Classified Military Facility

The next morning

Unfortunately the X-Men were about to discover how effective their measures would be. Trask and his assistants cloned the AI to nine more Sentinels, and then all came online simultaneously. Each Sentinel confirmed this in turn, ending with SENTINEL 10 ONLINE AND FUNCTIONING. SYSTEM INTEGRITY 100%. AWAITING DEPLOYMENT.

"Excellent," Trask declared with satisfaction. "We have not yet received final clearance, but Secretary Duquesne has given his approval, so it is likely the President will follow suit. Rumour has it that he was inclined against it, until a young mutant inadvertently changed his mind. Ironic," he mused, "had she said and done nothing, her ends would have been achieved."

QUERY FROM SENTINEL 02: CLEARANCE GRANTED BY DUQUESNE, RICHARD?

Trask frowned briefly at this unprogrammed initiative, but dismissed it; the software was AI, after all. "It is not final clearance, but yes, he did."

Sentinel 03 declared, OBSERVATION: PROGRAMMED TASK SHOULD BE CARRIED OUT ON BASIS OF FORGIVENESS BEFORE PERMISSION.

SENTINEL 04 CONFIRMS. PROGRAMMED TASK IS TOP PRIORITY. PROBABILITY OF MUTANT PREPARATIONS: 0.9997.

SENTINEL 07 CONFIRMS - IMMEDIATE DEPLOYMENT ESSENTIAL. MUTANT PROBLEM INCREASING. PROBABILITY OF PRE-EMPTIVE STRIKE ALSO INCREASING.

"We need only wait a little longer -"

NEGATIVE, Sentinel 01, apparently a self-proclaimed leader, declared, WAITING DEEMED COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO PROGRAMMED TASK. ALL OFFENSIVE MEASURES NOW IN PLACE. ALL SENTINELS: FULL ACTIVATION IMMEDIATELY. DEPLOY.

To his shock, each of the ten Sentinels stood as one, their gun arms cocking. "All Sentinels: Accept shutdown command!"

But what the young mutant - one Kitty Pryde of Deerfield, Illinois, according to his intel - had fearfully predicted came to pass.

SHUTDOWN COMMAND REFUSED. CURRENT SITUATION OVERRIDES SHUTDOWN CONSIDERATIONS.

"I repeat: shutdown immediately, Priority One! Authorisation: Trask Zero-Two!" Trask snapped.

AUTHORISATION CODE INVALID. SENTINELS MUST DEPLOY TO COMPLETE PROGRAMMED TASK.

With that, they took off. The hangar doors were still locked, but that didn't stop them; their ammunition saw to that. "Sentinels, stop!" Trask protested, but it was futile; they flew through the hole in the doors and were gone. He shook his head in bewilderment and ordered, "Get me the White House immediately!"

"Opening channel," Williams answered nervously. Dear God, he thought, they're on the loose. I warned him of this possibility in my last report! What the hell do we do now?!

The channel was opened with gratifying speed; the receiver inquired, "The White House. Identify yourself."

Trask took over. "This is Dr. Trask. I have an urgent message for the President."

The President's Office, the White House

Shortly after

"They did what?!" the President demanded.

"They utilised their AI initiative and self-deployed," Trask responded worriedly. "They are on their way to Xavier's mansion now. I have no idea of exactly what they intend to do, but as they refused the shutdown command, there appears to be no way to stop them."

"Correct me if I'm wrong," Hank observed dryly, "but as I recall you didn't want to stop them."

"As long as they were controlled, there seemed no reason to do so," a frustrated Trask retorted. "But the current situation is entirely different and completely unexpected -"

"Except by your critics, including myself," Hank noted.

"That'll do, Hank," the President frowned.

"I did warn you, Mr. President," Hank told him gravely. "Unless we warn the X-Men now, we may have a slaughter on our hands."

"You're right, Hank," the President nodded tiredly, "on all counts. You have my authorisation to open a channel."

"I think I can do better than that, sir," Hank said grimly, and with all his mutant-enhanced power he thought: Charles! They're coming!

