Give my creation life! LIIIIIFE!

Disclaimer: I do not own X-Men Evolution.

Betaed by: Zim'sMostLoyalServant

Predator

The Brotherhood was spread out around their usual table in the cafeteria. Blob sat with a wide berth, digging into a food-laden tray. It turned out he wasn't a sloppy eater at all. A big eater, yes, but he was neat if not fancy, making no more mess than one would expect. Toad and Rogue seemed to be talking… at least, he talked and she seemed to respond occasionally, pushing her food around her plate for an occasional bite.

The real new development was the seeming rapport between Alvars and Pietro. The white haired teen's appetite seemed to rival Dukes' – not so surprising when you think about it.

"Hey!" Scott protested. His chicken sandwich being snatched from his plate drew the X-Men captain's attention away from the competition. Kurt grinned, holding out the sandwich, taking a deep whiff of it but not biting.

"If you're not going to eat it, someone should," the disguised mutant pointed out. Scott grabbed the sandwich back and took a bite out of it.

"Seriously Scott, Elf has a point; you need to lighten up. Lunch is about winding down. But for you, it's just tensing up. Right Kitty? …Kitty?" Evan added. It seemed they had misplaced their brunette at some point. Evan shrugged and took the last bite of his own sandwich.

"More than that, you need to get over this Rogue thing. I mean, at this rate Jean's going to get jealous," Kurt continued. He used a ketchup-coated fry to point to where the beautiful redhead sat chatting with her fellow lady jocks.

"You know it's not like that. I just wonder what I could have done differently," Scott admitted. They were pleased he didn't sound too sad about it now.

"I know what you mean – I messed up big on that mission. But hey, ve can't get hung up on it," Kurt answered.

"So true, even the best players lose one sometime," Evan put in.

"Scott!" Kitty called, sitting down with a thinly covered tray. No sandwich, Scott noted. Hopefully it was because she was late and not some diet nonsense. You needed food when you did the kind of exercises the X-Men did.

"What's up, Kitty?" Kurt asked as she took a seat.

"Scott, there's a play the school's putting on," Kitty stated, looking at the teen with shades.

"Hmm, oh yeah. Dracula, right?" Scott answered after a moment of thought.

"Right up your alley, right Elf?" Evan commented, nudging Kurt with his elbow.

"Ha, ha," Kurt drawled sarcastically.

"I was wondering… Would it be alright if I tried out?" Kitty asked.

"Sure," Scott answered. She let out a sigh of relief.

"Good – I almost signed up, but I was worried, with all the… after-school activities," she caught herself, glancing around a bit.

"Well, we have to clear it with the Professor, of course. But if Jean's soccer works, I don't see why this wouldn't," Scott told her.

"You'll be great Kitty!" Kurt exclaimed. She thanked him, and Evan was certain he would be blushing if the hologram had that feature.

XXX

Rogue signed her name with a flourish on the end before replacing the pen in her pocket. The pale mutant smiled, looking over the sheet for the play. She had avoided the cliché of Dracula Bride, signing up for the role of Mina. There was no guarantee she would get it, of course, and she may yet be a vampire bride. But she preferred to aim for the lead to start with.

"Finally, this school offers something I can enjoy," she muttered. Someone stepped up as she turned away, bumping shoulders. They both recovered easily with practiced reflex, but glanced to see whom they had hit.

"Pryde?" Rogue asked, surprised.

"Rogue? Like, what are you doing?" Kitty asked herself.

"Organizing a petition to save the whales. I signed up for Dracula," Rogue drawled, stepping aside.

"Like, that's what I'm doing," Kitty answered. Rogue gave a small chuckle as Kitty looked over the roles again. The small X-girl caught it and looked over at the other mutant.

"Like, what?" Kitty demanded of the Goth.

"Well, you just don't seem Dracula material, X-Girl. I mean, you're so sunny a vampire would explode if he bit you," Rogue commented, brushing some white hair out of her face.

"Very funny. It's called acting Rogue; it's, like, about being someone other than yourself," Kitty rolled her eyes. Rogue shook her head as the brunette signed up for a Dracula Bride role. Feeling unfriendly attention, Rogue frowned and glanced to see an unwelcome arrival had been eavesdropping. She pulled up her meager mental defenses to keep alert for trespassing.

"Well said, Kitty. It's not like Rogue needs to act, she already sucks the life out of people," Jean commented.

"Better than being a mind snooper. How private are your thoughts, Kitty?" Rogue asked, though her attention was on the redhead.

"Well, I-" Kitty began.

"I don't snoop around in my friends' heads. And where does a supremacist get off lecturing anyone?" Jean demanded. Rogue scowled, looking around.

"You're one to talk, little miss 'I am so, so perfect, do what I say'. I can see why Scott's the leader – if you were in charge, the X-Men would mutiny before Thursday," Rogue retorted.

"Oh, cat fight," Toad grinned, leaning against a locker to watch. Jean looked past Rogue at the sign up sheet; she smiled, turning her eyes back to the Goth.

"Hmm, I see there's a position for backstage manager. I think I'd better keep an eye on you around my friend, assuming you get in at all," Jean stated.

"What?" Kitty slipped in. Jean signed her name to the sheet and smiled at Rogue before walking off. Rogue glared at her back, and that perfect red hair. How the hell do you get that much hair to cooperate, she wondered?

'Bitch must spend her free time prettying herself up. Can't wait till I get to fight her, show her what happens when you spend time training instead of being a pampered princess,' Rogue thought furiously.

