"Nowhere left to run kid," Scalphunter said. Remy's position, back pressed against the terminal's windows at the end of a deathly quiet wing, was proof of that statement.

"The others are coming, we've been herding you for hours," he continued. "It's over kid, might as well just give up and come quietly. Maybe he'll go easy on you."

"Like he did for de others, de people I sent to him?" Remy asked, sarcasm a thin veil over guilt and terror.

Scalphunter shrugged, acknowledging the truth they both knew. "You shouldn't of betrayed him. Your talents could of kept you on his good side indefinitely, but he can't trust you now, not after that stunt you pulled."

"I'm nevah goin' back," Remy said quietly.

"You don't have a choice," Scalphunter replied taking a step toward the boy.

Remy charged and threw a card at him.

With a grin Scalphunter dodged back. "You're going to run out of ammo soon enough boy," he said surveying the scorched floor between them. "Then what'll you do?"

"I bring de whole damn building down on us if I have to!" Remy threatened. "Yo' just stay 'way, or I kill us all!"

High above, Beast directed his companion's attention to an explosion that blew out the windows at the end of one wing of the terminal. "I believe that is our cue," he said.

"Wolverine, take point," Cyclops ordered, bringing the blackbird to a standstill hovering along side of the blasted windows.

Wolverine, followed closely by Beast and Strom ran across the Blackbird's wing and leapt into the building as Cyclops set the plane on automatic then joined them.

They found Scalphunter and Arclight being held at bay by several feet of glowing flooring surrounding Remy's kneeling form.

"Kill us all," The boy mumbled swaying with exhaustion.

"The boss wants him alive," Scalphunter reminded his teammate. "Pull back, I ain't pressing this till I get Sinister's okay."

"No!" Arclight snapped. "I've had it with chasing the damn gutter-rat all over the country."

"You want the kid, you go through me," Wolverine declared unsheathing his claws.

Arclight grinned with anticipation.

"Not now!" Scalphunter ordered. "Gambit won't be able to hold his charge much longer and I'd rather die with him than go back to Sinister with his body. We were told to take him alive."

"Rain check cutey?" Arclight said turning to follow Scalphunter out.

"That was surprisingly easy," Beast said turning to Remy. "You can turn off the pyrotechnics now, they're gone."

The boy turned toward the X-men, the strain of holding back the eminent explosion apparent in his face.

"Too late," Wolverine guessed, diving toward the boy. His momentum carried them both away from the charged patch of flooring as the other X-men ran for cover.

An impressive explosion rocked the building, leaving behind a six-foot hole in the airport floor.

"Everyone okay?" Cyclops asked.

"More or less," Beast answered.

"I think my eardrums popped," Storm yelled.

"Logan? Remy?" Scott asked.

"Scorched but I've been worse," Logan answered. "Got the kid clear of the worst of it, but he's out cold."

"How is he?" Scott asked as soon as Jean and Xavier left the school's infirmary.

Logan and Peter also awaited the news.

Xavier looked toward Logan, "The explosion didn't touch him. His only injury was a badly sprained ankle. However I'd imagine that the boy has been running more on adrenalin than food for some time. I doubt he's slept much recently either."

"He passed out because of low blood sugar," Jean added with a shrug. "Food and rest are all he really needs."

Scott sighed with relief, slumping back against the wall. "I was afraid we got there too late."

"You couldn't have done better," Xavier said firmly. "I approached Remy months ago but he simply could bring himself to ask for help until the situation was desperate."

"I know Sir," Scott replied. "Still he hardly looks older than Bobby."

"Even so, we couldn't have forced him to accept our help," Xavier replied.

"Has anyone tried to find his family?" Peter asked.

"Kid was on the streets before this mess started," Logan commented. "Might be a good idea to find why before we tell his folks where to find him."

Three days after Remy's arrival, Peter stood staring into the refrigerator, certain he was hungry, but undecided as to what he actually wanted to eat when an unexpected noise sounded behind him.

