.  Lorna, Jono, and Paige are too inexperienced, and Jamie's too young. None of Gold Team are likely to want to change groups, and there's no one else to lead us.  No, Bobby, it's you or no one."  At this, he smiled.

"And I wouldn't have it any other way."

And then, in an agreement made in silence, the X-Men Blue mobbed their leader.

(Post Chap. AN: Next chapter will be not only THE CAGE (hint hint animeluvr) but lots of fluff, healing for the wounded characters, and the official induction of Jono, Paige and Lorna to Blue Team.)