Rock Your World

by Sandoz

In an alternate universe Lance Alvers is recruited as an XMan at the end of The XImpulse, a change that could bring triumph or disaster to the XMen. And what of his romance with Kitty Pryde?

15. Watch Out For Falling Rocks

Chapter 15: Watch Out For Falling Rocks

**You!**

**Yes,** said Charles Xavier as he closed his eyelids and brought his hands to his temple, barely registering the contempt in the Mindcoil's voice. He furrowed his brow. **I am the one who is to blame for this, and I intend to correct my mistake.**

Xavier could feel the Mindcoil's psychic presence kick and scream as he used his telepathy to shut off his creation's psi powers. Having only recently been released of its trappings, the Mindcoil had not yet reached its full strength. It was imperative that he contain it—destroy it if necessary—before its ultimate potential was tapped.

"Nightcrawler…Boom-Boom…Kitty…free the others, now!" Xavier said aloud, his voice strained under the exertion.

Without needing to be told twice, Nightcrawler bamfed over to the captive Storm and Spyke, latched onto the two, and then teleported them out of their metal bindings.

Boom-Boom bolted over to Rogue and grinned. "Fancy meeting you here."

"You're all right!" said Rogue in relief. "When Ah saw you weren't captured Ah thought you'd been killed!"

"Yeah, well," Boom-Boom shrugged as she put her hands on the pipes wrapped around her friend. "There's still time enough for that to change." The pipes wouldn't budge, despite putting all her might into prying them loose. She grit her teeth. "Dammit! I can't--"

 "Let me try!" interrupted Kitty Pryde, who phased her hand through the bars and pulled Rogue to freedom.

As the two girls rushed to help Cyclops and Jean, Boom-Boom tapped her booted foot huffing, "Well whoop-de-shit."

Crouching in a corner far away from the action, Avalanche narrowed his eyes into two dark slits. The peculiar pain in his head prevented him from moving as the newcomers freed the captive X-Men. He felt confusion. Part of him was glad they had been spared the Mindcoil's wrath, while another wanted to see them die. But those sentiments were inconsequential compared to a burning hatred that was welling up inside him, a rage that threatened to explode when he caught sight of Kitty. He tried to move forward only to fall to his knees. His head was throbbing, his thoughts a disorganized mess. "Kitty…!"

Sweat dripped down the Professor's forehead, and his hands began to shake ever so slightly. The Mindcoil still struggled against him. "Everyone…please…get out of here at once!" he ordered. Stronger…it was getting stronger…

"We're not going anywhere without you, Professor!" Cyclops responded, his voice every bit as urgent as his mentor's.

"Blast it…this is no time for arguing." Xavier's teeth clenched. "Do as I say! Now!"

 "You're goin' nowhere!" yelled an angry voice. Blob raised his fists, his gigantic mass rushing towards the weary superheroes. Jean acted quickly and telekinetically stopped him in his tracks. His feet frozen, Blob howled.

"Stop this!" she cried. "Whatever this Mindcoil thing is, it's your enemy too! Or do you want to share the same fate as Quicksilver?!"

Falling silent, Blob turned his beady eyes to his unconscious teammate. There was no question. But before the ragtag bunch could make any sense of what was happening or flee the Mindcoil's lair the floor beneath them began to rumble. Soon the walls were shaking as well, and all of them lost their balance as their surroundings seemed to come apart at the seams.

At first Cyclops thought Avalanche was responsible for the violent tremors, but then he, and the others, realized the horrible truth. The room wasn't being torn apart by seismic waves; rather, the walls were shaking of their own volition—as if coming to life. The world around them was closing in like a tin can being crushed. The Mindcoil was fighting back.

Cyclops lost the last of his reservations. The instinctive need to protect those he cared for and was entrusted to protect took over his system, and there was no arguing now. "Let's go, people!"

The X-Men fled the chamber and, Storm and Cyclops carrying the Professor after leaving the cumbersome wheelchair behind, bolted back up the narrow tunnel he, Nightcrawler, Boom-Boom, and Kitty had used to reach them. Spyke picked up the limp Quicksilver, tossing off the Mindcoil's helmet. Throwing the light body over one shoulder, he joined his comrades. He didn't even notice Magneto's corpse. Kitty looked back, frantically searching the frightened faces for a certain one. Avalanche… Lance…where was he? She was pushed forward by Rogue and forced to look ahead.

Avalanche was there, though the girl had missed him. He shook off the throbbing pain in his head and tried to move, but the ground was too unstable for him to get very far. He saw Toad bringing up the rear of the group disappearing down the tunnel and snatched his arm.

"Whose side are you on?!" he demanded.

"The side that lives!"

 Toad hopped into the tunnel, leaving Avalanche as the last one. He threw one final glance at the trembling blob in the tank before deciding that it might be best to swallow his pride and follow the X-Men, if only to live and fight another day. Fate had other plans however, and a large chunk of the ceiling fell right in front of him, nearly missing his head and blocking off his escape. He gasped. Another piece of ceiling was jarred loose, that time striking him.

Toad heard the crash, and the exclamation of fright. "Aw, looks like Rocky's done for," he muttered with a bit of regret. Those things happened, he thought. It was his fault for falling behind.

It seemed that Kitty was the only one who heard him. "Lance?!" She spun around, pushing Boom-Boom and Rogue aside. "He's still back there?!"

 Toad was taken aback by the pure emotion in her voice, the pain in her eyes. He nodded stupidly.

Without a thought of what she was doing or the possible consequences, Kitty phased through the frog-faced boy and ran back down the tunnel through the rubble.

 "Vhat's Kitty doing?! She'll be killed!"

"She can take care of herself, Nightcrawler," said Cyclops in a strained voice as he helped support Professor X, who was deathly quiet. "We have to keep moving."

Professor Xavier focused his mental powers. So much raw power. So much anger. It was all he could do to buy enough time for his pupils to escape the mansion, because as long as they were there, their lives were virtually forfeit. But if the telepathy of the beast was contained they had a chance. Its telekinetic might was something else altogether. Suddenly the tunnel began to rumble and shake; and many of the mutants made startled sounds. Time was of the essence.

Cyclops took a deep breath, the sound of his boots on the hard floor ringing in his ears. He opened his mouth and asked the question inside everyone's mind. "Professor, what is that thing?"

"The Mindcoil? Scott…I helped give it life."

Cyclops' face drained of color. "Then that man—Magneto—was telling the truth?"

The mutant against his shoulder nodded once, his head bowed as if in shame.

"He said it was a weapon! Professor X, I don't understand--"

"You don't need to, not now. In time, everything will be explained." And on that final note, he allowed himself to slip into a telepath's trance to devote his entire being to the cause at hand. Cyclops had no time for a response.

Without any warning, the mutants found they no longer had floor to stand on. Somehow the Mindcoil had triggered one of the booby traps in place to deter intruders. The floor gave way, and the frightened X-Men and Brotherhood disappeared down a series of winding tubes that deposited them in an arena-like space. The walls were metallic, armored to encase those inside them.

 "Everyone all right?" asked Cyclops as the group recovered their wits.

        "

No," choked Boom-Boom, whose landing had been ungraceful to say the least. "I think my ankle's banged up."

Storm quickly attended to the blonde before making sure her own nephew was whole. "Spyke, are you--"

"Fine? Yeah, I guess," Spyke answered with a groan. He looked down at the body he was carrying. "I hate to say it, but I'm kinda worried about Pietro. He's barely breathing!"

"We'll tend to him as soon as we get out of here," promised his Auntie O.

"That's all fine an' dandy, but where exactly is here?" Rogue questioned, picking herself off the ground in spite of her limbs' protests. Her answer was a sharp click, like the sound of weapons systems being engaged.

 Nightcrawler's pointed ears perked up. "Vould anybody be mad if I said I have a very bad feeling about zhis?"

"No. Oh no!" yelled Cyclops in terrible realization. Several panels on the walls opened, revealing large laser guns. They opened fire on the mutants.

The Danger Room!

* * *

Avalanche was coming to terms with the fact he was about to die. Hunched against a cold metal wall, his legs drawn up to his chest, he knew he was trapped. The exit was blocked by a large chunk of the ceiling and there was no way he could move past it or jar it loose. He had tried to move it using his mutant powers, but the tremors only added to his dilemma by aiding the collapse of the chamber. Not quite resigned to his fate, Avalanche was taken by feelings of great bitterness and contempt. A sorry end to a sorry life. Damn it all.

 The Mindcoil floated in its tank, and Avalanche was sure it didn't have a care in the world. After all, it didn't have to worry about being crushed to death. The rubble only bounced off an invisible shield much like the ones the boy had seen Jean Grey use in battle situations. The rock-tumbler was thankful for his helmet; if nothing else, he wouldn't have to go through the psychic attack that had almost killed the X-Men. As if that was any real relief.

He was in pain. Struck by the sharp end of a piece of jagged debris, there was a long slash along his right arm from above his elbow to the back of his hand. Applying pressure to the wound, blood oozed from between his clenched fingers. His erratic actions had also aggravated his upset shoulder. But whenever he made a movement it was his mental agony that forced him back with a moan. Mastermind's brainwashing was the cause of it, though he had no idea. It had an unforeseen affect on the boy's psyche, with the rush of so many contrived feelings and memories almost overloading his mind. The nightmare was dissolving.

"Lance!"

His head jerked up at the sound of her voice. Her. Standing only a few yards away, pale, lips trembling, Kitty whispered his name again. He looked terrible, more like a wounded animal than the young man she had known and loved so well. Something drove her to move.

"Don't come near me!" was the frenzied cry, a warning rather than a plea. Baring his teeth, Avalanche put his hands against the wall, ready to jump to his feet if required to.

"I will." Pursing her lips, she stepped towards him, reaching out with her hand. He pulled back as if she meant to burn him, stumbling. Looking with sadness at the blood dripping down his arm, Kitty bent down and ripped her shirt, creating a makeshift bandage. Despite the hate-filled glare he gave her she tied the long scrap of cloth around the wound, stopping the blood flow. Avalanche tried to pull back at that cursed touch, but the pain was too much.