He turned and stared. Remy stood leaning heavily against the door jam, wearing his trench coat over a hospital gown, one boot on, the other dangling loosely in his hand as if he hadn't been able to decide what to do with it after discovering that it wouldn't fit over his bandaged foot.

"You shouldn't be out of the Med Lab," Peter said. To his shock the younger boy's dark eyes filled with terror and the boot in his hand began to glow.

"Professor, we have a problem," Peter yelled, changing to his metallic form.

"Stay out of my head!" Remy exclaimed a moment later, throwing the charged boot at Peter.

The Russian's steel form wasn't harmed by the blast, but the kitchen wall took a beating.

"Reaching his mind is like trying to grasp fog," Xavier projected. "I can't help."

Remy lunged into the room, grabbing a picture off the wall before his injured leg gave out beneath him.

Logan walked in from the backyard; he glanced from Remy to Peter to the abused wall. "Try not to blow up too much of the house," he said, sounding only mildly interested in the situation. "Forecast said it's going to rain."

Remy turned to him frowning in confusion as the near mindless terror faded from his eyes. "Not going back to him or his labs," he stated.

"Him who?" Logan asked conversationally.

"Essex, Sinister," Remy hissed his voice thick with hate.

"I'll remember that if I ever meet him," Logan promised. "Interesting fashion statement you're making."

Uncertainly Remy glanced down at what he was wearing, the glow of his power fading from the picture in his hand. "No labs," he reiterated.

"Sure kid," Logan replied. "As long as you're up, you want some food?"

"S' fine," Remy answered.

"Pete, make a sandwich or something," Logan ordered. "Kid, you want a hand getting to the table?"

"Don' need no help!" Remy protested hobbling painfully to a chair. Logan snorted disbelievingly

A moment later Scott and Jean ran into the room. Remy tensed again.

"Take it easy kid," Logan said. "If you're gonna blow up the house people are gonna get excited. You two, everything's under control. Why don't you scat?"

"He shouldn't be out of bed," Jean said frowning.

"You said all he needed was food and rest, Jeannie," Logan pointed out. "He's here, let him eat."

"Come on Jean," Scott said taking her elbow. "Remy doesn't need a bunch of people hanging around making him nervous."

"What do I care if his foot ever heals or if he brings the roof down on all our heads," Jean exclaimed letting Scott lead her away.

Peter set a sandwich in front of Remy, and then, deciding to take his cue from Logan who'd picked up a section of the paper and was pointedly ignoring the boy, he turned back to his examination of the refrigerator.

After finishing his meal, Remy glared suspiciously from Logan to Peter. Realizing that they weren't paying attention to him, Remy slumped in his chair, blinking tiredly, trying to decide on the best course of action. A few minutes later his head tilted back against the chair's backrest as he fell asleep.

Logan put down the paper. "I'm putting him in one the rooms upstairs," he said softly, picking Remy up. "Go find some crutches for him. He might be more rational if he doesn't wake up feeling trapped."

"Sure," Peter agreed. "I have to say I'm surprised at how easily you managed him."

"Oh, this kid's going to be a barrel of laughs when he actually manages to wake-up," Logan predicted.

Scott paused for a moment outside of Xavier's office, waiting permission to come in. It came in the form of a telepathic acknowledgement.

"Sir, what do you plan on doing about Remy in the long term?" Scott asked as he took a seat.

"I believe the answer to that is fairly obvious," Xavier replied.

"No, it's not. Remy's just a kid, like Bobby. We know how well that turned out," Scott said.

Xavier winced. "Honestly Scott, I don't believe Bobby's age was a factor in his being injured."

"Try telling his mother that," Scott challenged. "Without using telepathy to coheres her agreement."

"They're only a few years younger than yourself Scott. Do you think you're not ready for what I'm asking of you?"

"I'm old enough to draft, Bobby isn't old enough to get a driver's license, same goes for Remy," Scott replied.

"I believe you'll find Remy has as much real world experience as any of you, probably more," Xavier rebutted. "He won't appreciate your protection."

"Neither would've Bobby," Scott said standing up. "But do you think that's much comfort when I visit him in the hospital? I won't lead a mission with a child on the team again, you should know that upfront."