An Uneasy Alliance

"Heaven Preserve us…" Hank gasped. "We're too late…"

Despite using the Mass Device the large rescue team had arrived in Snow Valley to see a huge school complex burning. Once it had been a large lush green campus, but now there was devastation all around. The entire building had been reduced to rubble. What was equally shocking was there were bodies all around.

"My god…" Scott looked around.

"This is awful," Jean gasped.

"FAN OUT!" Logan roared. "Look for survivors!"

Joes, X-Men and Misfits raced out in small teams. Most of the bodies were those of Purifiers, but there were a few mutants found dead. "This is a massacre…" Kurt cringed.

"Yeah…" Jetstream wobbled out of the brush supported by Tarot. "But lucky for us, they're the ones who were massacred." He coughed violently.

"Are there any others?" Kurt helped Jetstream while Ray got Tarot.

"Empath's back there with Roulette, Bevatron and Beef," Tarot said. "There's a secret grotto back there. I can show you."

"You don't look sick," Ray noticed.

"I managed to create a shield around me and Empath just before those…whatever they were blew up," Tarot explained. "I think we're the only two not affected."

"You still could have some nanites inside you," Kurt said.

"What?" Jetstream asked.

"It's a long story," Kurt said. "Berzerker get Jetstream to the medics. Tarot, take me to the others."

She nodded and showed him. Empath seemed to be standing guard over his teammates. "What's he doing here?" Empath asked.

"We're here to help," Kurt said. "Joes and Misfits too. Are you all right?"

"Does it look like we're all right?" Beef snarled as he held his stomach.

"Better than some of them," Bevatron winced.

"I'll take you to the medics," Kurt put his hand on Beef's shoulder.

"Hands off X-Man!" Beef knocked it away. "I'll walk."

"You can't even stand," Empath snapped. "Whatever they hit you with was pretty powerful."

"They said it was something called nanites," Tarot told him.

"Those tiny little robots like on the Sci-fi channel?" Bevatron asked.

"More like the tiny little robots that just invaded Washington DC the other week," Kurt told him.

"No kiddin'?" Bevatron whistled.

"We'll compare notes later," Empath said. "Our first priority is the injured."

"Agreed," Kurt nodded. "I'll be back with more help." He put his hand on Roulette and teleported.

"Never thought I'd see the day when we'd need help from them," Beef grunted.

"Never thought anybody'd be stupid or crazy enough to attack us," Bevatron hissed.

"Like it or not we need answers," Empath told them. "If accepting their help is what it takes, we'll do it. For now."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"You'd think I'd be used to seeing dead bodies by now…" Kitty shuddered as she uncovered another dead Purity member. She and Althea were looking along the southern parameter.

"Better them than us," Rogue grunted as she landed next to her. "There's nobody left in the building. Nobody alive anyway."

"How many?" Althea asked.

"Three more Purists fried to a crisp," Rogue said. "No mutants as far as I can see."

"How many did Stryker send here?" Kitty asked. "There must be at least a hundred dead Purists around here."

"I'm glad I left my sisters and Spyder behind," Althea grunted. "Not to mention Multiple."

"Give 'em nightmares huh?" Rogue asked.

"Worse, ideas," Althea told her. "I found something! Over there!"

They ran to a clearing and saw four mutants, Emma Frost in her diamond form on the ground. Catseye was beside her. Monet was curled up into a ball and a young black man they didn't recognize in a torn school uniform. "We're here to help," Rogue told them.

"You're X-Men," The young man said.

"Uh and one Misfit," Althea said. "Wavedancer, Shadowcat and Rogue."

"I'm Synch," He said. "I presume you know the others."

"What happened?" Kitty rushed to Emma's side.

"We nearly got our asses kicked that's what happened," Synch snapped. Catseye hissed at Kitty. "Catseye! Quit it! They're on our side!"

"Yeah this looks like the Purists' handiwork," Althea looked around and saw a few dead Purists. "But it looks like you gave as good as you got."

"And then some," Synch panted. He glared at Monet. "Well most of us…"

"I couldn't do anything…" Monet rocked back and forth. "It's like I'm being eaten alive from the inside."

"Believe me," Kitty told her. "I know the feeling. Stryker did the same to me."

"Will somebody please stop that infernal ringing in my ears?" Emma groaned as she slowly regained consciousness.

"Frost, don't try to use your powers or move," Althea warned. "Is there anyone else around?"

"I can find out if I…" Synch began.

"Wait don't use your powers!" Rogue warned. But it was too late, Synch started to scream. "What can he do?"

"He can duplicate the powers and abilities of any mutants in the vicinity," Emma told them. "He's trying to use my telepathy."

"Stop using your powers!" Althea shouted.

"Why?" Catseye asked.

