Licking Wounds and Healing Scars

The following day found the Institute besieged once again by news vans and helicopters. Not to mention the occasional protesting mob on the front gates. "You think I would be used to this by now," Jean sighed as she peeked out the window.

"Yeah but read some of those signs," Logan said. "Some of 'em are for us, not against."

"Well that's a change," Tabitha said. Most of the X-Men were in the living room. "How's the Professor doing?"

"He and Storm are resting," Jean said. "Scott too. They've been through a lot the past couple of days but they should be fine."

"Danielle and Kitty?" Jubilee asked.

"Mirage is okay but Half Pint's still a bit shaken," Logan sighed.

"Wouldn't know it the way she told off Stryker yesterday," Tabitha shook her head. "Whoo that girl's got guts."

"Yeah a lot of guts," Scott walked in wearing his pajamas and bathrobe.

"Scott you should be resting," Jean admonished him.

"I couldn't sleep," Scott said. "I wanted to find out about the vote on the Mutant Registration bill."

"Oh yeah they're supposed to vote on that today!" Bobby said. "I forgot all about it!"

"They're not voting on it today," John said. "It was in the papers, last night after an emergency session Congress shelved it until next year."

"So the bill's been deferred to next year huh?" Scott sighed a breath of relief. "That's something at least."

"Yeah Liberals say the Mutant Registration Act went too far," John grunted. "Conservatives say it didn't do enough and everyone in the middle just plain couldn't figure out what to do with it. Those few that were in the middle."

"The climatic ending with Stryker was broadcast all over the planet. At the very least the past few days events have earned us a reprieve," Hank told them.

"Yeah but for how long?" Rogue sighed. "That's what's got me worried."

"You and every mutant in America kid," Logan told her. "But at least we know those guys on Capitol Hill won't vote on it until next year."

"Yeah they're too busy worrying about their jobs," John grunted. "I love election years."

"I dunno guys," Jubilee said. "I just have this awful feeling in my stomach. You know like you're on death row or something and you've only been granted a temporary stay of execution while the warden decides what color to paint the electric chair?"

"You can't give up hope Jubilee," Jean put her hand on her shoulder. "We have to keep fighting."

"I dunno it seems like all we've been doing is fighting," Jubilee sighed. "And the best we can get is a stalemate."

"Well at least this whole fiasco has proved one thing," Logan said. "Even mutants can't be murdered in front of a live audience and the people responsible will get away with it."

"Yes a lot of folks were horrified at what happened," Hank nodded. "Maybe now people will think twice about mutant rights and registration."

"Don't count on it," John shook his head. "There's a lot of folks that were pretty happy Stryker took out one more mutant. The FOH sees him as a martyr."

"Creed was on the news saying what a great man he is," Tabitha snorted. "He actually had the nerve to compare that slimeball to Nelson Mandella! Makes me sick just thinking about it!"

"Yeah, I know…" Logan sighed, knowing that the real fighting for the survival of mutantkind had only just begun. And for the first time, he doubted the outcome.

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

The Misfits were back home watching the news and recovering. "Several more outbreaks of mutant sightings were seen in New York following the events at Madison Square Garden," The announcer said. "People are frightened despite health official reports that mutant abilities are not contagious."

"No surprise," Lance said. "According to what Lifeline and the other docs found out, Stryker's attack may have activated several dormant X-Genes as a side effect."

"Makes sense in a way," Althea said. "In order to attack a working X-Gene you have to have it turned on in the first place."

"So in the end instead of obliterating all the mutants in New York City Stryker just made more of 'em," Todd realized.

"In a way, yes," Xi told him. "But if we hadn't gotten to Xavier in time…"

"We'd all be road kill like Evil Annie Oakley," Fred quipped.

"What was her power anyway?" Pietro asked.

"Tracking and enhanced reflexes," Xi remarked. "Before they took the body away I touched it. How ironic, those abilities she used to hunt mutants for Stryker were the ones that condemned her to death."

"So much for loyalty among the faithful," Angelica shuddered. "I can imagine what was going through her mind before…"

"Don't feel too sorry for that witch," Wanda hissed. "As far as I'm concerned she got what was coming to her."

"She wasn't brainwashed like Larry," Althea added. "She chose to murder innocent people of her own free will, both mutants and humans. Anyone who got in her way."

"Karma's a bitch and so was she," Pietro agreed. "Good riddance is what I say."

"The scary part is there are probably dozens more like her," Lance frowned.

"Dozens? HA!" Althea snorted. "Look at Zartan and Zanya. They'd napalm any mutant in sight for the right price."

"Sabertooth's worse," Pietro said. "He doesn't care who he kills or why as long as he gets to tear someone to pieces."

"And I have a feeling we're gonna meet a lot more of people like that," Althea sighed.

"Well there's a happy thought," Wanda said sarcastically. "Speaking of happy people, what happened to Frosty the Ice Queen?"

"After Madison Square Garden she went back to go rebuild the school," Althea said. "It was decided to keep that attack low key. Snow Valley isn't very populated and the Hellions want to keep their privacy. Frost said she was going to take steps so an attack like that would never happen again."

