XXXXXXXX

The following morning inside the study of the institute, Hank was standing next to the Professor in his wheelchair as they watched a news broadcast. The Golden Gate Bridge had been ripped apart and all off the mutant prisoners had been broken out of prison facility on Alcatraz Island. Xavier looked at the shots of the twisted metal, fires, and all the other damage before lowering his eyes, full well knowing that his old friend was responsible for all of it.

Hank took a deep breath.

"I'm going to have to get back to Washington, Professor. I'm sure the President is going to want to see me about this, and figure out what to do about Magneto."

"I understand, Henry."

"We should have expected something like this."

"Yes," Xavier agreed. He knew how his old friend thought. "No doubt Erik sees the cure as a weapon that will be used against mutants."

"I can't stop thinking about it, Professor," Hank admitted. "I want to know. I want to know if this so called 'cure' will work or not. And if it's safe for mutants to take."

"As do I."

"It's not that I don't trust the company that's developed it…I just want to know for myself. From what I've been hearing from the news, it's going to be released to the public anytime now."

"Could you request a sample? With your new position in the President's cabinet there must be a way."

Hank shook his head.

"I'm afraid I don't know how much power I have. And like I said, Rao Labs is a private company, I don't know if can just go in and ask for a sample without being denied."

And idea then came to the Professor.

"Henry…I think I know a way to get you in there. Without being detected."

"Oh yeah? How?"

Xavier smiled.

"I happen to know a girl who can walk through walls."

XXXXXXXXX

Warren had been up all night in his father's penthouse apartment in the city. He was currently sitting at the computer in his bedroom, continuing to look up more information on that school Jimmy had told him about. Feeling like he finally needed a break, Warren took a deep breath as he got up and smiled to himself as an idea came to mind. The curtains in his room were drawn and the door was locked. No one was going to see. His wings began to flap gently, and slowly he lifted off the ground and kept going up until his head reached the ceiling. Warren grinned as he looked down at the floor. He had done this only a couple of times ever since his wings had fully grown in a few years ago.

He glided across the room when suddenly a knock on the door caused him to drop back to the floor.

"Just a second."

Warren threw on his overcoat and walked over to open the door to see his father standing there.

"Warren," he smiled. "Can I come in?"

"Sure."

Warren stepped back and his father walked into the room, shutting the door behind him. Worthington took a seat on the leather recliner while Warren sat down on the bed.

"I have some good news. I just got confirmation that the cure works and it is safe to take. We'll have a sample ready for you this afternoon."

He then looked to the side for a moment, not bothering to tell his son about the attack on Alcatraz last night by mutant terrorists.

"Oh." Warren was hesitant to bring up the next subject to his father. "Dad, I wanted to tell you something."

"Go ahead."

"I was talking with Jimmy the other day, and he told me that he use to go to a school…for mutants."

"Really?" Worthington said, but didn't look particularly interested in the topic.

"Yeah, he said the name was Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters. I looked it up and it's only an hour away from here, in Westchester. And I was thinking…maybe…I could go check it out."

Worthington shook his head.

"Warren...that's no place for you to be."

Warren got to his feet and walked to the windows, throwing back the curtains in frustration.

"Dad, all my life I've been sheltered because of this. I didn't go to public school, hell, I didn't even go to a private school, you hired a teacher to come here. It's like I've been living in a cave. All because you're ashamed that I'm a mutant."

"I've never been ashamed of you."

Worthington got to his feet and put his hands on either side of Warren's shoulders, looking him in the eye.

"I was just trying to protect you. After your mother died you were all I had left. I didn't want something to happen to you."

Warren nodded, not wanting to start a fight with his father.

"I know."

"But we don't have to worry about that any more. Today it will all be over, from now on you'll be normal. All mutants out there will have the chance to become normal again. And then one day I'll step down from this company and you'll take over."

"Sounds good."

Warren said that with false cheer as he looked down at the floor. His father then gave him a look.

"It is what you want, right?"

"Yes."

"Alright," Worthington smiled. "Be ready around three o'clock."

Warren nodded as his father turned and walked out of the room. He then sighed heavily before sitting back down on the bed and putting his face in his hands.

XXXXXXXX

Elsewhere, the Brotherhood had hijacked a train last night soon after the attack on Alcatraz. Mystique was at the engine, operating the train with Sabretooth sitting with her as the rest of the mutant prisoners sat together in the passenger car of the train. They were about forty-five in number and as they continued to just quietly sit, Magneto entered the compartment and stood before the mutants.

