As Hank McCoy walked across the campus, he tried to desperately think about something, anything other than what he had just done in his lab. He felt dirty, disgusted with himself and yet, at the same time, ecstatic. He had taken the first step to saving millions of lives.

-But at what cost?- He asked himself, -What terrible cost?-

“McCoy! I need to talk to you for a second!”

Hank turned and saw Cecelia Reyes.

“About what, my dear doctor?”

“I…we told Rahne about…well, you know.”

“I see. How did she handle the news?”

“Honestly, Hank? I …I could have sworn that I heard her heart break when Jean told her she couldn’t have children. I can’t begin to imagine how much that meant to her.”

“I understand. I know it was difficult to do, but you had to tell her sooner or later. What did you need to talk to me about?”

“I just wanted you to know that we can start planning hormone replacement therapy for her.” Cecelia replied

“Is that all?”

“Huh?”

“You could have simply told me that tomorrow, you know. Is something on your mind?”

“Yes, no, I guess. I guess that after all this time as a doctor, I still hate delivering news like that.” Cecelia sighed, “it’s never easy under the best of circumstances, you know?”

“Yes. I can relate I…”

Before McCoy could finish his sentence, they heard a large crash that originated from the direction of the main gate.

“What was that?”

“Well, I don’t think we’ll discover anything just standing here.” McCoy said. He quickly picked Cecelia up and leaped in the direction of the disturbance. What they saw when they got there was an old 1986 Buick restrained by the security cables and a woman inside, frantic to get out. McCoy turned the cables off and helped the woman get out of her car.

“Youhavegottohelpme! Mysonwasjustassaultedandthehospitalwon’ttakehimbecause theythinkhe’samutantsandIneedyourhelp!”

“Madam! I must insist that you calm down and rationally explain to me why you are here, if I am to be of any help to you at all!” Beast implored

“My Joshua’s been attacked! He was attacked because some punks thought he was a mutant, but he’s not! He got caught in a grease fire and the hospital won’t take him and and you have to help him!” The frantic woman explained

Cecelia looked in the back seat, and saw the woman’s son. About half the young man’s body was completely covered in scars, and his face was completely covered in bruises and blood. There was a pool of blood on the floor seat that looked at least an hour old to Cecelia’s trained eyes.

“Hank, it looks really bad, do we have a stretcher anywhere near here?”

I’m afraid they are all on the lower levels. I’ll go fetch one…”

“No time, Hank. He’ll be dead before you get back. I’ve got an idea that I’ll need your help with. I’m going to extend my force field around him, immobilizing him completely so we can move him without causing any harm.” Cecelia proposed, “It’s going to take all my effort, so you’ll have to carry him down.”

Cecelia closed her eyes and concentrated, extending her force-field around the young man, completely enveloping and immobilizing the young man. Once she was done, Hank carefully picked him and and made haste for the medi-lab. On the way down the man’s mother filled Hank in on her son’s medical history. They quickly placed the young man under a scanner that McCoy activated while Cecelia started to cut off Joshua’s cloths.

“What do the scanners show, Hank? How bad is he?”

“His right lung is collapsed, his left lung has been punctured by his broken ribs and bone fragments in it and is also on the verge of collapse, his kidney is ruptured, he has a severe concussion, he has quite a bit of swelling in his brain, multiple fractures in his ribs and he’s lost almost one third of his blood.” Hank said grimly.

“Cripes, is that all?” Cecelia asked flippantly.

“I only wish, my dear. The scans show his blood type is O negative.”

“Shit, shit, shit! We already used up all our plasma operating on Rahne! What about all those alien machines you got laying around here?”

“They aren’t made for human use and can only do so much for them! It would take me at least twenty minutes to calibrate it for his biology, and we don’t have that time. I’m afraid that his boy’s chances for survival are… non-existent.”

“I’ve heard others say that before, McCoy, and that didn’t stop me from proving wrong,” Cecelia said as she quickly scrubbed down and all but jumped into sterile gear, “ I don’t know about you, but I intend to use any and every resource at my disposal to save this young man’s life. What about you?”

Hank didn’t respond. He rushed over to a medicine cabinet and took out a jar with a green solution inside of it.

“Somehow, I had to know it would come to this. That is why you kept it in the medi-lab, isn’t it McCoy?” He asked himself as he filled a syringe with the solution.

“Hank, what are you doing? I need your help here! His blood pressure is almost non existent!”

“No, you won’t any help after this.” Hank said as he injected the solution into Joshua. Seconds after that was done, the bruises on the young man’s face disappeared. All bruising, all his previous scars, all outward signs of damage quickly and completely disappeared. Cecelia ran over to the medical scanners and gaped in astonishment.

