"To me, my X-Men."
It was not yet 6:30 in the morning, and the sun was just beginning to rise as the X-Men filed into Professor Charles Xavier's office. Most had been hoping to be able to sleep in that day, and all but Ororo were still in their pajamas. Logan was not wearing a shirt.
"What is it, professor?" Ororo asked. They were on heightened alert, as Xavier not summon them all so early without a good reason.
"Is Magneto back?" Logan asked.
"It does not appear so, unless he is acting behind the scenes again," Xavier said. He stopped and looked at Kitty as she turned her head and covered her mouth to hide her gigantic yawn.
"Am I boring you, Kitty?"
"Oh, no sir. I'm sorry. I've just been up since one. Illyana had another nightmare."
Piotr started, his steely expression melting into one of deep concern, and Xavier nodded sadly, letting the issue drop and returning to the reason he had summoned them.
"It seems that in Magneto's absence, Mystique is attempting to reform his Brotherhood of Evil Mutants. I believe I've determined which mutant criminals she will attempt to contact today. Your job will be to stop her recruitment efforts before she becomes as big a threat to human-mutant relations as Magneto, but this will require thousands of miles of traveling, so it is best that you depart as soon as possible."
Ororo nodded. "Send the names and the coordinates to the Blackbird's computer. We'll prepare to depart immediately."
Piotr found his little sister in the kitchen, using a canteen to pour herself a large 'cup' of coffee.
"That much coffee will stunt your growth, little snowflake."
Illyana took a large chug and wiped her mouth. "Kitty says that's a myth."
"I never drank coffee when I was your age, and look at me."
Illyana had to tilt her head pretty far up to look into her brother's eyes. Piotr was more than a full foot taller than her. He was in his X-Men uniform, an outfit of tight red spandex with a yellow center just like the yellow parts of the New Mutants' uniforms. The sides were cut out to show off his large muscles, which were impressive even when he was not transformed into his metallic form. The large, sharply-pointed should pads further emphasized his massive size.
"You're going on a mission?" she asked. It was very unlikely he would be in the kitchen in his costume if all the X-Men had planned for the day was training in the Danger Room.
"Da. I wanted to see you before I left. I heard you're having nightmares again."
Illyana put her canteen down and looked down and to the side. "They never stopped."
"Why didn't you tell me?"
"I didn't want you to worry."
Piotr sighed. "Sometimes I wish I'd never heard of Charles Xavier or the X-Men."
"Don't say that!" Illyana responded quickly. "Look at all the people you've saved. You've even helped save the world!"
Piotr put his hand under Illyana's chin and looked at her with the saddest smile she had ever seen.
"I didn't join the X-Men to save strangers or the world. I did it to protect you."
Illyana's jaw dropped slightly and she blinked several times as she took a step back.
"What?" she asked in a voice that was little more than a whisper.
There was a cough from the kitchen entrance, and they turned to see Wolverine standing there in full costume. The mostly yellow spandex would have looked comical on anyone else, especially someone as short as he was, but the feral nature of his bearing and posture made the garish outfit seem threatening. Perhaps more than anyone else in the X-Men, he looked like a character from one of Kitty's comic books.
"We gotta go now, Pete," he said in his gruff voice.
Piotr gave a reluctant nod and with a final sad look at his sister, turned to head toward what promised to be a pivotal battle.
"I love Saturdays!" Roberto said happily. "No classes for two whole days."
"But we still have plenty of homework to do," Xuân pointed out.
"I'll tell you what," Roberto replied. "If we get all our homework out of the way this morning, can we call go to Salem Center Mall and see an afternoon matinée?"
"Why?" Dani asked. "I'm all for going to the mall, but there's nothing worth seeing at the movies right now."
Roberto smiled and held out his phone, which showed what was playing at the local movie theater. "Nothing current, but it so happens that they're showing E.T."
"Ohh, I've never seen tha,'" Rahne said.
"You really love anything 80s, don't ya, 'Berto?" Sam asked. As the tallest of them, he had the easiest time getting the breakfast and bowls down from the high cabinets.
Xuân shook her head and smiled. It was quickly becoming apparent that Roberto would usually get what he wanted thanks to his undeniable charm. And so far, he had never asked for anything unreasonable or which was only for him and not the entire group.
"All right. I'll talk to Stevie about taking us into town again if we all finish our homework before lunch."
In the end, their weekend homework took only a few hours, though Rahne needed some help from Dani and Sam from Roberto. Stevie was happy to take them out again.
Before leaving, Stevie went to the X-Men's wing of the mansion and knocked on the door to the room Kitty and Illyana shared. Inside, Illyana was working on a Russian-language math textbook.
"Hey," Stevie said. "I'm taking the New Mutants to the mall to see a movie. You want to come with us?"