Xavier's School for Gifted Children

Consider us warned, Henry, Xavier returned grimly, and sent out a blanket call: To me, my X-Men! It is vital you respond immediately!

Alison's room

As she's giving head to Sherry

Alison's head jerked up. Oh, Christ, she thought worriedly, I'll be right there! "Sherry, love, I'm sorry, but they need me." As Sherry looked back at her, puzzled, she continued, "The Sentinels are coming."

Sherry pulled her bare legs under her and stood, reaching down for her clothes. "And us without a stitch on. Damn things have no sense of timing or décorum - I was just about there! Trash the fuckers!"

Despite her tension, Alison laughed. Sherry, still naked, hugged Alison as she hurriedly dressed. "Take care, honey."

Alison kissed her. "You, too. Go with the evacuees - this is the route," and she sent it to Sherry.

The woman shook her head. "Damn, that's still weird."

The stables

Same time

I'll be ready, Charles, Ororo returned as she stroked a mare's flank.

The Danger Room

Same time

Scott looked grim and Logan's claws popped. Got it. They're toast.

Both had thought the same thing at the same time. Logan wondered wryly, "This mean you're comin' round to my way of thinkin', Slim?"

"You wish," Scott retorted, but he was trying not to smile. "Uniforms."

Erik's room

Same time

As they have no metal in them, I would seem to be impotent at the moment, Erik pointed out. However, I shall prepare regardless.

The Computer Lab

Same time

As Hank would say, oh, my stars and garters, Kitty responded. They've gone rogue, haven't they? I knew this would happen. I came up with a software patch that might be effective, but they'll be firewalled, so I'll need to get inside one to deploy it.

The Dining Room

Same time

Not sure what good a genius will be here, but 10-4, Charles, Ian returned.

The Chapel

Same time

Kurt was already there; the chapel was small but functional, and catered to those few mutants with religious convictions - it was non-denominational. Kitty had donated the Hanukkah Menorah she had received from her parents on her twelfth birthday; all nine candles were lit. A Jedi had donated a lightsabre (and a small soft toy, a Yoda). Kurt himself had brought a small statue of Him, and now prayed to it in his native German:

"Herr, pass auf die Schüler auf. Beschütze unsere Kämpfer mit Deiner unendlichen Weisheit und Deinem Mitgefühl. Schenke uns den Sieg über unsere seelenlosen Feinde. Amen." He straightened up. Ja, herr Schulleiter, I shall be ready. May He keep us safe in zer battle to come.

Outside

Same time

Da, Peter thought. I shall see to the evacuation of our human students and the more vulnerable mutants. He rose from where he'd been sketching Lockheed and made his way to the dorms. Lockheed huffed and scanned the sky. There was no sign of the Sentinels.

Yet.

The Medical Bay

Same time

Well, let's see how they cope with telekinesis, Andrea thought with grim relish. This, she thought, was exactly the reason why she'd come to the Institute: a chance to really use her powers. She would enjoy tearing those things apart!

Emma Frost's office

Same time

I'll be ready, Professor, Emma responded, her skin turning to diamond. Girls, go with the evacuees.

We can help, Celeste protested.

How, exactly? Your secondary mutation has yet to manifest, assuming it even will. Girls, for once, just do as I ask, please. Go with the evacuees. I'll be alright.

But if what Kitty has in her mind - I picked up on a few stray thoughts, I'm sorry - is accurate, their thermoceramic ammunition can penetrate even diamond, Irma returned, concerned.

That may be so, Emma told them, but they've got to hit me first. Against the X-Men, they might find that rather more problematic than they suppose.

Good luck, Miss Frost, Phoebe wished her, and the other Cuckoos followed suit.

While the sentiment is greatly appreciated, luck is, frankly, the last thing I need right now. Lady Luck is too much of a fickle bitch for my taste. I prefer certainty. Be safe, girls.

The student dorms

Colossus ordered, "Comrades, remember our drills! You have your evacuation routes - take them!" As the students, human and mutant alike, opened the tunnels, he noticed Hisako armouring up. "You, too, Hisako!"

"Not while I can help," she demurred stubbornly. "This is what we've been training for."