"So we're just going to leave them alone?" Lance asked.

"I never said that," Althea said. "We've got a few people monitoring them as best we can. Besides do you really want the public to know about another mutant school they can attack? The Hellions won't go easy on even protestors, especially after what's happened."

"You have a point," Pietro agreed. "There could end up another massacre."

"Best to keep things as quiet as possible for now as far as they're concerned," Althea said. "At least until they're trying to pull another stunt again."

"Why do I have a feeling that won't be as long as we think it will be?" Pietro sighed.

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

"Professor you can't keep beating yourself up over this," Ororo comforted Xavier in the infirmary. "It wasn't your fault. You would never hurt us intentionally, let alone anyone else."

"Logically I know that," Xavier sighed. "But emotionally…For years I've been proud of my mental abilities. But to have them shattered so easily not once but twice…"

"I know how you feel Professor," Ororo told him. "Apocalypse and Stryker overpowered us. We couldn't fight back."

"I know this sounds very racist of me but I feel even worse now after what Stryker did to me than what Apocalypse did," Xavier admitted. "Apocalypse was the world's most powerful mutant after all."

"And Stryker is a deranged human," Ororo finished. "If he could find a way to disable us any human could."

"So much for being the next step in evolution," Xavier said bitterly. "Maybe we are not destined to replace humanity as Magneto believes. I feel so…"

"Weak? Helpless?" Ororo suggested. "Perhaps this experience was a blessing in disguise. Maybe we needed to be reminded that we are only human after all, despite our powers. Mutants aren't gods, Charles. And we shouldn't be."

"It also proves something else," Jean walked in. "When things looked bleakest for us, it was humans who helped us. The Joes, the police…"

"Don't forget Bill," Ororo added. "He's the real hero here."

"I'm not so sure William is completely human," Xavier thought. "But I see your point."

"The Mutant Registration Bill's been postponed until next year," Jean reported. "It's given us some breathing room at least. However…"

"Yes?" Xavier asked.

"There have been a lot of new mutant sightings on the New York news," Jean told him. "People are frightened. They think it's a side effect from Stryker's attack."

"You mean what I nearly did," Xavier frowned.

"Not you, Stryker!" Ororo said sharply. "We've been over this!"

"They think somehow several people with dormant X-Genes were activated," Jean reported.

"Activated? Then that means…" Xavier thought. "Jean, help me get to Cerebro!"

"Professor you're still…" Jean tried to stop him.

"Jean this is important!" Xavier said sharply. "I need to know the extent of the damage!"

"But nobody died. Well except for you know who," Jean told him as he managed to get into his wheelchair.

"Jean please humor me," Xavier pleaded in a softer tone. "I have to do this."

"All right Professor," Jean sighed. "I'll help."

Soon the two of them were in Cerebro. Hank walked in as Charles scanned the New York area. "Professor? Do you think this is wise? So soon after…"

"I've tried to stop him," Jean shook her head. Xavier gasped. "Professor?"

"My god…" Xavier gasped. "So many mutants… Look at this." He pointed to a display of the map of the state of New York. "Those lights there represent mutant signatures."

"There must be hundreds of them," Jean remarked.

"Three hundred and forty eight to be precise," Hank read the readout. "Now three hundred and fifty. Three hundred and fifty one…And the numbers are climbing. According to Cerebro by the end of the week at least three percent of the city of New York will be mutants!"

"And that's not counting some of the surrounding suburbs," Jean read.

"What have I done?" Xavier groaned. "That's too many mutants, too fast to expose to the general population."

"People are starting to panic in the city," Jean said. "There's already been a small riot in Chinatown."

"I've done what Apocalypse wanted, only on a much smaller scale," Xavier put his head in his hands. "Was he right? Was what he planned really inevitable? No matter what our efforts, we've only made things worse."

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

Kurt remembered to teleport outside of Kitty and Danielle's room and knocked on the door. "Come in," Danielle called out to him. She and Kitty were sitting on one of the beds. Lockheed was on Kitty's lap trying to comfort her.

"How are you doing?" Kurt asked.

"As well as can be expected, considering the fact we nearly died yesterday with all the other mutants in New York," Kitty sighed.

"But we didn't die Kitty," Danielle pointed out. "Well except one…"

"I'm still creeped out by how easily Stryker and his goons nearly killed us all," Kitty shuddered. "As if all the other deaths I've seen lately haven't been bad enough."

"We have had it pretty rough this year," Kurt sighed as he dropped on the bed beside her.

"Rough is a mild understatement," Kitty said.

"Those two years in a coma are looking more and more peaceful," Danielle snorted. "But something else is bugging you Kitty. I can sense it."

"All the enemies we've fought," Kitty said. "All the maniacs we've run up against, Magneto, Trask and his Sentinels, Cobra…even Apocalypse…They were nothing like Stryker."

"Well Trask does want to wipe us all from the face of the earth," Kurt reminded her. "And vice versa with Apocalypse…"

"Yeah but…" Kitty said. "You saw his eyes Kurt. His eyes…I never saw pure evil before. But what I saw in Stryker that day…If that wasn't it. I don't know what is."

