He wasn’t going to make it out, that much was becoming more and more obvious with each passing moment. Swiftly Michael fought back the wave of panic that had threatened to overwhelm him, rigorously keeping any sign of his own fear off of Hood’s face. This wasn’t the time or the place for him to lose it. Not with so many terrified teenagers looking to him and the others for some sort of guidance. With that thought firmly in mind the astral mutant flashed a reassuring smile at this latest bunch of stragglers he had managed to round up and told them quietly.. “There’s an exit not to far away now..just let me check the coast is clear and then we’ll head for it Ok? “

Dishevelled head’s nodded in agreement , the students huddling closer together as he faded into Hoods invisible form and went to scout out their route. It wasn’t looking good. More and more of these intruders seemed to be pouring into the Institute and from what Michael could see it seemed like they were planning to stay! This wasn’t just an attack.. it was an invasion. And that was what sent Michael’s carefully constructed house of cards tumbling down around his feet.

Oh he had always known that he would have had to wait behind in the supposed safety of the walls till the enemies left. That had been a given when he and Mr Summers had worked out this particular little survival strategy. What neither of them had imagined was that the Institute would be occupied! And that his bolthole would turn into a trap.

‘Ok ok.. so I’m screwed’ he told himself firmly as he advanced swiftly but cautiously down the corridor ‘but those people back there aren’t. They can get out . If I do this right that is! ‘ Already he and the other members of his team had helped a great many of their fellow pupils get to safety but things were getting more difficult all the time as the intruders became more systematic in their searching and their numbers continued to increase. Fortunately though the number of students left inside was also diminishing as they either fled or were taken.

Michael didn’t even want to think about the possibility of ending up in the hands of these invaders. And he sure as hell wasn’t going to let his little band of refugees suffer that fate either. For now at least luck seemed still to be on their side. The way to the hidden exit was clear, although Hood doubted that it was going to stay that way for long. All the more reason to hurry.

When he was back into sight of the waiting group Michael poured more of his life force into his astral form rendering it solid and then waved them forward, before drawing his bow and notching an arrow in order to cover them as they made their escape. Sure enough they had hardly started filing into the passage when, someone came round the corner, a human by the looks of things his hand already raising the gun he held when the arrow struck him squarely in the chest.

He went down like a stone, the sudden violence provoking a surge of screaming from the already terrified students. Damn it all that was bound to attract attention! Go go go. Hood told them, physically pushing them into the tunnel.. “head straight down and try to find one of the staff members at the other end. I’ll draw them away!”

Already he could hear others approaching as he closed the door rendering the exit nearly invisible again. Ok they’re looking for someone…….         And I guess that someone will have to be me! Hood moved into the centre of the passageway not far from the unconscious soldier, thanking god once again that his arrows didn’t have to be fatal.. just effective. Because if he had to kill……….he just wasn’t sure he could do that. And he really didn’t want to have to find out.

For now though all he had to do get himself noticed and then run like hell! How ironic was that! His life depending on just how fast he could sprint down a corridor! ‘Note to self, I hate playing bait’ he thought as the enemies caught sight of him and turned both their attention and their weapons his way. Then he was off, running as fast as he knew how, leading them away from the exit and down the corridors of the Institute their shouted orders echoing in his ears.

He didn’t need to go too far, just far enough to distract them, but even that was a tall order. Just a little more… There. One moment when he was out of their vision was enough. Enough to let him disappear that was. Michael’s astral form floated upwards, through the ceiling, away from his pursuers leaving them behind baffled and angry. He didn’t even need to catch his breath. After all Hood had none to lose. His nerves however were all his own and they demanded a moments settling before Michael was ready to go on. As it seemed he had too…….

Someone screamed nearby! With a curse Hood made his way towards the source of the commotion almost colliding with a hysterical girl who was heading in the other direction. “Wait” he said grabbing hold of her. “Let me help you.”But she was beyond waiting her eyes filled with a pure and unreasoning terror that not even his words could get through. With a moan she pulled himself out of his grip and continued to flee . And when he glanced back at the way she had come he knew why
!
It wasn’t the soldier who was chasing her that nearly stopped Hood in his tracks. It was what lay beyond. Only instinct kept him moving in to intercept the intruders attack blocking a vicious blow with the flat of his sword before turning it and bringing the pommel down on the mans head. It wasn’t enough to knock him out of course, this was a trained fighter with years of experience under his belt whereas Michael was a debutant. But it was enough to make him pause.

“Never mind all this seize the day crap’ Wolverine had told them in survival class. ‘You have to seize the second! Because that’s all you get in a fight! And if you miss it you could just end up dead!” Michael didn’t miss it. He couldn’t afford to. Because this man was the least of his worries! The horror he had seen in the corridor seconds before was heading towards a room Michael recognised…A room he only prayed was empty. Because if it wasn’t ..

Maybe it was that thought that helped him find the opening he needed in his assailants defences. Whatever the reason his knee certainly connected where Wolverine had assured them it would do the most harml At another time the young Scot might even have winced in sympathy as attacker screamed and rolled on the ground. For now though he didn’t even give him a second glance. All he saw was the demon… because that’s what it had to be….. going into Paige’s room. And the only scream he heard was hers.

He covered the distance in an instant, running as he had before, though this time not for his life but for hers. “Hey” he yelled as he entered, his voice causing the creature to turn. “Why don’t you pick on someone your own size for a change!”

Ok. There was fear in Paige’s voice but that was all right because there was purpose in her movements. Michael forced himself to stand quietly while she gathered up the things she needed to take with her, her choices practical and restrained although he knew how much it must cost her to leave behind her beloved books and the gifts her family had sent her to make this room feel like home.

He almost knelt to tie the laces for her when he saw how badly her hands trembled but stopped himself in time. They were preparing for battle after all. She didn’t need to be babied! And, truth be told, he didn’t know if his own hands would be any steadier. Which was something Paige definitely didn’t need to know at this precise moment in her life.


Then suddenly she was ready, green eyes rising to meet grey ones with a look of scared determination. Her hand, when she took his, was warm and fragile, like a small bird nestling in his grasp, and yet he could feel its strength too, the strength of Paige’s heart and spirit flowing into him through this physical contact. Telling him he wasn’t alone. Giving him something to fight for! He should have let go. He should have dematerialised and gone on ahead to see what was waiting for them. But he didn’t.

Training was all very well and good but this was his first real taste of combat and if so far he had managed to handle everything that had been flung at him, still it had taken its toll. The silver slashes that crossed his chest were visible signs of that. The body of the demon lying on Paige’s bedroom floor was another.

Michael was still functioning like an X man, putting into practice what he had been taught in the danger room but that didn’t mean that a part of him didn’t want to just bury his head in Paige’s shoulder and have her hold him while he wept. There was no time for that though, not with the sounds of continued fighting still reaching their ears. Still he could hold her hand a little while longer at least, knowing deep down that the comfort it gave him was as healing to his spirit as any power she had might have would have been to his body.

It couldn’t last though, no matter how much he wanted it too. At the end of the corridor they would have to make a choice, decide which exit they should make for, which direction offered them the best chance of escaping without conflict and that choice could best be made if he knew what was waiting for them.

So with a sigh Michael gently let go of Paige’s hand and turned to face her, whispering softly. “This is a safe place for you to wait. I’m just going to go and scout ahead for a bit, check out what’s up ahead. I won’t be long I promise”