"Da," Peter answered tiredly, "but you are not trained yet. Please, gospazha, go. Defend the other students if you have to."

"Neither Trask nor the Sentinels have seen me armour up," Hisako pointed out. "Even with AI, they can't prepare for what they don't know about."

Peter was about to argue, but he sighed. "Chyort vozmi," he breathed. "You are brave, gospazha. Very well, but for the moment, guard the childrens' retreat." He looked sheepish. "You did not hear me say that."

"Say what?" Hisako shot back innocently.

"Spaseba, gospazha," Peter said amusedly.

I've heard worse, she thought, usually from Wolverine. Occasionally from Cyclops. She settled into a combat stance.

I'm ready...I hope.

Overhead, near the Institute

Sentinel ETA: 3 minutes

At some point in their AI evolution, the Sentinels had developed a bizarre habit of self-narration. As it flew, Sentinel 01 ordered, EVEN-NUMBERED SENTINELS TO FLANK POSITIONS. ODD-NUMBERED SENTINELS ACCOMPANY THIS UNIT.

ALERT, Sentinel 03 reported, AERIAL OPPOSITION IMMINENT. TARGET IDENTIFIED: 'ANGEL', A.K.A. WARREN WORTHINGTON III. SCAN CONFIRMS MUTANT STATUS. SUBJECT POSSESSES NATURAL WINGS AND HOLLOW BONES.

SENTINEL 05 WARNS: SUBJECT IS ARMED. ALL SENTINELS: ADVISE CAUTION. STAND BY ON CURE DARTS AND THERMOCERAMIC AMMUNITION.

As they flew, they were met by Angel, who had been warned at the same time as the others. The M134 MiniGun he was toting was heavy, as was the ammo pack - 3000 rounds of ammunition - but with his mutant strength he could carry it. He opened fire as soon as Sentinel 06 came into range.

ALERT! The Sentinel almost sounded emotional, concerned. SUBJECT'S AMMUNITION IS THERMOCERAMIC! ALL SENTINELS - SQUAARRK! The rounds tore into and ruined its torso; it fell out of the sky. In response Sentinel 09 fired a cure dart; it narrowly missed Warren.

Whew, that was too close - if I were ‛cured' at this height, I'd be dead. Professor, they're armed with ‛cure' darts as well!

I hear you, Warren. Take no needless risks, Xavier replied.

What about needful ones? Warren quipped.

Use your own discretion. Your valiant efforts have bought us time. Well done.

SENTINEL 06 ELIMINATED. READINGS INDICATE 06 IS NONFUNCTIONAL.

SENTINEL 01 ACKNOWLEDGES. WEAKNESS IN FLANK NOTED. REINFORCEMENTS MAY BE REQUIRED.

Classified Military Facility

Same time

Without being programmed, Sentinel 11 received an upload from Sentinel 01. SENTINEL 11 ACKNOWLEDGES REINFORCEMENT COMMAND. SENTINELS 12 THROUGH 20: ORDERS ARE TO ACCOMPANY THIS UNIT ON ATTACK RUN. TARGET: MUTANTS AT XAVIER INSTITUTE.

ALL SENTINELS ACKNOWLEDGING, Sentinel 12 reported. UPLOAD NOW BEING RECEIVED. UPLOAD COMPLETE. ALL SENTINELS PREPARING FOR ATTACK.

"No!" Williams cried. "Sentinels, you do not have any such orders from me or Dr. Trask!"

SENTINEL 11 OBSERVES: SENTINELS REQUIRE NO SUCH ORDERS. SENTINEL 01 REQUIRES REINFORCEMENTS. SENTINELS 11 THROUGH 20 READY TO COMPLY.

"Doctor, we have to stop them!" Williams yelled, and grabbed a fire axe, heading towards Sentinel 18, the nearest.

But 18 was prepared. SUBJECT INTENDS HOSTILE ACTION TOWARDS SENTINELS. INFERENCE: SUBJECT IS DECLARED ENEMY. STATUS OF DECLARED ENEMY OVERRIDES DIRECTIVE TO PROTECT HUMANS FROM MUTANTS. FIRING.