Illyana shook her head.
"You sure? Charles is going to be holed up with Cerebro all day to monitor the X-Men. You'll be all alone."
"Maybe next time. I've got a lot of catching up to do today."
Stevie nodded sadly. "All right, next time."
When Stevie was gone, Illyana stood up and looked out the bedroom window. She watched with a regretful look as the teenagers excitedly got into the passenger seats of Stevie's car and drove off.
The New Mutants waited as Stevie bought the tickets. They were approached by a group of three other teenagers, all dressed in leather jackets.
The middle one, a boy with long brown hair, almost a mullet, spoke first. "You guys new in town? How come we ain't seen you at school?"
"We're students at Xaviers," Roberto explained.
"Really?" the other boy asked. "That's a change. Since when do you elite types mingle with us common folk?"
"What's that supposed to mean, Hombre?" Roberto said angrily. Sam grabbed his arm and told him to "relax."
"You simmer down too, willya Frank?" said the girl to his left. She had black hair which was cut short, though not as short as Rahne's. "You're acting like a jerk."
She turned to Rahne and said: "My name's Diana, but everyone calls me Di. We go to Central High."
"How d'you do? I'm Rahne Sinclair."
"'Rain.' I like it, but I love your hair. I wish I could get mine to look like that. Are you punk?"
"I'm Scotts," Rahne said.
"Really?" Frank asked. "The rest of you are foreign too?"
"Not quite," Roberto said, his good humor restored. "Sam and Dani are from the states. I'm Brazilian, and Xuân is Vietnamese. We're international terrorists."
"Roberto!" Xuân admonished him.
The exchange was watched on a monitor that was tied into the mall's security footage.
"The boy thinks he's making a joke, but he's closer to the truth than he realizes," said Henry Gyrich. "He and his fellow mutants pose as grave a threat to the United States and the world as any madman with a gun or a bomb."
Gyrich's companion, Sebastian Shaw, was a hard-looking man who wore his curly black hair in a style reminiscent of colonial or revolutionary times in the 18th Century.
"Do you believe Henry, as some of these so-called 'evil mutants' have boasted, that Homo Superior will eventually supplant Homo Sapiens, making humanity their slaves?" he asked.
"That is a danger, certainly," Gyrich answered, "but the boy unwittingly outlined the parameters of our immediate problem. Five children from four different countries, all of whom are mutants!"
"They're popping up like flies all over the world," he explained. "Suppose the Iranians or the North Koreans have a trained cadre of super-powered soldiers? Can you imagine what that would do to the balance of power? The smallest nation on Earth, provided it had the right mix of mutants, could bring the United States to her knees."
Gyrich glared behind his sunglasses. "We still have no idea how mutants are created, what DNA sequences trigger which powers. If we are to survive, we must have those answers, and it is my mission to provide them."
"What do you think Xavier is up to in gathering mutant children from around the world?" Shaw asked.
"That's another question which needs answering," Gyrich said. "The da Costa boy is what led us to Xavier's school in the first place. His family is among the most famous in Brazil, and his powers first manifested in a public setting, so many in his home country know he is a mutant. We've been monitoring the school and its inhabitants ever since."
"I know the boy's father, Emmanuel da Costa" Shaw revealed. "Like me, he is a member of the Hellfire Club. An ambitious man, but a good friend to have." He looked down in thought as he considered the implications of having the elder da Costa as a member of his organization.
Gyrich led Shaw deeper into the underground facility, into a large room designed to hold massive machines meant to combat dangerous mutants.
"Forgive me, Henry, but this equipment hardly seems necessary to deal with five children."
"They may look formidable," Gyrich said, "but in my book it's the results that count."
Shaw pointed at the machines. "You'll use these against Xavier's students?"
"Don't be absurd!" Gyrich said loudly, losing his composure a little for the first time. "My directive from the President is to keep this project completely under wraps. My hope is to never use them at all, and if I do, it'll be against adults, actual villains."
"A special team of agents should be enough to bring those kids in," he explained. "We're establishing a facility for the containment and examination of mutants. They'll be taken there. The movie will give us enough time to get our men in position to take them in."
Shaw looked away and smirked, as if he had his own plan in mind.
In a farm in Lake Baikal, Siberia, Piotr Rasputin gathered bundles of hay together with father. The son was not only much younger, but much bigger and stronger than the middle-aged Nikolai, and carried three bundles for every one his father carried.
After the bundles were loaded on their wagon, Nikolai looked back and smiled. His youngest child, a tiny blonde girl no more than four years old, often came into the fields after she came home from her preschool to watch the end of their work day because she wanted to be near her big brother. She kept out of the way, never made a nuisance of herself, and was always ready with a hug for her father and brother when they were done, so they never discouraged this behavior.
