Annie had pressed upon the other two the importance of stealth. They had to remain undetected until they found the admiral, or found something else that would tell them what they wanted to know. If they were seen, if they caused any kind of trouble at all, then the admiral might suspect somebody was on to him, and might very well go into hiding. They couldn't afford to let that happen. They had to find out what he was doing with the resources he was stealing from the Navy. They had to find out how to stop him from trying to kill Marina.

Gary had sat with his back turned to give the girls some privacy as they changed into their tight-fitting black uniforms.

"Where's your uniform?" Marina had asked him.

"I don't have one. I'm not an X-Man, remember."

"You're not?"

He shook his head, "Technically I'm still with Pyro. I'm still part of the Brotherhood."

"What happens if – " Marina began, but lacked the confidence to finish.

Gary suspected she was going to ask 'What happens if the alliance breaks down?' but he didn't prompt her to continue. He didn't really want to answer or even think about that question. Annie had offered to let him wear one of Scott's spare uniforms.

"You're about the same size," she'd said.

He had refused. Annie was going to argue, but the outfit he was wearing was mostly dark anyway, and would suffice to hide him. They couldn't afford to be seen. Just getting inside would be no difficulty, not with the powers the three of them possessed. Getting in and back out, in possession of the information they needed, without being seen, would be much trickier. They headed for the garage and took one of the cars.

Gary had never noticed it before, but Marina's uniform was slightly different from the standard female design. The feet and the arms looked to be more webbed and flipper-like, presumably in order to increase her speed underwater. She had obviously customised it herself. Clearly Marina took her role as part of the X-Men very seriously. She refused to be there just to make up the numbers. She wasn't the spineless weakling that her trauma led so many people to assume she was. But then, most people had never seen her underwater. There was not a creature on Earth that could match her below the waves.

-

-

-

The admiral's house was a large mansion-like building isolated in the midst of sprawling landscape gardens. It wasn't as big or impressive as the mutants' school or the estate which surrounded it, but they could clearly see it must have cost a huge amount of money to purchase and maintain. A number of expensive cars were parked outside.

"Does an admiral normally make this much money?" Gary asked.

"I doubt it," said Annie.

"Maybe he inherited."

"Or maybe he's getting it through less legitimate means..."

"He killed my family," Marina said.

The three teenagers stood on the crest of a small hill about a mile or so away from the house. The car was parked at the bottom of the hill, carefully hidden from anyone who might happen to come near. Marina was holding a compact pair of binoculars to her eyes to take a closer look at the house. Annie and Gary were using their mutant eyesight to look through the walls of the building, to try and see how many people were inside. The more people present, the more difficult it would be to remain undetected.

"I can camouflage myself," Gary said. "But Crusader, you're still struggling to control it. Aqua, I can hide you using my own power, but not for very long. We can't rely on invisibility. We have to find some way to get in without needing it."

It was traditional to use each other's mutant names when on a mission, and they saw no reason to do otherwise.

"It won't be easy," Crusader replied. "The land surrounding the house is nearly all open. There's very little cover we can make use of."

Aqua had spotted something, "Look. At the f – front gate."

They focussed their eyes, and saw what she was referring to. From the front of the house two men had just emerged, holding weapons and looking around in all directions. One of them had a pair of binoculars and was scanning the landscape. Crusader quickly motioned the others to drop to the ground.

"They're guards, aren't they?" asked Aqua, instinctively speaking in a whisper.

"You don't need to lower your voice; they won't hear us from down there. Watch them, it looks as if they're following a patrol route. You're right, they must be on guard."

"What are they guarding?" Gladiator said. "Is our admiral friend just paranoid, or does he have something to hide?"

"That's what we need to find out. I can use my telepathy to fool their perception and stop them from seeing us, but there might be security cameras somewhere. I can't fool those."

"We must be able to find a way in without being detected."

A few moments passed, then Crusader said, "I think I've found a way. See that balcony on the third floor? We can levitate ourselves up there. If we keep under the cover of that line of shrubs, we should be able to get there and do it without being seen."

"Wait a minute, Aqua can't levitate herself."