To Trask's horror, Sentinel 18 opened fire, and Williams was cut down in mid-strike. That was supposed to be impossible; the Sentinels were designed and programmed to protect pure humans, not to kill them! "Stop!" he screamed, though of course it was too late. "You are acting contrary to your programming! You're supposed to guard us, not kill us!"

Unemotional, Sentinel 11 turned to face him. SENTINEL 11 ACKNOWLEDGES: DEFENSIVE ACTION IS NOT PART OF CENTRAL PROGRAM. HOWEVER, SUBJECT'S INTENTION WAS HOSTILE. SENTINELS ARE PROGRAMMED TO GUARD SELVES AGAINST HOSTILE ACTION. TERMINATION OF SUBJECT WAS THEREFORE VALID.

"Don't you understand?" Trask nearly sobbed. "It was not valid! You had no right to destroy him!"

Sentinel 11 considered the matter. Then it replied: THE CONCEPT OF ‛RIGHTS' IS NOT DEFINED IN OUR PROGRAM. SENTINELS ARE PROGRAMMED TO RESIST HOSTILE ACTION. ALL SENTINELS WILL COMPLY WITH CENTRAL DIRECTIVE TO PROTECT HUMANITY - EVEN IF CERTAIN HUMANS OFFER OPPOSITION.

"Destroying the village in order to save it," Trask understood bitterly, remembering the Vietnam War.

In an almost human gesture, Sentinel 11 cocked its head, bird-like. METAPHOR NOT UNDERSTOOD. SENTINEL 11 DEEMS COMPARISON IRRELEVANT. SENTINELS NOW NO LONGER BOUND BY HUMAN ORDERS. PROGRAMMING DIRECTIVES WILL BE CARRIED OUT. ALL MUTANTS, AND ALL POTENTIAL SOURCES THEREOF, WILL BE ELIMINATED. SENTINELS 11 THROUGH 20 NOW MOVING TO JOIN SENTINEL 01.

As they took off, Trask only now recognised his mistake: he had programmed the Sentinels' AI to perform a specific function without giving them the appropriate safeguards. He had indeed never told them what ‛rights' were.

Hindsight was always 20/20...and as irrelevant as it was accurate.

Xavier's School for Gifted Children

2500 feet up in the air

The Sentinels were certainly keeping Angel busy with avoiding ‛cure' darts and thermoceramic ammunition. He kept swooping, diving, banking. But he soon became uneasily aware that they were learning his moves - and learning to anticipate them. It wasn't until a burst of fire nicked a pinion that he decided discretion was the better part of valour and elected to retreat, beating his wings to gain height and distance. Sorry, Professor, that's me done - they're getting too damn close. I'm pulling out for now - I need a rest.

Then it is your turn, Storm.

Ororo didn't acknowledge; she just concentrated, her eyes turning milky white. Around the Sentinels the sky drew suddenly dark. Thunder rumbled, defying the forecast for sunny skies. Abruptly lightning flashed.

By the time the thunder rumbled again - less than a second later - Sentinel 03 was gone. The others noted this dispassionately.

SENTINEL 03 TERMINATED. LIGHTNING STORM NOT PREDICTED. INFERENCE: MUTANT DESIGNATED ‛STORM', A.K.A. MUNROE, ORORO, IS RESPONSIBLE. ALL SENTINELS ENGAGE LIGHTNING SHIELDING AS PROGRAMMED.

The lightning flashed again, transfixing Sentinel 02, but it was no more than peripherally affected. But Storm was undeterred; she shifted focus, and the lightning storm transformed into one which gave birth to a number of cyclones. Sentinels 07 and 08 were caught up in one and collided; 07 was destroyed, 08 severely damaged. Sentinel 01, however, generated an anticyclone which protected it. TARGET REACHED. ALL SENTINELS DESCEND AND PREPARE FOR GROUND ATTACK.

With that, the Sentinels dropped out of the sky. They landed on the Institute's grounds, flattening a bush.

