The morning of the mission arrived.

Our first few hours awake went by in a blur. First, we all got our stuff packed so we could get ready to check out. During this, Scott and Joanna did a thorough sweep of all the rooms to make sure we didn't leave anything behind – especially anything that could have been used to link us to the incident at the bar.

Servicemen and servicewomen, am I right?

Once that was done, we loaded our stuff in the SUV and checked out. From there, we drove off. Once the motel was no longer even a dot in the rear view, Scott took a turn into the dessert. We drove for a few miles before we saw a shimmer. After the shimmer, the heavily modified Airbus we rode in appeared, hovering in place with its loading ramp lowered. Scott drove into the back of it. Happy was waiting for us. After the SUV was parked, we all exited.

"So, I take it you got the information you needed," Happy commented.

"Yes, we did," Scott confirmed. "What we saw earlier… or didn't see… is a whole secret facility underneath the gas station. It's been operational for years, though it ceased operations between the times of The Stark Expo Incident and Hammer's release and reinstatement as head of Hammer Industries."

At that, Happy scoffed. "I can't say I'm the least bit shocked. I never did like that weasel."

"Ditto," I replied.

Scott turned towards us. "You guys have one hour. During that hour, I suggest you eat, hydrate, and make any last minute preparations you feel are needed. After that, we're going straight there."

"What about our stowaways?" Joanna asked as she looked over her shoulder at MJ, Ned, and Betty.

Scott stared at them for some seconds. He then sighed. "We might need them on the ground – but outside in the SUV. We'll need a getaway driver, and I'm sure Ned's skills will come in handy."

"…No objections from me," Craig replied quietly. At that, Ned smiled before he held his hand up towards MJ for a high-five. MJ gave him a glare, prompting him to lower it sheepishly.

"None from me either," Kitty added. She then looked at MJ, Ned, and Betty. "But, if anything goes left, I need you guys to haul and contact Pepper. Understood?"

"We got it," Betty assured.

"Okay," Scott said as he nodded. "Your one hour starts now."

For me, that one hour was busy. First, MJ urged me to eat. I wasn't reluctant or anything. I just didn't realize how hungry I was until she took time to cook the biggest omelet that has ever been put on a plate in front of me, made with peppers, mushrooms, spinach, and bacon. It didn't stop there – she continued to move about and raid the kitchen, making sure I had Greek yogurt and nuts to go with my omelet and orange juice and green tea to drink. By the time I was done, I didn't even want to move. But then Craig walked in and asked if we had time to build him a suit.

It didn't take long for us to make it. Craig's suit was rather simple – though a bit unusual.

"How does it fit?" I asked.

Craig turned around and looked at me and MJ. He nodded. "Feels like I never left the gridiron," he replied.

His whole outfit was basically a take on a football uniform. For his inner layer, he was wearing a vacuum-fitted black suit that covered him from the bottom of his face down. Said suit was made of Kevlar reinforced by a carbon steel wire mesh. Over his upper body was heavy duty armor that looked like shoulders pads worn by football players. The difference was that there were extra panels on the front in the back, providing protection for Craig's back and stomach while still giving him mobility. He also had on shin guards over athletic boots, and a girdle with shock absorbing pads for protection for his upper legs, groin, and butt. Over the padding and armor – save for the shin guards – was a custom football uniform. The pants were black with a burnt yellow stripes running down each side. The jersey was mostly black with exception of a large X on the front of it in burnt yellow and his codename on the back of it in the same color. Over his head was a black helmet with a burnet yellow facemask and visor that covered his eyes. That visor wasn't just for show – the visor was basically the screen of the computer system that was in the helmet, giving Craig a heads-up display to use out on the field.

"Like, I know you're a superhero and all, but why the gaudy costume?" MJ asked. "You're usually pretty low-key when it comes to outfits."