“What on earth…the swelling in his brain is gone…his lungs just repaired themselves somehow…his kidneys are fine and his body is purging all the poisons that were released when it ruptured…What the hell did you give him, Hank?”

“It’s…something that I devised using some chemicals that the Shi’ar had given us some time ago. I wanted to test it before I used on a human patient, but…”

“I understand, Hank. I don’t honestly think we could have saved him any other way.” Cecelia admitted, “Man, that thing is a miracle worker!”

“I was afraid of that.” Hank muttered.

“Completely repairing damaged organs, regenerating and replacing scar tissue, correctly and quickly healing damaged bones, my god Hank, you may have created the greatest medical advancement in the history of medicine!”

So caught up in the medical miracle they were watching, neither doctor noticed the slight glow of psychic energy coming from outside in the hallway.

“Rahne, you in there?” Dani asked thru the door of Rahne’s room.

“Go away, Dani! Jus’ leave me be!”

“Guess so.” Dani thought to herself, “ You know I can’t do that, Rahne.”

Dani tried to enter the room, but discovered the door was locked. Dani sighed, and swiftly kicked the door open. Rahne was sitting up in her bed, with tears in her eyes, snot running out her nose and not very pleased to see Dani.

“I locked that door f’r a reason, Moonstar!” Rahne growled.

“And I kicked it in for a reason too, Rahne. Jean told me about what’s wrong, about what they did to you. I…I’m so sorry.”

“Ye mean what they took from me!” Rahne spat, “So ye know I’m going tae live the rest of muh life alone an’ die that way!”

“You’re not even twenty years old, Rahne. It’s a little early to predict your future, don’t you think?” Dani regretted saying that almost immediately. It really came out all wrong…

“What do ye know?! Ye don’ …have the slightest idea… what I’ve lost!” Rahne snarled as she pointed an accusing finger at Dani, “Get out!”

“Rahne, I want to help…”

“Get out!” Rahne screamed. Without fully realizing it, Rahne shifted to her wolf form and struck ‘Dani’ with all her strength. Despite the extensive damage that was done to her body, Rahne’s upper body strength was still impressive and she knocked ‘Dani’ hard into a far wall. Rahne instantly realized what she had done and rushed to her friend’s side.

“Dani! OmygodI’msosorrypleasebealright!”

Rahne was shocked when she saw her friend’s body dissolve into mist. Rahne turned around and saw Dani standing where she had just been moments ago.

“It’s okay, Rahne, it was just one of my mirages, I’m fine. I understand…”

“Then leave me alone!” Rahne screamed. She lashed out at Dani again, this time with her claws. Dani saw the blow coming and she ducked back while at the same time bringing her left arm up and forward so that Rahne’s claws connected and tore at her flesh. Rahne stood there for a moment, dumfounded. This time, she knew for a fact she had hurt her friend. She could smell and feel the blood on her claws, sense Dani’s pain thru the psi-link they shared, but she couldn’t quite understand why she was attacking her best friend, who only wanted to help her.

“Well, you’ve still got a good right.” Dani winced.

“Dani…yuir bleedin’…we…we need t’ get ye t’ the medi-lab!” Rahne exclaimed. She started to shift back to her human form, her change form fading with her anger and walked towards Dani to examine her wound, like she’d been taught by her foster mother. But in her rush to aid her friend; Rahne had completely forgotten that she couldn’t walk in her human form. She nearly fell to the floor before Dani caught her and helped sit her down on the bed.

“Dani, I’m…I’m so sorry! I dinnae mean t’…”

“It’s okay, Rahne. I let you tag me. I hoped it would calm you down some and… I think it worked.” Dani explained, “Go me.”

“But…”

“I’m going to go get a towel to cover this up so I’m not bleeding all over your bed and get you some tissues, and then we are going to talk, okay Rahne?”

“But… yuir arm…”

“Hurts like hell, but I let it get clawed so that we could talk. Do you want my pain to be for nothing, Rahne?” Dani asked. She knew that shame was one way of getting Rahne to fall in line, though she hated using it.

“No.” Rahne sighed.

“Neither do I. I’ll be right back, Rahne.”

Dani wasn’t gone long. She grabbed a red towel and made a make shift tunicate out of it and came back to Rahne, who was sitting nervously on her bed.

“Dani, yuir arm could get infected! We need tae…”

“It’ll be fine, furtop. It’s not about to fall off in the next few minutes, so it’ll be okay.” Dani said as she handed Rahne some tissues and sat down next to her.