Still, she realized, Jean was going to be on her case. She was not about to back down, or get double-teamed. No offense to Pryde, but that girl she could all too easily see being led around by the queen bee.

Fortunately she spotted her own malleable back up close at hand.

"Toad, you're Renfield!" Rogue called to her grungy teammate.

"Say what?" Toad cocked his head.

"What just happened?" Kitty wondered as she watched Rogue practically force Toad to sign the sheet.

XXX

"His name is Zane Coleman, codename unknown. He is a rookie, having just been recruited by Xavier. He seems to have a good grasp of raw power, but we lack details on his proficiency. He has been rendered mute by his mutation – whether that is physical or psychological, we do not know.

"His physical stats are unremarkable as of his last physical examination. His school records refer to him as above average in most fields, but lazy in applying himself to anything but music," Lazarus explained as the Brotherhood passed around a picture of the X-Man junior.

"A guy with sound powers is a musician? Cliché!" Pietro laughed.

"Stranger things happen. And we might have him on our side if not for your little stunt, Pietro.

"Try to avoid a scrap with this one until I get a better idea of his threat level. And keep an eye on him; this is a good time to hone your observation skills," Lazarus ordered as the picture came back to him and he tucked it under a paper clip. He closed the folder and the Brotherhood took that moment to leave, save for Rogue, who walked up to him.

"Questions regarding the budding rock star?" Lazarus asked, walking into the living room. Rogue followed him as he took a seat on one of the chairs; she took the end of the couch closest to him.

"No, I wanted to ask your permission for something," she corrected. Though he was leaning back in the chair, she could feel his attention on her. The sunglasses may have been part of his look, but at times like this she wished she could see his eyes.

"Are you asking permission to do something, or pardon for having done something?" he asked.

"…Both?

"I signed up for the school drama, it's Dracula. And don't you dare make a crack on the whole life sucking thing!" she told him quickly.

"Ah, a thespian endeavor. For all my flare for dramatics, particularly in my younger days, I never had the spark for the theater. I tended to stand up on slightly different stages.

"Well, no inherent harm, though it will not be permitted to interfere with your training and obligations. I expect you to ensure it doesn't before I have to," Blight said, rubbing his chin. Rogue relaxed in her seat, and remembered there was more.

"I also signed Toad up?" she told him.

"Renfield?" he sighed.

"Yes," Rogue confirmed.

"Not his idea, I take it," the teacher stated.

"No, but I needed back up. Pryde and Jean Gray are involved."

The burned man smiled at that.

"Hmm, it's been a bit since I had to deal with teen girls and their feuds. Fortunately, this time it's across enemy lines, for once. Very well, I will approve your little press ganging, but you will be responsible for it," Lazarus decided. Rogue got up and gave him a questioning look.

"Responsible?" she asked.

"Yes, you pressed him so as to get your back covered. Therefore, I expect you to cover his back in turn. You don't leave comrades or subordinates hung out to dry without a terribly good reason."

"So I have to be nice to him now?" Rogue frowned.

"It will be easier for both of you if you do. And if you should fail, I still have the scissors," Lazarus reminded her seriously.

"Fine, it will be worth it to knock Jean down a peg," Rogue grumbled, crossing her arms. Lazarus grabbed a newspaper as she walked toward the parlor.

"Remember to have fun!" he called after her, smiling.

XXX

"There is no way this is going to be fun," Toad told Rogue. The two of them were sitting on the stage of the auditorium, legs dangling as they held their scripts.

"Dancing? A dancing Dracula bride?" Rogue growled. This wasn't exactly shaping into Bram Stoker.

"Hey, if I'm reading this right, I've got nearly twice as many lines as you!" Toad realized. Rogue couldn't tell if he was happy about it or not; either way, hitting him over the head with her rolled up script was appropriate.

"Ah, young love," Rogue heard someone say. Frowning, she glared around, and spotted the light reflecting off something between two front row seats.

"Hey!" she called, sliding down onto the floor. Evan Daniels rose up from hiding, camera in hand.

"Hey yourself, Rogue. I'm just doing some candid camera, for extra credit," he told her.

"Extra credit? Defending your jock privileges, I imagine," Rogue sneered, crossing her arms.

"Hey now, don't go throwing around stereotypes. But then again, a Goth playing Dracula's bride… you do seem to play into them yourself," Evan mused. The X-Man assumed a thoughtful pose; Rogue knew when she was being mocked.

Evan got a bad feeling when Rogue smiled at him. She glanced to Toad, still sitting on the stage.

"Toad, why don't you help Evan with his extra credit?" she asked. The other mutant looked at her, leaning back.

"What's in it for me?" he asked.

"Ten bucks and I help you memorize those lines so you don't make a fool of yourself," Rogue offered.

"Deal," Toad smiled.

"Hey now," Evan said. The X-Man moved into the aisle, backing up as Toad jumped down, landing in a crouch.

"I'm betting ya aren't allowed to cut loose here. But Toad's tricks aren't so obvious," Rogue chuckled.

"Uh, Rogue, I'm stuck," Tolansky spoke up nervously. Sure enough, Rogue saw he was trying to rise from his position but seemed unable to.

"Thanks Jean," Evan whispered, before sprinting up the aisle and out of the auditorium door. Toad stood up so quick he almost lost his balance. Rogue caught his shoulder, steadying him.

"Go, send Daniels up a tree. If he wants to be good, he should suffer a bit for his art," Rogue told him.