"…It's…" He looked down at the ground and kicked at it bashfully. "Carmilla and I had these cheesy nicknames for each other. When I told her about how my mutant powers emerged, she called me All-American as a joke. I'd call her Chicken Carmesan in response. And, eventually, they became pet names." He looked up at us. "I guess I'm trying to live up to the name." He sighed. I couldn't help but smile. Low key, Craig was as much as a sap as me. He then looked up at MJ, who gave him a sympathetic smile. "Anyway, speaking of suits, I need to get you, Ned, and Betty some flak jackets. We got some on deck."

MJ nodded. "I certainly wouldn't be opposed." She then tilted her head. "How're you holding up, Craig?"

At that, Craig shrugged. "I'm hoping for the best and preparing for the worst. I don't think there's much else I can do."

"Well, whatever happens, we all will be right with you," I assured.

"I know, and I'm glad for that." He then chuckled. "Also, whatever happens, we're going right back to New York to deal with Scorpion – with all the X-Men this time."

I raised my eyebrows briefly. "I've been so focused on this mission that I almost forgot about him." I then paused for a moment. "Wait… who's looking after the city while we're gone?"

Craig waved his right hand dismissively. "Don't worry. Scott got Luke Cage and Daredevil holding things down in Manhattan and a couple of birdies watching over Queens for you. We're good."

I let loose a breath of relief. "Okay."

After the hour was done, we were all standing in the loading bay. I was in my Black Dahlia suit. Shadowcat was in her midnight blue suit, complete with two holsters – one on each thigh. Frenzy was dressed in a black t-shirt underneath a flak jacket, khaki cargo pants, and black boots. Slung over her shoulder was a shotgun of some kind. I want to say it was a Mossberg 500 (my gun knowledge comes strictly from video games, so I was no expert). Around her waist was a belt with many pouches. Betty, MJ, and Ned were in t-shirts and jeans. All of them were wearing ski-masks and flak jackets. Cyclops, himself, was dressed in the same outfit he wore during the Midtown High Incident, battle visor and all. We all had our communicators in our ear.

With everyone gathered, Cyclops stepped forward before he faced the whole group.

"Before we set out, I want to tell you all how grateful I am you're here, even if things began with a bit of a hiccup," Cyclops began. "I also want to state that what we will be doing is highly dangerous. The potential for death is more than sizeable. And as much as I'll do everything I can to make sure we all make it home alive and in one piece, I can't guarantee that. Frictor, Shadowcat, and I are on board. The rest of you however… I understand that you all have a lot to look forward in your lives and people you love. So, if you want to back out now, I won't hold it against you. I'll have Happy take you home and we'll find our own way back. What say you?"

We all stayed silent as we looked at each other. I then shook my head as I looked at Cyclops.

"You guys are half the reason my life is back on track," I spoke up. "What type of person would I be if I left you guys in your time of need? Especially when we've already gotten this far."

"That's means I'm going as well," MJ declared. I felt my arm move. I looked down to see MJ taking a hold of my gauntleted hand. "We're a package deal."

"I'm part of that package, too!" Ned cut in. "Where would Peter be without his Guy In The Chair?"

"You know I'm sticking around," Betty added. "Besides, we American Idiots have a Valentine's Day dance to go to."

"I'm not in the habit of taking jobs and not finishing them," Frenzy said. "And besides, I got to make sure you get home safe, too, Cyclops – you're way too fun to let die."

Cyclops nodded. He took in a breath before he turned towards Happy Hogan. "Thank you for everything. Please be on standby. We'll need a quick escape."

"You got it," Happy assured. "But make sure everyone is in one piece. Pepper will have my head if anything happens to you guys – especially Peter."

"Noted." After that, Cyclops turned towards the rest of us. "X-Men, let's go."

