A/N IT'S SUNNY! IN ENGLAND! IN MARCH! HOW IS THAT POSSIBLE! This is the perfect time to write another chapter under a tree. Ah, happy place. How is everyone?

Hack stalked through an alley, keeping her pace swift as she narrowed in on the man in front of her. He seemed oblivious to her following him, though he moved rather fast for an innocent pedestrian. Of course he wasn't, he wasn't even a 'he'. Mystique had never seen Hack, and since she was wearing civilian clothes the Brotherhood agent had no reason to suspect her. The 'man' darted down a second alley where Hack new Frostman was waiting so 'he' would no doubt take a left and head back into the open street. Rather than follow 'him', she carried on down it and moved to wait for 'him' to emerge.

Team Britain had been more helpful than she expected. Soothsayer had guided them quickly to their target, Britain's team nearly caught her but she just managed to evade them. Hack had picked up on her trail shortly after and together with her team Sheparded her through the streets of Manhattan like a wolf pack.

Hack waited by the entrance of the alley she knew Mystique would exit from, adrenaline pumping through her veins so loudly to drowned out all other sounds around her. A split second past and there 'he' was, scanning the area like a frightened rabbit as 'he' bolted out of the alley. Hack waited to let him pass her before instantly grabbing her. 'He' reacted instantly by throwing a precise fist in the direction of her face but Hack dodged it skilfully before delivering sweeping kick that swept 'his' legs from under him. With unnatural dexterity 'he' caught himself and was on 'his' feet instantaneously, he span high in the air and sent 'his' foot swirling towards Hack's head. She blocked with her arms but the forced of the kick flew her back, hitting a parked car hard.

Suddenly a flash of light flew past her face and struck the 'man'. It took a moment for both 'he' and Hack to register the arrow embedded in 'his' leg. Mystique reverted to her true form as the searing pain caused her to cry out. The entire block erupted into terror as the enraged Mystique searched for the culprit whilst red blood ran from the wound in her dark blue skin. She ripped the arrow out in fury and ran, as quickly as she could, resorting to cartwheels as her leg could hardly take her weight. A second later Hack was on her feet and preparing to give chase when Hawkeye suddenly darted in front of her, grinning like the Cheshire cat.

"You okay there Nat?" He said mockingly. Hack scowled at him and started running, only to find Hawkeye keeping pace. "Ooh, cranky as ever I see."

"Shut it, I don't want to talk to you." She blasted.

"Oh, what's the matter Nat, don't want to reminisce about old times?" He retorted. "We had such fun."

"I told you to shut it. We have to catch up to Mystique." Hack said.

"Relax, that arrow was a tracker, she can't hide now." Hawkeye said proudly. "Besides, it's not like she can get very far. Perfect time to catch up, I hear you and Beast are together now. Hairballs turn you on then."

Hack stopped dead and glared at him.

"Firstly, you're sick. Secondly, I'm happy with Hank and that's more than I can say for when I was with you, and while we're on that subject, nothing you did ever 'turned me on'" Hack spat out furiously. Hawkeye laughed heartily.

"We both know that's not true Nat." He replied.

"Don't call me Nat!" She yelled before storming off. She didn't need a tracker to know where Mystique went, the trail of blood made it perfectly obvious.

"You used to like me calling it you." He said behind her.

"That was before I realised what a prick you were." She yelled back. "You haven't changed."

"Now that's not very nice, what'd I do to deserve that?" He asked innocently.

"You insulted my boyfriend for starters." She retorted. "It might surprise you to learn that I actually find Hank attractive, and he's a better man than you'll ever be."

"You're insane." He said

"I must be I dated you!" She shouted. The blood led down an alley that she knew from her GPS lead to a dead end. Since she hadn't come out and was too injured to climb anywhere Mystique was trapped.

Hack signalled him to slow down and follow her as she crept forward into the shadows. It was littered with trashcans and dumpsters that she could easily hide behind. The old saying, 'never corner a rat' sprang to mind, it is said they go for your throat. Even injured Mystique was deadly.

