Hello there! It is two in the morning here in Britain and for some reason I can't sleep, so I'm posting this up for all of you lovely readers :)

Rather long chapter today, but the next one is likely to be fairly short. I could have spread them a little more evenly, but I wanted this one to end at a certain point (mwahaha, evil cliffhanger!)

Thanks for the reviews as always, and I can't wait to hear what you think about this one!

Storm had never been so angry. She was angry that Jack had taken matters into her own hands, angry that the X-men reputation was damaged, but mostly angry that Magneto knew more than she did, and he wasn't just going to tell her, he was revelling in the fact that she had to come to him for information.

"Jealousy is not becoming of you, Ororo," the master of magnetism said, a smug little smile on his face.

"I have much bigger things to worry about right now than jealousy," Storm said, "Like the total mess you and your Brotherhood made in the park in front of thousands of people, apparently unprovoked."

"It wasn't unprovoked," Magneto said.

"The fact that one of my students is apparently an alien from another planet, but didn't care to mention that to anyone," Storm ignored him, "and then there's the fact that I have you in my office, and your cronies hanging around outside somewhere nearby, which is never a comforting thought, and no way of telling who is telling the truth!"

She had never missed the Professor and Jean more than she did right now. They'd have sorted through this mess in a matter of seconds.

"Why don't you do as Jack said and go and talk to Rogue," Magneto suggested.

"Never thought I'd say this, but I agree," Logan said.

Storm looked over to Hank and Mystique. Mystique shrugged and nodded, Hank just sighed before saying it couldn't hurt.

"Ok, where is she?" Storm asked.

Rogue was sat with Kitty in the living room, half watching some programme that was on telly. The first thing they had all done on arriving back at the mansion was crash out on the sofa, too shocked and confused to do much else. She was struggling with intense emotions and a strong desire to cry after everything she had seen. Rogue wanted to talk to Storm, to tell her what she knew, but given Storm's current state of agitation, she thought it would probably only annoy her more.

So instead, she sat on the sofa, almost completely zoned out, trying not to replay the images over and over in her mind. Kitty had put whatever was on the telly on, but she didn't think anyone was particularly interested. It looked like some sort of period drama – lots of people in fancy dresses. She closed her eyes, letting the sounds wash over her. It was funny how some statements drifted into her ears more clearly than others. She could hear nothing but a mumble of the conversation Bobby and Peter were having next to her, but heard quite clearly when Siryn asked one of the other kids if there was any chocolate ice cream left.

The next statement that she heard was Jimmy telling someone that she was in the living room. Rogue sat up, knowing that she was the 'she' they were talking about.

"Rogue," Storm said, walking in followed closely by Hank, "Can you come to my office for a moment, I'd like to ask you something."

Kitty looked across at Rogue with a questioning face, but Rogue just shrugged. As she walked out of the room with Storm, one last statement caught the attention of her ears.

"A door once opened may be walked through both ways," a woman on the telly said.

Rogue wondered if that was true. It would certainly make explaining a lot easier.

Kitty got bored of watching telly soon after Rogue left.

"I'm going to find Jack," she announced, standing up off the sofa.

"Kitty, Storm said to leave her alone," Bobby said.

"Storm also says to go to bed at ten, do you think I listen to that?" Kitty retorted disdainfully, before heading upstairs.

Bobby and Peter exchanged glances.

"Do you think we should try and stop her?" Peter asked.

"She'd just walk straight through us," Bobby pointed out, "Besides, Jack wouldn't hurt her, would she?"

He sounded uncertain. Everyone was a little uncertain about Jack right now.

Jack sat in her room trying to think of a plan for tomorrow. She was aware that Storm had forbidden the rest of the school from talking to her, but though the Headmistress meant it as a punishment, to give her time to think about what she had done, she had actually done her a favour. It gave her the peace and quiet necessary to think things through.

She was having trouble keeping her mind on one track though. Every time she tried to decide whose powers would make best combination to absorb she kept dwelling on Warren and how upset she was that he would probably never talk to her again. The fact that she would be dead in less than twenty-four hours didn't make this sit any more comfortably with her either.

Jack had had to live with the thought that she would probably die young since she was old enough to understand it. She thought she had come to terms with that, but suddenly she was very afraid. She was afraid of never seeing Warren again…

"Snap out of it Jack," She chastised herself, "Since when have you been sentimental?"

"You know, they say talking to yourself is the first sign of madness."