 "Don't…!" He would not warn her again, so help him.

"Lance, it's me. Kitty." She put a hand on her heart, entreating him. "I'd never hurt you. You have to know that!"

"What are you playing?!" he rasped. "You've done plenty to hurt me, you lying bitch."

Kitty reeled as if his words struck her physically, but still she persisted. "I know what happened to you. It was all a terrible lie—a trick of Mystique's! But she's gone now, and it's over!" She held out her hand for him to take. "Let me help you. Please." She could feel tears stinging her eyes but paid them no mind. She was aware of the world coming down around them and the danger they were in.

Avalanche threw out a fist to hit her, silence her, and his hand passed harmlessly through her intangible self. Kitty cringed.

"Dammit…" The rock-tumbler swore, despising his weakness, his failures, and the part of him that was glad he missed. No. I can't. I can't feel this way. Not about her. He crumpled to the ground; it was too much to take.

 "Everything's going to be okay," said Kitty gently as she reached for his shoulder to turn him intangible as well. She never got the chance. From her lover's lips came a low, guttural cry, an animal's howl. It was like nothing Kitty had ever heard before, and an instant later his hands were wrapped around her throat.

Everything would be okay once she was done away with. The suffering in his head and heart would surely end then, he told himself. It had to. But why doesn't she just phase out of my grasp? She could if she wanted to…so why…?

His heart wasn't in it. Kitty knew he could crush her windpipe if he truly wished to; his hands were certainly powerful enough. His eyes were haunted--possessed even--by a madness that threatened to swallow his entire self. And somehow he was fighting it.

"D-Do you ruh-really want to hurt me?" Her hands wrapped around his arms, not struggling, but merely extending her mutant gift to encompass him. He would not be killed by falling rubble if she had anything to do about it. "Do you? Wh-Whatever this is, whatever Mystique did to you—you're fighting it! Keep f-fighting!"

 There was the slightest change in his facial expression. Was she reaching him? She continued to plead, "Listen to my voice! Let it he-help you! Let me…ughh…suh-save you!"

 His grip on her neck loosened, and, still trembling, he swallowed a bitter lump in his throat. For a moment he saw her for who she was—his Kitty, the only person in the world he had ever really loved. No! A voice in his head screamed. It's a trick, an illusion. End it!

What if…she was telling the truth? Avalanche wondered helplessly. What if that was the illusion? His temple pounded.

"I swore once th-that I wouldn't let anyone make you doubt who you are…and all this anger, this hatred…it isn't you. This isn't who you are, Lance Alvers!"

And then he could see. This was real. It was her. Kitty. Just like that, the image cracked like a shattered mirror; the illusion was broken. Avalanche's eyes grew wide with horror and pain and recognition, and he released her. "No…it isn't."

The next sound he made was something between a wail and a scream. What had he done?  Kitty opened her arms and he clung to her like a lost child; they held each other tightly as if trying to meld their trembling bodies together. The tears behind Kitty's eyes were finally released as Avalanche silently sobbed, pressing his face to her breast. If only they could have stayed in that position, savoring the embrace they both needed so severely. But there was no more time.

Slowly collecting herself, Kitty stifled a cry and squeezed her partner's hand. Avalanche lifted his head and their gazes locked. The monster that had taken control of him was pushed back into the grasping darkness. Lance was truly back.

"Let's go."

* * *

Cyclops acted as soon as he heard the familiar sound of the Danger Room initiating its auto defense systems. With perfectly honed reflexes he leapt out of the path of the incoming laser and unleashed a powerful red beam of his own—destroying one of the blasters before it could aim again. Others still fired, but were blocked by an invisible shield. Jean bared her teeth; she had never created a telekinetic bubble so large before to encase so many mutants, and she didn't know how long she could keep it up. She could feel each blast hitting the shield, forcing it back.

"Rest child, I shall take care of them!" Storm bellowed, her eyes glowing a fantastic white as she powered up. Rising into the air, hair billowing in the mutant-made current, bright bursts of electricity formed at her fingertips and zapped the five remaining guns, destroying them instantly.

They were safe—for the moment. If the Mindcoil had taken control of the Danger Room as they feared, they would soon face more terrors and there would be no pressing the reset button once it was over.

"Over zhere!" Nightcrawler urgently pointed to an exit tunnel on the opposite end of the arena. He could see the armored door rapidly closing and with a protective arm around the hobbling Boom-Boom he teleported. Once in the tunnel he pounded the controls frantically, hoping to override the system.

"Come on! Open, open, open!" A cry of frustration escaped his lips. "It's no use! It's not accepting ze commands!"

Boom-Boom wasn't paying attention; instead she rushed towards the door dragging her injured foot behind her. The other mutants were racing to reach the gates in time, Cyclops and Spyke slowed down by those they carried, Jean exhausted from straining her powers to form the shield. Her mind struggled to force back the doors, but she was no match for the Mindcoil. At best, she could only delay it by a few seconds. Rogue was in the lead, and she seemed to make it by a hair—a moment's hesitation and it looked like she'd be crushed between the two slabs of metal. Her friend extended her hand and with a mighty heave Boom-Boom pulled her out of harm's way. A split second before the doors slammed bony spikes from one of the X-Men were fired in an attempt to wedge them open, but were crushed to powder. Rogue and Boom-Boom both collapsed to the floor.

"No!" cried the Goth when she realized she was the only one to make it. Through the heavy, reinforced door the trio could hear shouts and the sounds of what had to be more weapons firing. Rogue forced herself to stand.

"You!" She grabbed onto Nightcrawler, desperation all over her face. "Teleport back there! Help them!" Help Scott, she didn't say aloud.

"I…I can't," he replied shakily. "If ze Danger Room's been reactivated I could 'port on a saw blade, o-or in the blast of a flamezhrover…"

She then screamed, "What good are you?!"

 "Better'n dead," said Boom-Boom quietly.

Rogue spun around to argue, but a loud banging from the outside interrupted her. The steady pounding grew louder and louder, eventually drowning out all other sounds. Boom-Boom gave a jump as an indentation in the shape of a very large fist appeared on the door, almost bending it off the hinges. The three young mutants backed out of the way as a concussive red blast ripped through the door. Standing over it were Blob and Cyclops, who had removed his visor.

"Whew." Eyes squeezed shut he breathed a sigh of relief and slipped the visor back on over his head. "I didn't know if a blast at full strength would work."

"Cyclops, mein fruend! Zat vas some mighty fine shooting!" Nightcrawler shouted happily.

"Thanks, man. But we're not out of the water yet!" The team leader stopped short when he caught sight of Rogue's gentle, relieved smile. He thought he might have seen tears in her eyes, and even though she could not see his eyes, Rogue could read his emotions just as easily. They said nothing, only exchanging grins.

Jean Grey was among the mutants who hastily filled the exit. Immediately she went to Cyclops' side and inadvertently observed the moment shared between him and the Brotherhood member. In her frazzled, weakened state her control slipped, and she could read their feelings as if they were written on a billboard. What she felt troubled her. No, I can't be worrying about that now.

"We were lucky, guys," announced Cyclops as he took control of the situation. "That Danger Room session was designed for intruders; people who didn't have extensive training there. But there's no time for mistakes. This exit should take us to the upper level of the mansion, where we'll make our retreat." With a signal to follow him, Cyclops broke into a run.

 "Retreat? Man, shouldn't we fight back?! I don't like the idea o' that creepy thing taking over the mansion!" Spyke exclaimed.

 "Neither do I, but you heard the Professor. We get out of here."

"And how would we fight it, yo?" Toad demanded of the skater. "You saw what it did to Magneto and Quickie."

 "All I know is that this burns," he said angrily, eyes narrowed.

"But vhat about Kitty and Avalanche?" inquired Nightcrawler as he caught up with his fearless leader. "Zhey're still back zhere. Ve have to help zhem!"

"We keep moving, Nightcrawler," said Cyclops stone-faced, hoping his voice would not betray his feelings. "There's nothing we can do for them."

* * *

"Can we make it out of here?" Avalanche asked hoarsely as another chunk of the ceiling fell through his intangible body.

"Yes—and we will." Kitty's resolve was steel, unbreakable; so unlike the boy beside her, whose mind had been violated in such an unspeakable manner. It's strange…once I needed his strength to keep me going. Now he needs mine. Please, let it be enough.

The last obstacle was the gigantic boulder that had cut Avalanche off from the rest of the fleeing party. Once the pair made it through, they'd be in the tunnel and home free, or so they hoped. The room continued to shake and any moment it felt like it would cave in. The boy and girl each took a broad step, passing through the wreckage as if they were never there, and at last escape was theirs. They hurried up the tunnel without a single glance back at the Mindcoil's misshapen body, hands clasped, blood pumping. The rumble in the chamber became distant until they ceased to hear it at all. Now the only sounds in the air were their heavy breaths.

Did the others make it out already? Kitty wondered. They had traveled far and hadn't caught up with the X-Men; there were no echoes of voices or footsteps to let them know they were close behind. Kitty was so taken by those thoughts she grew careless as she ran—and nearly scuttled over the edge of a deep, winding pit. Avalanche saw it a second before she did and grabbed hold of her small form, pulling her back. Her face was ghostly white.

 "Wh-What is that?"

"I don't know…maybe a trap door?" offered Avalanche. The gaping hole definitely hadn't been there when last they came that way. Kitty took a tiny step forward, leaning over the edge. It was pitch black, no way she could discern where it led.

"Maybe the others…" She couldn't finish her sentence. If she had any tears left, she would have cried. Were they gone? Had her friends been swallowed by this trap and killed?

Avalanche put his arms around her in a feeble attempt at consolation. His emotions were still muddled and mixed, so the apparent loss did not strike him as much as it did her. It bothered him. Still there were other pressing, more immediate concerns. "That hole's pretty big. Could we jump across it?"

