Thank you for your patience! I'm trying to get these up as soon as I can. I have been working at putting more of Storm & Kurt into the story. I know I've neglected them a bit. But again, be patient. And thank you everyone who reviews! I REALLY appreciate it!

…

"You caught me off guard hun. You're not too bad."

"Who are you talking to?" A deep voice answered.

"Shut up. I'm not talking to you. You can't ignore me forever Magenta."

"Magenta ain't here."

"They moved her?" Amorpha questioned with a twinge of attitude in her voice.

"No, they moved you." Came the harsh reply.

Amorpha sighed and sat back against the wall, now completely bored. She was hoping that "Magenta" would be next door, as always, to bug and provoke.

Down the hall about eleven rooms, where she was before, Nanny was thrown into her cell, still gripping her head.

"Uggh! Will the ringing, the buzzing, ever stop!" She knelt to the floor covering her ears.

"How is she?" Someone asked the guards outside.

"Her wounds have been tended to, but she doesn't heal as fast as the others."

"Huh, must have missed out on that gene. When will she be ready to fight again?"

"Ahhh, give her a day. She'll be ready enough tomorrow morning."

"Good. It'll take at least that long to repair the arena. God, she tore that place apart. It's impressive. We're getting more bets now than ever, and they're requesting her the most." He paused, then continued. "We just captured a young man with the ability to fly and generate plasma rays. I'd like to see how she does against him. Arrange the fight."

…

"Do you have a plan yet Professor?"

"I wish it were as simple as breaking in and getting her out. However, the device can only be turned off by a remote, of which I'm assuming the announcer has. There are always guests watching, as well as mutant guards themselves, which will make it hard to simply get in and steal the remote."

"Sounds like a party. One of us goes after the twisted announcer, the rest of use fight our way through the guards, pick the lock, grab her, and we're gone."

"We're going to need to free all of the others. I can't and I won't leave them. This isn't just about Nanny."

"What is it Professor?" Jean asked, sensing that there was more to complicate things.

"I'm afraid that a mutant by the name of Emma Frost has had a hand in the handy work of the devices. Throughout her history, she's been known to be quite clever and ingenious with electronics. I'm not sure, but I have to assume that there's also some built in 'self destruction' in the devices, in case of an escape attempt or rescue attempt, which means if we sound the alarm too quickly, we could do more harm than good."

"But, if we became one of the honored guests, we could get in without arousing suspicion."

"That's what I was thinking Jean." The Professor grinned. "I'm too well known to be the honored guest. Jean, you'll be the guest. While he is distracted with the other guests, you need to retrieve the remote, turn off all of the devices and turn off the security alarms. Once that's done, Wolverine and Cyclops, you will go in and if need be, take care of a few guards. Nightcrawler- you and Storm will let the others out. When you find Nanny, of course, take her. I will remain here."

…

"Professor, how come Rogue, Bobby, and Colossus are always allowed at the team meetings and Pyslocke and I aren't?"

The Professor chuckled. "You're time is coming Kitty."

"When do we leave Professor?" Rogue asked as she hurried into the room, accidentally interrupting Kitty and the Professor.

The Professor starred at Rogue in amazement and stifled a laugh. "Rogue, you're not going anywhere."

"But I thought we were going to help rescue Nanny?"

"No no. Rogue, the point of including the three of you in some of our meetings is that you can learn by observing and listening. It's apart of your training, since the time isn't too far away when you will be apart of the team. However, that time has yet to come and won't arrive for at least another year or two."

"But you need us! Look what happened when Wolverine was shot, and Bobby …"

"I need all of you. And some day, I hope that all of you will get the chance to be apart of the team. Rogue, if there is any specific dire need like that immediate of Wolverine's, we won't ignore it and let someone suffer for it, but helping out every now and then does not make you apart of the team. It makes you apart of the family here at the school. You're time will come. Patience."

Rogue sighed and hurried outside.

"Rogue, what's-" Rogue passed by Bobby without answering him and Bobby followed after her.

…

"The fight schedule has been updated. There are two more fights tonight, and then Nanny fights first thing in the morning."

"What time?"

"The fight starts at 10. Professor … how are we going to get enough money to become one of the guests for this fight! The price has sky rocketed since she last fought."

"Don't worry about that. Once I have donated the amount necessary, Jean, you will need to wait for their instructions on how to get there and where to enter. Then we will figure out our timing. For now though, everyone must stay outside and wait for Jean to off the security systems. Cyclops, pick off a few of the cameras on the outside before you move in."

…

Jean slowly approached a heavy, rusted, metal door and knocked on it as loudly as she could.

"Name," a deep voice growled from behind the door.

"Jean Smith."

"Right this way," the voice the replied as the door swung open and was slammed just after she stepped through.

…

"Ok everyone, Jean's in."

…

"Welcome! Please, right through here."

"Wow, this is impressive."

"Why thank you. It's the control room. This is where I make the announcements, check on the bets, set the cameras; you get the idea. And, through this door over here … this is the bird's eye view, where my guests watch the show. Best seats in town, I assure you. You can see both contestants quite clearly and sometimes blood even spatters onto the glass." The man beamed with pride. Jean tried not to look disgusted. "The other guests should be along shortly. One of them, more of a sponsor to the arena, requested a grand tour of the place. So if you'll excuse me, I'll be right back."