Jack looked up to see Kitty poking her head through the door, quite literally. The rest of her body followed through and she came and sat next to her.

"I thought Storm told you to leave me alone?" Jack asked with a slight smirk.

"Yeah, well, you know I have a penchant for breaking the rules," Kitty said.

Jack smiled a little uneasily.

"So," Kitty said at length, "How are you?"

"What?" Jack asked with a laugh.

"Well, it seems to me that everyone has got so carried away with all this 'alien' business that they've forgotten you were in a coma for a week. I just thought I'd see if you were doing ok."

"I'm fine," Jack said, "Tired, and a bit achy, but fine."

"What were you being sentimental about?" Kitty asked with a grin.

"I… Nothing much," Jack said, "Just trying not to be bothered that everyone's mad at me."

"I'm not mad at you," Kitty said with a shrug, "And Storm was looking a lot calmer when she came to ask Rogue about something."

"She's talking to Rogue?" Jack asked, sitting up a bit straighter.

"Yeah, wanted to ask her about something or other, I dunno," Kitty shrugged again.

"Well, that's good," Jack said, "But it still won't change the fact that…"

"What?" Kitty prompted as Jack trailed off.

"That the impression people here have of me, the person they think I am, is based on a lie," Jack finished.

It didn't matter really, not if she was just going to be dead by this time tomorrow, but she didn't want the last thoughts the X-men she held so dear to have of her to be bad ones.

"Well, I don't think that, and I bet Rogue doesn't either," Kitty said, "And Bobby and Peter, they're just stupid boys, so what are you worried about?"

Jack just looked down to the floor and Kitty suddenly realised. She clapped her hand over her mouth to contain a girlish shriek.

"You're upset because of Professor Worthingon!" she said.

Jack looked up at her, surprised and a little embarrassed.

"I knew it!" Kitty said triumphantly, "You've had this little thing going on with him ever since you got here. Oh you should so tell him how you feel, because boys are dense and they can't work these things out for themselves, and you know he's so shy he's probably not brave enough to say himself, but he…"

"Kitty…" Jack said, trying to interrupt her speech.

"…totally loves you. You should have seen how cut up he was about leaving you here when we had to go to the President. He was all angry and aggressive…"

"Kitty!" Jack said, fighting a grin.

"…to this guy who was badmouthing us, and I've never ever seen him like that. Oh I'm so excited! You should go tell him right now, I bet he wouldn't stay mad or upset at you for long. You are going to be so cute!"

"KITTY!" Jack yelled.

Kitty jumped with surprise and fell through the seat she was sitting on.

"Sorry," Kitty said, "I've just had too much excitement today…"

"I couldn't tell," Jack said dryly.

"Jack seemed to think you could explain everything that happened today," Storm said to Rogue.

Rogue looked round at the people in the room. Alongside Storm was Professor McCoy, Logan and Mystique. Also in the room was Magneto, who had made himself very at home behind Storm's desk. Rogue fought her hatred for the man. He had tried to kill her, he shouldn't even be in the room, she thought. But Jack had trusted him, allied with him to destroy the fleet that had come to destroy her. Magneto had brought her friend this far alive, and for that she was grateful to him.

"Can you try telling us?" Storm continued, "I know it's tricky organising your absorbed memories, but anything you can tell us would be useful."

"I won't tell you," Rogue said, "I'll show you."

She walked up closer to Storm, removing her gloves.

Please let this work… she thought.

Storm looked at her nervously as she settled her hands either side of her face, not yet touching her skin.

"Trust me," Rogue said, and closed her palms around Storm's face.

Logan jumped away from the wall in surprise but as he went to drag Rogue away Storm held out her hand, telling him to stop. They sank to the floor together as memories flooded from Rogue's mind into Storm's. After what felt to those in the room like an age, Rogue broke away from Storm, both gasping for air, tears running down their cheeks.

Storm closed her eyes as the memories took over her mind, her eyelids fluttering as she took deep ragged breaths. Logan went to Rogue's side and helped her up, as Hank went to Storm.

When Storm finally opened her eyes again she looked over at Rogue and nodded. Rogue nodded back and left the room. As soon as she closed the door she burst into tears and ran upstairs to find Jack.

"What did she do?" Hank asked as he sat Storm down in her chair.

Magneto had vacated it and was standing at the desk alongside Logan and Mystique. All were leaning in closely, curious to hear what had transpired.

"She was showing me memories, forcing them into my mind somehow. I…" Storm faltered, "I guess whatever link she makes with people when she touches them can be used both ways."

