A/N: Bloody computer STILL being stupid!!! Bah. Oh well, will post next chapter and hope the machine doesn't eat it. Missed Evo on Saturday cuz the power went out…overall not the best weekend. Who wants to email me and tell me what happened Saturday? :-D
"I don't know why he wants us down here so soon. We still have a couple hours before he have to leave." Sabere hated being in the jet more than ever, and watched over Scott's shoulder as he fiddled with the controls.
"He didn't really want us to prep," Scott replied. "He just wanted to make sure none of us were spying on him and Magneto."
"But Jean and Storm are still up there. And I have no idea where Logan went…"
Scott sighed. "Probably trying to dice up Magneto again. The guy can't take a hint – or anything less subtle than a hint."
"You don't like him, do you?"
"Nope," Soctt replied. "He's hardly a member of the team – he only came along last time because we needed the helping hand. There were only three of us then. Plus he's…ah.... taken a liking to Jean."
"And you think she feels the same?" Old jealousy was flaring again, and for painfully similar reasons.
"I hope she doesn't. She doesn't seem like it…I don't know." Scott shook his head and stood up. "Forget it. Let's go back upstairs and see if Magneto's killed anyone yet."
"Don't joke like that," she protested, following him out of the jet. "You, of all people."
"Hey, I hate Magneto more than I hate Logan. The guy's tried to kill two of ours, and he's not getting away with anything else."
"But he's here to help us! He even brought that John back. Don't you think he's trying to earn your trust?"
"He doesn't trust anyone and no one trusts him. Bringing John with him was just a ploy to make us think he was open to an alliance. Believe me, he's only here because he wants to take down Stryker and doesn't know how to do it on his own." Scott stormed ahead of her, leaving Sabere to wander behind and leave him to his thoughts. It doesn't help that the rest of the country hates us, she thought unhappily. If we're split amongst ourselves, we're far weaker than we can afford to be.
She thought briefly of Song-Yi, who was so devoted to helping the mutant cause. Had she hear about Sami? Did I have that name? What happened to it? What did her family know? Did Sami Teterann exist anymore, or had she died with Andy and been replaced by Sabere the mutant?
What would happen after this mission? She had hoped to leave, leave the Institute and all its memories. As much as she hated to admit it, Xavier was right, and she could not escape what she was now.
Do you really want to? asked the insidious little voice in the back of her mind. Do you really think you can get away from it, even if you did want to?
Sabere didn't know what to think anymore. She found the elevator and made her way casually past Xavier's office where he and Magneto were discussing plans of attack that she found she didn't really care about anymore. Scott was staring out a window in a room across the way, his arm around Jean Grey. Sabere scowled at them and walked right into Logan.
"Kid, you gotta look around. That's twice now." Logan tilted her chin up and raised an eyebrow, clearly doubting her state of mind, or at least her coordination. "Are you sure you're okay?"
"And that's probably the fifth time you've asked," she retorted, pulling free and pushing around him to the stairs. "Yes, I'll be fine once everyone stops asking. My room should be thawed out by now. I'm gonna take a nap or something…no one leave me here! I'm going with you guys and no one's going to change my mind."
Logan held up his hands in submission. "No one's trying."
"One hour, Sabere," Magneto called after her. "And you'll be needed, so don't worry about being left here."
"Thanks…I think." Sabere went up the stairs and found Rogue, Bobby, and John Allardyce sitting in one of the common rooms. John looked furious, Bobby anxious, and Rogue was crying. Bobby looked up at her as she slowed down, and she read in his eyes that they didn't want to be bothered.
=They'll be fine,= came Xavier's reassurance. =John was good friends with them, and they felt betrayed when he left with Eric. I wouldn't get involved unless you think someone's going to get hurt.=
Right on cue –
~fire shields now~
"What do you want?" A rush of fire swept towards her from John's outstretched hand. Sabere raised her own hands in response and shielded and contained the flames to make sure they didn't catch the doorframe. Without anything to feed on, they quickly died, and Sabere dropped the shields. Both Rogue and Bobby were screaming at him now, and Sabere took the opportunity to slip off to her room.
As she had expected, the door had thawed, and she was able to get into her mangled room. The rumpled mattress and blankets had never looked so inviting. She sprawled face-first onto them and let out the morning's frustrations to the security of her quiet room.