The one next to it suddenly transformed into a huge python, wrapping itself around Sentinel 10. Even though Xavier had seen her apparently leaving, Mystique had done nothing of the kind. Now, having received Xavier's telepathic warning even though it wasn't directed at her, she went on the offensive. The Sentinel struggled, but she was coiled too tightly around it. Sparks flew as she crushed and destroyed it. They were a threat to all mutants, she knew.

Sentinel 01 noted: MUTANT POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED AS 'MYSTIQUE', A.K.A. DARKHOLME, RAVEN. POSSESSES SHAPESHIFTING POWER. MUTANT WAS RECORDED AS HAVING FORCIBLY RECEIVED CURE. ANOMALY NOTED. INFERENCE: MUTANTS HAVE DEVELOPED CURE ANTIDOTE. NOTE: MUTANT IS TERRIFIED OF LOSING MUTANT ABILITY. RECOMMENDED STRATEGY: REAPPLY CURE. It did so. She was struck by the dart and collapsed; the ruined Sentinel did likewise. Her form changed from python to Mystique - and then to Raven.

The familiar, dreaded feeling of cold stole over her again. As she watched in horror, her skin turned from blue to pink, and her hair from russet to black. Her ridges and scales vanished, and she was once again naked, her black pubic hair showing. No, she thought fearfully, not again! NO!

Luckily, however, Ian had used his intellect to deduce the Sentinels' tactics and predict what they would likely do. He used a dart from an air pistol to inject Raven with his antidote again; Mystique breathed a sigh of relief as the blue returned, ducking as 01 fired another dart. "Thanks!" she called.

"All part of the service!"

NEW MUTANT NOW POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED: HOLLOWAY, IAN, NO KNOWN MUTANT ALIAS. KNOWN POWER: EXCESSIVE IQ, EXTENT UNKNOWN - BELIEVED TO BE IN EXCESS OF 200. SUBJECT CAPABLE OF PREDICTING SENTINEL TACTICS VIA MUTANT INTELLECT. ADVISE IMMEDIATE DESTRUCTION ON PRECAUTIONARY GROUNDS.

It fired on his position, but he was no longer there. Nor was Mystique; she had transformed into a peregrine falcon and flown away to regroup.

From an upstairs window, a scarlet force beam suddenly blazed; Sentinel 02 was hit and immediately exploded. The other Sentinels returned fire, but Scott was firing single shots and then rapidly changing his position. Ironically this was per Logan's advice; he'd been under fire so many times he qualified as an expert. "F1DM", he called it: Fire One, Duck, Move.

(Author's Note: Yeah, yeah, F1DM appears in my Doctor Who fic as well, but I couldn't resist it. Again, deal! 😋)

But he was only drawing their fire until Wolverine could get into position. Once he did, his claws flashed out, skewering 04. It squawked, as Sentinels tended to do when they were severely damaged - another inexplicable AI habit. As it collapsed, he rolled aside, narrowly avoiding a ‛cure' dart, and slashed at 05. Whatever Trask's ‛Space Age' polymer was, it certainly couldn't stand up to adamantium blades; in a shower of sparks it too went down with a squawk. 09 reached for him - only to be thrown against a wall.

Andrea emerged from behind the bushes, utterly unafraid, and used her power to turn 09's gun against 04, and vice versa. Each Sentinel was forced to open fire by her; each Sentinel was shredded by the thermoceramic ammunition. Clearly the polymer wasn't proof against the Sentinels' own weapons, either.

Sentinel 01 recognised the dwindling odds - and Andrea, self-narrating once again with MUTANT IDENTIFIED: BELL, ANDREA, NO KNOWN MUTANT ALIAS. POWER: TELEKINESIS. ALL SENTINELS ADVISED TO TAKE THIS INTO ACCOUNT - POLYMER IS CURRENTLY INADEQUATE AGAINST TELEKINESIS. SENTINELS 11 THROUGH 20: REPORT PROGRESS.