We entered the SUV. Cyclops took the driver's seat and Frenzy rode shotgun. Craig took the second row with Shadowcat and Betty. That left MJ, Ned, and I to take the backseat. As soon as the loading gate of the Airbus dropped, Cyclops started the Suburban and put it in reverse, backing out until we were on desert sand. He then put the car in drive before he turned it and drove off. The car ride was quiet at first. After a couple of minutes, Ned chuckled before he spoke up.

"All of this low-key started at St. James," Ned said.

I shook my head. "No, it actually started with Cyclops," I corrected. "After one talk from him, I was finally semi-open to hanging out with you guys again."

"It started with Shadowcat, too," Frictor stated. Everyone except for Cyclops looked at him, though I was sure Cyclops was listening – he was just being a responsible driver. "I went through therapy over my messy breakup with Carmilla. Even with that. there was a long period that I didn't go outside the crib except for work and patrols. But, Shadowcat got tickets for the show and she convinced me to live a little. And the rest, as they say, is history."

"I guess it started with Betty as well," MJ added. "Had she not had an extra ticket, Ned and I wouldn't have invited you along."

"'Coincidences are a huge part of my life'," Shadowcat said before she looked over at me. "You told me that."

"Yeah, and I'm starting to realize how true it is," I replied as I chuckled.

"You guys are really one big happy family, huh?" Frenzy commented. I looked over at her, seeing the sad smile on her face.

"You have any family of your own?" Betty asked. At that, Frenzy scoffed.

"Nope. At least, not any present in my life." She sighed. "My father was an abusive ex-soldier that forced my mom to hightail it. My brother… he was cool. And I loved him to death, too. But, unfortunately, he was killed in action. My father loved him too, you see. So, when my brother died, he decided to use that as his current excuse to beat me. And he beat me bad. Unfortunately, for him, that's when my powers emerged. I literally punched a hole straight through his chest. I was scared of what I became and scared of what was going to happen to me. So, I ran away for a bit. As soon as I turned 18, I joined The Marines."

"…Oh." Betty looked a bit downcast. "Frenzy, I'm – "

"Don't apologize." Frenzy smiled. "I have no regrets. Not anymore, anyway. I guess just seeing you guys makes me wonder how things would've turned out if my family was like you guys when I was growing up." She then changed the subject. "So, how are we going to handle this situation?"

"We're going in loud and dumb," Cyclops replied. "We've been going about our escapades rather discreetly. So, I don't think they expect us to hit them head on. So Spider-Man can focus on doing his part of the rescue, we'll have Ned be our eyes and ears via the security system. We'll use Edith to patch in Ned and we'll go from there."

"Sounds like a plan," Ned said. He pulled out his laptop and booted it up. "I'll make sure I'll have my computer ready."

"Sounds good."

Some minutes later, we arrived at the abandoned gas. Cyclops pulled up next to one of the non-operational pumps. I was about ready to step out when I felt my hand being tugged. I looked over to see MJ lift up her mask and smile at me.

"Remember our deal," MJ stated. "Thirty days without getting shot or stabbed."

Underneath the mask, I grimaced. "I think today should be a freebie."

"…I'll think about it." She then brought her hands up and lifted up my mask before she placed a chaste kiss against my lips. I reciprocated before she pulled away a couple of seconds later and pulled her mask down. "But seriously, come back to me safe – and bring everyone else back to me safe, too."

"I will, Em. I love you, Michelle."

"I love you, too, Peter." With that, she pulled down my mask.

I nodded at her. I then looked at Ned and Betty. "You two look after her, okay?"

"Of course," Betty replied with a nod.

"You know we will," Ned added. "First chance you get, have Edith patch me in."

"I got you."

"Remember, if anything goes left, drive off and contact Pepper," Frictor reminded. With that, he stepped out of the SUV.

I, along with the rest of the X-Men and Frenzy, stepped out of the SUV. I looked around the area, taking in the worn appearance. We then walked towards the garage. Without a word, Cyclops moved in front of us and placed the index and middle finger of his right hand against the side of his visor before he shot a red beam out of his eyes, punching a large hole straight through the tambour door of the garage. We all walked through the hole. As we did so, we saw about four armed guards on the floor. They slowly stood up, looking disoriented. Without hesitation, Cyclops blasted one of them into a wall. Quickly, I webbed that same guard to the wall he hit, making sure he stay put.