Mystique stepped forward, apparently not wanting to hide any longer. As Hack closed in the blue witch pulled a handgun, levelling it at her so quickly Hack had no time to react.

"Pretty little girl." Mystique said, before squeezing the trigger. A blur of blue flew down behind the woman and she was hurled into the air. The gun went off and the bullet whizzed past Hack's head as Beast held Mystique above his head by her hand.

"That's no way to treat my girlfriend." He said.

Jake had wanted people to notice him for years, but now that it was happening he felt very uncomfortable. The looks he was getting from the people he passed in the corridor were strange, no one looked hateful or angry, but then they didn't seem friendly either. It was a shocked look, like he had done something unthinkable. Lessons were no easier; especially as he was surrounded by kids he didn't know. His friends were not in his geometry or physics classes, meaning he had to sit there and feel the stares of everyone around him. He teachers were no better, trying to pretend everything was normal but not quite succeeding. His last lesson, Biology, seemed to be even worse since they were learning about animal mating. He sat and listened as his teacher explained in detail, aspects of the female autonomy, knowing exactly what everyone was thinking, 'he doesn't need to know this'. It was the most uncomfortable hour of his life. He sat and doodled in his pad, drawing out a large heart and putting 'Jake' and 'Mark' around. Thinking of Mark made it bearable.

"Psst" the person next to him whispered. Jake turned in surprised to find the boy, who he hardly knew, smiling at him.

"Hi, I'm William." He said quietly. "You the Kid you came out, right?" Jake nodded and the boy smiled even wider. He was blonde with soft blue eyes. He had a button nose and thin, red lips.

"You're amazing." He said. "Can you keep a secret?" Jake nodded again.

"I'm gay too, but I thought I was the only one so I kept quiet." He said his voice barely audible. "I'm too scared to come out like you did. How could you do it?"

"I had Mark to help me through it." Jake answered. "Do you have a, you know, someone special?" The boy's cheeks went red and he shook his head.

"No, I'm too shy to ask anyone." He said. "How'd you and Mark get together, I hope you don't mind me asking."

"Of course not, we've been friends for years and he helped me through a bad time." Jake admitted. "We just kinda clicked together."

"Aw, cool." William beamed. Jake returned to his doodling, listening to what his teacher was saying but not really keeping an interest.

"Jake?" William asked again. Jake turned to find the boy had become serious. "Can we be friends, I was hoping you, and Mark, could help me." Jake smiled and nodded once more.

"Mr Kitchener is there a reason you aren't paying attention to my explanation of the female anatomy."

The class bar Jake, William and the teacher burst out laughing. How could he use those exact words, Jake thought, he couldn't have done it intentionally to embarrass him, could he. William secretly gripped his arm, a sign that his new friend supported him.

Lars hated maths with a vengeance. It was full of pathetic little weaklings too dumb to figure out three plus three. Had he not had such remarkable patience he would have put a bullet in every one of them, but that was against his mission. So he sat like a good little boy and did as the teacher told him, content in the knowledge that when the time came, they would die.

"Do not react boy." A voice ordered, in his head, an old man's voice with a British accent that he knew well.

"Listen, the X-Men have one of my agents, I cannot allow her knowledge to lead them to me, not with my plans so close to fruition." It said. "Ensure she does not talk, preferably by liberating her, terminate only if necessary. Your usefulness is coming to an end anyway. Do not worry about your cover. Consider yourself free to carry out your orders with as much carnage and destruction as you damaged little mind wishes."

Silence. He supressed a smirk, at last his time had come. He pondered that last comment for a moment, the truth was that he was content to allow everyone to live as long as he could get his chance to hurt the one he hated most, the little fag who he had come to despise.

A/N William is not going to feature much in the future chapters. I wanted to introduce him a couple of chapters ago, I planned for him to play a major role but chickened out, instead he's gonna be in the next story, when I write it. Hoped you like the Hack and Hawkeye bit, though it's rare for a mission to go so well…

Lars is evil.

That is all.