Response to Challenge 5. also written for crossovers100

Set between S3 and S4. AU a bit I suppose.

"Extraction"

He found her shattered body at the bottom of the shaft. Rapelling down, he averted his eyes momentarily as he got a handle on his emotions. She deserved so much better than this. No matter what she'd gotten mixed up in, she deserved better than this.

Releasing himself from the rigging, he dropped to his knees beside her, conscious of the passing time. He had to hurry, the others would be down within minutes. He worked on autopilot, not letting himself think, and by the time the others joined them...they were ready.

All that was left was to wait.

"You ready, Bub?"

The familiar voice brought his gaze up to the waiting Logan.

"Yeah," he agreed, "let's get out of here." He followed them up and out to the coroner's van. "Got a hot date."

Wolverine smirked all the wider. "Can't miss that." He slammed the doors and Tom looked across at the other attendant.

Dark, equally familiar eyes, stared out from the brim of Ororo's cap and she smiled. "Xavier sends his thanks. We were unsure how we would be able to bring her home."

"She doesn't belong here. Never did. She did this for her Dad."

She inclined her head but said nothing. Which told him Senator Reed was not the source of Lauren's sins.

"Who?"

"A General named Stryker." She revealed. "He is...gone." Her pleasant expression hardened. "He was responsible for The Incident." The Incident being what the mysterious worldwide phenomena that had tortured and killed many. The word in the intelligence community saiid it was a military initiative gone very, very, wrong.

"They did something to her?"

"Not just her." Ororo answered tightly. "Friends died. Be careful of your coworkers, Agent Grace. Some of them are likely involved."

He sat back, thinking on the warning and watching her work. He'd always known Lauren was a mutant. She'd told him early on about her powers but he knew he was the only one she had told. He'd never broken the confidence aware of the risks. Or so he'd thought. "What happened?"

"In layman's terms it was a type of brainwashing." The words spilled from her as she worked, not looking up. "The attack on the President was another example of it's power...they'd do it to us all if they could."

Tom didn't argue the point. She was right. If the General's project could be ressurrected, there'd be plenty of backers. Handy-dandy, remote-controlled mutants.

It made sense in a twisted, facist sort of way. Which pretty much guaranteed someone would resurrect it. The temptation'd be too much and then the mutant population would have no other option but to retaliate and it'd escalate pretty fast from there on out, ending up as an out and out...

"War."

"Yes." Lauren rasped, eyes slowly opening. "Eventually." Her gaze warmed. "You came."

"Had to make sure you were okay."

"One of mutations few blessings." She demurred. "Thank you, Tom...for coming." She fumbled for his hand. "Even for a friend, this was too much to ask."

"Yeah, well, the government owes you one." He pointed out with a faint smile. "I just paid up for them."

Finis