Kurt sat back quietly. I can't believe this. He rubbed his eyes. I'm in way over my head here.

He looked at Alistaire and Tabby. And what about them? They're betting on me and I'm …

He paused and blinked in consideration. I'm… doing okay actually. He sighed. Before, I didn't know how bad it was, but really… Nothing's changed.

He took a deep breath in through his nose. Now… I can fix it. So, I'm actually better off than I was.

He looked down at his hands. He had worn the holoimager for so long, and grown in the meanwhile – that his own hands looked unfamiliar to him.

He clenched his fists. I can't go back. He thought. I've come to far to slide back now. I have to keep pushing. I have to make this work.

"Kurt?" Tabby was looking at him. "What's wrong?"

He met her eyes and relaxed. "I'm mad." He said evenly. "I'm tired of seeing people with power abuse it at the expense of people who wouldn't even if they could."

"What are you saying?" She asked.

He swallowed. "I can do this job. And I can make it so that anyone who gets it after me cant abuse it."

"And?" She prompted.

"And it all starts tonight." He finished.

She shivered with excitement. She had never seen Kurt looking so determined before.

In the front seat Alistaire bounced in his seat. Kurt was firing him up. Good for you. He thought. Good for you.

"We'll be home in just a minute." He called back.

"Good." Was Kurt's only reply.

Forge tried to reason with Kitty. "Please, don't rush off alone like this."

"I promised her I'd try." Kitty said in defiance, heading for the door.

"Then take … Lucy with you." He said. "I can handle a girl who cant move and is bleeding to death."

Kitty looked disapprovingly at him. "She's a trained killer from the looks of it." Kitty sighed. "I cant leave you alone with her no matter how hurt she is."

"Then… Take me with you. Maybe I could help." He looked at her imploringly.

"No. I need you here to make sure Lucy doesn't hurt her anymore, and then to deal with the police when they show up."

Lucy slipped in to the room.

"Alistaire's car is coming up the road." She said. "And you're right, we can't leave Forge with her. She's dangerous."

Forge looked at her as if to protest and then thought better of it.

"And," Lucy continued. "Forge is right, you shouldn't go alone." She exhaled. "So he should go with you." She said at last. "I'll tell Alistaire and Kurt what happened and they can talk to the police."

Lucy could see the hesitation in Kitty's eyes.

"I'll just watch her until they get here." Lucy told her. "I've calmed down. I promise."

Kitty took a deep breath. Well, we've all got to trust someone, sometime…

Kitty turned to Forge. "Let's go."

Forge swallowed once as Kitty made her way out the door.

Lucy caught his eye. She looked ready to say something, but she hesitated.

"What is it?" He asked.

"Just…" She looked as though she was looking for the words. "Come back." She said finally.

He smiled. "I will."

And he turned, vanishing out the door after Kitty.

Lucy climbed the stairs and glanced over. True to her word, Betsy had not moved. To the contrary, it looked like she had passed out.

Lucy slipped in to the kitchen and grabbed a box of crackers that Alistaire had brought over as a part of a 'care package'.

She opened the box and sat down within eyeshot of Betsy.

For a long moment she sat, quietly munching her crackers, when Betsy stirred. She lifted her head and noticed that Kitty was gone. She turned and spied Lucy sitting in the chair and eating crackers.

Lucy kicked her feet and waved with a smile.

Betsy shivered. It might be my imagination… Or the blood loss… But she's got to be one of the creepiest people I've ever met in my life.

Betsy forced a weak smile and waved back before lowering her head to the ground and looking away with worried eyes.

Forge climbed on to the back of the motorcycle. "Are you sure you know how to…"

But that was as far as he got before Kitty gunned the engine and took them strait through the trees of the woods towards the road.

Forge screamed.

She looked back at him. "We've got a curfew!" She told him before turning back. Curfew? She wondered. Why couldn't I say 'Time is of the essence?' She sighed. I need to work on my heroic exclamations.

She gunned the throttle. Heroic exclamations? Did I really just think that?

Forge pressed his eyes closed and held on tight around her waist. Next time I let her go alone. Next time I let her go alone. Next time…

Lucy heard the lighthouse door slam closed below her.

"What?" She looked out the windows and could see Kurt's headlights in the distance still.

Then she looked to the stairway and sniffed.

Betsy had looked up when she heard the door, but seeing Lucy's reaction she balked. "What… What is it?" She stammered.

"A stranger." Lucy replied, he claws leaping out.

Betsy looked back towards the stairway. She could see that it was vibrating with the intruder's silent steps.

"A stranger?" Came the strained voice. "Hardly."

Lucy began to get worked up.

"After all…" The voice continued. "We're related, you and I…"

Lucy swallowed. The voice had some tones in common with Logan's, but it was a pale imitation of his voice at best.

"Show yourself." Lucy demanded.

"Gladly." He stepped out to face her.

And she was shocked.

He was taller than she was and his hair was wild but he was rail thin. "Can't you see it?" He asked, shaking his head slowly.

Then the claws bust from his hands. "HOW ABOUT NOW" He demanded in a rage.

His face was long and thin, like that of a horse but she could see the likeness. She met his eyes. "You're…"

"X12." He replied with an evil gleam in his eye. He smiled. "You didn't think you were the only one of us to get away, did you?" He smiled. "I know we all smell different, but can't you smell it? That other thing.. the way we all smell the same?"

And it hit her, she knew exactly what he was talking about. They did all smell like Wolverine, just in different ways.

His smile faded quickly when he saw her claws. "No! They didn't… THEY GAVE YOU THE METAL!" He demanded, breathing heavy.

She nodded, unsure as to how to proceed.

"That's how you killed him then, isn't it?" He said. "X14."

"Who?" She shook her head.

He smiled. "X14 was the most human of us all…" He began. "An infiltration operative. He didn't even have the claws. He passed for human every day of his life." He smiled. "And he came for you… In New York."

She shivered and her eyes widened in fear. "No." She whispered, despite seeing that it was true and even recognizing it from the smell of the man in New York.

"Did he do it?" X12 Leered at her. "He always wondered what would happen if he and you had a child…" He grinned.

"Ugh!" Betsy replied. "Glancing to Lucy in horror. "What did he do?"

Lucy looked horrified at the memory.

"Of course, if I knew you had the metal… I'd have come for you myself."

She dropped her head but kept her eye contact. "Then you'd have died too." She said confidently.

He laughed, circling her slowly. "I'm the survivor." He told her. "I don't even need food. My body produces a layer of fat that my body can digest."

"Too bad that wont keep your head attached." Lucy told him.

He smiled. "I'm older than you, been on my own longer than you. I'm testosterone to your estrogen. I'm not the one in trouble here." He smiled and looked at Betsy. "Ahhh, and you've found me a girlfriend too." He smiled. "Thanks Sis."

Betsy glanced at Lucy, terrified and disgusted at the idea that family might have treated this young girl that way.

"That will never happen." Lucy told him with a glance to Betsy. "And you're not family to me." She finished.

He smiled. "I'm hurt." He mocked her.

"You will be." Lucy volunteered.

And then, with a roar of anger X12 leapt … for Betsy.