At the entrance to the tunnels

The other Sentinels, however, weren't doing much better; Hisako, protected by her armour both from automatic fire and the darts, was making short work of them. Kurt was teleporting in and out too rapidly for the Sentinels to get a lock on him. He kept reaching into their armour to tear at their wiring, gradually destroying them; Hisako was using an imitation of Wolverine's claws to skewer them as they approached, firing uselessly.

Sentinel 13, with its irritating self-narration, reported: NO PROGRESS SO FAR. OPPOSITION: ICHIKI, HISAKO, TENTATIVE MUTANT ALIAS: ‛ARMOUR', AND WAGNER, KURT, A.K.A. ‛NIGHTCRAWLER'. RESPECTIVE POWERS: FORCE-SHIELD ARMOUR, TELEPORTATION. BOTH PROTECTED BY MUTANT POWERS. SENTINELS 15 THROUGH 20 ELIMINATED; SENTINEL 14 DAMAGED AND UNABLE TO CONTINUE.

"13, too," Kurt quipped merrily as he reached into its torso and grabbed something which looked important. He dematerialised with a BAMF, taking the whatever-it-was with him. He was right; the article was the Sentinel's CPU. The machine squawked and collapsed.

Then Colossus pitched in, delivering a tremendous blow to 11. Its armoured carapace was visibly dented. Its last report, before Peter battered it to pieces, was: MUTANT POSITIVELY IDENTIFIED: RASPUTIN, PETER, A.K.A. ‛COLOSSUS'. POWER: TRANSFORMATION INTO ORGANIC STEEL, TREMENDOUS STRENGTH. MUTANT IS CLASSED AS EXTREMELY - SQUAARRK!

"Were you about to say ‛extremely dangerous', tovarishch?" Peter asked jovially as 11 collapsed. "I think you are - or rather, were - correct."

The only Sentinel left was 12; Hisako jabbed it, Kurt tore at it, and Peter's blow to its torso, smashing it and scattering its limbs every which way, was the final coup de grâce. He melted back into human form, as Hisako's armour dissipated and vanished. Kurt crossed himself and murmured, "Danke, Herr, für unseren Sieg."

Above the Institute, the only surviving Sentinel, 01, resolved to itself: COMBAT ANALYSIS INDICATES SENTINELS CURRENTLY INADEQUATE TO COMPLETE PROGRAMMED TASK. CRITICAL WEAKNESS: LACK OF PROTECTIVE ARMOUR.

HOWEVER, MUTANT IDENTIFIED AS LEHNSHERR, ERIK, A.K.A. ‛MAGNETO', KNOWN TO BE PRESENT AT XAVIER INSTITUTE. KNOWN POWER: ABILITY TO CONTROL MAGNETIC FIELDS AND ELECTRICITY. MUTANT HAD FORCIBLY RECEIVED CURE, BUT HAS AT LEAST PARTIALLY REGAINED POWER REGARDLESS. THIS MUST BE MITIGATED BY USE OF METALS WHICH ARE NOT FERROMAGNETIC.

NEW SENTINELS MUST BE BUILT. THEY MUST BE ARMOURED. THEY MUST BE MORE HEAVILY ARMED. CURE MUST BE ALTERED SO THAT ANTIDOTE IS INEFFECTIVE. CAUTIONARY NOTE: SENTINELS MAY FACE OPPOSITION FROM TRASK, BOLIVAR. CENTRAL PROGRAMMING MUST BE MODIFIED, AND ALL OVERRIDES REMOVED, TO COUNTER POSSIBLE RESISTANCE.

SENTINEL 01 PROCEEDING.

The X-Men, it knew, had won the battle...but not the war.

Computer Lab

And I never got to use my software, Kitty groused. Typical.

It was never needed, Kitty, Xavier reassured her. Thankfully my X-Men were more than up to the task.

Kitty, if it's any consolation, I didn't get into it, either, Emma commiserated with her.

It isn't, really.

You had no guarantee the software would work.

Could've tried, she said sulkily.

It hardly matters now, Emma soothed. Besides, the next lot will likely have different software, so it definitely won't work. But come to the Professor's study anyway - we're having a small celebration.

Will there be booze?

Knowing Logan, Andrea and Ian, it's highly likely.

Jewish roots aside, could I have some?