"What did you see?" Magneto asked.

"A woman," Storm said, "She was poor, and looked weary. She was running from somewhere, or someone, she had a little girl."

Storm closed her eyes and continued.

"They were running, but they didn't get away fast enough. The woman stopped, sending the girl on, the girl didn't want to go but she ran and hid. The woman turned back and he was there, the man from the envoy today, the only one left. He grabbed her and shook her, but she just shook her head, tears running down her face. So he killed her. She wouldn't tell him where her little girl was so he executed her in cold blood."

Storm opened her eyes again, tears running down her own cheeks at the intense emotional ride she was on.

"They came here for Jack, they came to kill her," she said to Hank and Logan, "The man who calls himself King is here to kill Jack just as he killed her Mother, because she is the only person alive who stands a chance of killing him."

Rogue knocked on Jack's door, before letting herself in. Kitty had already gone off somewhere else so they were alone.

"I showed them," she said, "I showed them what you showed me."

Jack stood up and walked over to her.

"And they understand why I had to do what I did?"

"I don't know, I didn't hang around long enough to see," Rogue admitted.

"But you showed them everything?" Jack asked.

"Everything," Rogue confirmed, "Everything except the last little bit."

She started to sob. Jack cautiously put her arm round her, and Rogue started crying in earnest into her shoulder.

"What didn't you tell them?" Jack asked, trying to sooth her friend as best she could.

"I didn't… I couldn't…" Rogue cried, "I didn't tell them that you would have to die."

"Rogue," Jack said, shaking her by the shoulders gently, "Rogue, listen to me. It's ok. I've know that I would end up dead young since I was five years old. I'm not afraid. I came to terms with it a long time ago."

"But there has to be another way!" Rogue said, "You should run, far away."

"I can't do that, Rogue," Jack said calmly.

"Jack, you're my best friend, you're like a sister to me, I can't sit here and watch you kill yourself, you have to get out!"

"Rogue, if I go anywhere far away King will come here and kill you all," Jack said, "I can't let you suffer because of my problems. I should never have brought this fight here, and I will end it tomorrow."

"We can help you," Rogue said, "Let us fight with you."

"He's too powerful," Jack shook her head, "He would pick you off one by one."

"But if he's so powerful, why did he run away when faced with just me and you?" Rogue asked.

"I…" Jack didn't really know, "I think he wants me to be afraid. It will hurt him to fight me. He's stronger and more experienced, but it still won't be an easy fight for him. He's just trying to soften me up so I'm easier to defeat."

"You're not afraid?" Rogue asked through a sniff.

"No, I'm not," Jack said, "So don't cry for me. I'll be ok, in this life and the next."

Rogue nodded, wiping her face with her sleeve.

"Rogue?" Bobby called from outside.

"Go on," Jack said, pushing her gently towards the door, "Don't let Bobby get worried about you now."

Rogue nodded again, making a more concerted effort to dry her puffy eyes before she went outside. As Jack closed the door behind her she sank to the floor, emotion overcoming her at last as tears ran freely down her face.

After a fitful night's sleep, Jack found herself sat on the cold metal table in the medical rooms below the mansion. Hank was giving her a check-up, so that if there was anything outstandingly wrong with her then he could try to remedy it before midday.

"Are the people of your planet all blessed with gifts?" Hank asked conversationally.

"Yeah," Jack said, "We're a bit like a race of Mutants. Everyone has powers of varying degrees of strength. I can imagine in a few generations time, once the Mutant gene becomes more common, the human race will be even closer to my race than it is now."

"So your true power is the ability to take on other people's powers," Hank said, "and this King has the same power?"

"Yes," Jack said as he took a blood sample.

"Is there any limit to that?" he asked, examining a sheet of results the computer was printing out.

"No, not really," Jack lied, "So you have to get everyone as far away from me as possible once I've decided whose powers to take. It's not going to be a pretty fight."

"Why do you have to decide?" Hank asked as he steered her towards the full body scanner, "If there's no limit to it, just take everyone's."

"There's no point having loads," Jack lied again, "You can only use so many at once without getting confused."

"I see," Hank said, activating the scanner.

Jack lay there patiently as he conducted his medical investigation. It was pointless, but if it made him feel better then she was happy to play along. She had several hours yet before she had to have made a decision about powers and tactics.

As she emerged from the tubular scanning device she sat up smiling, but Hank was frowning at a computer screen.

"What's up?" she asked, walking over to him.