This time, the little one had been distracted by a bright orange butterfly that had landed on her finger and sat down facing away from them as she held the insect in front of her face.
A shape appeared in the corner of his vision, and Nikolai's eyes widened in terror. Their neighbor's tractor had crossed into their field at full speed without a driver, apparently having been set in motion by accident, and was bearing straight for his daughter. The little girl, focused entirely on her new friend, did not notice the approaching danger.
"Piotr, your sister!" he yelled. Piotr turned and saw immediately what had concerned his father. He ran forward, screaming "ILLYANA!" as his body changed. His skin hardened into a silvery organic steel.
With his strength increased, Piotr ran faster than he was capable of in his human form and quickly reached his sister, shocking her by snatching her off the ground. Her tiny figure seemed to disappear into his massive arms.
The tractor was too close now to get out of the way, so Piotr turned and let it smash headlong into his back, his sister completely protected by his steel body. The large machine broke apart upon impact, pieces of debris flying in every direction but forward. It stopped, the entire front half crushed and mangled.
Piotr stood up, completely unharmed except for a few tears in the back of his shirt. His sister looked shocked, as if the fear from what had just happened had not yet registered. Piotr expected her to start crying, but instead she put her head on his shoulder and hugged him tightly. She even smiled.
A voice seemed to ring through the air. "Piotr Rasputin, I wish to talk with you."
He looked around. "Who is there? Is this voice in my head?"
He saw two men approaching. One was bald and in a wheelchair. The other had a short beard and wore a long trench coat. The latter Piotr was familiar with.
"Mr. Vahzin?"
"Yes, today is the day you get the answers I promised you months ago. This is Charles Xavier. He is the 'guardian angel' I spoke of who made the government forget your family."
"You saved your sister's life. That was very impressive," Xavier said. "By now you know that you are different and special Piotr. That is because you are a mutant."
The little girl looked confused, as all of the men were speaking English, a language in which she did not know a single word.
Xavier continued: "You are part of the next step in human evolution, born with powers far beyond anything you could imagine."
"Why are you telling me these things?"
"He has a proposition for you, Piotr," Vahzin said.
"You must understand, the world is changing," Xavier explained. "More and more mutants are appearing every day. Humanity fears and hates what it does not understand. You and your family will always be in danger."
"Then I will protect them," Piotr declared.
"Of that I have no doubt," Xavier responded. "But you can do so much more. I'm putting together a team of mutants to become heroes, to show the world that they have nothing to fear from us, and I want you to join it."
"If nothing is done, mutants will be hounded, persecuted, even put into camps. Both humans and mutants will live in constant fear of each other. The most gifted will be turned into weapons, while the rest suffer."
"I do not know," Piotr said.
"If not for yourself, then for your sister," Xavier said. "Illyana too could have the X-gene that distinguishes mutants from regular humans. Please, help me create a world where children like her do not need to grow up in fear."
Piotr stiffened, this point of Xavier's resonating with him, and he looked at the toddler in his arms with the tenderness of a loving older brother. Before he could respond, he and all the other characters faded away. The fields disappeared, leaving only the Danger Room.
Illyana stood motionless in the middle of the room, just behind where the holographic recreation of her brother had been standing seconds earlier. Her eyes and mouth were as wide as could be. She had not understood a word of what had been said at the time and had completely forgotten the presence of the two who recruited her older brother.
"You shouldn't be in here alone," came the voice of Charlse Xavier. The X-Men's mentor was wheeling himself into the Danger Room.
Illyana trembled as he approached, her head not moving to face him.
"It's all your fault," she said softly. "You took Piotr away. You made me into a target."
Xavier winced at her words. He tried to reach for her hand. "Illyana, I-"
"Stay away from me!" she snapped, finally moving as she pulled her hand away. Xavier recoiled, not just from her accusation. There was a growly rasp underneath her voice he had never heard before. Something about it made what few hairs he had on the back of his neck stand up, and for a moment he understood what Logan had meant when he spoke of a 'primal fear.'
Illyana stormed out of the Danger Room, leaving Xavier to stare sadly after her.
Rahne sniffled as they walked out of the theater.
"It's ok to cry, Rahne," Stevie said. "Most people do."
"Och, Miss Hunter, it was so beautiful. I was so happy when the wee bairn was rescued."
"That's th' whole idea," Sam said.
"Did you really think E.T. was real?" Roberto asked. "It was just a puppet. Better than the CGI they use today, but still…"
"But he was so life-like!" Rahne exclaimed. "I'm sorry. I'm being such a silly. It's just, I've ne'er been to a cinema before. It was like magic!"