Collecting herself, Kitty stepped out of his embrace. "I wouldn't try it. We, like, don't even know where it could lead." Face it, Pryde, you're stuck.

"Then there's nothing we can do."

Kitty's body then became very still, and there was a strange look in her eyes. She was listening to a voice Avalanche could not hear. "What? Professor…no!"

Avalanche put his hands on her shoulders and steadied himself, forcing her to meet his gaze. "What's wrong?"

 She regained her senses slowly, looking at him as if just awakening from a dream. "Professor X. He—He was in my head. And then he was gone, like he was suddenly cut off." She touched her temple, shaking her head.

"What did he say?"

Kitty wrapped her arms around her body as a shiver ran through her. "He said we have to go back."

* * *

There were several cries of joy when at last the not-so merry mutants reached the end of the passageway and swarmed the exit. No longer lost in the labyrinthine tunnels, they had made their way to the surface only somewhat less than whole. Nightcrawler lent his shoulder to Boom-Boom despite her quiet protests that she was fine, and Spyke could only look at Quicksilver's unconscious expression with growing dismay. Jean used her recovering telekinetic abilities to help carry the Professor, who was still deep in a telepath's trance. No one mentioned Kitty or Avalanche.

Rogue hurried down the front steps with Cyclops beside her. Unconsciously her hand brushed his. Had the circumstances been any less dire, he might have taken it. So focused on these matters the teens strode down to the front door without noticing there was no body of a shape-shifter lying at the bottom of the stairs. Had Toad or Blob been observant, they would have realized that the metal sphere Magneto had used to make his arrival was missing, as was the gaping hole in the wall where it had entered.

Cyclops reached for the knob. "It was rough, but we made it. Outside we'll get into the X-Vehicles and--" His sentence would remain unfinished as he opened the door and stepped forward…

…only to fall helplessly into a black abyss.

* * *

 "What's going on?! Where am I?!" Cyclops yelled as he continued to fall in the empty, seemingly bottomless void. He was not alone—several yards away he caught a glimpse of Nightcrawler plummeting as well. Could he teleport out of here, wherever this was? More images of his fellow mutants falling passed before his eyes. Spyke, mouth open in a silent scream; Toad, who looked like he'd fainted; Boom-Boom, eyes wide with fright; Jean Grey, flowing red hair obscuring her face.

"Jean! Jean!"

She gave no answer to his desperate shouts. It was possible that she hadn't heard them at all--or was beyond hearing. As terrible as that sight was there was one final falling figure that pushed Cyclops over the edge. Rogue. He saw her spiraling out of control, eyes closed, perhaps unconscious, and she was so very close to him. He threw out his arm. He reached for her, to touch her, grab her, prove that she was real—that this was real—but his hand passed through her ghostly body, leaving only a trail of mist where a girl had once been.

Am I going crazy?

**No, Scott Summers. Quite the opposite.**

That voice in my head…Mindcoil!

**My, but you're a clever one.**

The Danger Room…our escape from the mansion…that was all an illusion, wasn't it?

**You're partly correct. You fled my chamber and fell into my trap, never suspecting that the obstacles you faced were all part of a little fantasy I projected into your brains.**

Cyclops' anger threatened to explode. You haven't killed us, so what is this, then? Some kind of twisted game for you?

**No game. A test. I want to see for myself exactly what I'm capable of, and you all make such fine subjects for my experiments.**

Bastard! Cyclops clenched his teeth. Damn him for falling into this thing's hands! What are you? How could you overpower Professor X?!

Cyclops could sense…amusement.

**He never told you. Odd, he used to be proud of me. But do you not feel it? The familiarity, the connection between him and I? When I first touched your mind you were almost able to place it. In a manner of speaking, I am Professor X.**

With that the black void vanished, and Cyclops was floating alone as foreign images appeared around him. He was being enveloped in another elaborate illusion, one of an old-fashioned study, with hundreds of books stacked on shelves and maps and diagrams lining the walls. There was a table in front of him, and it was occupied. No, he quickly realized after recognizing the two men sitting, this was not an illusion, but a memory.

**There was a time when Charles Xavier and Erik Lensherr—who you knew as Magneto—were friends and colleagues. They represented the finest mutantkind had to offer, both remarkably intelligent and powerful men with designs on the future. They knew they were not anomalies of nature. There were other mutants in the world, and Xavier predicted more would be born with every passing age. But how to contact them?**

The younger Xavier stood, this obviously occurring long before his crippling accident, visibly agitated. He and Erik Lensherr were having a bit of a disagreement. **I was originally designed to be something like that device, Cerebro. I would locate mutants once their X genes activated and make contact with them, but I was to be nothing but a machine. Lensherr had aspirations. He wanted to go farther. For a long time he expressed interest in unlocking the true potential of homo superior, though doing so would result in genetic experimentation on mutants. He conceived of a living organism combined with Xavier's technology that would reach out and unite his people. Xavier, predictably, had none of it. Unable to come to terms, they scrapped their initial plans and I was forgotten. Time passed, and Professor X and Magneto parted ways permanently. But thoughts of me still lingered in Magneto's mind.**

Another memory appeared. It was a laboratory in the dank depths of a European castle, a scene that seemed stolen from a horror film. Cyclops saw Magneto toiling away at his massive computer, composed and deep in thought. The Mindcoil continued. **In his travels Magneto had come in contact with many telepaths and telekinetics, and he possessed some genetic material from all of them. It was with those samples he created an organism with potentially limitless psi powers augmented with Cerebro's technology, a weapon that would be under his command. I had barely begun this life when I was abandoned. Xavier's ally Wolverine had discovered the base and would have exposed everything had Magneto not destroyed his records. Later Wolverine returned to the laboratory with Xavier in tow, and I was found. I was a weak specimen, hardly alive, but he kept me, shocked, yet full of pity. He didn't know Magneto was willing to go so far.**

Now Cyclops was once again in the underground chamber, where he could see the Professor attending to the Mindcoil, smaller than the blob he had earlier seen and far more shriveled. **Magneto had one task in mind for me, a single act that was to be the reason for my existence. It was programmed into me, and it took only the slightest mental probing to discover what it was. I was the key to Project Vortex. I, with my unlimited psychic potential, would reach out and touch every single mind on earth, separate mutant from human, and attack. I would break down the walls of every individual human mind, gathering billions into one single consciousness that would collapse upon itself given its sheer magnitude, thus killing every human male, female, and child on the planet.**

A chill ran down Cyclops' spine and all color vanished from his face. There…were no words…nothing could possibly…

**I suppose you must be wondering why your precious Professor would keep me alive knowing this. In truth, I'm not entirely certain. Fatherly pride, perhaps? I'm inclined to go with unmitigated arrogance. He thought he could reason with me, instruct me to help humanity…all out of arrogance. He thought he knew me. He thought he could control me. Because, after all, he was my main genetic template.**

**I hated him. He held me back, always underestimating me, denying me the world I was made to destroy. But he's gone now. It wasn't much of a fight. He spread his powers too thin trying to shield the minds of all you youngsters and fell victim to my psychic assault. Now he's like you, lost in the void. And I am all that remains.**

But he was still just a blob trapped below the mansion, without a real body to call its own. If nothing else, there was that. There was still hope it could be stopped…

**Don't even think such a thing, Scott Summers. While it's true Pietro Maximoff was stolen from me before I could complete the personality transfer, there are still two fresh young things within my grasp. So full of vigor and life. Ripe for the taking.**

Cyclops was gripped with even more terror. Lance and Kitty. No!

* * *

 "The Professor said we have to go back and destroy it."

The quakes had, oddly enough, stopped by the time Avalanche and Kitty retraced their steps back into the entrance of the Mindcoil's chamber. Everything was still and silent. Neither liked it one bit; just what were they getting themselves into?

Destroy it, huh? Avalanche exhaled, frowning as he thought. It can read minds. It can move things at will. It killed Magneto, for god's sake! What chance do the two of us have against that thing?

While Avalanche had his doubts, Kitty put her faith in the Professor's reasoning. Her powers could get them through anything the psychic monster threw at them, and Avalanche's helmet would protect him from its devastating mental assaults. It wasn't impossible, and they would succeed. That she swore.

The girl could feel a presence in the back of her head, and it was a familiar sensation. She felt it many times in the past, whenever Xavier would telepathically contact his students. It was warm and benevolent even though it said nothing. Kitty knew then that the Professor was with them.

His eyes focusing on the tank across the wide room, Avalanche steeled himself for whatever was to come. He now understood what had happened to him, and that he had betrayed his friends and almost killed the one he loved all because of that damn floating brain. If I can kill this thing, I will. But first…I…

"Kitty…" He wanted to tell her he was sorry, that he knew everything was his fault and he wanted to atone for it, and above all he wanted to tell her he loved her. He lost his voice; it didn't matter, they had never really needed words anyway. He offered her a small smile, hoping it was enough to convey the deep, complicated feelings in his heart. She bridged the distance between their bodies by taking his hand, and the expression on her face told him she understood everything. She was still so beautiful, even after all the tears and scares. If they were characters in a movie or comic book they would have enjoyed what could easily be their last kiss, but the idea struck Avalanche as being silly and inappropriate.

There will be time enough for that later, Kitty thought, unaware they were thinking of the same thing. Yes.

Avalanche murmured, "Just…don't let go of my hand, okay?"

"Never."

And so they walked forward together, brows knitted, uncertain of what was to come. As soon as their feet stepped into the chamber the place came alive, the rubble and wreckage rising from the floor and flying towards them. Avalanche gasped though needn't have been afraid. The menacing projectiles passed harmlessly through them. They continued on, one step after another.

The foreign presence was still in Kitty's head for she could feel it in her thoughts. It was stronger now, and she heard a faint humming. She tried to ignore it even as it became an angry buzz. It was like static blocking her receptions. No…what was wrong with her? Why couldn't she think clearly all of a sudden? Why now? Rubbing her temple with her free hand she fought to keep her mind on what was going on around her. Get to the Mindcoil. Destroy it.

