September 4, 1974

Sean, where are you?

Sean laughed. The rest of the group turned to him, but he tapped his temples triumphantly. Charles was back.

I could ask you the same thing, Sean said.

I'm a few feet away from Sinister's lab, Charles thought, I'm travelling towards it now. I don't suppose that you would happen to be in its vicinity?

Sean looked around him at the bare rock walls.

Don't think so, Sean thought.

I thought not, Charles thought.

Although Sean had a feeling what Charles was going to do, he had to at least try to dissuade him.

You should wait for us, Sean thought.

I don't have time, Charles thought.

You do, Sean thought as he turned the corner, I'm sure she's fine.

So am I, Charles thought, I just think that it would be a bad idea to give Sinister a chance to contradict that.

You know she wouldn't want- Sean tried.

Sean, I'm not arguing with you. I'll be there in a few minutes, Charles thought, Just keep going and try to meet me there. Understand?

His thoughts were short and peremptory.

Yes, Sean thought.

Good.

Sean sighed, remembering when Hank had charged in to save Carly. He knew that Charles was going through something similar, the thought of losing his wife more than he could bear. Hank, however, was battle hardened. Charles had been in one fight, and then lost the use of his legs directly afterwards.

He'd fought with other people as a support team, his greatest weapon still his mind. No one could do anything against that force. However, Sean didn't like the idea of him on his own. He knew that if Charles used his powers too much he was likely to burn out. It was the same for all of them. They had their physical abilities to fall back on though. Charles didn't.

"Incoming!"

A hail of bullets rained down on them. Sean watched as Lance stomped his foot on the ground, sending chunks of stone down from the ceiling. It fell on the soldiers in front of them, scattering some and crushing others. Sean weaved in between the falling rock chunks and the crystals that Clarice was flinging out. He continued screaming and hitting as many of them as he could.

He grabbed one of their guns and jerked it up so it smashed into their jaw. Sean had to wonder how insensitive he had become to fighting. He remembered a time when he had been too timid to defend himself. Alex had been the one who pushed him. With him running out by himself Sean and Hank had had to follow, giving him back-up.

Hank had accepted it easier than Sean had. He'd actually done some fighting on Cuba. Sean had been the back-up. He'd gained confidence when they had started doing missions. However, he knew that the detached ease he now had come from his years in Interpol, mourning his wife and daughter. He hadn't seen much point in living.

Now he knew that daughter existed, safe and sound at Westchester. Nothing was going to stop him from getting back to her. He continued kicking and clawing his way through the soldiers, screaming whenever he could. Sean always had to check to make sure that none of his teammates were in the path of his scream.

"Banshee!" Ororo called.

Sean turned around. Ororo pointed up. Sean could see Sinister running alongside the top of the tunnels, digging into his pocket.

"Everyone, up there!" Sean yelled.

Sinister turned. Lance stomped his foot again, causing the rock pathway that Sinister was running on to begin to crumble. Sinister leapt to the side of the wall, clinging to the handholds there. Sean punched the closest soldier and launched himself upwards. He threw his head back and screamed.

Sinister dropped to the remnants of the pathway, covering his ears. Sean climbed up onto the rock pathway.

"Now that we have your attention," he said, "I'd like a little word about where the hell my friends are."

"Well, I certainly don't have them on me," Sinister said.

He reached for something and Sean screamed again. The mask he was wearing rattled around his ears, but he knew his voice was getting out, just like it had all the other times. Sinister covered his ears again and Sean moved forward. He picked him up. He was surprisingly light, which made it easier for Sean to lift him into the air.

"Where are they?" Sean asked.

Sinister smiled and circled his hand around Sean's wrist. Before Sean could react he felt his wrist snap. Sean recoiled and dropped to the ground, his hand looking entirely wrong. Sinister kicked him in the chest, sending him backwards. Sean managed to get to his feet and scream, forcing Sinister back.

This time the scream wasn't quite so forced. His hand hurt like hell, although he could see that it was a clean break. He'd have to find something to splint it with, but he had to concentrate on keeping it from getting damaged further. Sean could only be grateful that it had been his left wrist that had been broken instead of his right.

"You don't seem to understand," Sinister said, "I don't have time for you."

"Make time," Sean snapped.

He gestured upwards with his unbroken wrist.

"What did you do upstairs?" Sean asked.

"I conducted a little experiment," he said, irritated, "It's almost over, and I wanted to be there to see it. But it appears I'm not going to get that chance."

Sean gritted his teeth.

"Do you have any idea how many people are up there?" he asked.

"Five hundred," Sinister said, smiling, "A little on the small size, but not bad."

"You're killing them all!" Sean said.

Sinister sighed.

"None of you seem to understand what I'm trying to do," he said, "So perhaps I can explain something to someone who, despite having fascinating genes, has a very dull mind."

One of the students sat up. Jean hurried over to them. She could see that they were rubbing their eyes, looking dazed and confused.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

He looked at her, trying to focus. Jean could see that the gray veins that webbed around his eyes had disappeared. She stared at him as he blinked again, still struggling to focus.