During this, Frictor ran in and lowered his shoulder before he tackled one of the guards to the ground. As he sent forearm after forearm into the face of the guard he tackled, another guard tried to run behind him. However, he was intercepted by Shadowcat, who dropped kicked him into a pile of abandoned tires. That just left one guard. I felt the rush of air to my left as Frenzy zoomed past me. In a split second, Frenzy was holding the guard up off of his feet with one hand. The guard tried to struggle out of Frenzy's grasp, but it got him nowhere. As the guard gasped for air, she brought the guard closer to her until they were face to face.

"Okay, I'm going to ask you this one time and one time only," she threatened with a growl. "How do we get underground?"

"The… the red switch," the guard choked out. I looked around until I saw the red switch in question on a wall. I walked up to it before I grabbed the handle.

"Open sesame," I deadpanned as I pulled the switch down. Nearby, the floor opened up, revealing a staircase. "Wow, that's awesome! Do they sell that at Lowe's?"

"Somehow, I doubt that," Frictor replied as he stood up from guard he was mounted on. Said guard lay limp – no doubt he was knocked out. In Frictor's hand was a keycard of some sort. "But Ikea might got it, though."

"Let's roll," Cyclops ordered. Frenzy tossed the guard to the side. I immediately webbed him down. After a moment of thought, I webbed down the others, too. I then walked after the others. We made our way down the stairs, not even carrying a pretense of stealth.

"Hey, Edith," I muttered. "Would you kindly patch Ned into the security system?"

"I'm patching him in now," Edith replied. "Also, Frictor's helmet is compatible with the system in your suit. If you'd like, I can patch it into your suit so I can support him."

"Do it."

A few moments later, Frictor's head jerked upward. "Whoa, who the heck are you?"

"I am Edith, Peter's personal A.I," Edith explained. "You've been patched in so I can provide further support."

"Oh, you don't say? Well, I'm Frictor, pleased to meet you. …How'd you end up with the name Edith, anyway?"

"It's an acronym given to me by my creator Tony Stark. Specifically, it stands for 'Even Dead, I'm The Hero'."

At that, Frictor scoffed. "Wow. That's… wow."

Edith chuckled in response. "Well, Tony was always fond of acronyms."

"Ain't that the truth?"

"Who are you talking to?" Frenzy asked as she looked at Frictor in confusion.

"Edith," Frictor explained. "Apparently, my helmet is even more high-tech than I thought. Spidey was able to patch me in so she can help me out."

Frenzy raised her eyebrows briefly. "Must be nice."

"Hey guys," Ned said over our communicators. "I'm fully patched in now, thanks to Edith. Probably a little too late to say something now, but you'll be approaching an elevator soon. It's a platform lift. It also has a control console." Just like he said, when reached the bottom of the stairs, there was a lift waiting for us. As we stepped onto it, Shadowcat made her way over to the control console.

"Guys, come look at this," she said. We all walked up behind her. We looked down at the screen of the console. The console had a small keyboard and a card reader. It asked for a keycard or code. "Frictor, let me see that keycard of yours." Frictor handed it over to her. She took it before she looked it over. She then looked down at the console before slid the card through a reader. After a few moments, the screen flashed the words "ACCESS GRANTED" before showing the floors that we had access to.

We only had access to the first floor.

"Of course," I commented with a sigh. "We don't want things to be easy. Make it as hard as possible, please."

"Ned, what does the first floor look like?" Cyclops asked.

"From what I can see, there are about twenty men with automatic rifles aimed at the door," Ned replied. "There could be more."

