(“Thinking.”)

<”Japanese, unless told otherwise.”>

“English”

 

When they are talking to one another Ranma and Logan are speaking in Japanese.  The doctor speaks in Chinese once, other than that he speaks in Japanese and English.

 

 

            Charles’ frown had not disappeared.  Even as Storm and Nightcrawler neared the Blackbird, he looked upon the mountain, seemingly lost in thought.  “We’ve got 11 with us Charles,” Storm says as they direct the children onto the plane.  “The others went to retrieve the last child.”

            “Should we go back?”  Nightcrawler asked.

            Xavier did not answer.  Storm looked at the mountain then back at him.  “Charles?”

            He shook his head.  “The last child is different from the others.  He might have been able to escape on his own.”

            “What are you talking about Professor?”  Nightcrawler asked.  “The place is crawling with guards there’s no way he could have gotten out.”  Storm nodded in agreement.

            “Beast was able to get the information on all the children in the lab.  What I read about the final child is rather hard to believe.  I can only hope that he has control over his powers.”  All three turn and stare at the mountain in the distance.

 

 

            In the lab

 

            The doctor scrabbled back further and further away from the destroyed glass tube.  Behind him were mutants, mutants that would no doubt beat him to a pulp.  But what lay before him promised nothing but death.  He stopped as his head touched something cold and metal.  Cocking his head to the side he saw the means to his salvation.  (“My robots!  They might be able to stop him!”)  In his rush to prolong his life the good doctor forgot something.  He forgot all the research he had done on the boy in front of him.  Research that had shown the four robots in the room would be nothing but scrape metal in a matter of minutes.

 

            To say they were shocked would have been an understatement.  To say they were afraid would have been right on target.  The X-Men didn’t understand what was going on.  They had come down to this level of the lab to rescue the last of the mutants being held.  But once they reached the room they found themselves in need of rescuing.  Four robots made up of the nearly indestructible metal adamatium had come out to make them rethink their position on rescuing him.  Then something even stranger had happened.  The tube that the captive mutant in it had exploded and now the young man was coming out of it.  He had spoken something that only the doctor, and maybe Logan, had understood.  The obviously Asian teenager stood just below Scott’s height and appeared to be around the same age.  That was were the similarities ended.  The boy’s long black hair was hanging limp and wet casting a shadow over his face that hide all of his features save his glowing red eyes and frowning lips.  His shirtless chest was like a work of art.  It seemed to lack any fat but was not like a bodybuilders.  It seemed that he was built not for strength but more for speed.  His pant’s legs were tattered and only reached down to his knees.  He stopped right outside the tub and moved his head to the side, hearing it pop he repeated the action in the opposite direction receiving the same result.  A smile that could only be described as wicked appeared upon his lips as he moved forward.

 

            <“Get him!”>  The doctor cried in Mandarin.  Within seconds the robots complied with his orders.  They turned and moved towards the boy with surprising speed.  While the speed in which they moved did not come close to Quicksilver’s speed, it was still greater than a normal human could have moved.

            To the young mutant standing before them, however, it was pitifully slow.  With an almost animalistic growl he rushed forward.  His red eyes flared as he closed on his adversaries.  He passed them before they could attack with their claws.  He made four almost casual swipes at the robots as he passed and stopped a few feet from them.  He then turned his attentions to something else, or rather someone else.  He turned to the doctor.  He bore his teeth and growled as though he were an angry tiger advancing on its prey.  <”Now it’s your turn.”>

            The doctor’s eyes went wide and he scrambled backwards to his machines.  It took him two attempts, but he was finally able to rise and get to them.  He wasted no time and hit a button.  He turned back to the advancing teen and smiled.  <”Now you’ll get it.”>

The boy’s eyes narrowed.

The doctor continued to smile as he began to explain what he had just done.  <”Did you really think we didn’t have a backup plan?  This facility is a top-secret lab, and we can’t let our secret about performing experiments on mutant children get out in the open.  That button I just hit will make sure none of you get out of here alive.  A Sentinel is on its way right now.”>

            “A Sentinel?”  Wolverine yelled out in shock.  He turned to Jean.  “Tell the Professor!”  She nodded.

            The doctor nodded.  <”Soon all of you will die.”>

            The boy paid them no heed.  He didn’t know what a Sentinel was, nor did he care.  All he knew was the man that was responsible for a great deal of pain was standing before him.  Normally he wouldn’t have even thought about killing the fool.  But now all he knew was anger, all he saw was red, and all he wanted was make him pay.  He held his hands at the ready, almost as if they were claws, and stepped forward.  The doctor moved back further and pressed more buttons.  <”Didn’t you hear me?  You’re going to die unless you leave right now!”>

            <”Shut up!”>  The teen roared.  <”I don’t care what you say!  I’m goin’ make you pay!”>  He took another step forward.  He was about to take another step when he felt someone place a hand on his shoulder.

 

            Wolverine frowned as he watched the scene play out before him.  The kid was obviously upset and wanted nothing more than to end the doctor’s life.  (“He’ll be mad as Hell, but he’ll thank me in the morning.”)  He turned to Rogue and motioned to the teen.  “Take enough out of him to knock him out,” He whispered.