"I like to think of evil as the absence of love," Kurt said. "And God is love. I believe that if I keep God in my heart, evil can never truly claim me. In a way that doesn't seem so frightening."

"It must be nice to have faith like that," Danielle sighed.

"Well I didn't exactly get it overnight," Kurt admitted. "I've seen the worst and the best in people. I like to think that the best wins out in the end, most of the time."

"Yeah look at Lance and the others," Danielle pointed out. "They changed for the better, mostly."

"Maybe you're right," Kitty sighed.

There was a knock at the door. They looked up and saw Logan enter. "How are you doing?" He asked.

"Hey we're indestructible X-Men," Danielle gave him a grin. "How do you think?"

"That bad huh?" Logan sighed.

"Yeah well," Kitty sighed. "Let me put it to you this way, I think I'm actually looking forward to having a session with Psyche-Out."

"Well that might have to wait," Logan told her. "The Professor and the rest of the staff have had a talk. We think it might be best if you kids got away from things for the next couple of days. So we're all taking a trip to Muir Island."

"That means we can see Thornn," Kitty perked up.

"Yeah Charles thinks some peace and quiet might do all of us some good," Logan said. "And get us away from the media."

Little did they know that would be the last thing any of them would get on that trip.

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

"What do you mean you can't get me those files?" Adrienne screamed into the phone in her office, which was still the one Emma wished her to vacate. "I am the president of this company so if I want them you'd better get them or you're fired!"

"Really? The President?" Emma Frost walked in. "That's news to me."

"I'll call you back…" Adrienne gulped as she hung up the phone.

"Hello sister dear," Emma's voice was icy. "Surprised to see me?"

"Emma…." Adrienne gasped. "I…I thought you were…"

"Playing tennis?" Emma asked.

"N-no…"

"Having a facial?"

"No…"

"Dead?" Emma sneered. "I nearly was thanks to the good Reverend."

"But how…?" Adrienne gasped.

"Did I find out about your betrayal? It was pretty easy my dear, even without using my telepathy," Emma told her. "I know people who are very good with computers. You left an e-mail trail a mile wide! Reading a few Purifiers' thoughts that were close to Stryker merely confirmed the fact that you had been giving him information in secret! Information from my private files!"

"Your company files you thought were so secure and safe," Adrienne sneered.

"Yes well I'm going to have a severe security upgrade," Emma told her. "Starting with my number one virus."

"I…I can explain…" Adrienne gulped as Emma stepped closer.

"Explain what?" Emma asked. "How you were so desperate to get me out of the way that you sold me out to an enemy? Trying to kill me to take over the company…Understandable. Even laudable. But killing my students and colleagues. Destroying a school that I worked so hard to build. Big mistake…" She took out a gun. "Very big."

"You're not going to shoot me are you?" Adrienne was incredulous. "You can't be serious!"

"Uh, yeah I am," Emma told her. "That's why I'm pointing this gun at you."

"You can't shoot me! You'll never get away with it!" Adrienne started to panic.

"Oh please," Emma huffed. "Even you don't believe that! We both know what father did. He did ten times worse to his competitors and no one ever found out."

"Father wasn't a mutant freak," Adrienne hissed at her sister.

"You're right," Emma told her. "That means I have a better chance of getting away with it."

"You can't kill me Emma!" Adrienne shouted.

"Several of my students and fellow faculty members are dead because of you," Emma snarled. "Decent people more full of life and potential in their pinky fingers than you have in your whole body! Why the hell shouldn't I kill you when you planned the same for me and my whole race?"

"But you still can't shoot me…" Adrienne gasped. "The security cameras…"

"Are turned off."

"My secretary is out there."

"I paid him off. You really should have given him that raise darling."

"The police…"

"Will not be involved. You forget the Hellfire Club has many friends in valuable places…" Emma grinned. "And they're a bit miffed that one of their interests has been compromised. Fortunately for me, I've been given the pleasant, if a bit messy task of handling the situation."

"But somebody will wonder what happened to me!" Adrienne shouted.

"Who?" Emma looked at her. "You don't exactly have a lot of friends."

"I'll give you that one…" Adrienne grumbled. "But…"

"All I have to do is forge a suicide note and have enough people say how depressed you were and taking drugs, blah blah blah…" Emma cocked her weapon. "You know by now how it goes. A few greased palms, some planted 'evidence' in your apartment, a casual implied mental suggestion or two…And to think I actually believed you when you said Cordelia would actually help you. Mental blocks my eye. Your friend Stryker can't help you now. Yes sister, I've found a way to breach that little device in that necklace you're wearing that blocks your thoughts from me. And I'm enjoying every second of your panic."

"But why shoot me when you can just use your mind to kill me?" Adrienne asked.

"Because it wouldn't feel nearly as satisfying…" Emma aimed.

BANG! BANG! BANG!

"I feel so much better now," Emma said. She casually pressed the intercom. "Send up the janitor. I need some trash cleaned out of my office."

Geeze the body count in this fic is getting pretty high ain't it? Well hang on to your hats because more mayhem is on the way. Things aren't going to get any easier for the X-Men. But Evan may get a break or two. Find out in the next chapter.