"Sounds like my kind of party," Frenzy replied as she grabbed her shotgun. After a moment, though, she let go of the gun, letting it hang from its sling. "Let's go meet them, but I need you all to stay behind me, though. I can take a lot of bullets."

"Stand behind two of us, you mean," Frictor stated as he stepped up.

Frenzy looked at him and raised an eyebrow. "You're bulletproof, too?"

"In a roundabout way."

"Okay," Cyclops replied. "Shadowcat, would you kindly?"

She nodded before she tapped the screen, selecting the option for the first floor. The lift started to descend a few moments later. As we waited, I decided to check up on MJ.

"Hey Em?"

"Hey Dork," she greeted. "What's up?"

"How're you holding up?"

"I'm okay. I have to say, it's interesting seeing things through your perspective."

"Well, if you're prone to motion sickness, you might want to look away. I'll be bouncing around in a bit."

"I think I can handle it. But if I get sick, you're buying me medicine." I couldn't help but chuckle a bit.

"…I just realized that I have access to the PA System," Ned stated. He then chuckled. "Anyone got any song requests?" I didn't expect anyone to reply. But Frictor spoke up.

"You have the Space Jam soundtrack on deck?" Frictor asked.

"I think I do. What do you have in mind?"

"I need that Hit 'Em High."

"Alright, coming right up."

As soon as the door elevator came to a stop, Cyclops, Shadowcat and I moved behind Frenzy and Frictor. At this point, the large door split open. As Ned stated, there were many men with guns aimed at us. They were dressed in black jumpsuits and vests that I assumed were bulletproof.

"Surrender now or we will terminate you!" one of them yelled out.

"Uh, guys, no need to be hostile," Frictor called out. "We're here on business!"

"What kind of business?"

"Oh, nothing major – we're just a here to run a train on your mom!"

The whole room went quiet for the most part. However, there were a few snickers coming from me, and some of the guards. Meanwhile, over the communication frequency, I heard Betty, MJ, and Ned laughing out loud.

"Terminate them!"

That was when the gunfire started. Shadowcat grabbed both me and Cyclops by the arm. Frenzy and Frictor took most of the bullets, which bounced off of them. Frenzy didn't even move an inch. Frictor, for his part, did a yawning gesture with his right hand – he was definitely using his powers to slow down the bullets. The bullets that did manage to make it past them flew right through us harmlessly – Shadowcat phased herself along with Cyclops and I. Still, I grimaced at the sound of the bullets hitting the wall behind me. After a few minutes, the gunfire stopped. The smell of discharged gas was in the air. Spent shell casings were on the floor. But, most importantly, there were a lot of shocked expressions on the faces of the gunmen.

I clapped my hands together a few times. "Wow, I have to give it up to you guys," I mockingly complimented. "It's been a while since I've seen so many bullets spent to take me down. Of course, none of your bullets did anything, but I can't knock the effort!"

"It's the termination order for me," Frictor added. "But um… Cyclops, is it our turn?"

"Yes it is," Cyclops confirmed.

It was at this point that a song played over the PA System.

Greetings, Earthlings

We have now taken over your radio

As Method Man sung the chorus, Cyclops gave one order.

"Take them all down."

We needed no more motivation. We all ran out of the elevator.

I quickened my steps before I jumped into the air. I somersaulted before I kicked off the back of one of the guards. I somersaulted again, landing on my feet. Quickly, I turned around and shot two strands of webbing at the guard's back. I then turned and yanked him, sending him flying through the air. I sidestepped, feeling the rush of air and as he flew by. I turned and watched him, seeing him fly into two of the three guards that were making their way towards me.

"Not quite a strike," I commented. As the last guard approached, I performed a backflip, catching him in the chin and sending him upward. I landed on my feet before I did a 360, sending my elbow into his midsection and sending him sailing before he hit the floor and skidded to a stop. "Consider that a spare." I looked around to see how the others were doing.

