The End

This is almost it, one more chapter! YES!!! 5173 words, four chapters, in one sitting. Holy freaking crap my hands do hurt.

More guards were pouring into the hall and surrounding rooms, and word was getting around that their boss was dead and their second-in-command was in a mob fight, and chaos reigned. Jean was on a role, knocking people out with mere glances. No more deaths, no more comas. Just unconsciousness now. Rahne was wreaking havoc on ankles with her sharp wolf teeth, and Kitty was almost permanently phasing through one person while elbowing or kicking another. On the far end of the hall, more guards were preoccupied with Bobby and Jubilee's ice grenades, and Jamies were everywhere tripping people up and building a small armory of weapons and ammo in the only broom closet on this side of the building. Every time one of his clones looked as though it was in danger, it'd be reabsorbed and a new one would appear somewhere else. The real Jamie was hiding behind a few unconscious guards, slowly growing pale with effort and concentration but not letting up.

Everybody was at least beginning to look that way. Sabertooth had to contend with not just Logan, but his clone as well, and it was beginning to show. Laura herself wouldn't have stood a chance, but with Logan she was doing fairly well, slicing here, blocking there, getting in for a cheap shot now and then. But even Logan's distractions couldn't help her when she missed a block and got a nasty gash across the stomach. Then she was down to one clawed hand and her feet, while the other hugged her midsection in an attempt to stop the bleeding.

Sam had disappeared again, and was busting other captive mutants free. Fortunately, there were only a few of them. The man in the suit's experiments had only just begun, apparently. But the victims there were weren't quite in the best condition, not having Logan's healing powers. Sam flew them into the woods and went back to look for more.

The sound of sirens from outside the warehouse began faintly in the distance, and started growing. With the valleys and hills the way they were, the faint sound of sirens meant they were actually still miles away, but Jean sensed it and spread a mental message to get out of the warehouse and back to the van. All except Laura and Logan complied, but she knew they'd get out in time so she left anyway, keeping a mental eye on them. Sabertooth was finally losing. When she thought it was safe enough, which was about the time the new mutants, Kitty, and she reached the line of shrubbery they'd snuck through only half an hour before, Jean peeked through Laura's eyes at the scene.

Logan was tying a bleeding, unconscious Sabertooth to a door with someone's belt while Laura kneeled and took deep breaths, both arms hugging herself.

"Told ya' you'd do something stupid while I was gone."

She glanced up, eyes cloudy from fatigue and some really good hits and cuts from Sabertooth other than the one that ripped up her midsection. Logan frowned skeptically.

"Ya' look like crap, kid. Let's go." He picked her up and started running in the opposite direction from the highway and the X-Van, where his motorcycle had been hidden for several weeks in a small dry nook between two large trees in the woods.

Jean's powers faded out as fatigue started to settle in, and she started the X-Van as mutants were still piling in, and as soon as the door was shut she hit the gas and did a U-ie in the road, following another van southbound as everyone found a seat.

"All here?" she panted, no trace of SuperJean or extraordinary psychic powers in evidence for once.

"Yeah?" Kitty glanced around. Bobby had dragged Jamie half-unconscious to the van, but as an unspoken agreement everyone had let him sleep. He had defied all of their expectations by amazing amounts. Kitty hoped that that would factor in when the Professor decided how grounded they all were.

"I- I think so," She panted back. Most of the car was already asleep, and Jean was left to battle exhaustion on her own on the long drive home. The long row of police cars that passed about a mile down the road didn't even look twice at her and the black van. That was good.

The mansion was in an uproar when, at 10:15, a little over four hours after the rescue mission started, Jean pulled the van through the mansion gates. The Professor was even waiting by the driveway, so Jean parked right there and almost fell out of the car. Slowly, exhausted mutants tumbled out. Bobby and Sam dragged Jamie, who was still asleep. Jubilee was walking but her eyes were closed.

"I saw what happened- what the police are saying happened- on the news just now. Fortunately, none of the X-Men are suspected despite powerful evidence to the contrary." The Professor, who had been set on a stern lecture and delivering of punishment, saw the state his students were in- unscathed, not even very depressed, just dirty and tired and hungry- and revised his list of actions. "And tomorrow morning over breakfast we will all discuss your actions and what to do about it. But for now, go take showers and get a snack and go to bed."

Jean hesitated as the slow exodus to the showers began, and then walked over to the Professor. "I-."

"I know. We'll discuss it in the morning."

She didn't look very relieved, but was saved by Logan pulling up on his motorbike with Laura squeezed on right in front of him.

"Go to the med lab, kid. Now."

She stumbled off the bike, hands still covering her stomach, and almost fell, but Jean rushed over to help. "I'll, um, make sure she gets there. Come on, Laura."

Logan stretched stiffly and sighed as he got off his bike and stood by the professor as the new mutants passed by their obedient peers. There was almost palpable tension and accusations in the air between the rescue mission mutants and the obedient clueless mutants, especially the new mutants who didn't get to go. Where were you? What happened? Even the Professor was worried, what did you do? Why didn't you let me come?

"Take it easy, Chuck. They did a pretty good job, all things considered. Not bad for their first real mission. And Laura worked with a team." The last part was said with almost fatherly pride.

Xavier smiled. "Yes, I suppose so. It could have ended worse, though, and that's what I intend to demonstrate. Jean allowed me in her mind for a minute and I saw all that happened on their mission."

"So it's officially a mission?"

"I believe so," Xavier began rolling back towards the stairs to the front door with Logan walking beside him. "And I think part of Bobby, Jubilee, Rahne, and Sam's training will be with the X-Men. They showed quite a bit more initiative and teamwork than I expected."

"And the others?"

"As I said, we will worry about everything in the morning, Logan. Sleep well." Xavier rolled up a ramp and in the general direction of his rooms.