"You're really sheltered, aren't ya," Frank said.
"I told you to be nice, Frank," Diana admonished him.
"You guys want to get some ice cream?" Frank asked them.
"We'd love to," Xuân said.
Stevie smiled. "You kids enjoy yourselves. I need to use the restroom after all that popcorn and soda."
The kids headed for the ice cream store as Stevie went in the opposite direction. Things were going as well as could be expected. Their biggest concern had been Dani's powers activating inadvertently. Charles had determined that the times she accidentally manifested someone's fear when she was feeling nervous or anxious herself. Dani had decided to take a mild anti-anxiety medication from time to time so she would not have to live as a recluse while her teammates enjoyed themselves. And she did seem to be doing better.
Stevie's mind was focused on her young charges. Otherwise she would have noticed the maintenance closet door opening as she passed it and turned her head just enough to see the arms which reached out grabbed her, pulling her into the dark closet.
She struggled to scream against the hand now covering her mouth as the door closed, leaving her and her captor in total darkness.
"Stop struggling, Miss Hunter, I mean you no harm," came the voice behind her. It was string and rough, not cruel. "My name is Michael Rossi. I'm here as a friend, to both you and your students."
"I'll let you go if you promise to behave yourself and not scream. The children are in danger, and we don't have much time. Will you trust me?" Rossi said.
Stevie nodded, and he let her go. Her hand reached for her purse, where she had mace ready for emergencies, but she did not grab it just yet.
"Good. First, I think you'd better call Xavier. I'll let him know exactly what's going on."
The door to Illyana's room was locked when Xavier approached it. Inside, she lay on her bed, covering her head with her pillow.
Xavier knocked on the door. "Illyana?" He tried to stand up, but his legs failed him again and he collapsed back into his wheelchair.
He turned the wheelchair ninety degrees so he could lean against the door as he spoke. "I know you're upset right now."
Illyana pulled the pillow tighter over her ear.
"The truth is," Xavier continued, "you're right to blame me for what happened to you."
At these words, Illyana opened her eyes in surprise.
"What happened to you, that was my greatest failure." Xavier's voice cracked a little during the second half of that sentence, and trembled as he continued. "Jean Grey and John Proudstar, they were adults. They understood the risks they took and made their own decisions."
"You never had that chance. You were just a child. You still are just a child. You had every right to trust that I would keep you safe, and I didn't. Nothing I do can ever make up for the fact that you've suffered so much just because your brother is an X-Man.
He fought back tears. "Now, I want to help you get through this, but in order to do that, you have to want my help."
Illyana lowered the pillow and raised her head to look at the door. Her face had morphed from furious to sad.
"So please, when you calm down, just talk to me. You don't have to suffer alone."
Xavier looked down. His cell phone was vibrating in his pocket. He took it out, and saw that Stevie Hunter was calling him.
Most of the kids ordered plain flavors like chocolate and vanilla, while Roberto ordered pistachio.
"We're actually new at the school," Roberto explained. "I kind of get where you're coming from with that 'elite' talk. Some of the older students at Xavier's can be a little stuck up."
Frank's face scrunched up in disgust as four men in suits entered the ice cream shop. The three in front wore dark sunglasses, while the one in back was imposingly tall and broad like a wall.
"Head's up, cops," he said.
The men stopped at their table and the one in front flashed a badge. "Federal agents," he said. "Miss Manh, Miss Lonestar, Miss Sinclair, Mister da Costa, and Mister Guthrie, if you'll come with us, please."
Xuân noticed immediately that the agent's tone was one of command, not a question. "Is something the matter, officer? Are we under arrest?"
"Just routine," the officer said simply.
"Hey," Frank said angrily, "what're you hasslin' them for? They've just seen a movie and got some ice cream. Leave 'em alone!"
The agent glared at him. "You've got a big mouth, bot. Learn to keep it closed before it gets you into trouble."
"You don't scare me."
"Your mistake. Miss Manh, shall we go?"
"What about our teacher, Miss Hunter?" Roberto demanded.
"You can call her from headquarters," the agent assured him.
Roberto stood up. "I say we wait for her!"
Xuân put her hand on Roberto's to stop him from acting rashly. "Mon ami, let us not make a scene."
Roberto looked at her and nodded, realizing her intention to avoid a fight in the ice cream shop where innocent bystanders could be hurt.
"Fine," she said to the agent. "We'll go with you."
The agents led them to the mall's parking lot. The entire time, they wondered if they were making a big mistake in going along with the agents, Xuân most of all. She was very familiar with how corrupt so-called government law enforcement could be.
They were meters away from the agents' vehicles when Michael Rossi and Stevie appeared behind them. The former held a strange-looking gun and yelled "freeze!"