"Yeah, I'm on it; just have my ten bucks ready," he told her. He ran out normally, and Rogue turned to watch a certain redhead walk out from backstage. Jean Grey glared down at her; Rogue hated that she had given up the high ground.

"Don't you idiots know to behave in public at least?" Jean asked. She had her hands on her hips, full scold position assumed.

"If Lazarus doesn't like what we do, we end up knowing it. Gotta wonder if you X-Men know your own heads, what with sticky fingers ready to get into 'em," Rogue taunted.

"You have no idea what you're talking bout," Jean retorted.

"Neither do you. Steer clear of us and we don't have to interact any more than the play requires," Rogue told her.

"First you two have to behave. Everyone knows the Brotherhood is for delinquents – no one would think twice if you were kicked out for misbehaving," Jean reminded her.

"Pfft, whatever. If you ever get back from your latest ego trip, give me a call, Red," Rogue said while pantomiming holding a phone. Grabbing Tolansky's dropped script, she walked out, happy to feel Jean glaring into her back.

XXX

"Owww," Toad groaned on the school pavement. Evan smiled and gave the newest X-Man a high five. Zane smiled, looking a bit amused by it all.

"I had this man, but thanks for the back up," Evan said. The silent teen gave him a thumb's up. Groaning, Toad pulled himself to his feet, rubbing his ears.

"That's the problem with you X-Dorks, find one and there's just more to come," Toad grumbled.

"Hey man, you started this, you and Rogue," Evan told him. Spitting some slime on the sidewalk, the Brotherhood mutant turned and made his way back up the steps towards the school. Dismissing him with the contest won, Evan gave some consideration to his new friend.

"You know Zane, I could see you had a wicked punch with that voice. But seeing it take someone down like that is something else. You don't even have to worry about clean up like I do," Evan told him. He clapped the other teen on the shoulder, who rolled his eyes and pointed. Evan followed the finger and saw the cracked glass in the nearest windows.

"Oh, well it's still easier to explain than a bunch of spikes. Later man!" Evan said. Getting back on his board, he glided off, leaving the amused musician to readjust his guitar and head off on the campus.

It would be several minutes before Evan realized he had lost the camera that had set the little incident in motion. Plenty of time for its current holder to examine its contents, and replace it on the ground. No one would be the wiser, but where was the fun in the prey not knowing you are coming?

XXX

"Xavier has taken his alert level up at least two notches," Lazarus announced. He sat at his customary seat in the kitchen, the three other chairs holding Rogue, Avalanche, and Toad. Blob leaned back slightly against the counter holding the sink, careful to keep most of his weight on his feet. Quicksilver, as always, lingered in the doorway, making a point of not paying attention.

"What has Wheels' panties in a twist?" Lance asked. He smirked a bit at his own wit, Toad snickering with Blob also smiling.

"Sabretooth is in town," Lazarus told them. If any of the other students had been looking at him, they would have seen Pietro snap into attention, now quite interested in the conversation. As it was, their focus was on the old mutant.

"Are we supposed to know who that is?" Rogue drawled, lowering her chin onto her gloved palm.

"A long time Hidden Society soldier and assassin. One of the best ever, actually, though infamously difficult to keep in line when his blood is up. In particular where the Wolverine is concerned. Their blood feud stretches for decades."

Rogue sucked in a breath and straightened up in her chair. The boys were impressed that one of the most dangerous X-Men had something like that going on. Rogue, despite knowing the facts, couldn't help but think of the howling maniac that had hunted her like an animal.

'It wasn't him, it was the bitch. He wasn't so nasty in the jet. Scary, but not nasty,' Rogue told herself. Still, guys who named themselves after vicious animals could not possibly be good news.

"If he is here and Lord Magneto has not acted, it means he is going to kick up the ants' nest. I doubt he considers any of Xavier's students worthy of the hunt, but they could become pawns in the blood feud. I have not been instructed to stand aside, but nor have I been ordered to mobilize.

"So it would seem, despite letting a new danger drop into the mix, our superiors do not want the status quo flipped just yet. We will be running interference," Lazarus explained.

"Are you out of your mind?! I am not getting between those two!" Pietro shouted. Everyone jerked in surprise at the outburst, save for the scarred man.

"Chicken," Blob laughed. Pietro glared at the big teen, who just crossed his arms, returning it.

"Just as I would expect from you, Pietro. Still, it's your lucky day. And while I would appreciate aid from you others, for what I have in mind, we will require only the services of Rogue. That is, if she is up to it," Lazarus smiled. Rogue felt their eyes settle on her; she had to consciously stop herself from taking her hands off the table.

Was she about to be sent into the personal war zone of two badasses? That did not sound safe at all.

'But when am I ever going to be safe?' she wondered. Mystique had brought the safe world she had shared with her real mother crashing down. There was no crawling back; the only choice was how to walk on in this insane new life.

"Yeah, I'm sick of just being a fire brigade. Any chance I can start something for once?" Rogue asked.

XXX

Rogue did not sense Sabretooth's arrival. What she had seen as she brought in the simple white teapot for Lazarus was him shift in his seat. How he brushed the back of his hand against his unbuttoned coat where she knew he kept a pistol hidden, not checking its presence; she was sure he had carried heat so long he would notice its absence as readily as other people realized they had pulled on a shoe without the socks.

It was a cue, telling her to be ready. So it was with greater haste than normal that she put the teapot down on the tray between the three teacups set out.