Synch screamed and then before their eyes disintegrated into a pile of dust. "That's why," Althea grunted. "Using your powers only speeds up the nanites faster."

"Oh my god…" Monet cringed and was promptly sick.

"He was one of the first hit…" Catseye whispered.

"That's what it would have done to me and Danielle if…?" Kitty trembled.

"Synch! Noooo!" Emma screamed trying to sit up.

"Don't get too close," Althea held her back. "You could get further infected if you breathe into the dust."

"Come on let's get all of you to the medics for the antidote fast!" Rogue told them.

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"Did we find any Purist survivors?" Duke asked Spirit. The Joes and X-Men had set up camp. Logan, Empath, Tarot, Kitty, Emma and the Hellions were in the main tent. Emma was resting on a makeshift cot with an anti-nanite device in her arm in her normal form.

"Two, well one now…" Spirit grunted.

"Don't tell me," Duke sighed. "Billy got carried away huh?"

"I fear so," Spirit told him.

"However it did get the other one to talk pretty fast," Logan snorted. "And I thought I had a temper!"

"William is a bit…Unstable," Spirit sighed.

"Unstable?" Logan raised an eyebrow.

"Yeah I'm a victim of my childhood, what there was of it," Bill snorted as he walked up to them.

"Personally one less Purist around does not bother me," Emma snorted. She looked at Bill and noticed his arm. "Hmm, interesting. You're not exactly human are you? I don't believe we have any files on you."

"Don't even try it, Frosty," Bill snapped. "My head's not a nice place to visit. If you did manage to get in you might not get out."

"Even if I wanted to I am unable to do so right now," Emma informed him.

"So what happened?" Duke asked.

Empath spoke. "It was first period. Tarot and I were at weapons practice out on south range when we heard the alarm. We ran to investigate and saw an army of Purists attacking the school. We were the furthest out and observed them using some kind of bombs on the students. That's when Tarot used her Barrier card to protect us from the blast."

"It saved you two from being infected with nanites," Bill nodded.

"We didn't know what it was," Empath told them. "Only that our fellow students and teachers were quickly weakening and unable to fully use their powers."

"But we could use ours," Tarot said. "I was able to use several of my cards that had long range capabilities to take out a lot of them."

"How could you use yours?" Duke asked Empath. "The Purists all had psi blockers in their helmets."

"The mind is a complex instrument. The sections that control thought and emotion are in different areas. The psi blockers only protect the part of the brain that controls thought. Even though they had blockers that could prevent a telepath from entering their minds I could still connect with their emotions," Empath grimaced. "And those of my schoolmates."

"In other words while the Purists were starting to freak out, the students started getting into a fighting frenzy," Emma added.

"So that's how you wiped 'em all out," Bill was impressed.

"Not…entirely," Emma admitted. "Let's just say we had another secret weapon and leave it at that."

"Really?" Duke folded his arms. "What about you?"

"I had a telepathic warning from my students about some soldiers," Emma told them. "It took only a few seconds for us to prepare to fight. Or at least I thought we were prepared."

"No one could fight something like this," Lifeline said as he walked up to them. "At least not without some serious technology and/or healing abilities."

"Any other casualties?" Duke asked Lifeline.

"Several of the Hellions are wounded and infected," Lifeline told him. "We found three dead by the front gate." He indicated with his head to the bodies on a stretcher.

"Which three?" Emma's voice was concerned. She got up and brushed past them to the figures covered by a tarp. She lifted it. "Marla…Jason…Andreus…They warned us about the attack. Marla was a low-level telepath. The others merely had photographic memories and could virtually hack into computers using their minds."

"You sound like you actually care about them," Logan said.

"It may shock you Wolverine even though I don't coddle my students with fairy tales I care a great deal about them!" Emma snarled. "I was supposed to protect them from something like this!"

"Then how did they find out about your school?" Bill asked. "It's not like you advertise."

"I'm not sure," She frowned. "But heaven help the person who betrayed us."

"How many students and faculty are here?" Logan asked.

"We have…we had… fifty-eight students," Emma told him. "And nine teachers. Two of our staff is on a leave of absence."

"We…found some more victims," Falcon ran up panting. "In the back wall. Only one survivor."

"Who?" Emma gasped. "It's irritating not using my telepathy! Tell me who?"

"There were seven of 'em," Falcon told her. "Four of Striker's men and two that looked like faculty. They're dead. The seventh one is the survivor. Just a kid. They're bringing him out now." He pointed to a boy with blond hair on a stretcher they were bringing in. He was placed in the medical tent with several other Hellions recovering.

"Oh my god! I know him! Douglas!" Kitty gasped as she ran to him. "Doug! Wake up!"

"You know this guy?" Logan asked as they followed her.