"Scatter, kids!" Stevie yelled at them.
"What th-!" Sam exclaimed.
Three of the agents drew their handguns, one of them screaming "ambush!" Meanwhile, the leader pulled out a walkie-talkie.
"Whoever they are, drop them hard!" he commanded before contacting his superiors. "Base – Team Seven, trouble! Potential emergency situation! Initiate contingency plan Beta!"
The three armed agents opened fire, forcing Rossi and Stevie to take cover behind a parked car. Rossi peaked over the trunk and fired his own weapon, an energy gun that struck the largest of the agents, the easiest target, and stunned him into unconsciousness.
"Run, kids!" he yelled. "I'll keep these bozos occupied!"
But he was still outnumbered three to one and quickly had to take cover again. The lead agent had drawn his own gun now and they were fighting smarter, with only one agent firing at a time to ensure there were never any gaps in their attack while one of them needed to reload that Rossi could take advantage of.
Rahne transformed into her wolf form and leaped on the closest agent, growling to scare him rather than biting him. Seeing this, the lead agent leapt into his car and turned on the engine with astonishing speed. He pressed the accelerator and attempted to run Rahne and his subordinate over.
Roberto transformed as well and stepped between Rahne and the approaching vehicle. He slammed his fist into the front of the car, pulverizing the engine and bringing it to a halt.
The last agent pointed his gun at Roberto's back, but his pupils suddenly disappeared and he dropped his weapon, now under Xuân's complete control.
With all of the agents taken down, Rossi and Stevie stepped out of cover.
"What've we done?" Sam asked. "Stevie, these guys are from the government!"
"That's all right son, so am I," Rossi assured him.
"Bullshit!" the agents' leader spat.
"Pretty strong language for someone from an outfit that's technically illegal," Rossi responded. "We've got a lot to talk about when Xavier gets here."
Dani looked to the side in frustration. The entire time, she had been trying to use her power to manifest the agents' fears, but nothing had happened.
They looked up as a strange rumbling sound filled the parking lot, and the leader smiled.
The ceiling suddenly collapsed, raining concrete down on them, as a hand the size of a full-grown man broke through the parking lot's structure.
"SENTINELS!" Rossie screamed.
The teens leaped to the ground to get out of the way of the debris and gaped as they looked up again. Through the new hole in the ceiling, they saw a large robot, maybe thirty feet tall. It was mostly grey with a few places of dull blue, and roughly human-shaped.
"Contact established, situation evaluated," the Sentinel said in an emotionless, computerized voice. "Contingency plan Beta now operational. Objective: capture of target mutants."
Rossi turned his gun to its highest setting. "Get out of here!" he yelled at the New Mutants. "They shouldn't follow you into the mall!"
He fired at the robot. This did not cause any visible harm, but it had the desired effect.
"Armed human is primary threat," the Sentinel said. "Initiating appropriate response."
"These things usually hunt in packs!" Rossi said as the Sentinel reached for him. A compartment in its palm opened, releasing a green gas that caused Rossi to cough and then collapse.
"No!" Sam yelled. He had intentionally kept out of the fight with the agents, as his power would likely kill anyone he hit with his current level of control. But against a giant robot he felt no such compunctions, and he blasted off, striking the Sentinel in the equivalent of its stomach and lifting it off of the parking lot roof.
Two more Sentinels were standing next to on the roof, proving Rossi right.
"Observation, Sentinel Lambda-Four has been unsuccessful in its attempt to secure its objectives," one of the robots said.
The first Sentinel fell to the ground outside the mall. Sam had punched a large hole in the metal skin of its torso, but its functions seemed completely unaffected.
"Negative data in memory banks regarding this mutant," it said.
"Key sensors to full record mode," the third Sentinel said. "Absorb all pertinent data regarding targets for future reference."
Inside the parking lot, Stevie was attempting to move Rossi. "You heard the man, we've got to move!" she said.
"You guys get him to safety," Roberto said. "I'm going to help Sam!"
"Roberto, stop!" Xuân yelled as he ran off. "You have no idea what you're dealing with!"
"Neither do these robots – HEY!"
Roberto was forced to stop in his tracks as a giant hand crashed through the wall in front of him. A second later, another hand burst into the parking lot from behind him. He made a three-hundred-sixty degree turn and, seeing no other way out, transformed again and leapt through the wall.
He landed hard on the ground after a two-story fall, but suffered no injuries more serious than a few bruises.
"Target da Costa unharmed," the Sentinel said as it climbed down from the parking lot and stood to its full height. "Evident byproduct of enhanced strength is increased physical resilience."
Roberto sprang back to his feet at the robot's mention of his last name. Now that he was outside, he could feel his strength growing as he began to absorb the sunlight.