She started to straighten up, but a subtle wave sent her onto the chair opposite Lazarus. Unless their visitor was taking the couch, Lazarus was expecting him to stand.

"He's not the sitting type," he plucked the comment from her head.

What he did next surprised her. He shrugged off his coat, revealing the long sleeved white shirt and black vest under it. And the two guns holstered there.

The door opened without so much as a knock, and Rogue got her first sight of Sabretooth.

"Welcome to Bayville, Victor. Fine scenery in a sort of post-modern Norman Rockwell sense, wouldn't you say?

"I forget – do you take your tea with sugar or cream?" Lazarus asked, filling the third cup.

"I didn't come here for tea time," Sabretooh growled. His eyes passed over Lazarus, giving no more attention to his guns than the teacup he held.

Rogue, though… when he looked at her, there was intensity. She would have liked to say she held her own and sneered, or just returned some disinterested look. The truth was much less dignified, as she felt him measure her for a coffin.

The clink of a teacup into a saucer broke the moment, turning the killer's attention away from her. And that was what he was, Rogue realized. Mystique had been ready to kill, but it was mixed with other bits of wickedness. This man, though, was a beast. This was a man, she realized as she lifted her own trembling cup, who required a reason to hold back his killer instinct.

"The beauty of tea is that it is not essential. You enjoy it for the sake of enjoying it. To try and give it some deeper meaning, like in the chanyou, is to miss the entire point," Lazarus mused.

"Make your point or I make you uglier," Sabretooth growled. Lazarus smiled at him.

"Manners – I can appreciate gruff, rough and tumble; truly, I can. But rudeness from guests over tea, that skirts a line.

"But as you wish. Your little blood feud is bleeding over again. Once more it muddies the waters between Xavier and the Hidden Society. You and Logan are both reliable after a fashion, until you draw near to each other.

"No, no, I'm not going to try to divert you from your obsession. There is a certain savage beauty to your quest I appreciate, Victor. But if I must endure your storm, I wish to harness it."

Lazarus put his tea down and got to his feet. Rogue watched him pick up the third cup and saucer and carry it to Sabretooth. He cupped the saucer, holding the offering out to the savage man. Sabretooth glanced at the hand holding the tea and Lazarus' ruined face.

He took the cup, wrapping thumb and forefinger around it, ignoring the handle.

"What. Do. You. Want?" Sabretooth demanded.

"Cooperation – in exchange for license to pursue Logan and even gain some aid in return, I have a few small rules," Lazarus explained, returning to his seat.

"I don't need anything from you, the runt is mine," he growled.

"Yes, yes, this would be more preventing the X-Men from interfering than direct aid.

"Speaking of which, keep them out of harm's way if you can. I would sooner take direct action against Xavier's operation, but the orders demand we let them develop for now.

"So, you accept my assistance and refrain from violent extremes with the X-Men. In exchange, you get your latest rematch with the Wolverine," Lazarus offered.

"What assistance?" Sabretooth demanded. Lazarus took a sip of his tea and pointed to Rogue. She practically choked on her own sip of tea.

"Her?" Sabretooth demanded. Rogue went from surprised to angry in a heartbeat, reading the dismissal in his voice and face.

"Correct. I know you don't keep up, so I will enlighten you. Young Rogue can absorb and copy powers temporarily. I want her to copy yours and accompany you."

"You think she can just steal my power and use it just like that?" Sabretooth asked irritably.

"No, but the experience will be good for her. And I expect you will give her some pointers. After all, if she dies or some such, that would be bad for you, Victor. Very bad indeed," Lazarus explained. He set his empty teacup down. Sabretooth glared at the burned man, weighing his options.

Finally, he gave a brief nod Rogue almost missed.

"Well done. Rogue?" the elder mutant asked, glancing to her. Rogue resisted the urge to take a deep breath and pulled off her gloves.

XXX

Rogue was flying; her heart pounded in a rapid rhythm like a drum beat in her chest as the wind whipped her hair.

The world was a blur around her, a choking pressure in her sinuses, thunder in her ears. She roared, whether in pleasure or pain she couldn't say. Was there a difference? She couldn't recall at the moment.

Two rocks plowed into her back as she ran on all fours through the woods. The air was knocked out of the fur-covered girl with a hacking sound. Sabretooth stood on her back and scowled, shrugging off his jacket. Stepping off her, she came up and swiped at his smug face with her new claws; his hands were covered by leather work-gloves cut to accommodate his claws. Contrary to popular belief, he had plans – not for a leech like this, but it worked. He batted her strike aside and struck her across bared fangs with the back of his other hand.

She stumbled and almost fell when he was on her with his coat, grabbing her in a bear hug shielded by the thick cloth. She roared and struggled, but he was a tiger gripping an alley cat. He slammed her into a tree three times, stopping when she wasn't struggling.

"Better?" he asked.

"Ouch," Rogue moaned. He dropped her and began to inspect his coat while she rubbed her chest and head.

"Don't bother, you have my healing," the fighter gruffed, pulling his coat back on.

"Why am I the only one covered in fur?" Rogue demanded. From her enlarged claw-toed feet to two stripes in her neck, she was covered in thick fur matching her hair. Hmm, right down to two white stripes on the side of her torso, she noted. Her clothes hadn't all fared well with the additional height and bulk she had gained.

'I look like werewolf jailbait.'

"I shave," Sabretooth shrugged. Rogue fingered her shoulder length bangs and felt her mane-length hair. It was not as bad as the bloating from Duke's powers, at least.

