The flight to the harbour was short, but in that brief time, Sam had Logan's fear constantly nagging at her. He clearly wasn't a strong flyer.

"All right, there's the bridge," Scott's voice states through the headset " I'm taking her down. Storm, some cover please,"

As her eyes cloud over, a dense fog starts to form over the calm water. The X-Jet dips down and flies under the George Washington Bridge, disappearing into the fog. The windows start to become obstructed by the grey mist.

"Go to tactical," Jean punches a code into the onboard computer, there's a low electrical hum and the windows darken slightly, they then begin to show a video display of the view outside - a highly advanced version of infra-red night vision.

Once safely landed, the team exits out the top hatch of the Blackbird, following Cyclops into the State Museum, Sam briefly looks up and sees that the base of Lady Liberty's torch has been replaced with a circular machine. She can feel Rogue up there, a hammering anxiety trying to break into her chest.

Jean's hand gently taps her shoulder, looking at her with worried eyes "You okay?"

"Yeah," she nods, gulping and looking ahead "She's here, and she's in danger,"

The museum has a long hallway with a raised, girdered ceiling that leads to the Statue. The five walk past a replica of the statue stood by the entrance, all walking past a metal detector and straight into the main room.

Well, other than Logan who walks straight through the detector, alarms start blaring and his metal claws dive into the mechanism. Everyone turns as the machine sparks, eyes rolling at the man. He glares, giving them a 'go on' look.

He joins Sam, walking close by her side, sniffing the air slightly until he suddenly stops, one hand pushing out in front of her, the other signalling the others "There's someone here,"

"Where?" Scott asks, turning to face the man at the back of the group

"I don't know, Keep your eye open," Scott goes to retort, but Logan walks past "Hang on," he disappears into the shadows.

"Logan, no! We need to - Damn it," He turns to say something to Jean when he sees the mutant walking back "Anything?"

He shakes his head "I know there's someone here, but I can't see 'em," he approaches Scott, his fist starting to raise before he's tackled by...himself?

"Fuckin' Mystique," Sam mutters, watching the two Logan's roll through a metal doorway. They stand and Scott readies his optic energy.

"Wait!" Both shout before one swipes the metal door, locking the two of them away from the other.

The others run up to the door, trying to pry it open "Get back," Cyclops orders, they follow his lead and he prepares to blast the door open.

Unfortunately for him, Toad drops down from the ceiling, bouncing off the wall and kicking Scott down, he flies back through an opposite door.

Storm raises her arms, wind instantly whipping up around her as Jean steps in front of Sam. Toad dives into Storm and they tumble, Toad ending up on his back, both feet against Storm's stomach. He kicks out and she shoots up and over the railing to the upper floor of the museum.

Toad leaps back up, out of sight. Cyclops stands quickly, seeing Jean and Sam in the corner, Jean's hands up, ready to use her powers, Sam's eyes scanning the room, trying to find Toad, he runs towards them, but the metal door in front of him slams shut.

Jean senses something behind her and turns, finding Toad there, grinning at her and Sam, he flicks his tongue out, coating Jean's face with hardening slime. He goes to leap away, but Sam grabs his tongue, pulling him in as Jean scrambles around. She winces at the sticky muscle on her fingertips.

His eyes widen in panic, and as he gets close, Sam lets go, kicking him in the chest, and forcing him against the wall opposite. She watches him fall to the ground and runs to Jean who is suffocating behind a green goo, trying to pry it off. Sam tries to help, pushing her down to the floor by her shoulders, trying to keep her still.

She looks up to where she kicked Toad: he was gone. She and Jean hear a loud blast, and then Scott is next to them, muttering along with Sam as they try to save his fiance.

"Oh God, hold still!"

Sam tries to use her nails to pry off the mask of slime - luckily her gloves were fingerless, an adaptation made for her mutation, she needed to touch someone to influence them.

"Shit okay," Sam groans, an idea hitting her. She puts a hand on Jean's neck, sending calming waves towards her, her body stops shaking, but she's still suffocating "Cyclops, blast it,"

"What?!"

"Do it!"

Cyclops stands, hand reaching for his visor "Just don't hit her face...or my hand," Sam mutters and she can sense his glare.

"Jean, stay still," he lets out a focused optic beam, it hits the slime like a hammer, smashing it to pieces. Jean gasps for breath and Sam lets go, her hands moving to her arms, steadying her.

Scott drops to his knees, cradling Jean's head to his chest as she takes deep breaths "You're okay," he mutters into her hair "You're okay,".

Taking a deep breath, Sam goes to stand, but Jean pulls her back, tightly grasping her wrist, she thanks them both, and slowly, they get back up, hearing thunder cackle in the distance, flashes of lightning coming in through the window. It seems Storm had Toad dealt with.

Suddenly the metal door that Logan and Mystique were locked behind is flung open and Logan stands there, hands in the air as the three bodies whip around.

"It's me,"

"Prove it,"

"You're a dick," he head gestures to Sam "She's hot,"

Scott shrugs as Sam's cheeks flush red "Okay,".

They let Logan approach them again, Sam shaking her head at him as he smirks, they look up at the sound of Storm's voice.

"Hey," she's up on the balcony, gesturing for them to follow.

The team follow Storm, going up spiral stairs until they find themselves in the head of the Statue of Liberty.

It's empty.

Moonlight shines down through a hole in the top of the head and they look around in confusion.

"Everybody get out of here," Logan warns abruptly, they look at him and he seems fine, standing still in front of them

"What is it?" Storm asks

"I can't move," He flies back into the wall and Sam's hands raise in fists.

Metal bracing starts to come loose, starting to surround them, Cyclops blasts a few of the braces in rapid succession but there are too many. One wraps around his neck from behind, forcing his head back and pulling him to the wall.

Jean goes next, then Storm.

Sam's waist is wrapped in metal, and she's sharply pulled back, back slamming against the copper. She screams, the impact shooting pain all through her bruising. Logan instinctively lunges forward but is still held back.

Cyclops and Jean are bound so that they face each other, and metal wraps around Scott's head, holding him in place. Storm struggles against the metal on her neck as Magneto floats down towards them.

"Ah, my brothers, welcome" he looks right, and at Logan "And you. Let's point those claws of yours in a safer direction" he waves his hand and Logan's arms involuntarily cross over his chest, his hands bunching into fists. A band of metal keeps him in place, if he extends his claws, he'll rupture his vital organs.

Logan growls and struggles against the metal, watching as Sabertooth drops down next to Magento.

"You'd better close your eyes,"

Sabretooth grabs Cyclops' visor and tears it off his face, placing it in his jacket pocket. Scott keeps his eyes tightly shut, knowing that if they open he'll kill Jean and destroy everything ahead.

As Sabertooth walks past, Sam reaches out, the tips of her hands barely grazing his coat. She needed to touch him -

"Uh uh uh," Magneto tuts, as if scolding a child, metal forces Sam's hands back, pushing them flat against the wall, palms out "I heard about your little stunt at the station, gave old Sabertooth here one hell of a fright,"

"Storm. Fry him," Cyclops commands

"By all means," Magneto shrugs "A bolt of lightning into a huge copper conductor," he stands next to Scott "I thought you lived at a school," he scoffs.

Sam shuts her eyes, biting her lip and opening them again to see Logan's trapped face. They were fucked.