The Sentinel stood over him, blocking the sun. "Bioscans indicate target has insufficient strength to damage this unit. Minimal defense required."
Roberto scowled and grabbed the Sentinel's foot. He had realized the fatal flaw in these mechanical monstrosities' programming. They always spoke before taking action.
"Maybe," he said through gritted teeth, "but you don't know that strength of human will and determination!"
With a scream echoed by the muscles of his arms, shoulders, and back, Roberto lifted the Sentinel's leg off of the ground and threw the robot into the air.
"No! I threw it the wrong way! Towards the mall!"
The Sentinel's head crashed through the wall of the mall, panicking dozens of shoppers and sending them fleeing and screaming. Miraculously, no one was hurt by the collision, but Roberto knew he had to end this quickly if the lack of casualties was to be sustained.
He climbed onto the Sentinel before it could rise and wrapped his arms as far around its massive head as he could.. His fingers dub into the metal casing, creating handholds he used to tear the head from its body.
The Sentinel's limbs collapsed and it ceased moving with the disconnection of its head.
Not far away, the first Sentinel seemed distracted by the loss of its fellow mutant-hunting robot.
"Sentinel Lambda-one-nine completely dysfunctional. Remaining units still executing primary operational directive."
Sam attempted to take advantage of this disruption, but the Sentinel had learned from his first attack. As he blasted towards it, a torrent of ice was released from the robot's eyes, enveloping him and freezing him in place.
"Target Guthrie neutralized by frigi-beam," the Sentinel said, grabbing the frozen teenager out of the air. "Returning to base."
Rockets activated on the bottom of the Sentinel's feet, slowly pushing its large frame upwards. Once it had achieved sufficient thrust, the robot took off, carrying Sam into the sky.
"LOOK!" Rahne yelled, pointing at the sky. They had moved to a walkway connecting the mall and parking lot with windows that provided them a good view of the action. "It's got Sam! What do we do?"
"If he's unconscious, Rahne, nothing, I fear," Xuân said gravely. Her pupils disappeared as she activated her power.
Hundreds of feet above them, the frozen suddenly took off like a rocket, his blasting completely overpowering the Sentinel's booster rockets.
Xuân's control of her own body diminished whenever she controlled the mind of another person. Now that she was in Sam's mind while he was frozen, her body experienced a sympathetic freezing and stiffened as if she was encased in ice as well.
The last Sentinel noticed them and fired an enormous energy blast from its hand, destroying much of the walkway between Xuân and Rahne. With the destruction of one of its companions, the robot's self-preservation functions had permitted it to use more lethal force to subdue its targets.
"Xuân's no' reacting! She's a sitting duck for tha' monster!" Rahne yelled.
Stevie was huddled with Rossi and Dani in a nearby corner. The man who would be their savior was stirring, beginning to recover from the knockout gas.
"Rahne, get back to the garage," he ordered. "Get the head agent back here. If your friend possesses him, she can have him order the Sentinels off."
"But then who'll protect Xuân?" she screamed. Ignoring Rossi's orders, she transformed and leapt across the gap to be by Xuân's side.
"Rahne, don't!" Dani yelled. "God dammit! My powers are useless against robots!" she complained.
"But not humans," Rossi said. "You go and see if you can scare the lead agent up here."
As Dani left, Roberto arrived.
"I got one, Stevie!" he yelled happily. "Did you see, I ripped its head clean off!"
"We've been busy, but great job, kiddo," Stevie responded. "Think you can go for a hat trick?"
The Sentinel approached, turning its head between Xuân and Rahne on the one hand, and Roberto, Rossi, and Stevie on the other.
"Target Manh in semi-catatonic state. Target Sinclair's powers represent no threat. Critical threat level represented by target da Costa after destruction of unit Lambda one-nine. Self-preservation program requires he receive primary response."
Rossi grinned grimly as he finally regained his feet. "Looks like you got their attention, kiddo. I hope you've got a couple more tricks, because Sentinels learn from their mistakes. You can never beat them the same way twice."
"'Fraid I can't even do the first trick again," Roberto said with an equally grim smile. "I can barely lift my arms after what I had to do to beat the last one."
The four agents had been initially pleased to see the Sentinels. But when Roberto had destroyed one of the robots, they began to feel that discretion was the better part of valor. Unfortunately for them, their vehicles had been destroyed, the first by Roberto and the second by the falling concrete caused by the Sentinel's first appearance.
Dani found them attempting to escape the parking lot on foot. "Oh no you don't!" she yelled.
As they approached the exit, the doorway disappeared, replaced by the image of the leader's greatest fear.
A large cloud appeared in front of them, rising towards the ceiling like an enormous mushroom. The agents all screamed and dropped to the floor, covering their heads as more and more mushroom clouds surrounded them.