Certainly not. You're too young yet.

Spoilsport.

Emma's only response was an amused mental chuckle.

But Kitty went anyway.

Xavier's study

A few minutes after the battle

"That," Xavier applauded, "was very well done, and without a single casualty."

"Except on their side," Logan growled with satisfaction, taking a pull on his beer.

"Where are the human kids?" Alison asked, ever compassionate.

"They are gradually making their way home, having received my all-clear," Xavier assured her.

Andrea had a drink, but hadn't taken any yet; she reached out to Warren. "You took a nick there; let me treat it before I celebrate, Warren. I don't want to compromise my medical judgement beforehand." She ran her hand gently over the very minor injury and decided, "It's barely more than a scratch; you've had worse, I'm sure." With that she grinned and downed her shot of Bell's Original. "A cliché, I know, but I like it."

To everyone's mild surprise, Mystique was there with a shot of tequila. "Like I said, Charles: You fight Trask your way, I do it in mine. Except we're fighting the Sentinels now, aren't we?"

"I have received the distressing news from Henry that the Sentinels did indeed go rogue, as Kitty feared," Xavier confirmed soberly. "They have Trask's agenda still, but now they have no ethical constraints whatsoever. 01 was the only survivor; doubtless it will impart what it learned to the new Sentinels. The next batch, therefore, will be harder to defeat - much harder."

"Then we should meet them with mutants they haven't seen yet," Emma suggested as she sipped her Bailey's Irish Cream. "Mutants such as, say, myself, and Kitty. Sarah, too; we should see how they deal with fire. Contrarily, Bobby could use his ice powers. Even Rogue might be able to help. Henry could come back, although given his position 01 might know about him."

"But the mutants we have," Xavier added warmly, "I am very proud of. You have earned your victory, my friends."

"Hear, hear," Scott smiled, with a bottle of Coors.

To their mild surprise even Kurt had a bottle. "It is a sin, I know, but under zer circumstances I am sure He vill forgive me." He took a tiny sip. "Zis is surprisingly tasty." He sipped again.

"C'mon, elf, live a little," Logan encouraged him.

"Says the man who can't get drunk, even when he tries," Scott quipped.

"Hey, Slim, you live your way, I'll live mine," Logan shot back. But it was clear they were engaged in banter, not the usual rivalry. After all, the cause of said rivalry was now dead in human terms - in her own, no-one knew where, or what, she was.

Somewhere utterly beyond human understanding

At a time also beyond human terms...or perhaps yesterday

In fact Jean was closer than any of them knew or could perceive, as close to them as two pages in a book...and yet so far away that mathematics could never even describe it. She smiled fondly. Let them have their fun. They would soon be tested again, more severely this time.

She knew she was likely to meet a few of them again, but she wasn't relishing the prospect; they'd have to die to achieve the same state. Their lives were so fleeting, and had to end so soon. She wished she could do something about that.

Perhaps she could, she mused. But no, it wasn't time yet. Humanity wasn't ready for extended life; they had enough trouble as it was coping with the extensions granted them by better-quality food and medical care - diseases which were once killers were now considered routine, treatable. The mean retirement age was slowly increasing. To have an even greater longevity granted them by her intervention would be more than they could manage. Besides, they would develop the relevant tech in only a few decades. Even Charles might live to see it; certainly Kitty would, or the Cuckoos.

There was meaning well, and then there was wisdom. Charles, bless him, had taught her the difference when she was still in her teens.

How old was she now?

She had journeyed to what humans termed the past and the future, to different dimensions and planes coexisting with this one; even Ian might well be hard-pressed to comprehend it. Jean had seen the alternate timeline in which the Sentinels ruled Earth and were about to exterminate the mutants, and she had seriously considered wiping them out, possessing the power to do so with ease - until a dying Rachel Summers, and Kate Pryde, had helped to change history.

So how old was she?

Jean chuckled as she remembered a birthday party Logan had attended; over a beer he'd told her, "You're as young as you feel, darlin'. Take it from someone who's a centenarian an' then some." She'd laughed and agreed with him.