It was louder still. The sound was too much—it was starting to cloud her thoughts and ruin her concentration. She couldn't get a grip on herself. It started to hurt. Professor…why are you…?

But then it hit her just as the real pain struck. It wasn't her precious Professor Xavier in her head, but rather his terrible creation.

No!

A small boulder hit Avalanche's chest. It struck the armor plates in his uniform and did no damage, but he had felt it, and that was perhaps worse. He was tangible again. His eyes darted to Kitty, hunched forward holding her head. She squeezed his hand so hard her nails dug into his skin.

 "Are you all right?!"

She wanted to scream, Get out of here, now! Instead she fell to her knees, her hand slipping out of her lover's like a slick, dead fish. She couldn't even keep herself intangible, for the Mindcoil had shut off her access to her powers. In one stroke he had reduced her to nothing but a quivering mess on the floor.

Kitty! Avalanche swallowed the vicious truth that he couldn't do anything for her. He was unable to share her pain, but maybe he could end it. It took every bit of his strength to walk away from the suffering girl, and he forced himself to move fast. There was no way he was going to be taken out. He was going to reach the Mindcoil. Then the pain would stop.

His training as an X-Man had made him fast and improved his reflexes, and while ducking and dodging the clumsily thrown rubble was no easy feat, he was moving forward. Baring his teeth, pushing his body to the limit despite its aches and injuries, he was almost at the tank. Hold on, Kitty, hold on, he thought, lips twisting into a wicked grin, I'm going to crush this ugly bastard with my bare hands.

The Mindcoil had no intention of letting him succeed. Avalanche was near him now, hands outstretched, a mad gleam in his eye. So sure of an imminent victory that he didn't hear the chunk of titanium rising from the ravaged floor. Kitty saw the quick flash of movement behind him but could do nothing. There was a bloodcurdling sound as the metal impacted against the back of Avalanche's skull, shattering his helmet. In shock, the boy collapsed. Avalanche was gone.

And the Mindcoil was free to do its work.

* * *

Scott Summers was falling helplessly into the black night. It was a scene engraved into his mind since that fateful night and replayed itself in his nightmares often. There was no moon or stars in the heavens to give him light, but then the sky suddenly exploded, orange and red fire raining down on his young, tumbling body. He saw the burning wreckage and knew it was the remnants of his parent's small plane. His family—Mom, Dad, and little Alex—were all gone. And soon he would be too. There was no parachute to stop his rapid descent. He hadn't been able to save them, and he was filled with the terrible knowledge that he had failed his new family too. He was just a child, curse him, unable to do anything except fall. Who could protect them now?

Tabitha Smith was home again, or rather, at the old house back in Roanoke.  She opened the door quietly, sneaking back in after a long night of partying, hoping she wouldn't wake her mom. She always freaked out when Tabitha left, and as annoying as it was, she knew deep down the woman was only worried about her. Creeping down the hall, she slipped in something, almost falling. Cursing, she groped for the light switch and flicked it on. She nearly screamed. On the floor was her mother, and Tabitha had slipped on the congealing pool of blood where her head had been smashed in. Then she saw him standing in the doorframe, lead pipe in hand.

"You're coming with me, Tabby," he said, his voice low with a harsh ring. "Your powers are going to make me rich."

"Oh my god! Dad!"

Kurt Wagner felt hands grabbing at him, pushing him along the dirt path. His arms bound behind his back, he was shoved onto a platform where coarse rope was tied around his body, chaining him to something. He could hear jeers, angry shouts, and voices madly condemning him to hell. The blindfold was ripped from his eyes and he saw the horror for himself. He was tied to a stake, ready to be burned. Gasping, he recognized the people from his village in Bavaria, but among the vile faces he saw his teammates, the X-Men. Grinning viciously, Scott carried a keg of kerosene and splashed it about the wood at Kurt's feet, while Jean laughed and Kitty waved a matchbox in front of his face, striking a match and letting it burn out on her fingertips one by one.

  "Kill the demon!" Evan cried.

"Yes!" screamed Jean. "Burn him alive!"

"No! Don't do zhis!" Kurt begged, looking for mercy in the beloved faces. "I am your friend!"

Kitty sneered, "I am no friend to this ugly freak! Cleanse the earth with our holy fire!"

The girl known only as Rogue found herself in a cemetery on a murky night, the moon shining down on her full and white. Spanish moss draped crumbling mausoleums and there was a statue of an angel in the distance partially hidden by the heavy mist, a ghostly figure in the darkness. There was a strange feeling in the air and she removed a glove, just in case.

Then there was a sharp sound, like a window breaking or something being smashed. She turned her head in the direction of the noise, but saw nothing amiss. She crept past one of the open mausoleums, and was grabbed by the shoulder. Spinning around, Rogue was horrified by the sight in front of her. Cody. She knew who he was, as part of him still remained inside her. But this wasn't the robust, blue-eyed boy she had briefly known—this Cody was a rotting cadaver, a skeleton with gaunt flesh hanging off its bones, his mouth open in a sneer. As she tried to run from him bony hands tore through the loose soil under her feet, groping for her legs. The corpses pulled themselves back up from their shallow graves, moaning like the damned. She knew them all. Avalanche. Storm. Jean Grey. Mystique. There was one last face that shouldn't have been there.

"Scott!"

They were mummies, sucked dry of their life force by a creature more contemptible than any vampire. Their powers, their memories, every thing that made them who they were had been stolen from them. There was no way to apologize or make amends. It was impossible to put things right. And now they wanted vengeance.

Kitty Pryde was losing herself. She was on her knees clutching her throbbing head as it was assaulted by a psychic presence. She had never known such agony—it was something akin to a pickaxe being thrust into one's cerebral cortex again and again. The pain was so blinding she didn't feel the change take place. There was a rustle of material and a chill, and opening her sweat-stung eyes she saw she had phased through her clothes. Now naked, she was filled with terror as she realized she was slowly sinking. Her body had become intangible on its own will, and she couldn't stop it.

Kitty could see Avalanche far away, his back turned as he marched away from her. "Lance! Lance!" She screamed over and over again but he paid her no mind. He didn't even turn to look at her. "Lance! I'm falling--! Help me, please!" She threw out her hand as her waist disappeared into the cold floor. Please take it, she begged. Please pull me up and help me! This can't be happening—it can't! No! I need you!

Her prayers were not answered. She screamed and screamed until her mouth phased through the floor, and then Kitty was lost.

* * *

Lance Alvers knew that this was all familiar. The last thing he recalled was the sound of his helmet breaking on impact. There was no feeling of pain or memory of hitting the floor. Everything had dissolved into black. Here he was again, alone in a dark void. His consciousness took shape, reforming his body as it remembered it—lean yet muscular body, long brown hair, dark eyes, a black X-Man uniform clothing his form. Then, suddenly, he was no longer alone. There was a voice in the void calling out to him.

The world around him formed itself as well, and now he stood. It was a chamber fashioned much like the one the Mindcoil spent its life in, but the once sterile walls were now colorful, with red curtains surrounding him and swaying in a non-existent breeze, the floor psychedelic black and white zigzags. He heard something shuffling nearby, like footsteps. Someone called out his name, and Lance recognized it immediately. The curtains in front of him parted and he stared at none other than himself.

"Avalanche" returned the even gaze, though he did not look so shocked or confused. Standing tall in the black, brown, and gray armor of the Avalanche that had been brainwashed into joining the Brotherhood of Mutants, he wore a small, confident smile.

"What are you supposed to be," Lance sneered, looking his doppelganger over, "my evil twin? My dark half?"

Avalanche put his hands on his hips and shook his head, curling his upper lip. When he spoke it was like listening to a recording of his voice, fundamentally the same, yet sounding off to his own ears. "Huh. Try choice c: none of the above. In fact, I'm probably a lot more whole than you are." He flicked the X insignia on Lance's belt. "I don't hide behind this."

"Whatever." Lance waved him off with a curt dismissal. "This is all a trick. I know it." As soon as those words left his mouth realization hit him. Losing the helmet, blacking out, being here and having this conversation…

 "We failed." His voice was a whisper.

Avalanche broke into a wide grin. "That's right."

"So…what's going on? Is the Mindcoil just…"

"It's doing what it was created to do." On that particularly pleasant note, Avalanche snapped his fingers, and the scarlet curtains to the right of them were pulled back, revealing a large wall of television screens, all broadcasting a different image.

Lance's eyes darted from screen to screen, recognizing all the faces. On one he saw Tabitha being menaced by a bulky older man wielding a pipe, and on another Kurt howled as flames roasted his flesh, a horrible sight juxtaposed with people's joyous shouts. One stopped his heart; it was Kitty, naked and sobbing as she phased uncontrollably through the layers of rock under the earth's surface until she would inevitably phase through the planet—

"What the hell is this?!" Lance lunged toward the image of himself, grabbing him by the neck.

Avalanche shoved the hands away and looked at the X-Man in barely-disguised disgust. "The Mindcoil is testing itself. Right now it's picking apart the brains of your friends and enemies and turning their own minds against them. A pretty inventive form of torture, if you want my opinion."

Ignoring the last bit Lance demanded, "Then why am I here? Am I supposed to just stand here and watch?!"

"Sort of," answered his companion. "The Mindcoil's interested in you. You were the last one to fall. You even outlasted Xavier! That's no small feat, you know. You're probably still going to die, but at least you get to see and understand what's happening."

Lance buried his face in his hands, trying to block it all out as frustration, fury and terror threatened to drive him over the edge. "Oh god. Kitty." The following words were for her only. "I'm sorry…I don't know what to do."

 "Hey! Do you want to pay attention here?!" snapped Avalanche.

Having fallen silent, Lance looked up from his hands.