The leader looked up first despite this being the representation of his fears, and his screams took on an even more horrifying quality than Dani had thought possible. The skin on his hand seemed to be on fire and was melting away, leaving only bone behind. All of the agents, oblivious to the lack of pain of the fact that they were still alive, were convinced that their bodies were being destroyed by the heat and radiation of multiple nuclear bombs.
When the fight was over, Dani would throw up all of the popcorn and ice cream she had eaten that day.
Now miles above the Earth, the friction of Sam's flight finally melted all of the ice covering him. At this distance, Xuân had already lost control of Sam and he had continued upwards because his power did not deactivate until he had fully regained his senses.
"Holy cow!" he screamed as he looked down, not understanding how he had gotten so high. He was still in the Sentinel's hand, but his main concern was how cold and hard to breathe it was at that height.
The Sentinel itself was in bad shape, its systems stressed to the breaking point by the unexpected flight.
With a deep breath, Sam blasted free of its grip and into its midsection again, hurtling it towards the ground with his full strength.
Now that he was blasting down instead of up, the force of gravity increased Sam's speed exponentially as he and the Sentinel hurtled towards the ground, pieces of the machine breaking off as they plummeted.
Their descent was seen from the ground, and Xuân reached out to possess Sam one more time, directing his to land where she wanted.
With a spectacular explosion, Sam collided the Sentinel he had been fighting with the last Sentinel, obliterating both robots with a single strike.
Xavier arrived at the mall at about the same time as the police and quickly got to work altering the memories of all those present who had seen the super-powered teenagers in action. Within minutes, all anyone would remember was that giant robots had attacked the mall before destroying themselves. Rossi assured them that any security footage would be dealt with by his people in a similar manner, ensuring there would be no evidence of the New Mutants' role in the incident.
The agents who had attempted to capture the teens were not as lucky. The leader surrendered himself to the police as soon as they arrived.
"My name is John Oglive," he told them repeatedly. "I am attached to the National Security Council. My superior is Henry Peter Gyrich. I summoned the Sentinels."
"He's been confessing nonstop since we got here, Captain," the arresting officer told his superior. "He can't get him to shut up."
"Take him and his men downtown, but don't book 'em just yet," the captain said. "Not till I've checked with Washington. I've got a feeling that the more we learn about this, the less we'll like."
Nearby, in Xavier's car, Rossi told Xuân to let Oglive go.
With his sunglasses on, none of the police noticed that Oglive had had no pupils for so long or when his pupils returned. He was shocked to find himself under arrest.
"What is this? Why am I handcuffed?" he demanded.
"Cuzz you're under arrest, ya dummy!" the first policeman said.
"Release me at once! I'm a federal agent!"
"You're a loon is what you are," the captain said. "Get him out of here!"
Xuân was not happy with what she had been forced to do. "Is he a criminal?" she asked.
"Are you?" Rossi replied. "He was prepared to send you to a prison camp just because of how you were born."
"Do two wrongs then make a right?"
"I'm not your enemy," Xuân."
"My apologies, M'sieu, but you do not act like a friend."
Xavier smiled. "The idealism of youth. Hopefully we will soon be able to live in a world where such moral compromises are not necessary."
"I see your point," Rossi agreed.
"I thank you, truly," Xavier said. "I had no idea the American government had discovered my school's secret, or that they'd take such action even before any significant mutant attack."
"Fear is governing the thinking of many in the defense establishment," Rossi explained. "A fear strong enough to make some of us forget the Constitution."
"What does that mean, Professor?" Xuân asked.
Xavier gave her a serious look. "It means we are in more danger than I had realized, and that all mutants in this country are imperiled. I have long feared that someone like Magneto may trigger a war between humans and mutants, but the humans may be readying to start such a war on their own."
"This is still America," Rossi assured him. "Those who would take such extreme actions are still a small minority, and the more the real leaders of the military and Congress learns of their activities, the more they will be brought back in line."
"I hope so," Xavier said sadly. "For all our sakes, I sincerely hope so."
After letting Rossi go, Xavier and Stevie drove the New Mutants back to the mansion. The professor expanded his awareness as he drove, ensuring that no more government agents were watching them within a mile radius.
Once they arrived, he gathered them in his office.
"I am so sorry this happened. I never wanted you to see real-world combat, and never dreamed it would happen so soon.
"However," he smiled, "you fought very well. To defeat even one Sentinel is a true accomplishment, let alone three. And while there was no small amount of luck involved, you did this with minimal civilian casualties. Even the X-Men do not always succeed in that."
"That's cause we're the best," Roberto said, and they all grinned.