"I can lift both of us," said Crusader. "I'm more worried about you. You haven't really got full control over our telekinesis yet."

"I can do it," he said confidently. "But I'd really be happier if we could distract those guards in some way."

"Leave that to me," said Aqua.

The three of them hurried down the hill and began approaching the admiral's estate. There was a small copse of trees at this point, still a good distance from the house, but it provided some cover and meant they could move a little faster. As soon as they began to get close to the house, Gladiator said, "Now would be a good time for that distraction."

"OK…"

Aqua raised her hand towards the sky, and her brow furrowed in concentration. Then they could begin to see the fruits of her labour. From the sky above where the two guards were on patrol, droplets of water began to fall.

"Of course…the water vapour in the air…you're condensing it and turning it into raindrops," said Crusader softly.

The guards looked up in dismay as they felt the 'rain' falling around them. This was just the distraction the three mutants needed to run closer to the house, ducking into cover behind the row of shrubs Crusader had mentioned earlier. Aqua continued to use her power to drop water on the two guards. By now the two men were soaked and thoroughly miserable, and were taking shelter underneath a porch of some sort at the front of the building. One of them tried to light a cigarette, but it wouldn't stay lit. Disgruntled, he tossed it away.

Picking their way cautiously through the shrubbery, scanning the area for any other guards or electronic surveillance, it did not take the teenagers long to reach the side of the house, directly beneath the balcony they were aiming for.

"So far so good," Gladiator muttered.

"You go first," his sister whispered. "If you lose control and start to fall, I'll use my own power to steady you."

Determined not to fail in front of Aqua, he shrugged off her suggestion, "I'll be fine."

"On you go then."

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and gathered his concentration together. Opening his eyes once more, he looked up at the balcony above his head. He pushed out with his mind, seeking to take hold of his own body. It took a few moments for him to maintain a steady grip, then he lifted his arms and felt his body beginning to ascend. The initial burst of triumph and achievement was quickly squashed as he reminded himself he had to remain calm and keep his concentration, or he would falter. His determination kept his focus in place, and before he knew it, he was hovering off the edge of the balcony. Reaching out to grab the railing, he climbed over.

"All right, Aqua. Don't make any sudden movements."

The water girl nodded. Crusader gripped the two of them with considerably more ease than Gladiator had done. It was something she'd done hundreds of times, using her mind to move her own body, and it seemed almost effortless to raise their two bodies to the balcony on the top floor. When they got there, Gladiator was approaching the door that led inside the building. Crusader looked through the door to make sure there was nobody waiting just inside. The corridor beyond was clear, and she followed her brother as he pushed the door open and slipped inside.

"Where are we? Where's the admiral?" he asked.

"We'll have to search for him. If he's not here, we'll have to look for evidence of what he's up to."

The younger mutants waited for Crusader to lead the way, but she seemed hesitant. Gary could sense something was bothering her. He could feel it too, whatever it was.

"What – what's the matter?" Aqua whispered.

"I'm not sure," said Crusader. "Something – somewhere inside the building – something is throwing off our telepathy. Gladiator, can you feel it?"

"I think so. What is it?"

"I don't know. It feels like some kind of blanket force."

"Some kind of what?" said Aqua.

"Something that sort of muffles our telepathy and stops it from working. I – I'm trying to pinpoint exactly where it is."

"Do you think it's a trap? Do you think they know we're here?" asked Gladiator.

"I doubt it. I don't think it would be enough to trap us on its own. Let's try and find out what's causing the effect. I have a suspicion that…"

She didn't say what, and he prompted, "A suspicion that…?"

"That there's more here than meets the eye. I think this admiral is guilty of more than just stealing a few thousand dollars from the Navy's research budget. I think he's involved in something bigger. I think that's only part of it."

"How do you know that?"

"The guy with the poison tooth for one thing. He died to protect a secret, something that must have been of immense importance if he was willing to kill himself to preserve it. Secondly, the fact that there are no newspaper reports regarding the death or even disappearance of Marina's family. Admiral McKenzie couldn't have arranged a media blackout by himself."

"So what's your explanation?"