"All right, as I was saying, it's taking them apart. For some of them, their worst nightmares are bad memories they tried to hide deep inside themselves--" He pointed to one image of a little Ororo Munroe crushed under wreckage of her house, weeping for her lost mother, "--and others are fears of what could be." His finger moved to the scene of Fred Dukes locked behind the bars of a circus cage, gawked at by snickering hicks because all he could do was eat and cry. "But it's all the same, really."

Lance balled his hands into fists. "How can you talk like that? Like it—doesn't mean anything—like you don't care--!"

Again, that disgusted look. He reminded him of Pietro Maximoff, in that he wanted to punch him in the face. "I don't care, Lance, and really, why should you? The X-Men aren't your friends. I wouldn't be surprised if they never trusted you at all. And the Brotherhood sure as hell aren't," he stopped to chuckle, "I don't think I need to say why. I guess Kitty's the only one who really matters, huh?"

Lance stiffened.

"Was she really worth it all? Kitty's just a silly little valley girl. Sure, it's cool to date a rebel, but girls like her don't stick around. They marry the captain of the football team or maybe the class president, get facials every week and have a litter of girls who grow up to be just like them. Guys like you become a memory." He walked over to Lance and put an arm over his shoulder, raising his eyebrows as he asked, "Be honest, was she even that good a lay?"

"Shut up!" With that angry yell Lance pushed him away, seething.

"It was just a question! Come on, Lance, you can talk to me. You joined the X-Geeks for her. All the choices you made were for her sake, not yours. I know you weren't really happy with those guys. Playing it by the rules, keeping on the straight and narrow…how boring. What happened to the Lance Alvers who stole cars for fun and used his powers to scare delivery boys when he didn't want to pay for his pizza? You got soft for her, man. And she betrayed you."

Lance raised his hand to stop him. "No." He took a few deep breaths. "That was Mystique, not Kitty. I knew it. Deep in my heart I--"

"Never trust what your heart says. It will only get you into trouble."

Lance shook his head, putting on a grim expression. "I refuse to listen to this. You won't turn me against her. Nothing ever will again."

"Fine then, let's pretend. How do you think she would react if she found out her entire relationship with you was just a lie? Would she stay by your side if she knew the truth?"

"Excuse me?"

Avalanche folded his arms over his chest. "Remember the day you first met? The poor confused girl and her valiant protector. Some hero. Of course she had no idea why you really asked her to meet you in that spot outside the offices. Oh no, you're a good guy, there's no way you'd ever use her to steal for you."

Lance ran his fingers through his hair and swallowed hard. "What I did was wrong—I already fucking know that! God knows I'm sorry for it. That's who I was, who I'm not anymore. I've changed!"

"You haven't done anything but wear a mask. You put it on the minute you approached her in the school hallway, picking up her books and acting like a friend. You wanted her right from the start. You hid behind the X so you could have her." With a look of scorn he lowered his tone. "You were always such a child, Lance. Wanting to be good so someone would love you. Your parents, Kitty…you sacrifice yourself for them again and again, and they always leave you in the same state."

"Alone." Lance stared down at his hands as he clenched them into fists and slowly released them. He repeated the action. He looked up slowly at Avalanche. It was like gazing into a distorted mirror. Through a glass darkly? His left eye ticked. "Christ…what are you?"

Avalanche gave a deceptively friendly chuckle. "I'm…an alternative."

"What?"

"Like I said, Lance, I'm you. A version of you that never was. Part of me was created by your fears and the question 'what if.' The Mindcoil completed me and brought me here."

Lance recoiled and threw down his hands. "You're no part of me!"

Avalanche stepped toward him and roughly grabbed him, putting their palms together. "Feel me. I'm real, see? So don't go thinking you're crazy for talking to yourself."

Lance pulled away. "Stop this."

"No." He was grinning again, damn him. Around them the televisions flickered, their images changing. Now the dozens of screens all projected Avalanche's wicked expression. "Do you know what I am now, Lance?"

He shook his head slowly.

"Your nightmare."

* * *

Lance was back at the beginning, in Northbrook. Leaning against the outside of the school office, he looked up and saw Kitty quietly approach. Riley and Amy hadn't attacked her on the way there, and they never would.

"H-How do you take control?" she asked with a small tremble.

Lance smirked.

It was easy. Kitty phased through the wall and opened the door for him, and they were in, just like that. In the thrill of the moment she threw her arms around him.

"Did you see me? Did you?"

"Yeah!" he lied. "Wow Kitty, how did it feel?"

"It was, like, totally unbelievable!"

I'll say, he thought, enjoying the feeling of her body pressed against his. "You're making it yours, Kitty. Once you own it, nothing can own you."

But her smile vanished when it became clear what the whole thing was about.

"Cheating?!" she cried incredulously. Her illusion of him was cracking. "This doesn't feel right!"

What did she think they were going to do? It wasn't as if he was being selfish, after all, he was going to modify her grades first. No victim, no problem. The way she was acting up she'd ruin everything. Lance grabbed her to stop her from fleeing.

The door burst open. "Let go of my daughter!"

Shit. It was her dad, along with that redhead bitch from the drama room. Well, they weren't going to take her away from him. Finder's keepers, right?

"They're just going to confuse you, Kitty!" Using his powers to knock over a row of books, he took care of Mr. Pryde. As a result of his anger the office rumbled and shook, and in a few minutes the whole place would be coming down.

Jean Grey shielded the Prydes and herself from the crumbling roof. Her eyes bore into Kitty. "You called your gift a curse. If you go with him, I guarantee you it will be!"

"Please, Kitty, listen to her!" sobbed Kitty's mother.

Her father added for effect, "Sweetheart, we love you!"

Yeah, like either of you really care. You're just afraid.  She doesn't need you anymore. She belongs with me! "Forget them!" Making an exit, he half-dragged her across the room. "You're with me now!"

"No, I'm not!" Kitty phased herself out of his grip and ran toward her family. She made her choice…and he wasn't it. The earth reacted to his cry of outrage and the ceiling collapsed, crushing her underneath its weight. Horrorstruck at what he had unintentionally done, Lance did the only thing he could. He ran for it.

It was much later from a hillside that he saw she had survived along with her family. Her powers had done it, of course. Lance didn't know what to feel as she held her parents' hands and spoke with Red and Xavier. They all hugged. Oh, make me puke, why don't you. Fuck.

"I'd say you've blown your chances at this school, haven't you?"

He turned; the voice belonged to a tall dark-haired woman he had never seen before. "And you are…?"

She smiled. "Your new advisor. I've made an opening for you at Bayville High." To his surprise, Mystique revealed her true face. "I have much to teach you, my young Avalanche."

Stop this…these images in my head…they aren't mine! They aren't mine!

Proudly decked out in his new Brotherhood livery, Avalanche and his teammates were eager for their first real fight against their bitter rivals. Pacing around a dusty storage room at school, the X-Men had the gizmo that had trapped Kurt in another dimension, and the Brotherhood boys wanted it for their own. It wasn't surprising that the X-Man Avalanche chose to corner was the one who had turned their back to him that fateful day in Northbrook. He pointed a finger in an attempt at intimidation. "You and me got a date, Pretty Kitty!" He stomped his foot, turning the floor into one giant seismic wave. "How about a ride on the concrete coaster?"

He didn't hurt her, of course. Shadowcat rode the wave and passed through the wall, reappearing once it ended with a landing she'd learned in martial arts. She took a fighting stance, her ponytail whipping behind her. Bring it on, her body seemed to say. "Lousy ride, loser!"

My head…Holy God, get out!

Despite the incident at their old school and the constant battles against each other, Lance still thought of Kitty. He couldn't figure it out. All he knew was that he liked her, and sometimes it drove him mad late at night, thinking of her with the X-Freaks. She should have just gone with him. Things would have been better that way. His feelings showed no signs of leaving, and after a while he decided to make his move. He could convince her he was a decent guy, no problem. However his flirting and an attempt to show off had nearly resulted in a member of the Bayville High faculty being crushed under a falling scoreboard. He had followed her outside the gym, trying to apologize. She wasn't having any of it.

"Come on, Kitty, don't be mad. I said I was sorry."

As the Brotherhood snickered behind him in the jeep, Kitty glowered. "Lance, you can be such a jerk sometimes--!" She tried to walk away, but Lance took her by the wrist, forcing her to look at him. Couldn't she see he was sincere?!

"Alvers! Leave her alone." Oh great, Summers. Just what he needed.

Kitty rubbed her wrist after phasing out of his grasp. She eyed Scott as he stormed down the sidewalk.

"Go recharge your batteries, Goggle-Boy! This is between me and her."

Scott touched his shades. "Oh yeah? Well now it's between you and me."

"Come on, Summers!" Lance shoved him, egging him on. "Let's see your eyeballs blast me through the fence! Right here, right now!"

Ever aware of the curious students hanging around them, Kitty interposed herself between the two, pleading with her team leader. "Scott, don't let him bait you. He knows we can't do that stuff out in the open!"

Taking a deep breath, Scott listened to her. Straightening himself he gave the assembled Brotherhood one last sneer. He walked away. "Come on, Kitty."

Feeling Lance's eyes on her she scowled at him, the expression on her face making it very clear what she thought of him.

Get this out of my head! I don't want to see! I don't want to know! Kitty!

More memories unfolded. Exchanging blows with Cyclops on a rain-soaked soccer field…watching their new recruit Tabitha explode the soda machine--breaking rules and appliances you'd fit right in at our place--Kitty looking into his eyes not with love but contempt, beating his chest with her fists, cursing him, calling him a hood…enraged by her words, pushing her away crashing cars right through her that's right never be good enough for you how dare she talk to me this way it was all so real.

A tiny part of him remained aware of what was going on. The Mindcoil was inside him, using his memories and fears to create a nightmare world that would drive him to the breaking point. Even so, he couldn't fight it. The "memories" of the other Avalanche engulfed him completely; Lance started to lose his hold on which life was real, and which was the fabrication. The Mindcoil was nothing if not efficient.

"See?" The tape recorder voice spoke again. "Wouldn't it be wonderful if you were me?"