"My brothers, we shall take you all somewhere safe. However, if anyone wishes to join my Brotherhood and fight, the invitation stands."

A figure all the way in the back, hidden by all the others suddenly stood up and moved towards the older mutant. Magneto smiled as he recognized his old protégé, Mortimer Toynbee, better known to him as Toad.

"Hey, boss," Toad greeted. "I thought I'd never see you again."

Magneto gave him a nod.

"Toad, it's been some time. You're willing to fight along side us, once more?"

"Yes. I want that bitch who fried me with lightning."

"Very well. Follow me."

Magneto led Toad to a different part of the train, the sleeper compartment. Toad turned his head to look down at Pyro, who was sitting against the window and flicking his shark lighter open and closed.

"Who's this?" Toad asked.

"Pyro. Pyro, this is Toad," Magneto introduced. "A former member of the Brotherhood."

Pyro glanced at him for a second but didn't speak or offer his hand in response to the other mutant.

"You recruited a kid?"

"This 'kid' has done more for the cause than you've ever done," Pyro fired back, still not bothering to look at him.

Toad glared down at him.

"You sure about that?"

"Enough," Magneto ordered. "We should be arriving in Manhattan early in the morning. Get some rest."

Magneto moved on to the engine to be with Mystique and Sabretooth as Toad sat down across from Pyro who continued flicking his lighter open and closed while staring out the window. After a couple more times of that, Toad twitched visibly with annoyance.

"Can you stop that already?"

Pyro smirked.

"Nope."

Toad smirked at him and in a flash his long tongue flew from his mouth, wrapping around Pyro's hand, pulling the lighter out and bringing it to him.

"Mine now."

"Give it back," Pyro demanded.

Toad looked at him before flicking the lighter open and closed, mimicking Pyro.

"Hmm…nope. Don't think so."

Pyro got to his feet, his fists clenched at his sides.

"Give it back, tadpole."

The other mutant also got to his feet.

"Come and get it," Toad challenged.

Toad however didn't know what Pyro's power was, only his name. He lit the lighter and waved it in front of his face, tauntingly. Pyro smirked as suddenly a small fireball went off causing Toad to fly backwards and drop the lighter. Pyro picked it up, wiped it off on his jacket before sitting back down.

"Now you know why my name is Pyro."

Toad glared at him as he got up but didn't retaliate cause Pyro had a fireball in his hand, just in case the other mutant made a move.

"What's so special about that thing anyway?"

Toad sat back down across from him as Pyro sighed as he looked down at it.

"A friend of mine gave it to me."

"So, where's this friend now?"

"In the past. He means nothing to me now."

"So why keep it?"

A look of surprise came over Pyro's face but he didn't have an answer. The truth was, despite trying to forget all about them Pyro thought about the school often. How could he not, as it had been his home for four years. And when he thought about the school, the thoughts inevitably went to his former best friend and roommate. As Pyro just continued to play with his lighter in silence, he couldn't help but wonder what he was doing right now.

While he didn't know it, Bobby was back in their room, finishing getting dressed to start the activities of the day. Bobby glanced at the other bed in the room for a moment when suddenly his cell-phone rang. He quickly dug into his pocket to answer it.

"Hello?"

"Bobby?" The other voice said. It belonged to his mother, Madeline Drake.

"Mom," he smiled.

"How have you been?" She asked.

"Fine," he answered. "What about you guys?"

"We've been busy getting things back to normal around here."

Bobby nodded, he certainly knew the feeling.

"So, why don't you come up here for a visit?" His mother then suggested.

"You want me to come visit?" Bobby then smiled. "You still want me around?"

"Of course," Madeline said. "You're still our son, we told you that."

Taking a deep, relieved breath, Bobby began to rub his forehead when his mother spoke again.

"And now that there's a cure, everything will go back to the way things use to be."

He was now confused.

"What?"

"A cure. You must have heard about it. They've discovered a cure for mutation."

"Yeah, I know about it."

"Well, that's great isn't it?" Madeline asked.

"You think I'm going to take the cure," Bobby then realized. His eyes then lowered in disappointment. So that was the reason why she had finally returned his calls. He didn't want to think about the fact that her call had soon after the cure's announcement on the news, he wanted to think it was just a coincidence. But it hadn't been. His mother and likely his father too, wanted him to take the cure.

There was silence between the two of them for a few more moments before Madeline finally asked;

"Aren't you going to take it?"