"Sensory shock, it happens. But it better not happen again, I have things to do," he growled. She nodded before she noticed it, instinct kicking in before an alpha. He caught it in her scent and gave a sincere grin for the fist time she had seen. She decided she didn't like it.

XXX

"You sure about this, Kitty?" Scott asked. He stood with the underclass girl and Logan at the head of one of the training paths he used. A course that included lethal projectiles. It still struck him how surreal the sunny and green landscapes of the Institute housed death traps most government facilities would be impressed by.

"Half Pint here wants to see what she can do. I'll be keeping pace with her, and you're back up with your blasters," Wolverine said, pulling his mask down.

"Logan, Kitty can't heal, if something goes wrong-"

"You two won't be in training forever Scott; this gets real. That means doing things you aren't comfortable with, and having to cover for your team instead of leaping in yourself," Logan cut him off.

"Like, it's okay, I've got this," Kitty cut in. As she stepped up to the starting line, Logan smiled while Scott frowned.

"Begin simulation!" Wolverine said, the course picking up the command. The man and the teen sprinted down the path, Scott watching, his hand ready at the visor switch.

He watched as Kitty phased through the projectiles, dodging what hazards she could and phasing through the ones she couldn't.

'She's improving,' Scott thought proudly. He couldn't believe she had actually taken to Logan's sessions – no one did that. But her speed and agility had improved greatly, and her power control.

"Am I needed here?" he asked himself. Then Evan rolled by him on that skateboard of his.

"Evan?!" he called out.

Logan turned his head at the name. And saw the rookie X-Man skating down the trail filming them. Instincts alerted him to the danger – razor disk launcher, locked on Kitty, she saw it, but they would phase though her and hit Evan by surprise.

If he knocked Kitty clear, Evan might take the hit. If he warned her, it might distract her from phasing.

There was only one course of action that didn't end with one kid or another mauled or worse.

Turning, he knocked Evan from his board and came about, claws bared, deflecting the deadly projectiles.

"End simulation, now!" he barked. A high-pitched beep confirmed the command as the launchers retracted back into the ground.

Kitty stopped and turned around, clearly confused by the order. She hadn't noticed; it had been a matter of seconds.

"Hey, what's your problem man?" Evan complained, taking off his helmet. Logan grabbed the teen by the scruff of his shirt and pulled him to his feet.

"Idiot, what are you doing here?! This is live fire training!" Logan growled at him.

"Hey, I was hanging back, just getting some sweet footage of you and Kitty kicking ass," Evan said, holding up his hands. Kitty stopped, surprised to hear something she was doing described as kickass. Scott put a hand on Evan's shoulder and pointed to the mansion's wall with his thumb.

Evan followed the point, and saw what looked like a circular saw blade, buried half way into the stone wall.

"Three of those were gong to hit you. You don't even know if your spikes could have stopped that. Evan, we could have been picking pieces of you up off the lawn," Scott told him. Evan looked away from it only to see a decapitated statue, which he was certain had a head earlier.

"And what are you doing recording this stuff?" Logan demanded. Releasing Evan, he spotted the camera in the grass; Kitty picked it up and handed it to the instructor.

"Hey, that's for school," Evan said. He hoped the angry man was not about to trash the loaned camera. Aside from being too awesome to smash, a failing grade and having to pay back his teacher were not something he wanted to explain to his aunt.

"What? Like, what teacher trusts us with cameras like that?" Kitty asked him.

"Hey kid, got a message for Logan," a new voice sounded. It was coming from the camera in Wolverine's hand. The X-Men clustered around Logan, seeing a feral looking man with red eyes and long dirty blonde hair sneering from the screen.

"If you are listening runt, I'm on your trail. Don't think the cripple holding your leash can protect you. I'm going to settle the score, and anyone that gets in the way is meat.

"See you soon," the wild man grinned. The footage rolled on to the Institute, a door opening slightly, to reveal Jean combing her hair wearing only a towel. Cyclops grabbed the camera and hit the erase button. Evan was too shocked by the message to complain.

"Care to explain why you didn't mention meeting Sabretooth, Porcupine?" Wolverine demanded.

"Hey, this is news to… Toad!

"Rogue sicked Toad on me at school, I got away clean but dropped the camera. Or I thought I dropped it. Toad must have gotten it and handed it off to this guy. And left it for me to pick back up like a chump," Evan realized.

"This is bad, right?" Kitty asked.

"Worse – Sabretooth and Logan have a blood feud going at least back to the sixties. He's a superhuman with enhanced senses, a healing factor on Logan's level, and no problem ripping people apart," Scott told them.

"In other words, this is way out of your league. Session's over, I need to talk with Charles before-" Wolverine was cut off by the alarm blaring.

"Stay here," he ordered, claws ripping out as he charged towards the front of the mansion. The boys exchanged looks, and ran off after him.

"Hey! He said – oh, man!" Kitty objected before following herself.

Rounding the mansion corner, she halted on the edge of a battlefield. That was what came to mind as explosions and smoke covered the front lawn, while monsters roared out of sight. It was only when the security guns went silent she realized they had been firing.

She had seen simulations of the defense system, and had thought it was overkill on the Professor's part. Sabretooth had just ripped a hole in it.

"Good try, Logan. But not good enough!" a gravelly voice called out from the smoke. The man from the video strode out of the smoke. He was huge, and if the state of his biker coat was anything to go by, he had come through his assault unscathed. Even with his attention on Mr. Logan, she felt like she was staring down a predator.

She almost sank into the ground. Logan was right – this was so above her level.