Lance remained frozen as the specter of Avalanche appeared before him, coming closer. Then it happened. The apparition phased through him, and for a few moments he was terrified as their separate beings merged, becoming one and the same—Lance or Avalanche which one are you—and Avalanche left him just as quickly, leaving his thoughts in Lance's mind like an oil slick, black and foul. He was going to be sick.

And Lance screamed.

* * *

Rogue had given up her struggling long ago. The zombies of those she had imprinted overpowered her, biting, scratching and clawing, and she let them do it, tears streaming down her pale cheeks, mixing with the blood. She deserved this. The pain and the terror she felt must have been nothing compared to what they had all suffered at her hands. This pain was only physical; she had violated their minds, stolen their lives.

A scream that was not her own rang in her ears, deafening her. Rogue's eyes opened wide as the living dead shrieked at the piercing sound, exploding in a cloud of dust. She tumbled onto her backside in shock as her tormenters vanished. The tears and marks on her flesh were gone. She wasn't even covered in blood. What had happened?

Kurt sputtered and coughed as dark smoke filled his lungs. His tears burned away by the rising flames, he tried to squeeze his eyes shut to block out the terror. And try as he might, he couldn't teleport. The sounds of his friends' righteous cheers were all he could hear. Delirious with pain, he wasn't even able to muster a prayer to heaven for the safe voyage of his soul. Soon it would be all over…

But then a cry of pain and horror ripped through the air, drowning out everything. Suddenly the flames licking at Kurt's body no longer hurt, and a great wind swept them back into the crowd of villagers and villainous friends, where they burned and scorched them till they were nothing but ash. Kurt trembled as his terrible burns healed themselves. The shackles around him turned to rust and fell off his limbs, useless. Overcome by emotion, Kurt fell to his knees and brought his three-fingered hands together, praying in thanks.

"How could you do it, Dad?" Tabitha wailed, looking down at her mother's freshly dead body. Her glassy eyes were open and lifeless, and a small trickle of blood ran down her lips and neck, staining her sweatshirt. The expression frozen on her face was of pure fright.

"I didn't want to, but the stupid bitch got in my way. Now don't put up a fight, Tabby," he cautioned, extending a hand for her to take. Come quietly, his sinister eyes instructed. "I need your powers to help with a little business deal o' mine. I'm your father and you'll do as I say."

Her left hand hidden behind her back, Tabitha formed one of her energy bombs in her palm. It was the largest she had created in a long time. "No…I won't!" She flung her hand forward, tossing the explosive. It burst in his face, blinding him. The blonde took the opportunity and ran but he leapt after her, grabbing her before she could reach the door and knocking her to the floor. His face red and blistered, he raised the pipe over his head just as a loud, foreign scream shattered all the windows in the house…

…and he fell to the floor, dead as the proverbial dodo.

Phasing through the ground always made Kitty tense; it reminded her of being buried alive. Even with all her training there was still the lingering fear that one time she'd lose control and end up solid in a layer of solid rock. She wanted to stop her rapid phasing, but the thought of dying under the earth's crust was just as terrifying as her only other option. She was barely sixteen years old, and she didn't want to die. Not like this. Naked and alone, frightened out of her mind, Kitty wept.

There was a distant rumble, and Kitty's unwelcoming surroundings began to change. Layers of rock twisted and distorted, then seemed to liquefy. The rumblings continued, increasing her fear, getting louder and louder until she understood what it was she was hearing: a boy's scream. Opening her eyes, Kitty exclaimed, "Lance!"

The illusion around her cracked, and Kitty awoke to the real world. Clothed and solid, curled in the fetal position on the floor of the Mindcoil's chamber, she shivered.

* * *

In the depths of his consciousness, Lance fell onto the projection of a floor, his breaths strained and heavy. He had no idea what had just occurred, save that it had been extremely painful and there were a variety of strange memories and thoughts floating around inside him, making his mind a very crowded place.

The doppelganger frowned. "All the televisions exploded," he mused, distraught. "You couldn't have done this. Or could you?" He circled the fallen rock-tumbler and then seemed to twitch. "Something's…wrong. For some reason the Mindcoil can't kill you off. Its powers are failing it. This is way weird."

"Is it?" moaned Lance as he picked himself off the black and white floor.

"You shouldn't still be here," scolded Avalanche. "That contact was supposed to destroy you."

Lance broke into want might have been a smile; under the circumstances it looked more like a grimace. "Guess you don't know me that well, huh?"

Avalanche twitched again, and that time it was plainer to see. He touched his face as if suffering from a migraine.

"What's wrong? You don't look so good."

Avalanche was no longer amused. Fidgeting, he pressed his lips together. This isn't right, this isn't right at all.

"Maybe the big bad Mindcoil isn't so great and terrible after all." Lance wearily took a small step toward his other self.

"It's just coming into its powers, and must have strained itself. Don't worry, you'll be dead soon enough." Ah, now he was defensive.

"No…I don't think so." He shook his head, eyes wide and bloodshot. "I saw them, in my head, when I screamed…Kitty, Summers, and all the others. I think they're gonna be waking up soon."

"Don't kid yourself. It was over the moment you stepped into the chamber." But was it really? Avalanche was an extension of the Mindcoil; it could feel the confusion and fury of his master. And Lance was right. It was losing its hold on the captive mutants and they were stirring. This didn't make sense. The Mindcoil's powers were unlimited.

"Ahhh-aauugggghhhhh!" Avalanche let out an agonizing moan, his whole body starting to convulse. When the shaking stopped, it was a different voice coming from his mouth. "No more time for pleasantries," the Mindcoil rasped, lifting his hand and clenching a fist.

The simple action sent a blast of pain directly to Lance's thoughts, enough to make him reel back like being at the receiving end of a punch to the face. Meant to be a final, killing blow, it vexed the Mindcoil very much to see him still standing on shaky legs. To aggravate it further, Lance was now laughing.

It seethed. "How…? This can't be!"

**You condemned me for my arrogance, yet are undone because of your own.** A new, distorted voice filled the room with its sound. Lance gasped in both shock and relief.

The Mindcoil's tone lost its monotone quality, and clearly frantic, it cried out, "No! This is wrong! You…you're…"

**Lost in the void? Is that how you put it? I'm surprised you thought I could be defeated so easily. We are essentially the same being, are we not? ** A man stepped through the curtains. There was no mistaking who he was.

Avalanche's face contorted with rage, his eyes bulging out of their sockets. Lance's senses tingled as the air around him came alive with psychic energy. He felt out of place in his own consciousness as the two telepathic giants squared off.

**I've been here all along, slowly creeping into your mind, blocking you off. I told you I intended to correct my mistake, and you won't be hurting anyone anymore.** There was anger in his voice. The following words, however, contained sadness and regret. **Lance, it's time for you to go.**

"It's much too late for that, Xavier!" The twisted mockery of Lance Alvers hissed, reaching out and ruthlessly grabbing his weakened reflection by the hair. "This one is already mine!" With a long finger he caressed the X-Man's cheek like a prized possession. "I've touched his soul. I've tasted it! His needs, his dreams, and his fears—I've shared them! I am he, and he is me."

Somehow, Lance found it within him to take hold of the doppelganger's arms encircling him. His grip tightened, fingers latching onto the skin. "No…" Exposing his clenched teeth, furrowing his brow, Lance repeated the word. "No. I…"

The red curtain room, the place formed in the rock-tumbler's mind, started to fall apart. A single mighty tremor shook it to its very foundations, the destroyed television screens disappearing, the floor beneath them vanishing, and the three figures fell into the nothingness. Avalanche fought to keep his grip on the struggling Lance, but his fingers slipped through his ghostly self. There was nothing to hold onto. There was a bitten-of yell as hands latched onto him, holding him back. Xavier's mental projection had it in his grasp, and his hands disappeared inside its chest cavity despite its mad thrashings, melding their two selves into one. Xavier looked down at Lance as he faded from view. Yes, he told himself, this was right. Where they were going, Lance could not follow.

Damn you! I won't let you take me! He is mine!

"…I…"

If I cannot kill your mind…

"I am not you!"

And Lance woke. He was back, his mind more or less intact. He had made it out of the nightmare. A small, relieved noise escaped his lips as he pulled himself off the floor littered with debris, no longer part of the wreckage. His dark brown eyes focused on the tank in front of him, most importantly the fleshy blob inside it. Reaching out, he flexed his fingers. The hurt between his ears had disappeared. He was calm, focused, in control, his powers at his mercy. He knew who he was. He was going to kill the Mindcoil. One step forward, and a voice in the void…

                 

If I cannot kill your mind…

Lance stopped, his mouth hanging open. The boy's arms fell limply at his sides. His eyes wide as saucers, he closed them so as not to see the pipe sticking out of his abdomen.

…I will kill your body.

The wave of pain crashed over him all at once, taking him under its tow. Eyelids flickering, he caught a fleeting glimpse of a piece of sheet metal being lifted and hurtling toward him in a flash, its sharp edges eager to decapitate him. He had come so far and suffered so much, and in a moment it would all come to an end. The sad truth was, he suddenly didn't mind…

The blow never came. Instead there was the tiniest tingling as the sheet passed through him, clattering on the ground. He felt something else; a body, small and trembling, pressed against his back, arms wrapped around his waist and clinging to him for dear life. Kitty sobbed into the back of his uniform.

He was still alive.

**Yes,** said a warm, sad voice in the back of his head, **you know what you must do.**

Yeah, Professor. I know.

Two shaky hands wrapped around the lead pipe, and steeling himself for the agony, Lance pulled it out. He was extremely lucky it hadn't gone right through him. Letting the Mindcoil's crude weapon fall to the floor, his fingers sought Kitty's. Lance moved his head and stared into her glistening eyes. A moment passed between them, and they seemed to read each other's thoughts. Kitty gave him her body to lean on and forced herself to ignore the blood streaming down his middle. Fingers intertwined, they marched on.