The image on the screen was a brain scan, though that meant nothing to Jack, who knew about as much about medicine as she did about nuclear physics. Not a lot.

"I took a scan of your brain when you were in the coma, to try and determine what was causing it. When I did it then it showed up as all normal," Hank explained, "But now it's showing signs of severe trauma all along the frontal lobe that weren't there before."

He traced the signs with a pencil and Jack closed her eyes, sighing in a resigned fashion.

"Ok, I lied," she said, "I've got into a bad habit of doing that lately," she joked lamely, "There is a limit. I can only carry so much power without causing damage to my brain. The pressure of all that power causes blood vessels to burst. If I took in too much power or held it for too long it would kill me."

"But this King is a lot older than you," Hank said, "Does that mean he is stronger than you?"

"Yes," Jack replied.

"But that means fighting him will kill you."

Jack just nodded.

"I hope to take him down with me," she said.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Hank asked gently.

"I didn't want you fussing," Jack said.

"Who else knows about this?" Hank asked.

"Rogue," Jack said, "And Warren… and I would prefer it if it stayed that way," she added, before walking out.

When Jack came to Storm's office for a meeting, everyone who had been milling around in there sat up.

"Right," Jack said, "I have an idea. Magneto's done me the hugest favour by not going world domination crazy in a hurry – by staying out of the news for the last few weeks he's made himself and his Brotherhood invisible to King. That means if I use their powers I still retain some element of surprise."

"Why don't we all just fight together?" Storm asked.

"No," Jack said, "I've already been through this with Rogue. It won't work because he will just pick you off one by one. I don't want you getting hurt for me, so my best bet is to face him head on. It's my fight, I brought it here, let me finish it. I can comfortably handle five or six powers, so now I just need to decide whose are best to take on."

She didn't look Rogue or Hank in the eye as she said this. Warren was the only X–man who wasn't present in the room, so she didn't have to worry about him, but her heart still wrenched at the thought of his absence. She hoped she would at least get the chance to say goodbye.

"I'm thinking Storm and Pyro are the most powerful, for pure offensive powers, and though King knows about Storm's ability, Pyro's ought to come as a bit of a surprise," Jack thought out loud, "I'll take Logan's for obvious reasons, Magneto's for some defence as well as offence, Bobby's, and a lesser power that could still come in handy. Callisto, which of the Brotherhood are level two?"

Callisto, who was stood with Magneto and Pyro, the only members of the Brotherhood present, thought for a second.

"How about Arclight?"

"Yes, that's a good idea," Jack said, "So, Arclight, Magneto, Pyro, Bobby, Storm and Logan. If you don't mind of course, that I borrow your powers?"

Storm smiled and Magneto chuckled.

"Of course not," Storm said.

"Is there no other way?" Hank asked Jack after the meeting finished.

"Believe me I wish there was," Jack said, just a little sadly.

"Are you sure we can't help?"

Jack shook her head.

"I should never have come here," she said, "This place, this planet, I've brought my problems here while you have enough of your own. America needs its X-men, who am I to take you away from it?"

Midday rolled around far to quick. Jack decided she would fight King in the gardens while everyone else waited inside, ready to retreat into the escape tunnels if necessary. She had also said to Hank that if she died before King was killed, that they should try to take him down straight away while he was in his weakened state from fighting her. Hank nodded, understanding, before pulling her into a great bear hug.

"Be careful Jack," Kitty said, "and kick his ass for me!"

Bobby and Peter wished her good luck, Storm hugged her, telling her to be careful, Magneto merely nodded. Rogue gave her a long hug, whispering 'goodbye' in her ear, retreating behind Bobby before she could get too emotional.

As the time ticked over to twelve, Jack absorbed the powers of her choice. Bobby and Logan buckled at the strange sensation, but everyone else was used to it. Pyro handed Jack one of his wrist contraptions with a brief smirk.

"Thanks," she said to him, but she meant it to everyone. They were all there to support her. All except Warren she noted with a sad smile.

She caught Hank's eye one last time as she walked out. He nodded, and Jack walked out. She was a little way down the path when she heard someone behind her calling.

"Jack, wait!"

Jack turned round to see Warren running after her. He stopped just in front of her, looking down at her almost nervously.

"I'm sorry," he said after a moment, "I never should have judged you before I knew the whole story, and I'm sorry."

Jack smiled happily for the first time since she woke up from the coma as he looked down at his feet, uncertain what to do or say next.

"You don't have to apologise," Jack said, "You had every right to be mad at me."