"Wolverine, he's not alone!" Spike shouted. Kitty realized something was lurking behind Sabretooth, low to the ground. Rising off its hands, the other monster came into sight.

"Rogue?" Scott said, stunned. With that word, Kitty could recognize the girl. Her clothes were ripped, revealing brown fur under them, her shoes gone, leaving clawed, fur covered… paws? Even her hair was longer and wilder, her white streaks dangling down her chest and framing a face sporting a fanged mouth. Was she taller?!

Either way, Rogue looked a little too pleased to see them.

"What's this, Victor, calling in back up?" Wolverine taunted.

"Hardly, Lazarus is making me play babysitter. Runt, keep these kids off my back!" He ordered.

He went for Logan; Kitty didn't see what happened next as Rogue rushed forward, pouncing on Evan. The X-Man went down hard, but the Brotherhood girl leapt off him as spikes erupted from his arms.

"Rogue! Stop this!" Scott commanded. Rogue snapped her attention to Scott, his hands held out, far from the visor trigger.

"It's nothing personal, Scott. Just orders," he vice was deeper, gravelly now.

"Really, just ordered to help a psychopath attack us?" Scott demanded. Rogue smiled, going down on all fours, creeping closer to the X-Man captain.

"Well, there's also these powers. I really want to see what I can do with this. Tell me how it feels!" Rogue snarled, leaping. Scott reached for his visor, realizing it would be too late.

Rogue reached him, and plowed through him to hit the grass roughly. Scott blinked behind his visor and felt thin arms tighten around his chest.

"Oh man, too close," Kitty whispered.

"Kitty?" Scott asked. Rogue roared behind them. Letting Scott go, they turned to face the threat. Rogue pulled out a spike from her arm, grimacing as Evan stood at the ready, arms full of projectiles.

"Scott, either get the lead out or get out of here! She-Wolf almost nailed you!" Evan barked.

"SABRETOOTH, WOLVERINE! THIS IS NOT THE PLACE FOR YOUR WAR!" Storm bellowed. She came into sight in the air, a storm at her back. They were all nearly knocked off their feet when the wind hit. Reaching out her arm, Storm sent a lighting bolt out, striking Sabretooth in the chest.

The hulking mutant was sent tumbling back, only to catch himself on the grass. He got up and started walking toward Logan.

"Heh, these powers are awesome!" Rogue cheered. Throwing the spike away, she wiped the blood from her arm, showing the wound to be gone.

A pop and puff of smoke announced Kurt's arrival on the scene, and he wasn't alone. Jean stepped away from the blue mutant, glaring at the intruder.

"Oh yeah! Just who I wanted to sink my claws into," Rogue smiled, flexing her hands.

"You get cast as a vampire and show up as a werewolf. Sounds about right," Jean remarked. Rogue roared and charged the redhead. Narrowing her eyes, Jean swept her hands across her line of sight as she crouched.

The blast knocked Rogue's feet out from under her. The next blast sent her tumbling back into the wind past Scott and Kitty.

"Go Jean, wow!" Kurt cheered, before almost loosing his footing. The winds were picking up as Storm kept hurling lightning down at Sabretooth. Spikes shot into the ground by each X-Man.

"Brace yourselves yo!" Evan called, planting himself with spikes from his left leg. Pushing herself up from the grass she was holding, Rogue looked up into a red flash. Cyclops' blast hit her in the face, sending her crashing back across the lawn, practically to Sabretooth's feet.

"Useless!" Sabretooth cursed. A sweep of Cyclops' attack knocked the attackers both back as another lightning bolt nearly hit Sabretooth. Quickly back on his feet, Sabretooth pulled Rogue up by her long hair.

"This isn't over Logan!" he shouted. Turning and practically dragging Rogue behind him, he fled through the ruined gates.

"No!" Logan shouted, running after them.

"Wolverine, wait!" Storm called. She didn't go after them; letting the wind die down and the sky clear, the instructor floated down to the ground.

"Are you alright?" she asked the students.

"Ah, man, I didn't get to do anything!" Kurt cursed. Kitty fell to her knees.

"Kitty!?" Scott questioned, grabbing her shoulder as Storm swooped down on them.

"That was… scary," Kitty admitted with a trembling smile. Scott returned it.

"Thanks for the save," he told her. He looked to the team gathered around.

"Well, looks like I have some work to do to keep up with you guys now," he said. Kurt laughed it off, but Evan gave him a small frown while crossing his arms.

XXX

"Total lockdown, can you believe it?" Evan griped. He was laying back on one of the many couches in the place, sharing it with Zane, who was tweaking his guitar. The guy had like four of them, this one was acoustic, looked like something a camp counselor might have.

Zane nodded. Evan, like the rest of them, had been learning sign language to help communicate with Zane, but the man himself didn't seem interested in learning. Which was annoying to say the least.

"I mean, we're not even going to school because the Professor thinks we might get nabbed by the big bad wolves."

"Cats," Zane mouthed.

"Don't make me turn that hunk of junk into firewood, man. And it's not like I don't dig free vacation, but that isn't what we've got here. This is a siege, just two of them and we have to baton down the hatches. That ain't right, and what are we supposed to do when more of these Society creeps pop out of the woodwork?"

"Plan?" Zane mouthed. Evan was about to say something about Zane having not done anything to give him nark rights. Then it hit him – no one on the other side had seen Zane in action, Toad didn't count. And those two had enhanced senses…

"Actually, I do have something. But we'll need a way to slip past the faculty and off the grounds," Evan told him. Zane smiled; putting down the guitar, he held is hands up to a lamp, making a shadow vaguely shaped like a cat.

