Disclaimer: not a one of these characters are mine, except for Cole-Alexander. Marvel, not getting paid, don't sue...yada yada yada.

Cole-Alexander tucked his chilled hands deep into the pockets of his worn leather jacker. The wind howled angrily, sending cold blasts so strongly that they felt like icy knives, cutting through his clothing. His brown-blond hair whipped about his face, stinging his eyes. "Brr...damn! It's too cold to be playing save the brethren!" he griped, not really meaning what he said. Working for the Mutant Freedom Front was his life. Hell, he basically owed them his life.

A bright flash of light appeared on his left, coming from down a narrow alley. Shouts followed and Cole-Alexander heard the word "Mutie bitch! Freak!" and others mixed in with the hate. Frowning, Cole-Alexander removed his gloves and started down the alley.

An Asian girl was cornered by some of the more simian troops of the FOH. Cole-Alexander felt a powerful anger; his mutant power blazing to life. Blue flashes of electricity crawled along his hands and pooled in his already sapphire eyes, giving then an eerie glow. Fuck these bigots.

"Excuse me, assholes," Cole-Alexander called, drawing their attention away from the cursing girl. "But I think you just fucked up!" He threw the energy off his hands at them, giving them strong, but nowhere near fatal, shocks. Two of the haters took off like shots, actually running past Cole-Alexandet in their desire to get away. The rest glared at him, fearful, but pissed.

"Try that again, freak!" hissed the one in the WHY A WIFE? GET A DOG! shirt. he was leveling a gun straight at Cole-Alexander's head.

"You wanna hate mutants, huh? Lemme give you a REAL good reason!" The gun meant no more to Cole-Alexander than did the man holding it. Great bolts of power ripped from his eyes and hands, raising the man off the ground in twitching agony. He let go after a second and dropped the guy heavily to the ground, unconscious. As for the gun, he was thrilled to see that the girl had grabbed it and was pointing it at the remaining thugs.

"Run," she said and they did, almost knocking over Cole-Alexander in their haste. He looked after them in amusement before turning back to the girl.

"You okay?"

She nodded. "They caught me by surprise, that's all. I could've held em off until my friends showed up." Her entire body was defensive to match her words.

He smiled. "I believe it. I'm Cole-Alexander Devue," he prompted, stepping over the sleeping jerk to shake her hand.

"Jubilation Lee, but if you call me that I'll blind you," she teased, letting little colored sparks jump off her fingers. "It's Jubilee. Do you go by, like, that WHOLE name?"

He grinned and shook his head. "I go by Cole-Alexander. I--" he cut off suddenly as a red beam crashed into his side, slamming him into and almost through the brick wall at the end of the alley. He felt his bones snap in washes of agony. His skull felt split and he was bleeding heavily from somewhere on his forehead. Blood bubbled on his chest. Punctured lung, at least one. Damn. This was bad.

"Cyclops! NO!!" he heard Jubilee scream, her voice sounding funneled. "He was HELPING ME!!"

She was at his side suddenly; her hands hovering over his broken body, unsure of what to do. "Cole? Cole?!" she cried.

Trickles of blood came out of his mouth when he tried to answer and he choked. His vision was breaking up. He hadn't expected this. Killed by another mutant.

"Cole?!" more insistent this time.

"did..nt expect t-this." he gasped dully. "did...didn't..." The blackness washed up like a claiming wave and dragged the words from his lips and the life from his body.

Jubilee watched his chest rise, hitch and sink. She waited but it didn't rise again. She turned fiercely on her leader. "YOU SONOFABITCH!! HE SAVED ME AND YOU JUST KILLED HIM!! WHY DID YOU DO THAT?!!" she screamed hysterically. Tears dripped off her face to mingle with the fallen's blood.

Scott stared down at the boy, his face emotionless. "I'm-I'm sorry. It was an accident. I thought he was..." he trailed off. Jubilee sobbed aloud, rose and ran out of the alley; Logan in pursuit. Scott looked at his wife. "Jean?"

"Oh Scott," she replied, tucking her arms together. Grief and disbelief fresh on her face. "Oh Scott," she repeated.

Beast knelt down next to the boy. His eyes were sorrowful. "Is this what our constant state of "justly" war has brought us to?" He touched Cole-Alexander's smooth face. He hadn't even been old enough to grow a decent beard. "Killing children? How can this be part of the Dream?"

"I didn't men to do it, okay?!" Scott said harshly. He turned on his heel and walked back out of the alley. Beast and Jean looked at one another.

"Oh Scott."