He looked up at her and she wrapped her arms round his neck in an affectionate hug.

"I never found out if I was a vodka and coke sort of girl," she said with a slight sniff of tears threatening to escape.

"Well, I'll have to find you in the afterlife and take you out for a drink," Warren said, stepping back from her.

He raised a hand to her face, gently brushing away the single tear that had fallen. Jack thought of what Kitty had said, and of the fact that she probably had less than fifteen minutes left alive, then did something very daring. She stood up on tiptoes and kissed him.

Their lips were locked together for only a few seconds but it was long enough for Warren to pour everything he felt for her into the kiss. He didn't ever want to stop, but she broke away.

"I have to go," she said, a little breathlessly, "Please get somewhere safe, and don't look back."

Warren nodded, closed his eyes and turned away. Jack watched him walk half way up to the mansion before she carried on where she was heading, preparing for her last battle.

"Why does he look so upset?" Storm asked Hank as Warren walked back into the mansion.

"Because he knows Jack isn't going to survive this fight," Hank said.

"What?" Storm said.

"She intends to take King down with her, but be ready," Hank said in an emotionless voice, "In case she doesn't manage it."

Jack stood before the graves of Scott, Jean and Professor Xavier. She had never met any of them, but understood them to be great people. She wondered if the X-men would honour her by burying her along side them.

"Ready to take your place with them, Jack?" King asked from behind her.

He was floating above her, having apparently absorbed the ability to fly.

"Yes," Jack said, brewing a storm cloud above them, using the wind currents to raise herself to his level, "But I'm taking you with me."

Rogue stood by the window, trying not to watch as Jack and King fought, but unable to take her eyes away from them. She couldn't believe that this was the only way. Fate had a cruel sense of humour. If only she could do something to help Jack…

An image suddenly flashed before her eyes. That micro expression that King had displayed when she fought him, taking back her power. That uncertainty, that fear…

Jack had dismissed his retreat as tactics, but what if he had been afraid? Not afraid of Jack, but afraid of her…

Rogue squinted at the figures in the distance. They were flying, above the memorial of Jean, Scott and the Professor. If Rogue could reach them maybe she could end it before it killed Jack.

Rogue walked over to Warren.

"I'm sorry Professor," she said.

"What for?" Warren asked, looking up at her through sad eyes.

"This," Rogue replied, putting her hands on his face.

He gasped as the life was sucked out of him and into her. She screamed in pain as a pair of wings grew out of her back.

Jack shot a jet of ice at King but he had anticipated that, blocking it with a stream of fire. What he didn't anticipate was the fire she sent back at him from her other hand. He scowled at her, the burn blistering the skin on his face. It was a blow, but he was still far from beaten and Jack was lagging behind already. Her head felt like it was going to explode.

"No X-man has that ability," King said, "So you do have some tricks up your sleeve."

He flew up close to her, pushing at her with his own fire against her ice.

"It won't help you," he said, pushing harder.

His fire was overpowering her ice very quickly and the strain of trying to push against him was accelerating the haemorrhaging in her brain. As the blood started to drip from her nose, Jack pulled two lampposts from the ground, forming them into sheets of metal like a shield in front of her.

"That's a new one too," she said, launching the sheets at him.

King easily dodged round.

"You can't win, Jack," King said, "You're not strong enough."

He launched a psychic attack on her mind, further weakening her. She clutched her hands to her head, her face screwed up in agony.

"You are weak," King said, "You have no strength over me, no stamina over me, I don't know why you even try to wear me down, you have nothing over me!"

Jack looked up at him through blurry eyes. He was right, but he was also weakening. His eyes were losing focus and tears were forming in their corners. She only hoped Hank would be able to finish him off.

As she continued staring obstinately in his direction, Jack saw an angel appear behind him – an angel with dark hair with two white stripes.

"You're wrong," she said, straightening up, removing her hands from her head, "I have my friends."

She clapped her hands together, and King was knocked backwards into Rogue's waiting arms. She put her hands to his face, sucking the life from him. Her energy draining power weakened him much faster and as Rogue let him go, Jack finished him off with a large metal spike.

As King fell to the floor dead, she looked up at Rogue, giving her a weak smile and the thumbs up, before falling to the floor.

Please review! (Oh, and let me know if all the breaks are in the right place... I think I got them all right, but it's a bit of a pain having to put them in manually rather than just pressing the nice shiny button!) Right, I'm going to sleep now at last lol, nighty night xx