"My man, you may have a point in not going for the signs," Evan smiled. Pulling out a notepad, Zane scribbled on it with a pen. Evan took the pad and read it out loud.

"'Not pride, I will speak again. Learning would be admitting I might fail'. Well if you say so, you gotta respect determination. So, you want to lose your combat virginity to a pair of creepy cat people?" Evan asked.

XXX

"This was not a good idea," Kitty told the two boys. They were in a clearing in the woods around the Institute, Zane with one of his guitars and Evan setting up a stereo. She was the one watching the trees, increasingly upset.

"Relax Kitty, it's a bit late for second thoughts. Besides, with your phasing, you stand a better chance than anyone," Evan told her. Kitty tried to think up a good way to tell him how dumb that was, when he turned on the stereo, the Dracula music blaring out. Holding up his camera, Evan gave her a thumb's up.

"Now let's shut up and dance, X-Girl!" he cheered. Kitty crossed her arms, glaring at him.

"Oh come on," Evan pleaded. The music cut off as Zane forcefully pushed the off button. Pulling out the disc, he frowned.

"Oh, now what's your problem?" Evan demanded.

"Junk Rock," Zane mouthed.

"What did he say?" Kitty asked.

"He thinks the soundtrack sucks," Evan told her. Zane mimed yanking a rope over his head while letting it hang loose, tongue sticking out.

"It's a high school musical, about vampires. Like, what were you expecting?" Kitty asked. Zane frowned, then paused, frowning deeper; clearly he wanted to tell exactly what he thought and was strapped on how to do that. Evan zoomed the camera in on Zane.

"Actually, this is great, slice of life. Two art enthusiasts butting heads over creative differences brought to by the Spyke – OH CRAP!" Spike yelled as his panning revealed Sabretooth bursting out of the trees.

"Daniels!" Rogue roared, hitting the ground by him. She grabbed his arm just below the shoulder and tossed him aside. The spikes already ripping through his clothes dug into the ground. His free arm lashed out, sending spikes toward his attacker. Rogue raised her arms over her face and chest, taking the hit.

"Sorry about this, but I bet you can't heal if it's still in you," he said. Kneeling, he raised both his arms as Rogue pulled a spike from her belly. She went down, taking eight more spikes from her thighs to her neck.

"Aiiihhh!" Kitty shrieked as Sabretooth lifted her over his head, knee out. He slammed her down on the knee, but instead of her back snapping she was thrown down through the knee into the ground.

Zane stepped up, taking off his glasses and tucking them into his jacket pocket. Taking a deep breath, he charged Sabretooth, and let out a scream. Saying it tore through the air was no exaggeration. The shrill yell was actually visible, the air twisting like a cone of gust out from Zane's mouth.

Sabretooth went down to one knee, his face twisted in pain as he opened his mouth wide and clamped hands over his ears.

"It's working, you turn their strength into a weakness," Evan cheered, pumping a fist. Then the shriek started to falter, and he saw Zane's face turning red. With Sabretooth still kneeling and not keeling over.

"Oh man," Spike cursed. The shriek thinned, the air returning to normal, and Sabretooth charged through it, landing a gut punch that knocked he rookie clear off his feet. Stumbling a bit, the Society mutant turned on Evan, who had filled his arms with spikes. Sabretooth's hearing must have been shot with how he shouted.

"THINK YOU'RE THE FIRST TO TURN MY SENSES AGAINST ME!? SHOULD HAVE STAYED IN SCHOOL, RUNT!" Sabretooth bellowed. Evan loosed the spikes; they may have grazed the tails of the mutant's coat.

The clawed hand closed around his throat like a vice, lifting him off the ground. He tried to gasp, and failed to take in any air.

"Sabretooth, let the boy go!" Logan shouted. Spike couldn't see the instructor, but guessed where he was as Sabretooth turned away.

"Logan, you shouldn't have run for cover. And with a weakling like you, any one hostage will be enough. This kid pisses me off!" Sabretooth grinned. Evan closed his eyes; any spike could have to hit Sabreooth's outstretched arm, and everything was going so black he wasn't sure he could even do that.

This monster was going to snap his neck.

'Sorry Mom, Dad. Don't blame yourself, Auntie O," he thought desperately. When his legs hit the grass and he landed on his rear, he realized he had been dropped. Sabretooth stood over him, wobbling on his feet, a look of angry confusion on his face as he pressed his hands to his chest.

Eyes rolling up into his head, Sabretooth fell to the side with a thud, showing Kitty to have been standing behind him, looking at her arms, covered in blood up to her forearms.

"Oh god I…" she muttered. She put her hands over her mouth, realizing the mistake too late; pulling them away, she hurled onto the grass.

"…Dang," Evan whispered, looking from the dainty X-Girl to the downed monster.

"He's still alive, don't rip yourself up over it Shadowcat," Wolverine said. Evan saw him standing over Sabretooth, pulling some very strong looking cuffs from his belt.

"R-really?" Kitty asked. Kneeling in front of her mess with half her face covered in gore with those big eyes, Evan was sure this was one of these things you remembered forever.

"This your idea, Porcupine?" Logan demanded. He was cuffing Sabretooth's feet now; Zane was on his feet now too.

'Everyone's okay, I didn't screw up that bad,' Evan told himself. It didn't sound like much, even in his head.

"Ballsy kid, stupid though. You too Coleman, rookie tag is no excuse for this. You're lucky she bailed you out," Wolverine said, pointing a fist as the sick looking girl.

"You idiots actually took him down?!" Rogue roared. She was holding two of the bloodied spikes in her claws, the rest were scattered around her on the grass.

"Some tough guy! It's all in his mutation," Evan snapped. The guilt and shock blew away as the new threat got to her feet. Zane stepped up next to him, putting themselves between Rouge and Kitty. Still the three stood, facing the powered up mutant, who didn't seem the least bit intimidated. Zane shot Evan a worried look.

'I know man, if she saw what she did, there is no getting the drop on her. She's definitely not as dangerous as Sabretooth, but this could get ugly,' Evan agreed to himself. If it was just him, he would not have hesitated on the bet, but Kitty and Zane had been roped into this by him…

Then Logan stepped between the X-Men and Rogue. He didn't leap in or fall into a crouch, just walked in as if this were just another session.

Rogue flinched back from him; despite being smaller than Sabretooth by a lot, she was getting that 'I can take you on no problem' vibe Logan seemed to have patented.

'I want that power,' Evan thought. He wondered if the Professor had a term for mutant power envy? If he was the first he wondered if it could be named after him?

"Back off. I can smell you're drunk on his juice. Guess Sabretooth was a bit too spicy for ya Stripes?" Wolverine turned his back on them to face her. She bared her fangs in a smile that Evan would not be ashamed to admit was scary.

"I've never felt more alive. My body, it's not weak! Could lay naked in the sun all day and not burn, run a mile without having to vomit up my stomach.

"I can take all you runts on!" she roared.

Pow

Logan's punch connected with her face, and Rogue went down like a ton of bricks, flat onm her back. The three X-Men stared in shock as Logan grabbed her by a furry foot and dragged her into the undergrowth. He returned calmly, and walked up to Evan and grabbed him by his shirt.

"Ballsy plan, Porcupine. My compliments for that. But this was a stupid, needless risk anyway. I'll see to it the Professor has me running you ragged until all your spikes are dull."

"Yes sir," Evan answered.

"And just so you know, that punch there would kill some people, metal knuckles and all," Logan said, letting him go.

"What do we do about them?" Evan asked, looking to where Sabretooth laid and then to the brush.

"We leave Rouge; she'll probably wake up sober and run home to Blight. If not, we deal with her. As for this bastard… we have a procedure," Logan told them.

XXX

Lazarus was waiting for her in the backyard. He was sitting in a fold out lawn chair; she could smell the age and creaks in the cheap metal and plastic. There was a second chair next to him, and a blue blanket spread out before them like for a picnic.

Ears drooped, Rogue approached him on all fours, sitting down on the blanket at his feet. She didn't like him looking down on her, but it felt wrong to approach him as an equal. She had been beaten; she was a failure.

"There's no need to whimper. Isn't that more a dog thing?" he told her. Ears perking, she stopped making the sound, realizing it was coming from her.

"I… I feel funny. Like I wouldn't mind if you kicked me now," she confessed.

"Mutations can affect how we perceive the world, and thus our minds. Some, like Logan, in the course of their lives master such, and it becomes just a component of the whole. Others, like Sabretooth, embrace it.

"I wonder if the differences are because you are female, or that his mutation is reacting differently for some reason. The X-gene truly is a divine mystery," Lazarus said.

"They took him. I failed," Rogue confessed.

"No, they will dump him somewhere, his mind worked over by Xavier. Eventually the Society will find him and put that mind back together. That's protocol." Rogue frowned; Sabretooth was not high on her list of people, but the idea of him getting strapped down for a mind rape…

'That could have been you girl. Probably would be if Lazarus wasn't holding a stick to make those psychics think twice,' Rogue thought worriedly.

"They had me, but they just left me in the bushes. Wolverine punched me out!" Rogue confessed. Looking back, it had been stupid.

Lazarus agreed, after hearing the full story. Rogue had shifted to sit cross-legged, looking up at him, feeling the power rush start to ebb.

"So what now?" Rogue asked, fatigue rearing its ugly head again.

"The mission's done; hopefully you walk away with a lesson about keeping a handle on the power you absorb. My advice is go to your room and sleep off what's left of that power. When you shrink back down, either the new hair falls off, or take some shears to it.

"I have had more than my share of furry students over the years, but overnight it might raise some questions," Lazarus told her.

"So, I'm not in trouble for messing up?" Rogue pressed.

"Your task was to tag along and make sure Sabretooth didn't send matters spiraling out of control. He didn't, so the mission was not a failure even if that wasn't to your credit. Now get going – a healing factor is not a substitute for sleep, and you might crash when it wears off," Lazarus ordered.

Rogue gave a weary smile, and got wobbly to her feet and walked past him. Leaning back, Lazarus listened for the door to close. Pulling his hat further down he frowned, looking out under the brim on the scenery.

"What a lovely day; one would hardly guess there are such storms brewing over the horizon," Lazarus mused.

AN:

And its back! About a third of this was sitting on my hard drive for a year. But despite time and changing some long-term plans, I still like this story. Juggernaut is up next along with the camp. Rogue and Lazarus take a step back letting other characters have a chance to shine. The play will come up again later.

I want to avoid bashing in this story, so let me know if I am veering towards that. Rogue's views on Jean are colored by opinion, but I can see it as being seen that way.

If anyone remembers this story from before, hope you enjoy its return.