Logan and Kurt rushed to help Storm before someone else could attack.

Storm was crying silently, but not, it seemed, with fear.

"I did it..." she said in a strange tone of disbelief.

Logan hugged her. "Yeah," he said.

"It vas a miracle," Kurt said. "But I fear ve may have to celebrate it after this.... Vhen did the Professor get here?"

They all looked up.

The Professor was talking to Magneto, but Logan sniffed. "That's not the Professor," he said in a lower voice. "What's he doin'...?"

* * *

Morph had managed to imitate Xavier convincingly enough to distract Magneto for this long, with the usual jargon about settling things peacefully.

He wasn't sure what he as waiting for, maybe just a lucky shot.

Meanwhile, Mystique had snuck back to retrieve the gun and avoid getting crushed by the other Mutates... There were far less now--the X-men might actually have won this fight if it was based on just skill alone... It was just that all of them were now tired, and there were still Mutates just waiting to get their shots in.

They'd been smart enough not to all rush in at the same time, because one lucky shot from Storm or even Gambit could have taken out their whole troop. But forcing them to do it in steps made the most use of the Mutates having more players to work with.

Mystique figured this out a little late but didn't much care. As long as this idea worked, it would not matter.

Finally she found her gun. Now, if Magneto just went down this time for longer... They'd have to be quick.

It'd be easier if there were cover.

Rogue got swatted into the rock in front of Mystique. The timing was opportune.

Mystique jumped in front of her and pressed her com-link. Imitating her voice, she said, "Storm, we need some mist, right now."

"Hey, what are you doin'?--" Rogue began. Mystique covered her mouth.

"All right," Storm's voice came. "If you ask."

A moment later, mist rose up from the ground.

"What was that for?" Rogue shoved Mystique's hand away.

"Quiet, Rogue. I'm helping you," Mystique said.

"Does that mean helpin' all of us, or just me?" Rogue said narrowly.

"Depends on whether you want everyone to get out of this alive," Mystique said. "My wagon is hitched to yours right now. Don't screw this up."

She looked at the mist. "Well, he'd better not have moved."

She fired at where Magneto had been.

Right in the middle of Magneto saying something about "invasion", he suddenly was blasted back again.

Morph, ready for this signal, quickly dove after him and shoved him down.

Magneto didn't expect him to be so strong and began to grasp for metal.

But Logan had caught on to this idea now, and, using his nose, he shot through the mist and landed on Magneto, hitting his helmet hard with his claws.

This stunned him enough for him not to use his power for a moment.

"Rogue," Mystique said, suddenly, "now would be a good time to go 'borrow' Magneto's powers."

"Hey, where'd they all go?" the Mutates were saying.

"Why would I want to do that?" Rogue asked.

"Just do it!" Mystique said in the same tone she used to use when they were on the team together.

Rogue knew that tone and moved to do it almost without thinking about whether it was a good idea or not.

She was able to fly over the others, just barely avoiding running into one, and to where the X-men were.

Storm kept the mist going, but someone was going to figure out how to clear it up at any moment.

"We are simply too outnumbered," she said. "Where is Shine? If she could portal us all away now, we might have a chance."

"Where's Gambit?" Rogue asked. "And Wally...is he still stuck?"

"I do not know. I missed a lot of the action," Storm said, straining.

"Rogue?" Morph said.

"Momma said to do this." Rogue pulled off her gloves. "I hope I can do it like before... This is one person I don't want the thoughts of."

Magneto strained. "What? Wait a minute, don't you dare--"

Rogue touched him before he could dodge.

She was not quite as focused this time--she was too much in rush--and she still felt his thoughts flooding into her head.

But she pulled back and pushed mentally at it, grasping at anything she could remember for help.

When she yanked her hand back, she felt a little disoriented...but she was not screaming and in agony as she usually would be.

She had a sort of sense of despair and fear...and deep resentment...but then it passed.

Unpleasant, but compared to her usual MO...not that bad.

Magneto was now effectively rendered helpless at least for a few minutes.

"Rogue, can you fly him out of sight?" Morph asked. "Toss him in the pond or something."

"Don't you touch me!" Magneto cried.

Rogue picked him up unceremoniously and flew him over to the far side of the pond and threw him in.

Then she used her borrowed power to pick up all the pieces of metal he'd been throwing around the battle field and use them to block the Mutates off...well, as best as she could... She didn't have the control of years of practice, and she dropped them kind of askew, but it was something.

The mist was gone now. The Mutates were clearing it away.

"What was all that...?" they wondered.

* * *

Shine had been fencing with Psylocke for few minutes...and have more trouble from the woman's jumping around and over her head than with her actual swordsmanship...

But finally the mist blinded both of them.

Psylocke couldn't sense Shine's mind, so she just ran into someone else.

But, turning her sword into a lash, she struck out at her.

Shine heard something sizzling and deflected it, then jerked Psylocke forward by her lash coiling around the sword.

Psylocke wasn't prepared for that much force and almost tripped--but caught herself expertly and then flipped over her head.

Shine jumped back. She'd work with ninjas for long enough to expect that kind of response.

She swung at her, and Psylocke ducked it nimbly.

"Give it up," she panted. "You're clearly not much of a fighter."

Shine blew hair out of her face. "Perhaps I haven't had the benefit of your kind of training, but I fight for a lot more than you... I fight for what's eternal..."

"Whatever that means," Psylocke said. "It won't help you win."

"And winning this fight won't help you get what you want," Shine said. "But I don't need to be better than you to win. I am not alone. And you are."

"You are alone right now," Psylocke said. "And you threw me out before, so quickly... I guess I wasn't good enough for your little club, huh?"

"Is that why are you angry?" Shine inquired.

Suddenly Psylocke hit her, and she hit the ground hard.

"No," Psylocke said, standing over her. "But I knew it's what would bother you the most if I said. Power or not, you're not that hard to read, Shine Like a Star."

Shine looked up at her.

"Liar," she said.

Psylocke hesitated, just for a second, like that made her angry.

Shine kicked her in the leg.

Psylocke stumbled and brought her sword down just inches from Shine's torso.

Shine brought her own sword up through Psylocke's own torso.

As usual, it didn't pierce her, physically, but Psylocke felt like someone stabbed the inside of her mind with a volt of electricity.

Shine shoved her over, and she hit the dirt, gasping.

Shine drew her sword up.

The feeling vanished, and Psylocke was not hurt, even mentally, in any measurable way... Her mind was clear... In fact, it was a little too clear... She gaped at Shine.

"I'm sorry," Shine said. "I know, perception can be a double edged sword. I'm sure that hurt. But trust me, better to be burned by that than cooled by anything else. That kind of fire wakes you up. That bitterness you have just makes you numb. I don't think you'll be able to draw that sword for a few moments though... Sensory overload, probably."

She shrugged. "Don't follow me."

She turned and walked away, while Psylocke lay still, still breathing hard and hyper aware of her surroundings...

* * *

Shine was just in time to see what everyone else saw and to finally get Wally loose from the mud he was trying to vibrate himself out of, and not succeeding very well; it must have had shock absorbing capabilities.

"They knew I was a threat so they stuck me," he said.

"It's all right," Shine said. "You got a bunch of 'em, I saw. But something else is going on now.... Where did Magneto go?"

Right after she asked that, the next phase of the plan happened.

Mystique shifted into Magneto himself.

"Listen, my people," she called, trying to sound arrogant. "Cease fire. This fight is getting us nowhere. It will only end in both sides losing."

The Mutates just stopped, mid strike.

"Let us call a truce," Mystique as Magneto said. "Allow them to go, provided they do not come back."

Well...he was the leader.

There were a few muttered complaints, but no one dared oppose him.

"What's going on?" Wally asked. "Did I miss something?"

"I think that's Morph," Shine whispered.

Though something about it didn't seem quite like him, but she couldn't quite put her finger on what.

Then she saw Morph was over by Rogue and realized it was Mystique.

"Quick, before they realize," she hissed at Wally. "Wait till we're a good distance away, then grab her so fast no one will see till it's too late. Back to the plane."

The others seemed baffled.

"You heard him. Let's go," Shine called.

Logan didn't protest...which was a dead giveaway to anyone who knew him that it was not, in fact, Magneto, or he'd never have obeyed him.

As it was he growled, "Are ya sure about this, Morph?"

"It's a better plan than fighting it out," Morph hissed. "And if she's planning something, she's just one person, not a whole army, right?"

"Let us hope so," Storm said, lifting into the air.

Rogue plucked Gambit up from where he'd finally been knocked into a tree, though he was already recovering.

"Did Gambit miss something?" he asked.

"Plenty, I'll tell ya later," she said.

No one stopped them as they either ran or flew and picked up people who couldn't fly.

Warren cast a look back at Psylocke, regretfully.

She was staring at this whole thing, frowning, like it didn't make sense to her.

They got about halfway to the exit, which was opened for them now.

That was when Psylocke's power returned to her.

And she realized what, in fact, had happened.

The same time, the real Magneto climbed out if the water and started running, yelling.

It took a second for the Mutates to see him, but suddenly they started yelping, wondering who was who.

Psylocke felt incensed. They were all going to be made fools of.

With a cry of anger, she looked at the false Magneto and unleashed something like a psionic burst of energy straight out of her mind.

[A power she has in some renditions, from what I read, but not the media ones, for whatever reason.]

She didn't even know she could do that--she was just focusing so hard on the idea of exposing the fraud.

Because of that, she didn't have a whole lot of control over it.

Mystique had just begun to think they'd get out of here without being caught, when suddenly it was like a battering ram hit the inside of her mind and almost shattered it.

She gave an unearthly sort of shriek that no normal pain would have caused and blacked out simultaneously. Falling on the ground.

It was so strong, Rogue could feel the sting of it, in what she had left of the power, and she grabbed her head and almost dropped Gambit.

But she caught him again in time.

"Wally!" Shine had just realized what happened.

"Got her." Wally ran for it, grabbed Mystique, who was still out cold, and dashed back...now with an angry mob chasing him.

"Hurry!" Kurt cried.

Warren swooped down and grabbed Shine off the ground and flew her out the gate. Some people were taking to the air after them.

"Not sure we can make this..." Rogue said.

Gambit looked back and threw some more cards at them...and realized that was his last couple.

"Gambit out of ammo," he said.

Shine looked back at him. "Catch!" she called.

A deck of cards appeared in the air in front of him, and he grabbed it.

No time to thank her--he just yanked some out of it and tossed them in a hurry.

It worked enough to get them outside the gate.

Wally beat them all to the plane and got the door open, thankfully.

Then he sat back and grabbed Wolverine, who was the only one now on foot.

"Hey!" Logan argued.

"No time," Wally said, tossing him into the plane.

Warren flew Shine in right after him, and Storm ducked down, with Kurt, after using  wind to knock some of their pursuers back.

Last of all Rogue and Gambit, and Wally hurriedly pressed the door-shutting button, as a few people threw things at them.

"Rogue, do you still have Magneto's powers?" Storm gasped.

"Yeah," Rogue said.

"Then get us off the ground before one of them grabs a hold of the plane. We have no time to take off!" Storm said in a hurry.

Rogue meekly did as she said, jerking them up way too rough so that they hit the walls.

"Oh, careful!" Wally cried, catching Shine just in time.

Morph, who'd turned into a bird, turned back into a human and sighed. "Oh man, that was close... Did that just happen?"

"Let's save the celebratin' for when we actually get out of here." Logan was peering out the window. "Some of those bozos are still on our tail."

"Perhaps I can help," Storm said, her eyes turning white.

Some winds and rain started to pelt the pursuers.

"Step on it!" Rogue said to Gambit, who was driving.

"Don't rush a man, Chere," Gambit said. "I go as fast as I can at dis altitude!"

"Careful," Wally cried. "Some of us aren't in our seatbelts--ow!"

Shine landed on top of him.

"Well, this reminds me of when Sheyera tried to set you up with Fire," she said.

"Is that anything to be bringing up right now?" Wally said. "She's just an old flame...get it?"

"It wasn't hard," Shine said. "Sorry, it just...was similar. I mean, we don't fly a whole lot, so...I don't like flying much in little planes like this. Hard to forget the fear of heights when it's so bumpy."

"It's called 'turbulence' when you're in the air," Morph said.

"It's called terrifying," Shine said. "Is Raven okay?"

Rogue pulled her up.

"What did that woman do?" she said. "I ain't never felt anythin' like that. Like it hit my mind."

"Psionic attack," Shine mused. "I know a few people who can do that...usually not like that, though. Let me see."

She crawled over to avoid falling off her feet.

She put her hand out and closed her eyes.

"I think...it was just a rush of willpower, almost," she said finally. "Not permanent...I don't think. Like her will just became a force of its own... These powers are so unnerving to think about..."

"Don't you talk people into submission?" Gambit commented from the front of the plane.

"That isn't the same... The mind...it's invasive," Shine said. "We don't do that. Our force comes from without. That at least spares people some dignity, doesn't it? I'm afraid Psylocke must have been quite angry to pull something like this off."

"Why?" Warren was upset. "Why did she do this? Couldn't she see you were innocent?"

Shine leaned on the back of a seat, still on the floor, and hugged her knees. "If I had to guess...she was afraid of being blamed for us getting in there at all, and anxious to prove herself useful. Perhaps she succeeded. Maybe they will not punish her now. I think they might have... She should have just come with us. But I suppose she was too proud to beg for mercy."

"And why should she?" Logan said. "We do nothin' to that--wench, and she pulls this?"

"Desperation is a powerful motivator," Shine said quietly. "But she was wrong... It may be a long time before she realizes it, though. This is what comes of hanging around bad company, if you really have weak morals to begin with. I really didn't peg her for the type to go this far, not on her own, but when you're pressured to, scruples can so easily crumble."

"I don't see any reason to pity her." Storm rubbed her head. "She chose to seek all this out. But I suppose you will find a reason no matter what."

"Uh, no," Shine said, tightly. "I do not pity Magnus. That experience was quite revolting... Once he knew we were human, you could see all meaning in what we did dropped out of his head, and all he saw was the enemy. I have been treated this way before...but it never stops baffling you how people can convince themselves so implicitly that your genetics matter that much."

"Even in the Holy Book, ve have the Chosen People," Kurt spoke up. "But then, it later tells us that now all men can be the chosen people."

"Even before then, God accepts whom He will," Shine said. "Non-Hebrews are still found in the line of Christ, actually women, breaking yet another convention, and there were foreigners among the Hebrews who were allowed to share their blessings, if they would share their way of life. Even before Christ made us all equal, God would accept people based on their faith, not their race. But it was necessary to have one people set apart, so that He could always have followers, for the rest of the world turned their back on Him far too often to rely on. Not that Israel was much better, but there was a remnant...not much different now, really. The number of people who really get it, out of the mass who claim to be part of something, is always few. Cults keep it that way on purpose, so they aren't exposed. But for us it's 'come to the water, you who thirst', and 'many are called, but few are chosen'. Everyone's invited, but few willing to give up their own interests. Jesus warned us it would be that way though."

She looked up at the others. 

"Be thankful that you are able to see what is right from wrong. That's the narrow way, and few people find it, because few people really, really look. Coasting by on guesses and vague ideas isn't enough."

They looked at her somberly.

"What are we gonna do?" Rogue asked, suddenly. "Magneto ain't just gonna quit, not now. He'll follow us...to the mansion, even."

"He couldn't get so many mutants to our mansion, not so easily," Storm said. "He would have to bring a small amount at least. We will be ready now. Will he really risk it?"

"He might," Logan said. "Or he'll wait for the right moment."

"Well...we can't worry about that," Shine said. "Once we get back, we can tell Xavier about it, and perhaps he may be able to settle it. They are old friends. Now that we are out of his camp, perhaps he will let the whole thing drop for now. Errors were made."

"We have little problem," Gambit announced. "No one at de house is answerin'."

* * *

To explain the radio silence would require going back just a few hours.

In fact, to when Sabretooth had actually returned to the mansion, after being unable to think of a good plan for getting out of it.

He'd been received very coolly by Jean and Scott--and Hank, who was home by now.

The Professor was trying to monitor the others, but had lost track of them once they were too close to the place Magneto was.

Well, after trying to make things appear normal, Jean and Scott were not sure how to get around the fact that Shine and Wally were not, in fact, there.

Sabretooth actually asked too.

"They might be late," Jean said.

Sabretooth didn't look pleased.

After about half an hour had ticked by, he had started to think this might be a trap.

They didn't know what to tell him.

Finally Jean said, "Well, it looks as though they may not make it back in time... Our apologies."

"What kind of hocus pocus is this?" Sabretooth demanded. "What are you trying to pull?"

He got up.

Scott stepped forward, hand on his visor.

"I suggest you keep it together," he said. "If you don't want to wait for them, leave."

"I'll just do that!" Sabretooth snarled.

And he stormed out the door.

They let out a sigh of relief.

"I never thought he'd go without attacking first," Scott said.

"He knew he was outnumbered," Jean said. "He was uneasy, I could tell. Maybe he won't come back, now."

Sabretooth didn't like the whole thing, and he was suspicious still.

Before he actually left the property, he doubled back to use the woods instead of the gate, just in case someone was watching him.

But something very unlucky happened right about then.

Trinity, who had no idea any of this was happening, had gotten an emergency taxi ride to the house.

She had stopped a ways from the gate and just gone through the woods and over the wall.

"I knew I should have called..." she muttered, trying to pick leaves off herself as she raced towards the house. "But I just couldn't find a payphone... I hope it's not too late. Youth probably ended right about now. Mom and Dad will be livid if they think I left without Jewel's inviting me first..."

She had to get to the mansion and use their phone before it was too late...and then tell them what was going on.

She thought she had enough time...

Until...

She never expected to run into anyone outside so close to the woods, and least of all someone she didn't recognize.

Sabretooth did a double take at her.

Trinity stopped short, panting.

Sabretooth squinted at her.

"What are you doing here?" he snarled.

Trinity had two thoughts. One: I don't know this guy, and two: He looks kind of like a mutant, and he's angry.

All she could think of was Jubilee telling her about how bad mutants sometimes attacked the X-men.

Panicking, she made a mad dash for it and raced towards the house.

Of course she could never out run Sabretooth. He was on her heels in a moment and gaining on her, and she was too far away to even make it to the pond.

"Help!" Trinity started screaming. "X-men! Help me!"

"Quiet, you little rat!" Sabretooth grabbed her by her jacket and yanked her up like she was a cat caught by the scruff of their neck.

"What's a little runt like you doing in the woods?" he snarled. "You don't smell like a mutant."

"Mutants have a scent?" Trinity said blankly, then realized that might not have been the smartest thing to say.

"Some... Are you human?" Sabretooth said.

Trinity didn't think she should answer that.

"Please, Mister...put me down. I'm not here for a bad reason," she begged. "Someone's in trouble... I gotta get help... You don't understand... I'm trying to help."

"That's what they all say," Sabretooth said. "You seem a little young to be from one of  those 'mutant registration' agencies, but maybe they're using junior agents now. I'll just put you out real quick, and no one has to worry about you."

"No, you can't do that!" Trinity screamed, trying to kick him. "Mister, I'm not with them! I'm seriously just a friend of Jubilee's. Come on, you can't just kill me for no reason!"

"Sure I can," Sabretooth said. "It'll be fun. Stop squirming. You'll make it messier."

Trinity stopped screaming because that remark just about froze her blood.

She was just a kid, after all, in many ways... What was she supposed to know to do in this situation?

"Please..." she whimpered instead, weakly.

Sabretooth was unmoved. He didn't care about humans or their pleas for mercy. He extended his claws.

Trinity thought she was going to heaven early...and for the worse reason possible...

But miraculously, at that moment, someone interrupted the scene...granted, not the person she was hoping for.

Kevin has sensed some kind of  emotional distress and come looking for the problem on his own, not really understanding the principle of getting help.

But he understood enough when he saw Sabretooth.

"Hey! Put her down!" he called.

His accent made it take a moment for Sabretooth to understand what he said, but then he looked at him and laughed.

"Oh, look, another runt. Trying to play hero?"

"Kevin?" Trinity saw him. "Run! Get help!"

"Oh, you're not going anywhere." Sabretooth dashed at Kevin, dragging Trinity after him. Her feet hit the ground painfully.

Of course, he couldn't have made a bigger mistake

Kevin had no skill, he just panicked and burst into orange light...but he was also angry. He remembered Sabretooth from before and thought he was a bully--as much as he knew what that was, anyway.

Sabretooth recognized him a little too late and paled.

Kevin phased right through him, making him drop Trinity, who didn't understand what was happening and just hit the ground hard.

Kevin's rage exploded then...rage and fear at what was going on.

The landscape swirled around like a kaleidoscope.

Trinity wasn't sure what happened and thought she must have hit her head too hard.

Sabretooth was jerked around, and the ground became like pudding around him and sucked him down in to it.

At the last second, Kevin realized what he was doing...and tried to stop...

It wasn't so easy to get his power under control, but he managed to at least spit Sabretooth back out, and he tumbled over the landscape till one part of it became like a hand and held him in place, then it hardened.

Kevin finally got his power to stop a little after that. But the whole thing make him kind of disoriented.

Trinity sat up, not sure if she' really seen that or not.

"Kevin?" Ryan came run outside. "Why'd you rush out like that, you goof--oh..." He stopped.

"What the h--- just happened...?" Sabretooth groaned. "Get me out of this! The kid is a monster!"

Kevin blinked. "I did something!" he yelped.

"Yeah..." Ryan said. "Trinity, what are you doing here?"

Trinity swallowed. "I...I had to...but...that man tried to kill me!" She stared at him. "Oh my gosh...he almost killed me!"

"What?" Ryan said.

Jubilee came out now. "Hey, guys... Oh..."

"He tried to kill her." Ryan pointed at Sabretooth and then at Trinity.

"Trin, what are you doing here?" Jubilee cried.

"I had...an...emergency..." Trinity said faintly. "But...I can't remember what it was now..."

Jubilee pursed her lips.

"All right...uh...Ryan, go get Jean and Scott, now, hurry. Kevin, you keep him locked down, all right? Trinity, come on inside. You need a blanket and some tea or something."

"I..." Trinity said flatly.

Jubilee pulled her up. "Come on, no worries, this happens all the time... He almost got me once, but I was fine, see?"

She led her toward the house.

Kevin was just standing there, not sure what just happened, until Ryan returned with Scott and Jean, who were furious.

"You will be sorry for attacking someone on our property," Scott said.

"What's a little human doing on your property?" Sabretooth said.

"Even if she just stumbled in off the road, that is not excusable," Jean said. "What are you, some kind of hooligan? We will vote on what to do with you later... Oh...Scott, look, I think the foundation of the house might have been shaken loose..."

Kevin looked at them blankly.

"Get inside, Kevin," Scott said. "We'll take it from here."

Kevin wordlessly wandered inside.

[Dang...

Well, two things.

One, never make Kevin angry.

Two, this is bound to have repercussions...

Also, wonder what Trinity's big emergency was? Sounds ominous.]