"Feel a little sick," he said, "Kinda nauseous…"

Jean moved before he threw up. She had expected it to be black like the material that they had all coughed up, but instead it was normal, as though he were just throwing up his lunch. Jean patted him on the back as he choked out the last few dregs and sat up. He winced at her, his eyes still a little unfocused.

A few other students were starting to get up. Jean could see the chaperones looking around in bewilderment. Jean got to her feet, watching as the gray veins disappeared. She felt her hands go to her sides as, one by one, the students began throwing up or leaning on the wall for support.

One of the chaperones looked over at her. Once they realized that she had medical experience they had all deferred to her. Jean had thought that her calm manner had helped. Many of them were worried, searching for someone who knew what to do. She could see that they were hoping she understood the latest development.

"What's going on?" the chaperone asked.

Jean took a deep breath.

"I have no idea," she said.

"The virus isn't meant to kill anyone," Sinister said, "It has an enzyme compound that stops it from completely dominating its host. It's going to take all subjects right to the brink, but it's not going to push them over."

Sinister shook his head, his voice patronizing. Sean stared.

"I simply needed to observe the symptoms before I tested the virus's final stages," Sinister said, "I'll need a test subject, but I think that I have one downstairs…"

Sean screamed. Sinister tumbled backwards, hitting the wall. He looked up at Sean, surprised.

"So they're not going to die. Good," Sean said, gritting his teeth, "It doesn't stop the fact that you're a sick bastard who's torturing mutants for the hell of it."

"Torture?" Sinister said, his nostrils flaring, "Torture? Have you no concept of the scientific process?"

"Not of yours, no," Sean said.

"So narrow minded," Sinister hissed.

He moved forwards. A green blur moved past Sean as Magnetrix jumped down and tackled Sinister, followed by Alex. Sinister pushed her off of him, sporting a deep cut on his cheek. Magnetrix rolled, and got to her feet, one of her knives drawn. Alex moved to block the other side of the path, red light gathering in his hands.

"Nice to see you Banshee," he said.

"Likewise Havok," Sean said.

"This bastard do that to your wrist?" Alex asked.

"Yeah," Sean said.

Alex's eyes narrowed.

"I didn't think it's possible, but I'm actually a little more pissed," Alex said.

Sinister shrugged.

"It will heal. You all always act as though it won't," he said.

"People like you always say that," Alex said, "But where's my brother? Tell me, and I might be able to hold back Magnetrix from ripping you a new one."

Alex glanced over at her. Sean followed his gaze. There was a strange rage and bloodlust in Magnetrix's eyes, one that he'd had yet to see in her and reminded him eerily of her father. He wondered what had caused it.

"For a while anyway," Alex said.

"Always the same questions-" Sinister began.

A blast of red light cut him off. They looked down and saw Scott standing below, Warren on one side and the Brotherhood girl on the other. Sean could just barely make out Moira behind them. Scott had his hand on his goggles, the other hand clenched into a fist and staring upwards.

"Well, that answers that," Magnetrix said.

She sounded excited and Sean saw a smile cross her face. She turned back to Sinister.

"You hold nothing of value to us," she said, "You'd best start considering your options."

"They've been considered," Sinister said.

He drew a vial from his pocket and tossed it onto the ground. White smoke blossomed from it, clogging the air. Sean held his breath, knowing that he couldn't scream. Not in that. His eyes watered and he could only just make out Sinister jumping down from the rock path, weaving in and out amongst the soldiers.

The smoke disappeared and Sean screamed. Sinister covered his ears and kept moving towards Scott, Warren, the Brotherhood girl, and Moira.

"Cyclops, move!" Alex yelled.

Scott touched his goggles and shot a beam out at Sinister. Sinister dodged and Scott moved out of the way, followed by Warren and Moira. The Brotherhood girl stared as Sinister approached, her eyes wide. Sean wondered why she wasn't moving, why she was just staring as what could likely be her death catapulted towards her.

"Tabby!" Lorna screamed.

She pushed past Sean and jumped off the rock path, followed by Alex. Sean knew that they weren't going to make it in time, the distance was too great. Sinister approached, digging for something in his pocket. Tabby continued to stare at him, blinking as lights danced around her fingertips, apparently trying to mount some sort of defense. Once more, Sean knew she wasn't going to be in time.

Suddenly Moira moved and shoved Tabby out of the way. Sinister reached out and grabbed her arm. She turned and he brought his fist around, slamming it into her face. Sean jumped off the rock path, scrambling down towards them. He knew it was useless, but it didn't matter.

Sinister took another vial out of his pocket, crushing it on the ground. More of the thick smoke rose from it and the soldiers began firing again. Sean stopped and screamed at them, watching anxiously as the smoke cleared. When it did, his heart sank. Moira and Sinister were gone.

It appeared Charles had been right. Sinister shouldn't have been giving a chance to contradict things.