"We grew up together," Kitty said. "Remember? His uncle's dating my Dad! That still sounds so weird. Doug! Wake up!"

"Easy Kitty…" Peter held her shoulder.

"I don't understand," Kitty looked at him. "Are you telling me Douglas is a mutant? That he's a Hellion?"

"He wishes!" Beef snarled. "He's just on the Beta Team."

Emma slapped him hard. "The Beta Team is the only reason you are still here fool! NEVER FORGET THAT!"

"It's not my fault he's got a useless power!" Beef shouted.

"HIS POWERS HAVE SERVED US BETTER THAN YOURS EVER DID!" Emma screamed.

"Easy Frost," Logan restrained her. "What exactly does he do?"

"He can translate any language in existence, crack any code ever made," Emma said. "Even create one in an instant. You think that is useless?"

"The Department of Defense wouldn't think so," Duke whistled.

"Which is exactly why this place exists," Emma growled. "To keep our kind out of the hands of people like you!"

"Nice plan," Bill said. "But it didn't work did it?"

"No…" She sighed. "No it didn't."

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

That night the Misfits and X-men had returned to the mansion. They had offered to take the Hellions in but they stubbornly refused, choosing to remain behind. Only Emma and the weakest of Hellions went to recover. Thanks to the anti-nanites and help from the Joes the recovery was swifter than expected. "So everybody will be okay?" Jubilee asked as the Misfits and X-Men met in the war room.

"Those we got to in time yeah," Lina told her. "Roadblock and the Joes are staying behind to assist the Hellions that wouldn't leave."

"How many casualties?" Logan asked.

"In the end we counted a hundred and fifty eight Purists, all dead," Pietro reported. "Of the mutants of the Massachusetts Academy…28 didn't make it. Some of 'em were teachers."

"Too bad Frost wasn't one of 'em," Logan grunted.

"I heard that," Emma walked in with Douglas. "Listen with the attack on the school and Professor Xavier missing and held captive with two of your X-Men, Stryker is obviously preparing something big. We need to work together to find out what that is."

"Agreed," Logan grunted. "Our first priority is to find the Professor, Storm and Cyclops."

"Makes sense," Emma said. "Find them, we'll find Stryker. Any luck locating them at all?"

"I've tried Cerebro," Jean sighed. "But I'm…"

"Not quite as good at it as the Professor is," Emma waved. "Fortunately I have extensive mental training. I should be able to find them."

Everyone looked at Logan who frowned. "All right," He nodded.

"Are you serious?" Remy asked.

"You have a better idea?" Douglas asked.

"He's right," Jean said. "We have to think of the others. I'll show you the way."

"What no blindfold?" Emma asked sarcastically.

"That would be pretty pointless on a telepath, wouldn't it," Jean showed her the way and opened the door.

"Very impressive," Emma whistled as she walked into Cerebro. "No wonder your friend Arcade wanted it for himself."

"I'll show you the controls," Jean told.

"No need my dear," Emma sat down in the seat and slipped on the helmet connecting her mind to Cerebro. "I think I have more than a rudimentary grasp on how this device works."

"Ms. Frost?" Douglas asked. "While I was lying down in sick bay I think I came up with an idea to program the anti-nanites faster. If you don't need me…"

"You may go help," Emma told him. "I assure you I have things well in hand. Ms. Chakram can show you the way."

Douglas and Lina left to assist the recovering Hellions. "Your friend don't seem so bad," Tabitha whispered to Kitty. "How'd he get involved with Frosty?"

"He doesn't know," Kitty whispered to her. "He thinks they're like the X-Men."

"You sure you can trust her on Cerebro?" Kurt asked Jean,

"My dear Nightcrawler," Emma spoke. "Rest assured I have no intentions of confiscating or damaging your precious machine. It's just my mental powers are more focused than hers. I found them."

"Where?" Jean asked.

"Madison Square Garden," Emma said. "At least Storm and Cyclops are there. I can't really tell where Xavier is. Somehow my scans are being blocked, but I can break through whatever barriers Stryker has on the lower levels. That's where they're being held."

"Why there?" Remy asked.

"Stryker's giving a big speech tonight," Pietro frowned. "It was on the news, he said he was going to prove that mutants weren't human once and for all."

"Something tells me he's going to use Charles to do it," Hank growled.

"Contact the Joes," Althea said. "We gotta hit him now before he goes on air!"

"Better yet on air," Emma removed Cerebro. "Let's go…"

"Hold on…" Logan got in her way.

"Mark my words Stryker will pay for what he has done," Emma told them in a cold voice. "I will personally see to that. Do not try and stop me from administering justice to that monster!"

"Who said anything about stopping ya?" Logan shot out his claws. "I just want you to take a number and get in line."