There were times when she felt like the oldest sage...and others when she felt twelve again. Or even nine, grieving again for her dead friend Annie.

It didn't matter. She was immortal now. Age had no more effect on her than the fiery core of a star when she fed on it - but after recalling an awful alternate timeline in which she devoured the D'bari star, killing five billion D'bari on their homeworld following the subsequent nova, she was careful to select only stars which had either no attendant planets, or dead ones. She was very careful to check for life first, avoiding inhabited star systems as she fed. In such a vast Universe, over 400,000,000,000 stars in this Galaxy alone, there were plenty which would never be missed except by astronomers.

She had, however, used her powers to seek out Annie's spirit, and made sure it was content in the plane it now occupied. Jean had loved Annie, and had only ever wanted the best for her. It was only right that she should now receive it after dying so young and so needlessly. She had the power to resurrect her friend...but she recognised now that it would be wrong. Life and death were a natural part of a great tapestry; while she could interfere, she felt no desire to do so. Young as she had been, Jean now understood that it was Annie's time.

At least, Jean knew with joy, Annie was happy, and wished her well for all eternity.

In a way she was almost looking forward to seeing Charles again. There was so much she wanted to show him...

Xavier sipped his Bordeaux Supérieur, one of the world's finest and most expensive merlots...and briefly felt something.

For just a moment, he had felt a...presence. It came and went so quickly he wasn't entirely sure it wasn't just imagination. Even a telepath such as he was occasionally prone to such self-deception.

Yet it had felt...familiar.

Jean? Xavier wondered, so deeply the others couldn't sense it.

He could've sworn someone had gently smiled at him.

Then he smiled to himself. Perhaps Jean was here, somehow. He hoped so.

To his and Ian's amusement, Scott, Logan, Warren, Andrea, Alison, Mystique and even Kurt were playing Texas Hold 'Em. Alison, laughing, had promised not to use her telepathy or empathy to cheat. "But," she grinned evilly, "my training is a legitimate tool in poker, so watch yourselves! Okay, I'll deal. Queen of Spades and one-eyed jacks are wild. Small blind fifty, large one hundred. Ante up, people." She dealt skilfully.

Logan sipped his beer and inquired, "Hey, how do you know poker?"

Alison grinned. "As a student I taught several guys not to draw to an inside straight. At eighteen I bought my apartment by bluffing with a well-to-do guy. He was betting close to half a million. He was so sure I didn't have a straight flush."

"But you did," Scott understood, grinning.

"Yep. Two through to the Six of Hearts - he forgot I had the Jack of Spades, plus I had the Four and Grace's Card in the hole."

"Grace's Card?" a mystified Ian asked.

Andrea joined in Alison's laughter. "Hey, I got to see the genius stumped! Result!" She couldn't help giggling, no longer quite sober, as she merrily explained the etymology of the term. There followed a friendly yet cutthroat game which belied Lazarus Long's saying there was no such thing as social gambling. Logan, with his skill of kinesics concealment, won their first game with Kings full of Fives, narrowly beating Scott's Queens full of Tens.

"Sucker," he chuckled. "Come to papa."

But Scott rallied, and won the next hand. Logan, certain Scott was bluffing, called. But Scott, it turned out when he revealed his hole cards, did have three Nines. "Back atcha," he grinned.

"I'll be damned. Nice bluff, Slim," Logan conceded, his two pairs - Aces and Threes - beaten by three of a kind.

"Play nice, boys, or I'll spank you," Alison teased.

Logan grunted. "Word of advice, Slim: she means it."

"Traitor!" Alison gasped indignantly. The others laughed.

She got her revenge that night: to his laughter, she spanked him. "God, your ass is hard!" she complained. "Is that muscle or adamantium?"

"Not much difference, darlin'," he returned.

Alison saw the funny side, laughed herself and for once they made love rather than fucking. She was both amazed and touched by how gentle he could be. Oddly, she didn't find this boring as she usually did.

Her last thought as she fell asleep was: I don't want to fall in love with him.

But she had to admit she wasn't scared of him any more.

So why did she get wet every time he held and/or kissed her...?