Bobby didn't answer as he hung up the phone, then turned it off before putting it down on the nightstand. He then took a deep breath as he got up and looked over at the computer that was in the corner of the room. Beside it sat a picture of himself and his family. Bobby lowered his head, as finally he had to accept that his real family now was right here in this school.

XXXXXXXXXXX

Pulling up next to the curb, a Rolls Royce parked outside the Rao Laboratories building with Hank in the drivers seat and the Professor and Kitty Pryde in the back. Hank smiled as he looked back at Xavier.

"This reminds me of the early days, Professor. When I use to drive you and Erik everywhere, remember?"

"How could I forget?" Xavier responded.

Kitty then looked over at her teacher.

"Professor, I'm nervous."

"Everything will be okay Kathrine, I promise. I wouldn't put you into harm's way."

Hank placed a fedora hat on his head, along with a pair of black sunglasses. He also was wearing a large trench coat.

"Remember Kitty, just stay at my side and nothing will happen, okay?"

Kitty nodded.

"Okay."

"Alright," Hank smiled. "Let's go."

He then looked back at the Professor.

"Wait here."

Xavier gave him a look as Hank and Kitty exited the car and quickly moved ahead until they reached the alleyway of the east side of the building. They stood side-by-side as they stared ahead at the wall of the building in front of them.

"Anything I should know?" Hank asked.

"Nope," Kitty replied. "Just walk forward."

Hank nodded as he took Kitty's hand and slowly, methodically, they phased right through the wall and inside the building. A strange jolt went through his body as he passed through but when he realized they were both now in, Hank quickly looked around and saw that they were in a bathroom with several stalls that luckily were empty.

"So far so good…"

They approached the bathroom door and were about to go through it but she stopped him.

"Wait, why don't I take a look first?" Kitty suggested.

Hank was then taken aback when Kitty phased her head out the door. After a second she pulled herself back in and looked at him.

"All clear."

Kitty then took Hank's hand again and they phased out of the bathroom. Glancing around, Hank took up and saw a sign on the ceiling that read the words, 'Main Lab' with an arrow pointing to the right.

"Come on," he directed.

They went down the hallway together and were about to turn the corner when they saw two men talking to each other coming their way, but didn't noticed them. Hank quickly swung himself around before they saw him and phased through the wall behind him with Kitty. They were now in a room with both a soda machine and vending machine in it. A table was in the center of the room and a man was sitting at it with his head down so he didn't notice them or hear them as a flat screen was mounted on the wall and was showing some sitcom. It must have been some sort of break-room for the workers. Hank motioned for Kitty to come along as they phased through the opposite wall.

They continued on, phasing into another room with a floor machine inside along with a bunch of other cleaning equipment. A 'mop room', Hank must have figured as they phased out of it and kept going in search of the main hallway.

Phasing through another door, they were back in the main hallway but Hank was now face to face with a scientist wearing a pair of glasses, and looked to be in his late thirties. His eyes widened in shock when he laid eyes on the beast.

"Hey, you're not supposed to be in here!" The scientist yelled.

Balling up his fist, Hank reached back before leveling the man with a punch, knocking him out cold. He then put his hands on Kitty's shoulders, looking the young girl in the eye. They needed to get what they were after and out of this building, now.

"Stay here."

Kitty watched with her mouth open as Hank leaped forward and ran with cat-like speed on all fours, like a true animal to the main lab. He was breathtaking to behold, beyond agile, a blur of acrobatic blue fur. Hank worked his way through the maze of equipment jumping over a couple of desks and finally entered the main lab. Hank looked widely around and continued moving along through a couple more desks until he saw a large refrigerator in the corner. Leaping over to it, he grabbed the handle, opening it to see dozens of test-tube racks inside of it which contained countless samples of the cure.

Snatching one, he placed it in his pocket before growling and running back to where he left Kitty. Hank charged forward on all fours before he was back with Kitty, taking her hand.

"Let's go Kitty!"

The two of them ran forward to the east wall and kept going, phasing through wall after wall until they were finally back outside. They ran back over to the Rolls Royce and leap inside of it.

"Are you both okay?" Xavier asked as he looked over Kitty who was breathing heavily. "Did you get what you were after?"

"That was fun," she smiled in-between breaths, causing the Professor to smile a little in return.

Hank in the meantime had started up the car and quickly drove it away from Rao Laboratories, back to Westchester. He then reached back and handed the Professor the sample of the cure. Xavier took it and began looking it over. So this is what was no doubt causing the difficulty for mutants everywhere.