“Now, what on earth makes you think you’re going to die alone, Rahne?”

“Ye …wouldn’t understand.” Rahne said softly

“Try me, kiddo.” Dani said as she ran her hand thru Rahne’s short, red hair. Rahne laid down and put her head on Dani’s lap as she tried to explain her feelings that she herself barely understood.

“Honestly, Dani? I don’ want t’ fight the ‘good fight’ all muh life. I ne’er really have.” Rahne sighed, “I jus’ want t’ find a man who loves me, settle down an’ raise a family. Have children that I could love an’ care f’r. I don’ care how stupid, silly or sexist that sounds, but that’s what I want from life.”

“I understand that, Rahne, but just because you can’t physically have children doesn’t mean can’t have the life you want. I shouldn’t have to go over the virtues of adoption with you, of all people…”

“ No, Dani. Ye…ye don’ understand. Grownin’ up, I never really knew love o’ any kind. Craig ne’er cared for me… like a father, or a parent shid. He did everythin’ in his power tae convince me that I dinnae deserved tae be loved. The other children in Kinross jus’ made fun o’ me because they could. I was the town bastard… that everyone either mocked or pitied, with only mum really caring aboot me as a human being before she adopted me. When Moira adopted me, I…I was so afraid tae get close to her because I was so scared Craig would snatch me away from her someday,” Rahne confessed, “I…I remember when I fell in love with muh wolf prince in Asgard. I…I was so confused when I met him, because before him, I ne’er truly believed… that anyone could possibly love me. I never really knew what it was before him! When I saw Douglock f’r the first time, I immediately convinced muhself that he was truly Doug, because I truly wanted tae believe that the boy who loved me an’ gave his life f’r me was still alive. I left whatever life I made f'r muhself with X-Factor when I learned that Mum was dying, because… she was the only family I had. I want a family that’s mine and mine alone, one that no one ken take away from me, and that’s ne’er goin’ tae happen now. I ken count the number of people who love me on one hand, and it’s going to stay that way… f’r the rest of muh life now.”

“Don’t say that, Rahne. I know plenty of men out there who would love you for who and what you are, and that’s a beautiful young woman who has triumphed over all kinds of adversity. Just because you can’t have children doesn’t mean you won’t find a man who loves you and is willing to spend his life together with you.”

“But I want children, Dani, more than anythin’ in the world. T’ give them the love an’ care I ne’er had growin’ up as a child. An’ what man is going to want a woman who cannae give him an heir? Who’s crippled and cannae possibly keep up with him in possible any way?”

“Rahne…”

“Dani, I know ye mean well, but jus’ stop, okay? I don’ want a pep talk, or someone t’ tell me everythin’ goin’ t’ be alright when it’s nae. I jus’ want t’ lay here an’ cry, while muh best friend comforts me. Is that tae much t’ ask?”

“ …”

“Is it?”

“No, no it’s not.”

After Rahne fell asleep crying, again, Dani carefully moved herself off Rahne’s bed and slid a pillow under Rahne’s head. Dani then pulled another blanket out of the closet and placed it over her.

“At least she’s hit rock bottom.” Dani thought bitterly to herself, “There aren’t anymore surprises.”

Dani looked out the window and saw that it was now very late at night.

“Damnit, Rahne missed dinner and everyone’s most likely in bed now.” She scowled. “And my arm is killing me.”

Dani headed back towards the mansion to see if anyone was awake, to help her with her arm. Unfortunately, everyone had gone to bed. Dani wandered thru the mansion, and noticed that the lights were still on in the professor’s study. She went to knock on the door…

“It’s open, Dani. Come in.”

“Hey, Professor, I was wondering if a I could, uuh, get a hand with something.”

“Certainly, Dani. What’s the matter?”

“What isn’t?” She thought to herself. Dani peeled off the blood soaked towel that had been covering the wound Rahne had given her and displayed it for the Professor.

“Rahne?”

“Yep. You always hurt the one’s you love, I guess.”

“Dry humor really doesn’t suit you, Dani.” The Professor commented

“Sorry, but I just feel like I’ve been dragged thru Times Square behind the back of a bus, again, now. Dry humor is about all I have left.”

“I understand.” Xavier led Dani down to the lower levels to where they kept the medical supplies. “How is she doing? How is… her recovery coming now?”

Dani barely suppressed a bitter laugh, “Honestly? She was making some real progress, but the revelation that she can’t ever have children just destroyed all that and ripped the scab off of everything else. I…I think I can feel a little bit of her die every day, Professor. She barely lived thru something I would never wish on my worst enemy… and she can’t possibly put it behind her in any real way now. Thanks to the damage done to her, she’ll always be reminded of what happened to her no matter how hard she tries to forget. When she stands up to do anything, when she tried to find a man who loves her and wants to spend the rest of his life with her. Everyday is now a reminder to her of what she lived thru.”

“Perhaps I should talk to her. I remember having to adjust to being a in a wheel chair after Lucifer crushed my legs.” Xavier swabbed Dani’s wounds with rubbing alcohol, carefully cleaning them.

“That would be good, but I really don’t know how much help you would be, honestly. Before she was butchered and crippled, she could run the mile in under two minutes and could bench press over six hundred pounds. Now, she can’t walk without crutches, and she’s sore and tired all the time. She’s gone from superhuman abilities to barely human abilities.”

“I… see your point. Let’s get this under the dermal regenerator, shall we?”

Once that was done, Dani asked a question that had been bouncing around in her head for some time.

“Why can’t we use all this Shi’ar crap we have laying around to heal her? Hank and Cecelia can’t seem to give me a straight answer without going into biology 101. This stuff can work freakin’ miracles, after all.”

“There is a limit to what they can do, though. They were designed for alien beings, not humans, and the radiation that they use to heal would eventually damage human cells if they were exposed to it for too long. That’s why we haven’t been able to use them to repair Scott’s brain damage that prevents him from controlling his optic blasts, and why I haven’t used them to heal my legs. Hank looked into it after we learned the extent of the damage to Rahne, but determined that it was impossible to use them to fully heal her.”

“And the hits just keep coming.” Dani sighed.

“I know it’s rather late to ask at this point, but how has she handled Moira’s death? I know it couldn’t have helped matters any.”

“You don’t need to comfort her about what happened, if that’s what you mean. I think Rahne was prepared for Moira’s death, emotionally. She knew that the legacy virus was lethal. That doesn’t mean that Rahne was thru mourning her when she was kidnapped and tortured, but it’s not a part of her pain now.”

“Are you certain there isn’t anything I can do for Rahne to help her recover?”

“Not unless you got a miracle up your sleeve.”

“Miracle. That’s what she called it. And I saw it with me own two eyes to boot.” Jonathan Starmore, A.K.A the X-Man Chamber, thought to himself as he regarded the needle in his right hand. Even among other mutants, Jonathan, or Jono as he preferred to be called, stood out in a crowd. That was mainly because he had a huge hole in his chest that stretched from his mouth to his stomach and leaked powerful psychic energy that could destroy tanks and level the most powerful of foes. But it was also a source of great frustration to Chamber because it forever separated him from the rest of humanity in many small, but important ways. He couldn’t eat or drink and he couldn’t sing which before his face exploded, he did all the time. After some time, Jono had come to terms with his deformity, but he still had hope. Hope that somehow, someway he could be something resembling normal again.

This may not be the smartest idea I’ve ever had, but it’s not like things could get any worse for me, is there?

He proceeded to lock down the danger room and activate the psi dampeners from the control booth as a precaution for when he injected himself with the green solution that had just saved Joshua’s life a few hours before. He knew that he shouldn’t have secretly taken it while Cecelia and Hank were ‘discharging’ Joshua, but he did it anyway. After seeing what he saw, he had hope, real hope for the first time in a long time and he didn’t want to risk the possibility that it was a false hope. As Jono entered the danger room, he hoped that if what he did failed, he would still be able to walk out of the danger room in one piece.

“Here goes nothin’.” He thought to himself as he inserted the syringe into a vein in his left arm. At first, he felt nothing. But after a minutes, he felt a cold, numb sensation spread thru out his body, just seconds before he passed out.

“This was a very bad idea.” Were the last thoughts that went thru his mind before darkness claimed him.

As Chamber awoke, he noted that he really didn’t feel any different. In fact, he felt like hell and wanted to throw up.

“Well, that was a bloody failure! All that hope and, and… ” He said aloud. He then caught himself, and did something that until an hour ago, was literally impossible. He smiled. He looked down at his stomach, which was once a powerful furnace of energy. Now, all that remained was a small hole about the size of a baseball leaking psychic energy in the center of his chest.

“Even got me nipples back!” He said, relishing the sound of his long gone voice. He hugged himself, as though to make sure he wasn’t dreaming. Although he was overjoyed about the fact that he had his face back, Jono decided to retire for the day. The formula had taken a lot out of him, and he knew he needed to be well rested to explain exactly why there was no longer a huge hole in his chest to everyone. But not before he downed a few pints, of course.