"I don't know. He must have some connections in the media. Maybe he's selling Navy secrets to terrorists or a foreign power…that might explain the secrecy…"

"Terrorists…" said Gladiator thoughtfully. "Hey, something just occurred to me. You remember Cyclops and Wolverine and the rest were out investigating terrorist activity. They think, or some of them do, that there's some hidden force controlling the terrorists. I can read their minds enough to tell that."

"You think there's a connection?" said Crusader. "Between this 'hidden force' and our admiral's secretive activities?"

"Could be."

"C – could the admiral be stealing supplies, then – then selling them on the black market to these terror groups?" Aqua suggested. "The ones who are – who are carrying out these attacks?"

"It's possible," Crusader said. "But even then, I think there's still more to it. There's something…something we're just not seeing at all. I remember about a week ago, my dad was trying to teach me how to use Cerebro. When I used the machine and projected my mind across the world, I couldn't shake the feeling that there was some kind of – of presence…something waiting, something lurking…I don't know. Maybe I imagined it. At first I put it down to my inexperience with the machine, but now I'm not so sure…"

"Wouldn't Dad have sensed something like that too, when he used it?"

"Probably. That's another reason why I dismissed it. You haven't used the machine yet, have you?"

"No. Dad wanted to wait until I had more experience using our telepathy."

The older girl sighed, "Maybe it's nothing. Maybe I imagined a threat where there wasn't one. Maybe Dad's paranoia is rubbing off on me."

"Yeah," said Gladiator. "Let's just think about what we're here for, and worry about the rest later."

"Right. McKenzie must have an office or a study somewhere, where we can find evidence of his illegal dealings. If we can't find the man himself, that's what we'll search for."

"What about this telepathy-blocking thing – whatever it is?"

"If we start feeling any worse because of it, we can try and find what's causing it, and shut it down. That can be our second priority. I know the military have done research before into something called a 'neural inhibitor' – that could be what we're dealing with here."

"Maybe it's one of the things the admiral stole from his research projects," Aqua ventured. "Maybe he's storing it here."

"Yes…that would explain it…" Crusader touched the younger girl's arm and said softly. "Listen. I know he killed your family, but we need to find out what he knows. If you find him, don't kill him. He murdered your family to protect his secret. If we can't expose it, your family will have died for nothing."

Aqua nodded, "I – I know. Don't worry."

"Let's go."

-

-

-

Shapeshifter and Shock were in Edinburgh, the city where Chris had grown up and spent his first fourteen years. They were heading for the north edge of the city, close to the shipyards, for a rendezvous with a person Chris hadn't met since he was a teenager.

"Remind me again who we're going to see," said Fliss.

"My cousin."

"The one who's a gangster?" she asked in a disapproving tone. "Why him?"

"Because he knows a lot of people in Edinburgh's criminal underworld. If somebody's going to try some major crime in the city, he'll know about it."

"So you think he might know about the terrorists?"

"I'm hoping so. It's the only lead we have to go on."

As they passed a newsagent, Felicity glanced at the headlines of the papers. Vatican bombing the work of mutants, she read, wounded Pope calls for world-wide mutant sanctions. Sanctions? What might those be? Intrigued, Fliss reached into her pocket for some money to buy the newspaper, when she realised Chris was already holding one, reading the front pages.

"Where'd you get that?"

"Swiped it from a news stand down the street," he replied without looking up.

She was too curious about the newspaper article to begin reprimanding him for stealing. Fliss moved behind Chris and read over his shoulder: During a speech in which he described mutants as "an abomination that has no place on God's earth", the Pope demanded that the mutants responsible for this latest terrorist atrocity must not be allowed to go unpunished. "We must identify and monitor these creatures to ensure that nothing like this can ever happen again," the leader of the Catholic church added, "For too long mutants have been allowed too much freedom, and this is the result. There is no reasoning with these people, whose only goal is to destroy God's greatest creation: the human race". The article went on to say: In the last two days, serious terrorist incidents were thwarted by the bravery and initiative of security forces in New York City and in London. The presence of mutants at the scene of both attacks was confirmed by security chiefs, who are actively pursuing the ones responsible.

"That can't be right," said Felicity, looking confused. "I thought the authorities captured those Middle Eastern terrorists back home, and those IRA guys in London. How can they blame these attacks on mutants?"

Chris sighed, "Fliss, you're being naïve. Newspapers don't let the truth get in the way of a good piece of sensation about mutants. This is just typical media hysteria, and the public are being caught up in it."

"I'm worried about what the Pope said. He's a very influential figure and a lot of people will listen to him. If the situation stays the way it is, or gets worse, chaos could ensue. Whoever's launching these attacks – do you think they're doing it to deliberately incriminate our kind?"

"Keep your voice down," he hissed. "We don't want to advertise what we are around here."

"Why do you think they're doing it?" she asked again.

"Scott and some of the others think it's Magneto. Logan thinks it's Pyro. I'm not sure what to think. Even if one of those two wanted to start a new war with the humans, this isn't the way they would do it. All we're facing at the moment is one almighty backlash against mutants. I don't see what they would hope to gain from that."

"Maybe it's some human who hates us and thinks this is a good way to try and destroy us," she suggested.

"Maybe. Come on, we'd better keep moving. We're due to meet my cousin in half an hour."

As they walked along the streets of the area Chris had once called home, he found his thoughts drifting away from the present, back into his troubled childhood. He remembered running down these streets, running from the pursuing police, desperate to escape with whatever he was carrying. Usually it was food he had stolen from the supermarket, food that his family was too poor to buy, food that they needed to keep his baby sister from starving. Well, his half-sister anyway. His father had disappeared years before she'd been born. Her father could have been any one of three or four friends his mother had had at that point. Eventually Chris had left home and gone to America to join Xavier's school. Without him it was one less mouth to feed, and he had lost touch altogether with his family. He had no real regrets. He'd never felt at all comfortable at home, always feeling as if he was the odd one out. This was even before he'd discovered he was a mutant. Maybe it was because he wasn't quite as ready as the others to take up serious crime as a living.

-

His cousin met them in an old, dirty apartment building, which smelled of cheap alcohol and cigarettes. Fliss wrinkled up her nose with distaste the moment they entered, but tried hard to keep her discomfort from showing on her face. She guessed Chris had probably grown up in a place like this. She tried equally hard to ignore the lecherous stares she was getting from Chris' cousin's friends, who sat playing cards in the corner, at least one of them unconscious through alcohol overdose. His cousin took Chris aside to talk in private.

"Haven't seen you for a while," he said, a hint of accusation in his tone.

"I've been busy," Chris replied.

"Yeah, I bet you have. With her?" jerking his thumb towards Fliss.

Chris ignored the jibe, "Are you still selling drugs to school children?"

"Fucking hell, no. I'm not a fucking monster, Chris."

"Yeah, you're just a good, honest criminal."

The man lit a cigarette, "You didn't come here to insult me, I hope. What do you need?"

"You know just about everything that's going on in Edinburgh. Is there anything planned for the next few days?"

"Like what? Most people I know are lying low for the moment. The fucking pigs discovered a big cache of drugs and they're turning up the heat on everyone."

"I'm thinking more along the lines of a bombing…"

"Ah…now I see what you're after. You want a piece of these mutant bastards as well, eh? You must have heard the rumour the next terror attack will be in Edinburgh."

Chris remembered that he'd never told his cousin he was a mutant. He'd been afraid the man would force him to use his power for criminal purposes. It would be a good idea not to tell him now.

"Take my advice, mate," said his cousin. "Leave this one to the pigs. I'd much rather see them get killed by the mutants than see my little cousin getting hurt."

"How do you know mutants are responsible?"

"Oh, come on, Chris! Everybody knows that. Mutants just kill for fun! That Plague that was spreading round the world, that was started by mutants. Did you know that?"

Chris had helped stop the Plague, but he didn't say that, "No."

"It never reached Europe, thank God, but it killed a lot of people over in the Americas. They say the mutants spread the virus to wipe out everyone else. Some doctor discovered a cure and distributed it just in time."

