My heart hammers against my ribs like it's trying to escape as I ride the elevator upstairs. The memory of Sabretooth's claws slicing through air where my throat had been moments before still feels too fresh, too real. But it's Rogue's betrayal that really twists in my gut like a knife. I've only been with the X-Women for a hot minute, and already everything's falling apart.
The elevator doors slide open with a soft ding that feels weirdly casual after what just happened. I step out into absolute chaos.
The mansion's grand foyer, usually pristine and elegant, looks like a war zone. Shattered glass crunches under my boots. The smell of ozone and burning metal stings my nostrils. Outside through the broken windows, I can see what's left of several Sentinels scattered across the lawn, their purple chassis torn open and smoking.
Scotty stands in the center of it all, barking orders into a communicator while Morgan paces nearby, her claws still extended, blood and hydraulic fluid dripping from the metal. And there, helping a younger student to her feet, is Rogue.
Wait... Rogue?
My brain short-circuits as I try to process what I'm seeing. She can't be here. She just freed Sabretooth and escaped with her.
"Another Sentinel attack?" I call out, my voice sounding strangely hollow to my own ears.
All three women turn toward me simultaneously. The relief on their faces is so genuine it makes me dizzy with confusion.
"Jack!" Scotty crosses the room in four quick strides. "You're safe. Thank god."
"Is Sabretooth still in her cell?" Rogue asks, her Southern drawl exactly as I remember it.
The question hits me like a bucket of ice water. I point at Rogue. "She took him," I say, the words tumbling out in a rush. "She took him with her... said something about Genosha."
Scotty's face drains of color. "Oh crap."
"Fucking Mystique," Morgan snarls, slamming her fist into the nearest wall hard enough to crack the plaster.
I blink, trying to catch up. "What?"
Scotty steps closer, her ruby quartz visor catching the emergency lights. "Rogue's been up here fighting with us since the Sentinels arrived," she explains, her voice tight with controlled panic. "It must have been Mystique down there with you."
"Who?" I ask, my brain struggling to keep up. "Mystique?"
"She's a shapeshifter," Rogue explains, stepping forward with concern etched across her face. "Can look like anyone she wants. One of Magneta's most dangerous followers."
"Oh yeah. The blue one. Shit." The realization crashes over me like a tidal wave. "I'm so sorry for accusing you, Rogue. She looked exactly like you. Same voice, same everything."
Rogue's expression softens. "Don't beat yourself up, sugar. Mystique could have fooled people who've known me for decades. That's what makes her so dangerous."
My mind races through the implications, replaying every moment of my encounter with "Rogue" in the observation room. "So Sabretooth's escape was planned all along? The power outage, the restraints releasing, all of it was orchestrated?"
"Seems that way," Scotty says grimly, her jaw clenched tight. "The Sentinel attack was just a distraction to keep us occupied while they broke Sabretooth out."
"I fucking told Xavier!" Morgan roars, slamming her fist into the wall again. This time, her adamantium claws puncture straight through, leaving three perfect holes in the plaster. "I told her this rehabilitation bullshit was no good. Sabretooth was playing us the whole damn time!"
Her rage is palpable, filling the room like a physical force. I take an instinctive step back, my body remembering what happens when adults lose control of their anger.
"What's Genosha?" I ask, trying to redirect her fury. "Sabretooth mentioned it. Said something about taking me back there."
Scotty runs a hand through her short brown hair, exhaustion evident in the slump of her shoulders. "It's a whole country for mutants. An island nation off the east coast of Africa."
"Allegedly a 'paradise,'" Morgan spits the word like it's poison. "A place where mutants can live free from human persecution."
"But you don't believe that," I say, reading the skepticism in her face.
"It's run by Magneta," Scotty explains. "She believes mutants are superior to humans, that we're the next stage of evolution."
I process this information, trying to fit it into my growing understanding of this world. "So why aren't we operating there? If it's a safe haven for mutants, wouldn't that be better than constantly fighting Sentinels and dealing with anti-mutant hate here?"
The question hangs in the air for a moment. Then I hear the soft electric hum of Xavier's wheelchair approaching from behind.
"Because my dream is different, Jack," she says, her voice tired but resolute as she wheels into the foyer. Blood trickles from a small cut on her forehead, but her eyes remain clear and determined. "I don't believe mutants need to be isolated from society. We need to be integrated into it."
She stops beside me, looking out at the destruction spread across the mansion grounds. "Magneta wants separation. I want cooperation. She sees humans and mutants as enemies. I see them as communities that must learn to live together."
I stare out at the destruction, trying to wrap my mind around all these competing ideologies. Xavier and Magneta's philosophical battle playing out across continents, with people like me caught in the crossfire.
"I mean, is it really that hard for humans to accept us?" I ask, gesturing toward the wreckage. "Most of us could just blend in if we wanted to. If I didn't tell anyone I was a mutant, nobody would even know."
Morgan sighs heavily beside me, her claws finally retracting with a soft snikt. "Blame Namora."
"Who?" I turn to her, confused by the non-sequitur.
She shakes her head, wiping blood from her knuckles onto her uniform. "It's a whole thing. Someone will tell you about it later."
I want to press for details, but Scotty steps between us, her leadership mode fully activated.
"Let's keep helping out here," she says, surveying the damage with practiced efficiency. "We've got a lot of rebuilding to do before morning."
"Morning?" My eyebrows shoot up as I glance at my watch. It's already past midnight, and the mansion looks like a bomb went off inside it. "You can't be serious."
Scotty gives me a tight smile that doesn't reach her eyes. "We're pretty used to getting attacked around here. The cleanup routine is practically muscle memory at this point."
"Oh boy."