The man left through the control room, and out the other door. He stopped to whisper with the guard posted right outside the control room, then left. Jean carefully opened the door and stood before the control panels and screens.

"Ok, I have access to the video feed it seems. Now which …"

"Find the buttons to turn off the cameras and security system." Storm's voice came through faintly in Jean's ear piece.

"I'm trying. Most of these buttons aren't labeled. Ok, cameras. Camera one, two, three, four, five, six- wow, there's a lot of cameras. Ok, they're all off. Security, security. I can't find anything that says security and I don't see any buttons that turn the devices on and off."

"Maybe it's a portable remote that he keeps with him."

"I don't think so. I think it's one of the buttons that aren't labeled, or …"

"Yes? Jean!"

Jean returned the guest seats and sat down pretending to take careful notice of every detail in the caged arena. The man nodded to the guard outside and came back in.

"We should be starting shortly. They're getting the contestants ready as we speak." He paused standing in the door way and smiled. "So what do you have against em'?"

Jean thought quickly and carefully. "Mutants threaten to destroy the democracy and lifestyle that we fought for over and over again. After my uncle was killed by one, I've never flinched to see one die, especially not when I'm making a profit out of it." She tried to speak as seriously as she could, swallowing her words, and despising everything she said.

"Hahaha, I've never heard it quite like that."

"And you?" Jean asked.

"Me? Well I don't have anything real personal against them, sides' the fact that I simply can't stand em'. I love blood and money and then someone commissioned me to create an arena for them to kill each other off. I get part of the money betted and I get money for handing the dead ones over to a lab who studies their carcasses."

Jean nodded, speechless. She was trying her best to act nonchalant and she was careful not to give away the fact that she didn't enjoy blood and gore, and that she certainly didn't have anything against mutants.

"Ahhh, here they are."

Two men walked through the doors, one very short and very obese and the other of medium stature, muscular, and bald. Both wore pinstripe suits and polished shoes. The announcer introduced everyone to each other and then introduced himself as Mr. Quinn.

Mr. Loundre, the short, fat one, immediately headed over to the table layered with Danishes and drinks. Mr. Bevly, the muscular one, sat down in silence.

"Mr. Quinn, I was wondering if I might watch as you in the control room as you set everything up." Jean smiled brightly, a little bit flirtatious like.

"Certainly my dear." Mr. Quinn checked his watch, and peered below. "Right on time. Follow me," He said. The guards had Nanny and 'Scorch' ready down below, awaiting the signal.

"Ladies and gentlemen, for your viewing and profiting pleasures, I give you Magenta and Scorch. This is Scorch's first fight and Magenta's fourth fight. Please place your bets now."

"See, after I've announced it I check this screen. This will tell me who has bet on whom. After so much has been wagered, I will start the show. This opens the doors to the cage. Once those are open, the guards will uncuff them and shove them inside. I wait about five seconds, and then, turn up the heat!" He smiled as Nanny and Scorch's eyes filled with rage and they began to go at each other. Jean watched carefully exactly which buttons he pushed and followed Mr. Quinn back to sit down.

Scorch rushed at Nanny, radioactive plasma rays shooting from his hands. Nanny dodged and rolled and sent a pole soaring towards him from behind. He flew out of the way, just in time. The pole scrapped his back badly, but he saved himself from being skewered. He shot more rays at Nanny. She pulled off some metal plating to create a shield, but it melted and burned the palm of her right hand. She molded some of the melting metal into large daggers. As the both of them flew and bounced around the cage, Nanny stabbed at Scorch and he shot at her. There wasn't a lot of room for strategy because neither could completely block the other's attacks and yet both could block them enough to make sure that they were always at a draw- a bloody draw.

"Where is the Ladies room?" Jean asked. "I hate to leave just when it's getting good, but I'm afraid that it can't wait."

"Right this way." He led her to the door and the guard took her from there, down the stairs and to the left.

…

"I don't know how I'm supposed to get into the control room now. I know how to turn off the devices, but I still don't know where the security buttons are. And we really must hurry. Both Nanny and 'Scorch' are really getting beat up in there."

"Do you think you can push the buttons as you go by?"

"I'm not sure. I certainly wouldn't be able to push them with my hands without it being noticed, and I not sure how well the Phoenix is going to cooperate with me today."

"You've got to try."

"I know, but pushing the button isn't the biggest issue here. I have to turn off the security systems before you can get in."

"Look by the camera panel. There might a few additional buttons around there. Go into the room slowly and look it over. If you see one that you think might be it, take a stab and push it. Pick up your pace slightly and push the other button and then go back and sit and down and pretend nothing's happening," Scott instructed.

"Ok, here goes nothing."

'… camera, camera, camera, camera … unlabeled button-no, no, camera … that one,' Jean thought to herself. She waved her hand passed the panel as she moved by, using her powers to push the buttons, and praying that Phoenix wouldn't act up.

"What I have missed?" She asked as she sat down.

…

"Scott, are the systems down?" Storm asked.

"Hold on, I'm checking." Scott punched a few keys on his computer, and then a few more, concentrating hard. "Yes, it looks like it."

"Good job Jean, they're down."

"Wolverine, you slice that side door open, but as quietly as you can. Wolverine and I will go in first; Storm and Kurt, you follow after."