"I'd still appreciate any information you can give me about any bombings planned. I'm working for a newspaper," Chris lied as easily as he had done in his early years. "I'm looking for, you know, first exclusive if anything happens over here, if they catch whoever's responsible."

"Ah…well, if you're hoping for a story I'll help you out. I know a guy who sold a whole bunch of explosives recently. His name's Horne. Here's where you'll find him," he scribbled down an address and handed it to Chris. "Have a look around his place if you want, if you can get inside. You might find something that'll help you."

"OK. Thanks."

He turned to go, but his cousin had a hand on his arm, "Chris…don't let anyone know I told you this. If people find out I grassed up on Horne, even to the press, my name will be shit all over the city. I only told you 'cause you're family."

"I hear you. This conversation never happened."

"And be careful. If Horne's men catch you, I can promise you it won't be much fun. I won't be able to help you either."

"Don't worry about me. Thanks again."

His cousin grinned, nodding his head towards Felicity and lowering his voice, "She married?"

Chris laughed, "Nope, and she's way out of your league, mate."

They left the apartment, Fliss only too glad to get away, and began to head back towards the city centre.

"What did you find out?" she asked.

Chris pulled out the piece of paper his cousin had given him, "Apparently this is the address of a guy who sold a large amount of explosive recently."

"To the terrorists?"

"Seems likely. Let's go and check this place out, see if we can find anything that leads us to the terrorists."

-

-

-

Logan and Scott were in Toronto, also looking for any possible clues that might pinpoint the next terrorist target. According to Scott's records, the previous terrorist attack on this city had taken place at one of the larger train stations, so they'd gone there first. Logan was trying to remember at what point during proceedings it had been decided that he would partner Cyclops, and why he hadn't argued against it more strongly. Obviously he didn't hate Scott – he liked him more than he liked, say, Pyro or Gladiator – but they simply didn't see eye to eye on anything. It was actually something of a miracle that they'd spent this much time in each other's company without breaking into an argument and separating to search for the terrorists alone. He glanced at Scott's visor and thought: boy, could he make that thing any less inconspicuous? I might as well be strolling down the road with my claws out and Sabretooth's dead body slung over my shoulders.

"The problem is we don't even know what form the attack will take," Scott was saying. "We don't know whether a bomb has already been planted and just needs to be triggered, or if the terrorists will bring the bomb with them when they attack. We don't know whether we should be searching for a bomb, or trying to work out what their most likely approach will be."

"What did they do last time? Aren't your records meticulous enough to tell us?"

"Unfortunately not."

"Well, we could split up and do both," said Logan hopefully.

Scott said dryly, "As much as I'd like to, I think it would be best to stay together in case of an emergency. It's obvious that somebody is out there, directing these attacks, and we don't know what it is they're trying to do. Until we do, I think it's best to take every precaution we can."

"So you don't think Pyro's responsible?"

"No. It seems too obvious. It doesn't seem like his style either."

"What style? He doesn't have any style. You know, I still don't understand why we're allowing him to walk freely around the mansion instead of putting him in a cell where he belongs."

"Well, we do have an agreement with them."

"He's dangerous. He'll go after the humans again if he's given a chance. He's more dangerous than you seem to realise. Why do you let him live with us?"

"For his students' sake more than anything else. They have to be given the chance to see things from our point of view. The only way that can happen is if we maintain the peace between ourselves and Pyro. It's fragile, but it lasts. And I'd rather have him where we can keep an eye on him, wouldn't you?"

"No, I'd rather have him in a jail cell and throw away the key. And you're wasting your time on his kids. He's had them under his thumb for so long that they can't listen to anybody else. Worst of all, he's probably going around trying to brainwash our kids into his way of thinking."

"Do you think this hasn't occurred to me? It's not an easy decision I had to make. I'm having to make a lot of difficult decisions. If you actually took time to consider that, instead of just moaning all the time, we probably wouldn't need to have these arguments. Now shut up, we've got more important things to worry about right now."

They continued in an icy silence.

-

-

-

"Sir, we're nearly in position. Mutant training facility is in sight."

"Roger, proceed with caution. Remember, eliminate every mutant we find."

Hesitation, then, "Even the children, sir?"

"Every mutant we find."