The man digested her stunned expression, and sucked in his breath with a loud hiss. His eyes widened with indefinable emotion.

"It is you."

"H-How do you know my mother?" Anne struggled to control her shock, her mind reeling as she tried to comprehend what had just happened.

The man was staring at her with an equal amount of agitation, as though he could not believe what his eyes were showing him.

"She was one of my test subjects." He said quietly. "Studies indicated that her offspring would have mutant potential. My team was experimenting with her genetic code, modifying eggs from her ovary in the hopes of maximizing that potential. She was quite unique. I have never been able to successfully duplicate the procedure with anyone else."

Anne's mind careened away from his words, her heart thudding roughly in her chest. Even the pain of her injuries faded in light of this new knowledge.

It can't be true. It just can't. But how does he know my mother's name...how did he recognize her in my face? Memories of her mother flooded her mind. How she spoke so little, but could say so much with her expressive face. The adoration that was in her eyes when she looked at her husband and daughter. Was that truly a woman who had been experimented on? Who had been kept in a lab like a rat? The imagery sent a spark of anger through Anne, and her eyes grew flinty as she looked up at the man before her.

"You say you ran experiments on my mother." She stated flatly. "Tell me, was she here of her own free will?"

"Are you?" he asked, not missing a beat. "She was homeless, living on the streets of New York City. No one would have missed her, and no one did." He paused, coldly staring at Anne.

"But she escaped. We had already completed the genetic modifications to her eggs, and were going to impregnate her with altered sperm. The night before the procedure, the Marine guarding Annabelle helped her to escape."

Anne closed her eyes as a bedtime conversation with her mother invaded her memories. She was only ten years old at the time, but the words had remained with her because of the love in her mother's eyes as she spoke of her husband.

"Your father was like an angel from heaven. Or the prince from those fairy tales you like. He rescued me, and kept me safe..."

Anne did not need to ask to know who had helped her mother escape.

She opened her eyes to find the man not a foot from her face, staring at her appraisingly. Anger flared red hot in her gut.

"What do you want from us?" she snapped. She experimentally shifted her weight, pain flaring up along the length of her back and stomach. Not a good sign, she grimaced inwardly.

"I had these children taken because I needed new test subjects. The others...wore out."

Anne stared at him in disgust.

"But you are an unexpected bonus, worth the injuries that this facility has taken. I never expected to find Annabelle again, even less did I expect her offspring to walk right into my arms." His eyes grew calculating. "Combined with the right sperm, your mother's eggs were designed to produce a human being of incalculable mutant potential. It will be fascinating to discover just how much of that potential manifested itself in you."

He stood and gestured sharply to the guards. Immediately, they lifted their metallic rods and took a step towards the three teens.

"Hey!" Anne shouted, ignoring the pain that ripped through her chest as she jerked away from the wall. Ribs popped.

"You let them be!" She snarled breathlessly.

"Hands off!" Jubilee protested loudly, darting away from an outstretched hand. She landed a punch along his ribs, but the guard did not even flinch.

"There is no escape from this room," the scientist announced firmly. "And your powers have been inhibited. You've seen what was done to Anne. Don't fight back."

"Like hell!" Angelo called, though his eyes were worried. The three were slowly being backed into a corner. Jubilee tried to dart through an opening, and fell to the ground, clutching her shoulder with a low moan.

"Damn you." Anne's voice dropped several notches, and she braced herself against the wall. So busy watching the round-up of the three teenagers, the scientist never saw Anne's feet lash out towards his knees. The sickening sound of crushed bone filled the room, and he fell to the ground with a scream of agony.

She cried out at the same time, feeling as though her chest was going to split in half. Fighting for consciousness, Anne struggled to stand. Her thoughts went to the two guards, but Jubilee, Everett and Angelo were taking care of them. The distraction she had provided was enough to give them the advantage they needed.

Jubilee effectively dodged the swings of the man before her, darting in with her small size to land punches along his ribs and stomach. She was not causing any real damage, but keeping him busy while her friends took care of the other man.

Everett and Angelo were straddling the second guard, banging his head into the floor. Anne stumbled up behind Jubilee's attacker and clubbed him with her fists at the base of his skull. She felt her shoulder dislocate again, but the man stumbled. The three teens pounced on him immediately, forcing him to the ground. The other guard was unconscious, his weapon laying a few feet away.

Anne gritted her teeth. She could feel her ribs poking into her flesh, every breath an agony.

She forced herself to pick up the metallic rod. It hummed beneath her fingers, the metal warm. She turned around to find the three teens watching her. Jubilee held the other guard's weapon, a look of distaste on her face. They were all breathing heavily and as the adrenaline wore off, worry replaced the exhilaration on their faces.

"Um, we still don't know how we're going to get out of here." Everett said, glancing pointedly at the steel door.

Anne coughed, clutching her side. She felt something warm drip from her mouth and she wiped her chin. Her fingertips came away bloody.