            Rogue nodded.  She removed one of her gloves and stepped forward.  She silently came up behind the boy and placed her hand on his exposed shoulder.  She felt it.  All his pain, all his anger, all his power started to flow into her being.  But it stopped.  “Huh?”  The teen had stopped but had not turned.  Rogue took her hand from his shoulder.  She looked at both before she placed her hand back.  Nothing.  She didn’t even get a little bit this time.

            <”I don’t know who you are,”> The teen turned his head.  <”But the only one who controls me is me.”>  And with that he returned his gaze to the doctor and took another step forward.

            (“How?  I should have absorbed his powers, but I didn’t.  Why?”)  She thought in confusion.

            “Rogue?”  The voice brought her back to reality.  She turned to see the concerned in Jean’s eyes.  “What happened?”

            “Nothing,” She muttered, as she looked at her hand in utter disbelief.

 

            The teen continued to move forward.  The doctor did the only thing he could, he continued backwards.  There is a problem with moving backwards.  Sometimes you paint yourself into a corner.  As the doctor had, on his left was the console he had used to call his robots and the Sentinel, on his right was a wall, and behind him was the tank that held the teen.  Another problem facing the doctor was the fact that he had his eyes glued to the teen advancing on him, not once did he look to see what was behind him.  And so it came to pass that he hit something as he moved away.  He lost his balance and fell backwards, right on top of the destroyed tank.  The piece of glass slide into his back and out his chest.  The glass did not hold his weight and shattered, dropping the doctor to the ground.  For a moment he sat there struggling to breathe.  As death began to claim him he looked up at the teen, who stared at him with hate filled eyes, and spoke.  <”You…were…my…my masterpiece…”>  And with that he succumbed to his injury and died.

            The teen stood silent for a moment then spoke.  <”The only who controls me is me.”>

 

            <”Come on!  We’ve got to get out of here before the Sentinel gets here!”>  Wolverine called.  The teen nodded.  He hopped over to the tank and retrieved something that had fallen beside it.  He jumped and joined the others.  But the doors beside the dead doctor opened once more.  From out of the darkness came more adamantium robots.  Wolverine growled and popped his claws out.  “Damn it!  We don’t have time for this!”  He and the others crouched and prepared for the fight.  But the teen held out his hand.  <”What?”>

            The teen turned.  His red eyes had dimmed slightly, but they still held an intensity Wolverine had only seen a few times before.  <”Take this.”>  The boy tossed the object he had retrieved earlier.

            Wolverine caught it.  <”A katana?”>  He looked at the boy.  <”A steel katana won’t do any good.”>

            He nodded.  <”I know.  I’ll take care of them.  Just keep that safe.”>

            Wolverine nodded and turned to the others.  “Go.  I’ll meet you at the elevator.”  The other X-Men hesitated.  “I said go!”  He commanded.  They stiffed but did so.  Wolverine smirked.  He still had it.  <”So,”> He turned to the teen and eyed the sword.  <”What’s so important about this sword?”>

            The teen frowned and a tear escaped his eye.  <”It’s the only thing I have left of my mother.”>

            Wolverine nodded before running off.  The teen turned and faced the robots, which had finally started to advance.  His eyes flared to an even brighter shade of red.  With a roar of rage he leapt forward.

 

 

            In the Blackbird

 

            The Professor nodded as he received Jean’s mental warning.  He turned to Beast.  “Beast, Storm, please prep the Blackbird for take off.”  His voice was calm but there was something there that did not sit right with them.

            “Is there something wrong Charles?”  Storm asked.

            He nodded.  “There’s a Sentinel on the way.”  The two adults and teen paled.  Xavier turned to Kurt and spoke.  “Please make sure the children are ready for take off and don’t tell them what’s going on.”  Kurt nodded and moved to the back of the plane.

            “Beast, lets go.”  The blue man nodded and disconnected his link with the lab’s computers.  This action, however, was not in the others best interest.

 

 

            Inside the lab

 

            “Will he be okay?”  Rogue asked.

            Wolverine smiled.  “I’d be more worried about the robots.”

            The elevator came to a stop and everyone stepped out.  They moved quickly to the entrance of the lab in order to escape near same place they had entered.  What met them at the entrance was not what they expected.  The doors to the lab were opened and awaiting them were 20 well-armed men.  Wolverine popped his claws and turned to the others.  The battle was joined.

 

 

            In the Blackbird

 

            Beast stared at the radar screen in front of him.  “The Sentinel is closing in on us.”

            The Professor nodded and called out to Jean telepathically.  Seconds later he yelled.  “Kurt!  Storm!  The others are pinned down at the entrance to the lab!”

            Kurt nodded and immediately ported Storm and himself outside the Blackbird.  Once outside they flew off with the aid of the winds.

 

 

            Back at the lab

 

            “Storm and Kurt are on the way!”  Jean yelled.

            “Good news,” Wolverine muttered.  (“If live long enough.”)

            Currently the guards outside the lab had the group pinned down near the entrance.  The almost constant gunfire made escape impossible.  Even escaping via phasing wasn’t an option, the guard towers had seen to that.  The guards did not advance.  A few optic blasts had taught them that this capture would be a bit tricky.  Things were at a stalemate, or were until a voice announced the arrival of another.  “Shi Shi Hokodan!”  A ball of pale green light followed the voice.  The ball stuck the ground before a few of the guards and blew three of them off their feet.  The X-Men turned just in time to see the teen from earlier run out in a suicidal charge.

“Baka!”  Wolverine yelled out.  <”There’s no way…you…,”> Wolverine’s protest died in his lips as he and everyone else bore witness to a massacre.  The only thing was, it was the guards massacre.  The teen moved almost like a blur.  Two were down and out before Wolverine had even finished speaking.  Their lives had been spared, but the guns lying near them had been slashed into pieces.  The teen moved with incredible speed and grace.  He dodged the bullets they fired as easily as he did their punches and the butts of their guns.  (“So his mutant power is super speed, huh?  Not bad, not as fast as Quicksilver but he might’ve been holding back.  Not only that but it’s obvious he’s extremely strong and trained in the martial arts.”)

            Moments later he stood in the courtyard of the complex with unconscious guards lying around him.  He snorted.  <”Pathetic.”>

            A sound began to gain volume in their vicinity, the sound of jet engines.  “The Blackbird?”  Rogue asked.

            Cyclops shook his head.  “No.”

            “It’s here,” Wolverine’s voice was emotionless.

            Seconds later the red robot touched down a few hundred feet from them.  “Mutants, surrender at once.”

            Wolverine chuckled.  “Fat chance.”  Cyclops punctuated Wolverine’s words with a blast to the robot’s face.  A bolt of lightning to its side announced the arrival of Storm and Nightcrawler. 

            The attacks, however, left only singe marks.  “Resistance is futile.”  The Sentinel raised its hands and energy began gathering in the holes in the middle of its hands.  The first attacks took a moment to materialize, the subsequent attacks, however, came almost instantly.  Beams of almost pink energy began raining down on the scattering X-Men.  The Sentinel made sure not to let anyone get close after deciding that Wolverine’s claws might be able to penetrate its armor.  Cyclops was the first to fall.  The Sentinel had focused most of its attacks on Storm and Cyclops, a sound tactic.  One of its blasts hit close to the young man and knocked him off his feet and into the side of the mountain.  Nightcrawler immediately ported to him and removed the now unconscious warrior from the battle.  It was during his absence that Rogue met with a similar fate.  A blast had hit close to her and knocked her off her feet as well.  She, however, was not knocked unconscious.  She looked up and almost wished she had been out.  The robot had already finished gather the energy for the attack.  Seconds later she saw it fly towards her.  Before it hit, however, she felt herself leave the ground behind and move into the air.  She was bit surprised when she was repositioned so that she was being carried in the arms of the young man they had gone to save.

            “Daijobu?”  He asked.

            “Huh?”

            He sighed and shook his head.  “Hurt?”  He asked.

            A look of understand came over Rogue.  “No.”

            The teen nodded.  “Good.”  He landed and stood her up.  He turned to Wolverine and yelled out.  <”Hey!  Get everybody out of here!  I’ll take care of it!”>

            Wolverine looked at the kid as if he had grown another head.  <”Are you nuts?”>

            The teen shrugged his shoulders.  <”Maybe.”>  With that he turned back to the Sentinel and pulled his fist back.  To the shock of those to witness it, a red ball of energy formed around his hand.  He screamed out the attack and let it fly.  “Doki-ken!”  The attack had the desired affect.  It hit the Sentinel in the head and caused it to stumble backwards.  <”Go now!”>  He yelled as he jumped forward.

 

 

            The Blackbird

 

            The Blackbird’s engine hummed as it heated up.  Outside the Professor waited.  His students would return.  And he was right.  They appeared out of the forest.  “Welcome back,” He said with a hint of humor.  He looked them over.  He nodded as he noted that Cyclops had regained consciousness.  But frowned when he counted their number.  “Where is the last child?”

            “Fighting the Sentinel,” Wolverine said as he moved to the Blackbird.  A rumbling in the distance caught everyone’s attention, and they all turned.  The rumbling continued for a moment before a flash of light blinded them.  The sound of an explosion replaced the rumbling, and the next thing they saw was the smoke rising into the air.

            “Who do you think won?”  Nightcrawler asked.  No one answered.  A moment later their answered dragged its way into the clearing.  The teen was in bad shape.  His clothes were in even worse shape than before, and his body was burnt and bloody.

            He staggered over to Wolverine and held out his hand.  <”The sword.”>  Wolverine nodded mutely and handed it back to him.  “Arigatou.”

            <”Don’t mention it…”> Wolverine stopped as he realized he still didn’t know the teen’s name.  <”What’s your name?”>

            “Saotome Ranma…” He fell to his knees.  He leaned forward and fell to the ground as he finished speaking.  “Sumimasen.”  Even in a sleep brought on by injury and exhaustion, the sword never left his hands.