Shadowcat was running forward. She phased through one of the guards trying to take her down, leaving him to be clotheslined by Frictor. She then continued run forward, meeting a group of four guards head on. Quickly, Shadowcat jumped into the air. In a move that would make Michael Jai White nod in approval, she sent four kicks into succession, one at each head of the guard. She landed on her feet as the guards hit the ground.

Frictor, for his part, grabbed the guy he took down by the vest. He stood up, picking the guard up with him. He then looked over his shoulder a group of three guards ran after him. He quickly turned, putting the man he was engaged with between him and the incoming group. He then brought his foot up and kicked it into the man's stomach. He went sailing backwards at a high speed, no doubt having no friction underneath in his feet as he barreled into the group. After all four of them fell down, he ran forward before he jumped in the air and splashed down on top of them.

Another group of four tried to go after Frenzy. Unfortunately, for them, that would prove to be a mistake. In a blur, Joanna ran around them. She grabbed the trailing man by the back of his vest before she tossed him to the side. I cringed when I saw him hit a wall. The group of three turned around before the rushed at her. As soon as they were close enough, she grabbed two of them by the neck before she lifted up her right leg and sent the sole of her boot into the third one's face with a crack. She lifted the two her grasps up in the air and held them there, choking them out until they went limp. She then dropped them unceremoniously.

Finally, there was Cyclops. He placed his fingers against the side of the visor and let off three shots, knocking three guards out with blasts to the face. He then lowered his hand and started walking slowly towards the lone guard. The guard reached for his pistol and pulled it out of its holster. However, he barely had time to aim it before Cyclops blasted the firearm, shattering it into tiny pieces. The guard yelped as he clutched his now bloodied hand. Cyclops continued to walk forward until he stopped a couple of feet short of the guard.

"Cut the music," Cyclops said. The music abruptly stopped. He took in a breath before he addressed the injured guard. "Here's what's going to happen. You, I, and my teammates here are going to walk to this elevator. You're going to override our floor restriction and get us down to the bottom floor. You help us, and I'll knock you out quickly. You refuse, however, that injured hand will be the least of your problems. Is that understood?"

"Y-y-y-yes sir," the guard stammered out in fear.

At that, Cyclops nodded. "Good. Let's walk. X-Men, let's go."

We all made our way to the elevator, with Cyclops gripping the back of the guard's vest. Once inside of the elevator, Cyclops pushed the guard towards the console. The guard spared one glare towards Cyclops before he pulled out his keycard and swiped it. We all gathered around him and looked down at the screen. When the floors showed up, all of them were able to be accessed except for the bottom floor.

"…What is your name, sir?" Cyclops asked in grimly quiet tone.

"…I'm Bob, sir," the guard replied. "Bob Dobalina."

"Well, Mr. Dobalina, am I a joke to you?"

"N-no, sir."

"Then would you kindly tell me why every floor is able to be accessed except for the one we're trying to get to?"

"I-I-I-It's not my fault! Th-thi-this only happens when there's an emergency going on in the fourth floor!"

"How does that make even a lick of sense?" Frictor demanded.

"It's to make sure the other experiments aren't freed or hurt!"

I sighed. "Hey, Guy In The Chair?" I spoke. "Can you see what's going on in the fourth floor? I just need to know if I have to punt this guard into the nearest wall!" Bob looked at me with wide, fearful eyes. I chuckled. "I'm… semi-joking."

"Yeah, give me a few moments," Ned replied. There was some seconds of silence. And then he spoke up again. "…Um, Betty, MJ… Am I seeing what I think we're seeing?"

"…I would say yes, but that means we're both crazy," MJ replied.

"That would make all three of us crazy," Betty added.

"Hey, guys," Shadowcat cut in. "We need to know what's going on. Would you please tell us?"

"I will," Ned replied. "I just don't know if you'll believe us."

"Just tell us already!" I complained.

"Guys… I promise I'm being dead serious when I say this. There are two dragons rampaging on the fourth floor."