The hideous blob that had terrorized them twitched like mad. Perhaps it was panicking. It tried to invade their thoughts, but those doors were closed to it now. Trapped in its shell, it fought to strike them down telekinetically but could only send a few small boulders their way, which of course they phased through with little effort.

Back in the depths of its mental plane Xavier still struggled to keep his creation in his grasp. It fought, kicked, and screamed, using everything in its power to break away. It didn't want to die.

Xavier was filled with self-reproach. He was not the one who had given this poor creature life, but his burden was just as great. His folly had almost destroyed his home and his students, everything he held to be precious and right. He remembered words Logan had once spoken to him: Charles, this is bad news. It's just a brain--this thing has no heart or soul. No right to exist.

Ah, alas and alack. I regret not listening to you then, my friend.

Lance and Kitty were upon it now. In one fluid motion their joined hands reached out, phasing through the amniotic fluid and the Mindcoil, shorting out its mechanical bits and pieces.

**I will not die!** Frenzied, the Mindcoil's astral projection lashed out at Xavier, striking him back when he was momentarily lost in thought. It could feel its physical body slowly begin to perish. It was inevitable, it realized to its horror; Lance and Kitty would not spare it and there was no other body left for it to take. It wasted none of its limited time. **If you try to take me, I won't go alone!**

"Lance!"

"It's not me!" the injured boy insisted as the chamber rattled and rumbled under a tremendous force. Kitty shrieked as the ceiling started to fold in on itself with a great, frightening lurch. The world above, below, and around them was coming to pieces. It was more than the chamber—now the entire mansion was on the verge of collapse.

It knows what it's doing! It's going to bring all of us down with it! It was possible for Kitty to phase herself and her companion to safety though the exertion would be a nightmare, but what about her friends who were still trapped in the mansion somewhere? What of the X-Men?

* * *

**Scott, wake up!**

Cyclops jerked awake. Lying on his back and surrounded by bodies, he saw that they were once again in the Danger Room, where they had been all along. He was tired, disoriented. Bits and pieces of the imaginary escape, the Mindcoil's explanation of its origins, and the plane crash—oh god, the plane crash—danced in his mind. Jean, Nightcrawler, and the others were starting to rise up as well. That voice, just now…that wasn't the Mindcoil. The Professor? What on Earth is happening?

"Man, have Ah got one killer headache," Rogue lamented, scratching her sore back. Still groggy, it hadn't quite sunk in yet that she was on the metallic floor of the Danger Room, not safe in bed.

Exorcising thoughts of her nightmare from her mind, a concerned Jean went to Cyclops. She gently touched his shoulder. "Scott, are you—ahh!" She fell back as a tremor ripped through the place, jarring the rest of the sleepers awake.

"What's with the quakes?!" shouted Spyke.

Avalanche or the Mindcoil: it didn't matter who or what was responsible. All Cyclops knew was this earthquake was seriously major—even the reinforced walls of the Danger Room were showing signs of duress—and they had to get out. "Everyone, move!"

No one, not even the Brotherhood, was going to argue. Running for their lives they filed through the emergency exit that would lead back to the mansion. Cyclops cradled Xavier in his arms and didn't notice how deathly pale he had become. At that moment only one thing mattered: survival.

* * *

I am not going to lose you, Lance thought to Kitty as another loud sound signaled the immanent collapse of the ceiling. He was losing a lot of blood and it was so hard to focus; however the thought repeated itself again and again. But then a small voice belonging to the one that shielded him from the Mindcoil spoke, telling him about the others that had been ensnared by the beast.

 **They're all right and they're trying to escape, but they need time. You have to give them time, Lance.**

Time.

Shutting his eyes, Lance blocked out the pain shooting through every inch of him. Outstretching his hand, still clinging to Kitty, he concentrated on the tremors. He was called Avalanche, rock-tumbler even, and this was what made him a mutant. Geological manipulation. There was a place deep inside where he could feel the earth and rock below him. It could loosely be defined as a connection, and he had used it often to shake things up and tear the world apart. But—was it possible to do the opposite?

He focused, slowly curling his fingers back. He could feel the earth move; it pounded and pulsed like blood pumping through a vein. His eyes rolled back, turning white, and a low, strained growl could be heard from behind his clenched teeth. There was a dull throb in his temple. Lance swallowed hard and listened to the ground. Stop. Stop, stop, stop, he told it, wishing it could hear him. As the rumblings continued he pressed himself harder; the throbbing got worse. It was like the headaches he suffered when his powers first emerged, but in his condition he wasn't able to shrug them off. The more he used his mutant gifts the less it hurt, but in all his time he had never unleashed a force like this, or willed such destruction. Nevertheless, he had to contain it.

Kitty gasped, astounded. Acting as Lance's anchor she witnessed the incredible strain he put himself under to hold back the earthquake; she had never seen him use his powers like that, and was simply stunned that it was working. The results weren't much, but the tremors slowed down with their force diminished, and the floor beneath them became stable ground. Her arm wrapped around Lance's, Kitty allowed herself to smile in relief before making the mistake of looking down. Numb with horror, she was unable to utter a sound. Red liquid was dripping from Lance's wound, collecting in a gruesome puddle underneath his feet. His free hand applied pressure to it, but he was weak, exhausted…and dying.

"Ugghhhn…!" Lance's teeth tore into his bottom lip as he crumpled forward, unable to stand any longer. The weight was just too much to bear.

"Lance! Oh god no, Lance!"

Crying…Kitty's crying. It registered, but he could hardly hear her. So tired, and sick of it all…a crack appeared in the mental dam he had erected to hold back the seismic force, growing in size until the whole thing crumbled at once, sweeping over him.

I'm sorry…Kitty…

And the walls came tumbling down.

* * *

Underneath the main staircase's balcony, a bloody and broken Mystique stirred. Jarred into consciousness by the tremors, she moaned. The pain was agonizing, but it was proof she still lived, and for that much she was glad. She never paused to think why her hair was frazzled like she had stuck a finger into an electric outlet, or why her upper body was blistered and burned. The mansion was falling down all around her and it was time to leave.

A large raven took to the air, its wings flapping frantically as it flew out the gargantuan hole in the mansion's wall and into the early morning horizon. Injured, it did not soar very far, and eventually made a harsh landing on the forest floor. The metamorph's control slipped, and the raven reverted back to its true shape. Mystique took long, heavy breaths while she tried to steady herself and shake off the sting of her wounds. She bit her lower lip till it bled.

Rogue turned on me, she thought bitterly, reflecting on her devastating tumble. After everything I did for her. Ungrateful little wretch! Couldn't she see that everything I did was for her? Her…and her brother? They wouldn't have had to live in fear, cowering in the shadows and hiding who they really are. Not like me. They…would have been free! If only I had gotten the Mindcoil!

The Mindcoil! Mystique's thoughts took a sharp new turn. This is not at all what Irene promised me.

On that thought there was a rustling in the foliage somewhere behind her, barely audible over the distant rumblings from the Xavier mansion. She was no longer alone. With a snarl she rose to her feet and bolted in the opposite direction. One of her arms was broken and hung limp at her side, but luckily her legs were still in working condition. She picked up her pace, pushing herself as hard as she could, but still she could hear it behind her, closing in like a predator. She threw her head back to hopefully catch a glimpse of her pursuer, but carelessly slammed into something very hard right in front of her. Mystique fell.

Wolverine took a menacing step forward and raised a balled fist. Three long adamantiam claws were released from their sheaths. Snikt!

"Well, well, well. Fancy meeting you here."

* * *

It was over quickly. When the ceiling of the Mindcoil's chamber collapsed it was crushed; glass shards, orange liquid, and gray matter jelly covering the floor only to be buried under brick and metal.

Before it died, the Mindcoil screamed. No one could hear it of course, except for Xavier, who remained with it until the very last moments. The body was gone, the final door slammed shut in its face, and it was lost in its own inner darkness. Lost…it had lost. It was all over now…right?

"Augh—auuughh!" Professor Xavier gnashed his teeth, squirming, flailing his arms, and finally went totally limp. Cyclops stopped short when his mentor seemingly came back to life, only to become frightened again when he stopped moving. At that moment part of the northern wing of the mansion gave way, and there was a terrible noise as it did. The people huddling behind Cyclops made several alarmed cries as they reached the end of the line. They made it to the surface.

"The whole place is coming down!" Boom-Boom shrieked, leaning against the wall for support.

"Jean!"

"I'm on it, Storm!" the girl responded, bringing her hands to her temple and shielding them all under a protective bubble as they hurried down the hall to reach the doors. She hissed under the strain. "I don't know how long I can hold it!" As if on cue the roof over their heads groaned and buckled. Rubble rained down on the shield.

"Just keep moving!" Cyclops roared over all the commotion. They were almost at the door, come on, come on, they could make it…

"Ahh!" Jean wailed. The weight atop her telekinetic bubble was too great; she was slipping.

Nightcrawler loaned his shoulder to the hobbling Boom-Boom and cried out, "Cyclops, ve're not going to--"

"Don't even say that!" his leader shouted. "Just go!"

Nightcrawler was shocked. Rogue looked at him, disbelief in her eyes. Seeing this Cyclops pushed her toward the fuzzy one, taking her by surprise. "I said go!"

"Scott!" The rest of Rogue's voice was lost in a cloud of sulfur as Nightcrawler and the two girls vanished.

Meanwhile Blob was staring at Jean, silently marveling at her strength and power to protect them from being crushed. He saw how she hurt under the pressure. Taking Quicksilver from Spyke and hoisting the skinny mutant over his shoulder, he pointed a finger at his chest and laughed, "Relax, lady, you don't gotta worry about us."

Toad did a double take. "Us? What do you—aiiiiiiiieee!" He was scooped up in his big friend's arms and covered by his body as he ran forward, blocking the falling debris with his hands. They crashed through the wall, joining Nightcrawler, Boom-Boom, and Rogue on the other side.

A giant chunk of the upper floor crashed down, blocking off the exit to the five remaining mutants. There was now a gaping hole in the shaking mansion, and it was the only remaining hope of escape they had.

Storm locked arms with her nephew and flew, manipulating the currents to carry them both. Jean, Cyclops, and the Professor were last. The redhead followed Storm's lead and took to the air, levitating the two with her.

"Jean, you can't! You don't have the strength for this!" Cyclops protested. He didn't want to see her harmed—he could blast their way out if worst came to worst. Their eyes locked, her green orbs glimmering with her usual spark.

"No arguments, Mr. Summers."

Far away at the gates, Nightcrawler couldn't take his eyes off the mansion. The north wing was almost gone, having started to fall under the Mindcoil's power, with the east wing damaged as well. The light was harsh and little could be seen in the blue early morning mist, but the black silhouette that had been the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters was almost half-decimated. "Our home," he whispered under his breath.

Storm and Spyke landed safely moments later, with Jean bringing up the rear, Xavier and Cyclops in tow. The mansion seemed to hold on long enough for them to make it—in fact, for a few precious moments the tremors seemed to stop altogether—but then they returned in full force, the north wing buckling under the stress and falling to the earth, the east wing hanging together by a precious thread.

Jean tumbled to the ground, landing on her hands and knees and taking deep, heavy breaths. Saving the three of them had been harder work than she imagined.

Tired with standing in the sidelines Rogue moved toward Cyclops, hoping to catch his eye and talk with him. She had barely spoken the first syllable of his name when he hurried to Jean's side, helping her up and brushing the hair from her face.

"Are you all right?" he asked.

She flashed a smile that was tired, but no less dazzling than her usual fare. "Oh…yes." Jean rested against him for several more moments.

"Storm!"

The weather witch turned sharply at the call, eyes widening as she spied the familiar face emerging from the depths of the woods. "Wolverine!"

He joined the haggard group, patting the elf's shoulder when he ran up to him.

"Vhere vere you, Mr. Logan?" he asked. "Ze Professor didn't say."

"When Charles and I returned he sensed something was wrong. Something about the Mindcoil and a trap waiting for us. He told me to pull back and wait for his call if he needed backup, but it never came." He shook his head and sized up the crowd. "What I miss?"

Storm frowned. "Magneto, Mystique, and the Brotherhood attacked us during the night. The Professor's old friend tried to unleash a weapon he had in his keeping, and in truth, I'm not entirely sure what happened after that. All I know is that we were fortunate to survive. Others…were not."

Spyke interrupted the conversation. "Yo, Wolverine, what's with your costume? It's all torn up and bloody."

Wolverine unconsciously touched a spot on his chest where he had been scratched. The deep wound had since healed, but bloody residue remained on his skin. "Oh, that. A wild animal did it." His smirk soon faded. He eyed Toad, Boom-Boom, Blob, and Rogue, the remnants of the Brotherhood of Mutants, who were huddling together under the trees. Boom-Boom returned his harsh glare, not at all impressed. "And what about these guys right here? We take 'em prisoner, or something?" He unsheathed a claw, making Toad jump.

"No, Wolverine," Storm said softly, touching his gloved hand. "I don't think we have anything to fear from them."

Wolverine shrugged. Sure, he could accept that, even if he didn't like it. They all looked like a bunch of scared kids, anyway. But then he asked, "So where're the half-pint and Rocky?"

Storm looked away. There was an uncomfortable pause until Cyclops managed, "They didn't make it."

"What?"

"Don't talk like zhat!" Nightcrawler yelled. "Kitty could phase zhem zhrough zhis, no problem!"

"Yeah," Cyclops said with a heavy heart, "If they survived the Mindcoil."

Spyke turned to face the deteriorating mansion. By that time the tremors had almost stopped completely, becoming little more than a faint rumbling. "Do you really think they bought it?"

Swallowing a lump in his throat, Cyclops answered, "They fell behind…we have no idea what else could have happened back there. For all we know, Avalanche caused that quake."

"Who knows, you may be right," said Wolverine, arms crossed over his chest, "But standing here talking about what might have happened ain't gonna help those two, is it?"

Nightcrawler joined in. "Right! Ve have to back zhere and see if ve can find zhem!"

Cyclops was torn. He wanted to find the two missing mutants, but the demolished mansion was still shaky and unstable. He couldn't let his teammates put their lives on the line, but could he condemn Kitty or Lance? He sighed. There wasn't any choice. "All right, we better move then and see what we can excavate."

At that moment Jean cried out, "Something's alive down there!"

Many faces turned and stared. "Is it Lance and Kitty? Or the Mindcoil?" questioned Cyclops.

She shook her head, obviously suffering. "I pushed myself too far. Can't concentrate on the mental readings…they're injured…blood…"

It didn't matter that her reading was incomplete; moments later the whole group was shuffling and searching among the wreckage trying to pinpoint the possible survivors. Teleporting from point to point, Nightcrawler scoured the area looking for signs of life amid the rubble of the partially destroyed mansion. Rogue gave Blob a tiny tap and used his strength to lift wooden planks and chunks of the walls. Jean hovered overhead, her powers searching for the exact location of where the life form was buried.

"Man, this is hopeless, yo," Toad muttered. "Face it, folks, Rocky and his pretty kitty got squashed."

"Oh, shut up." Boom-Boom slapped him upside the head.

Standing alone atop a hunk of concrete, Wolverine utilized his heightened senses to try and find the teens. His eyes and nose didn't help, but his ears caught a faint rustling several yards away, under what was left of the north wing.

Jean picked it up moments later. "Oh my god."

Kitty Pryde puffed and panted as she emerged from the destruction, paying no attention to the rubble that had at one point been her home. She filled her lungs with the fresh morning air, relieved at being alive and able to feel the breeze on her face. Slowly she opened her eyes, gazing around at the astonished faces of those who had been searching for her, smiling at the first rays of a sunlight she was not sure she'd live to see. She phased the rest of her body through the ground, bringing attention to her ripped shirt soaked with crimson. As the others rushed to her Lance's body was revealed to be in her arms, head hanging back, unmoving, with Kitty's pink sweater tightly wound around his waist in a last desperate attempt at preventing more blood loss.

Oblivious to the friends gathering around her, murmuring and covering their mouths in shock, Kitty brushed a strand of brown hair from his face. His skin was cold. "Lance…? You did it; everyone's okay. Oh please, please wake up…no…!"

Darkness.

Is this another nightmare?

              

 Or is it a dream?

**Wake up.**

**Lance, it's time for you to go.**

               

 …choice c…none of the above.

A slight movement, a twitch of a finger, a flicker of an eyelid, and then it happened.

Lance woke up.

Kitty's face was before him, beautiful, glowing. A tear fell from her eye onto his cheek. "You're alive!" she cried.

"Yeah," he whispered in some disbelief, "I am."

* * *

Destiny sat quietly in the living room of the Brotherhood of Bayville Boarding House, cane in hand and a frown on her face. Without warning she reeled forward as her mind was assaulted by a powerful vision. On the couch opposite her was Mastermind, and he watched her with rapt interest.

"It's…over," said Destiny slowly. "The Mindcoil has been destroyed."

Mastermind gasped. "Destroyed? So then Mystique's mission failed?"

She nodded.

"But—you foretold that she would take the Mindcoil for herself and kill the X-Men! Was your prophecy incorrect?"

"No. My prophecy was correct. What I told Raven was a lie."

Mastermind's eyes narrowed. This woman was strange, to be sure. First she ordered him to alter the minds of those two teenagers who teleported inside the house to retrieve the Pryde girl so they would not be seen, and now she spoke of prophecies and lies. Could he believe anything she said?

"I thought Mystique was your friend. Your actions don't speak well of you."

"Raven is my friend," Destiny insisted. "But I foresaw that I would lie to her. Sadly, it is as simple as that."

"You certainly don't sound very sad, Destiny."

"Rogue will be safe and happy, so I have no regrets. And in the end, everything went according to plan."

"Plan?!" spat Mastermind angrily. "The mission failed! The Mindcoil was destroyed, Mystique's out of action, and those lunatics she called the Brotherhood are probably cavorting with the X-Men as we speak! What kind of plan do you call this?"

"The Mindcoil may have been destroyed, but it took with it the mind of Magneto's greatest opponent. Everything happens for a reason, Mastermind, though those reasons are not always clear to us in the beginning. The last mind the Mindcoil touched was that of the rock-tumbler, Avalanche. And while he will not know the extent of it for some time, it touched him in a very special way. It opened a door inside him. And now, lurking within the depths of that boy's consciousness, there lies a power greater than destruction. The power to create." Her words hung in the air for several moments, and then, before her befuddled companion could muster a response, she stood. "Come on. It's time to go."

The precognitive opened the front door, and stepped out into the early morning air. While she could not see the two gigantic spheres made of glimmering metal, she knew they were there. Mastermind followed her out onto the porch and saw the spheres for himself.

"It isn't the end, is it?" he asked wearily.

"Of course not," said Destiny as she approached one and stepped inside the opening. It closed around her as she added, "Nothing ever ends."

No more words were exchanged. In fact, the only sounds in that still morning were of two metal orbs rising into the air and disappearing over the bloody red horizon.

* * * * * * * * * * *

To Be Concluded…

* * * * * * * * * * *

Author's Notes: Sorry for the wait, please accept this double-sized chapter as thanks for your patience. ^_^ A quick note: a couple of the previous chapters have been slightly edited to clarify some things about the Mindcoil. Thanks for reading, everyone! ~Sandoz

Next Chapter: The X-Men begin the hard task of rebuilding their lives after the devastating battle with the Mindcoil. Tempers run high and feelings are brought into the open, not all of them good. In light of disturbing revelations about the Professor and what he hid from them, Scott struggles with his beliefs as well as his conflicting thoughts for Rogue and Jean. Lance lies in recovery, but the after affects of his brainwashing and confrontation with the Mindcoil torment him. When Kitty tries to comfort him, will he confide in her or simply push her away?