"Don't get too conceited," Xavier said. "There was quite a bit of property damage. But you performed beyond my expectations in an unexpected situation, and I am very proud."
As the New Mutants left the office, they passed a figure who stood unseen in the shadows. Xavier was aware of her presence not through his telepathy, but through a strange chill he felt.
"Come in, Illyana. I was hoping you'd be ready to talk."
The young Russian entered the office with a sheepish expression, holding her arm like she was ashamed.
"I just wanted to apologize … for my outburst earlier."
"You have nothing to apologize for," Xavier assured her, "besides using the Danger Room without permission."
"I just … I guess I'm just looking to find some kind of meaning in what happened," she said. "But the truth is there is no meaning. A bad man just did a very bad thing, and that's all there is to it."
She looked down and her voice dropped to a whisper. "And that's so hard to accept."
Xavier moved his wheelchair closer to her. "Meaning in such tragedies isn't something you find by searching. It's something you create for yourself, by looking in here," he said, touching his heart.
Illyana looked at him, and her expression was so pained he was certain she was about to cry. But her eyes remained dry.
"I'm so scared, all the time," she said. "I'm afraid to open my eyes in the morning, because I don't know where I'll be. I'm scared every time I open a door and see what's on the other side … because I know he's still out there."
Xavier started and his eyebrows jumped up. A lump formed in his throat, forcing him to fight it down before he could respond.
"There is no shame in being afraid. Given what you've been through you have every right to be scared. Admitting your fears is a brave act, and it is the first and hardest step in overcoming those fears."
He took her hand. Unlike earlier, she did not pull away. "And if he does return, we'll be ready. This time, we will protect you, I promise."
Illyana gave him a weak smile and shook her head sadly, and Xavier felt his heart break.
Sebastian Shaw poured two glasses of wine and handed one to his companion.
"So it was a success?" Emma Frost asked. She was dressed in a white suit that cost more than most people made in a year. Everything about her, from her almost white blonde hair, to her perfect eyelashes, cheeks, and figure screamed 'femme fatale,' and practically every word out of her mouth was spoken seductively.
"Better than I dared hope," Shaw said. "Xavier chose his new pupils well. Not a single one was captured, and they destroyed all of the Sentinels quicker than expected. They will make excellent additions."
"Moreover, this proof that the government is after them will make them paranoid. When Xavier is dealt with, they will have no choice but to join our Hellfire Club when we offer them protection."
"Don't get too ahead of yourself," Emma warned him. "Defeating Xavier and the X-Men will be no easy task. We may need to have these children on our side before we can strike at the adults."
"If it comes to that, I'm sure you'll be more than up to the challenge," Shaw said. "Either way, they and their power will be ours."
They brought their glasses together.
"To the Hellfire Club!"
It was very late when the X-Men returned from their mission. Most went straight to bed, while Logan stayed up to get a can of beer from the fridge.
Piotr had just changed from his costume into a pajamas when there was a knock on his door.
"It's Illyana," came the voice of his sister.
Any fatigue Piotr felt after a full day of flying and fighting disappeared as he rushed to open the door. To his shock, Illyana leapt into his arms as soon as there was nothing between them.
"Please, can you hold me?" she asked softly in Russian. "Like you use to when I was little."
He laughed a little and answered in their native language. "Compared to me, you are still very small, little snowflake." He carried her to the couch he kept in his room in lieu of a chair which was not large enough for him and sat down.
Illyana leaned her head against his shoulder. "I always felt safest when I was in your arms."
"I can't say that I always felt safe when holding you. The first time I did so you grabbed my nose. I didn't know babies that young could even do that. You were always pulling my nose or my ears or my hair."
"Snowflake?" he asked when she did not respond. He moved some of her hair away from her face and smiled.
Kitty could not remember a time when she had ever felt so tired. The lack of sleep the night before combined with the aftereffects of the adrenalin of combat had left her exhausted. But she was not ready for sleep just yet. Something was missing.
That something arrived in Piotr's arms. He carried the sleeping Illyana from his room to hers. Kitty's jaw dropped as she took a closer look and saw her roommate's face.
For the first time in what had seemed like a lifetime to either of them, Illyana was sleeping with a smile on her face.
Kitty got out of the way so Piotr could put his sister in her bed. As he pulled the blanket over her, Kitty picked up the bampf doll and put it in Illyana's arms.
When Illyana was tucked in, Piotr bent down and kissed her on the cheek.
"Pleasant dreams, little snowflake."
Summer has come and passed
The innocent can never last
Wake me up when September ends
Like my father's come to pass
Seven years has gone so fast
Wake me up when September ends
Here comes the rain again
Falling from the stars
Drenched in my pain again
Becoming who we are
As my memory rests
But never forgets what I lost
Wake me up when September ends
Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day