What a time for my healing factor to be suppressed.

"Anne?" Jubilee appeared at her side.

Anne took a deep, steadying breath, feeling the air in her lungs bubble.

Come on, Anne. You're in bad shape, but you can do this. You have to.

"I'm fine," she lied.

She stumbled over to the scientist. His mouth was opening and closing silently, his eyes clenched with pain.

"Tell me how to open the door." She commanded harshly.

He ignored her, clutching at the ground.

"I won't ask again! Tell me."

Silence.

Anne felt her face contort with frustration. She hefted the metallic rod in her hands and looked at the three teens. In their eyes, she could see they knew what she was about to do. Anne looked away.

I can't do this. I can't hurt another human being so deliberately. He can't defend himself.

But think about what he did to your mother! What he was going to do to you and those kids! Use the rod. He'll tell you everything you need to know.

Anne snarled in disgust, and took a step back.

"I can't do this," she muttered angrily. She ignored the worried stares of Jubilee, Everett and Angelo. Her eyes fell on the door.

She stumbled over to the closed entrance, and took a long look at it. She held up the metallic rod, remembering how it had sunk into her body. As far as she knew, there was no entrance wound in her shoulder, but it had done it's job nonetheless. Would it work on a steel door?

She stood at arm's length, and slowly pushed the tip of the rod into the hinges of the door. The humming beneath her hand intensified, and Anne watched in amazement as steel melted into steel. The door began to shake, and then Jubilee was there, shoving her own rod into the door. The rods absorbed the vibrations, and the four of them watched and listened in amazement as it slowly began to break away from its frame.

"Someone has got to be hearing this." Angelo muttered worriedly.

"One thing at a time." Anne gritted her teeth, pain weaving a network through her body. Her eyesight began to dim.

With a sudden groan, the door slipped from its hinges. Anne and Jubilee barely jumped back in time to keep the heavy steel from falling on them. The teen darted through the open entrance before Anne could stop her. There was a flash of colored lights, and then several heavy thuds. The rest of the group rushed into the hall to find Jubilee standing proudly over three huge guards, their chests smoking. She held her fingers up to her lips and blew dramatically.

"Nice going, chica."

Anne weakly nodded her approval, already scanning the building with her mind. There were more guards heading towards them, and—

:Logan!: :Remy!:

:Darlin'?:

:Chere?:

Anne almost cried with relief. Losing them had been her greatest fear.

:I have the kids. We need your help.:

She showed them where they were.

:We're on our way, darlin'.:

"Anne!"

Anne whipped around at the sound of Everett's voice. The sudden movement made her head spin, but she saw and felt the guards facing them. She did not need to hear the scuffling behind her for her to know that a second group had appeared at the other end of the hall. Trapped by more than thirty men and women.

"Get back in the room." she ordered, struggling to keep upright.

"No way." Jubilee protested. "You can't—"

Anything she was about to say was cut off as the guards suddenly broke into a silent charge. Jubilee shouted a wordless challenge, her hands glowing. Angelo's skin pooled away from his body.

Everett clutched at his head, gasping. He stared at Anne in shock.

Blind with need and pain, Anne reached out with her mind and closed her eyes.

The combined sound of falling bodies filled Anne's ears, followed by metallic clangs. Then, a profound silence. Anne staggered, and fell to the floor. Barely conscious, she forced herself to her knees and raised her head.

Every single approaching person lay crumpled on the floor of the corridor. She had struck them all with psi-bolts, a stronger variation of what Emma Frost has tried to use on her. Jubilee, Everett and Angelo stared at their fallen assailants with undisguised amazement.

Anne reached out and found the familiar presence of Logan and Gambit approaching. They rounded the corner of the corridor at a flat run. The two X-Men were not expecting the slew of bodies, but they kept their footing and were at Anne's side in a heartbeat.

"Annie." Logan whispered, cupping her face with tender hands. His eyes were pained as he looked at her.

She could not find the strength to open her mouth to speak.

:Take care of the kids. They've been through a lot today.:

"And you haven't, chere?"

Anne began to weakly protest as Gambit scooped her up into his arms.

"Hush now, chere. You in no shape t'run out of here."

Anne tried to give him an exasperated look. Gambit smiled charmingly despite the worry in his eyes. Logan nodded approvingly and turned to the three teenagers.

He gave Jubilee a short, fierce hug which she returned gratefully. A moment later, the small group was racing through the facility, Logan in the lead and Gambit bringing up the rear, Anne secure in his arms.

She scanned ahead for attacks, but found that for the most part, everyone was dead or unconscious. Their path out was clear.

:You boys have been busy.: Anne sent weakly to Gambit and Logan.

"They sent almost all their forces after us, darlin'. Didn't matter how hard we tried, we couldn't get close ta' ya' or find the kids."

"Gambit never seen anythin' like it."

"Nearly killed us not knowin' if ya' were alive or dead."

:Believe me...I felt the same way about you two.: