Chapter 11

Red. The walls of the tunnels were bathed in the hellish hue, lit with the color of agony and murder. Screams resounded through the softly lit tunnels only to disappear when they approached the surface, drifting away with the crisp silence of the dark sky. No sound. No one to hear.

In a haphazard procession, they sliced through the tunnels, slaughtering any unfortunate Morlock they passed as they made their death march to the center of the community, which lay not far below. By now the Morlocks must be aware of the intruders, running about in a panic over the onslaught that trudged ever closer. No matter which exit they sought, a Marauder waited, ready to strike them down. It had all been so meticulously planned.

Lorna watched with helplessness as another Morlock was laid to waste. One more victim bleeding in the hallways, and still the Marauders pressed on. Could she save another? Could she gather that much energy? Malice's choke hold told her that she couldn't.

With every ounce of faith she still retained, Lorna prayed that something might happen, that perhaps the Marauders had forgotten an exit, or that someone would find them. With every step forward, despair erased what little footholds hope had taken, and all Lorna could see was the blood of the slaughtered, and the dark tunnels that lay ahead.

-----

"I never get in dis many fights 'til I met you, Stormy," Remy dryly joked as the team began descending into the tunnels behind Alison. "T'ought I came t' New York t' stay out of trouble."

"Do not joke right now, Remy," she told him, her smooth voice carrying an edge of tension. "And do not call me Stormy."

"Jus' tryin' t' lighten de mood, chere," he told her, grasping her hands in his. "Jokin' makes de nerves go away."

"I would not have pegged you as one to be afraid for himself, Remy," she told him, squeezing his hands reassuringly.

"Not afraid for m'self, chere," he said, his red-on-black eyes resting on her. "Y' de best friend I have, Stormy. Dat's not somet'ing I take lightly."

"I do appreciate the concern," she said, smiling softly. "I will be fine."

"I'll see to dat."

Shortly ahead of them, Alison released another light burst. "It's not far," she told them. "Usually, it would only take a minute or two, but I'm taking us the back way. They'll have the shortcuts blocked off, most likely."

"We have every route blocked off." A familiar woman with green and white striped hair stood before them, her hands clenching and unclenching. Vertigo.

"Non!" Remy shouted angrily, bostaff extending. "Saw y' die! Dere better not be ghosts in dese tunnels!"

"Are you sure you saw what you saw?" The woman cocked an eyebrow. "Perhaps I am a ghost. Perhaps I didn't really die. Or perhaps you're not as smart as you think you are."

"What's dat supposed to mean?" Remy said, angrily pushing to the head of the group.

"Figure it out, sweet cheeks," she said as the air in front of her hands began to shift, signaling the beginning of her attack."

"Not dis time," he said, using his bostaff to propel his body forward. Feet first, Remy slammed into the Marauder, knocking her to the ground. Grasping his hands on her, he charged her body. Her eyes widened as the air in her lungs charged at an accelerated rate. "Dis is for Lorna." With a sickening popping sound, her lungs exploded, leaving her dead on the ground.

"We don't kill, Gambit!" Cyclops said angrily, grabbing the Cajun man by the shoulders. Remy shrugged him off, then stood.

"Don' worry. Dis one don' die. Dey always come back."

-----

With silence, the Brotherhood listened as Rogue filled them in on all she had learned. "Ah know we ain't supposed to help the X-Men," she pleaded. "But this is bigger than any feud."

"Rogue, you know I want to help," St. John said, "But you don't even know what's going on. You saw one hurt mutant and the word of a girl who can't remember the last few months of her life.."

"Where there's one person hurt, there's another," she snapped. "Come on, Johnny. Ya weren't there. Ya didn't see the look on that Morlock's face. Ya didn't see the shame on that blonde gal's either. Ah ain't about to let mah friends walk into a massacre."

"In case you haven't noticed, Rogue, we're not their friends anymore." St. John's voice was bitter.

"That was our choice," she said. "It doesn't mean ah'm gonna let them die."

"The girl is right." Magneto's head rested on top of his enclosed palms. He'd sat silently through the entire spiel. "For once, girl, you might be right."

"Dad?" Quicksilver asked curiously, his brow furrowing in confusion. All eyes stood on Magneto, who slowly stood from his chair.

"I agree," Mystique added. "The Brotherhood and the X-Men may differ in dogma, but we have both sworn to protect mutantkind. I will go with you, Rogue."

"As will I," Magneto added.

"If you're going, you'd best leave soon," Irene said from her chair. "The battle draws closer. Every wasted second results in a wasted life."

"Ya comin' St. John?" Rogue fixed her piercing green eyes on her friend, who kept his averted. He was quiet for a moment before mumbling his agreement.

"We will all go," Magneto said, gesturing to Quicksilver and the Blob, who rose at his command. "Today, for the first time in our history, we will fight alongside the angels. No one shall be left in the ashes."

-----

"Penance, slow down!" The Generation X kids ran behind the Morlock, who was diving back into the tunnels in search of her family and friends. "I've never seen anyone run that fast," Jubilee said, panting under the stress.

"Ah'd be runnin' like that if it was Sam who was hurt," Paige said, referring to her older brother. "If'n he was dyin' too, ah'd be there fightin' with him."

"No one's dying, Husk," Bobby said, pulling Kitty along with him. "We won't let them."

"In all likelihood, Drake," Monet said, flying behind Jubilee, "there will be death."

"Way to bring spirits up, M," Jubilee said sarcastically.

"I am not here to make you feel better about the fact that people will die," M said. "I am merely here to see that there are no other unnecessary casualties."

"Quit it, guys," Paige said, pulling off her outer husk to reveal a strong steel body underneath. "Ah see fightin' up ahead."

"Who died and made her leader," Jubilee muttered, following behind the blonde Southerner. The tunnel they had been traveling through suddenly opened up into a large chamber that was currently engrossed in fighting. Amidst the chaos, the kids made out the figures of their teachers fighting menacing figures who seemed hell-bent on killing them.

"Look out, Iceman!" Kitty shrieked, as a harpoon shot through the air in his direction. Diving towards her friend, Kitty grasped him by the shoulders, phasing the both of them just in time for the harpoon to pass through them and embed itself in the opposite wall.

"Thanks," he told her, somewhat shaken. Once released, Bobby quickly solidified himself to an ice form. "Time to try that trick I've been working on," he said as he quickly began to build an ice shoot to slide on.

M was the first into battle, pushing her way through the crowd to deliver a few well-delivered punches to whatever Marauder found themselves in her path.

With wide eyes, Storm quickly recognized her group of students as they began battling alongside the X-Men. "Get out" she yelled, lightning charging at her fingertips.

"Not today, teach!" Jubilee yelled, popping a few blasts at the Marauder who'd attacked Bobby. "Shadowcat," she called, "Start getting the Morlocks out of here. I'll cover you."

"Come with me!" Kitty called to a group of Morlock children, who huddled in the corner. "Grab onto me, I'll get us out of here."

"She's never phased that many people before," Husk said, making her way to Jubilee. "Tell her to slow it down."

"She slows it down, the Morlocks die," Jubilee said releasing a shower of light. "She's stronger than she looks. Give her a chance."

"One small group at a time, Shadowcat!" Husk called, ignoring Jubilee. "If you take too many, your powers might go out."

"What the hell are you kids doing here?" Wolverine growled, finding himself fighting alongside Jubilee.

"Relax, Grouchy, Jubilee's here to save the day." Jubilee pulled her sunglasses down on her nose as she prepared to let another group of sparks fly. "You look pretty while I save the day, comprendez?"

"Kid, you're beginning to get on my nerves," he growled, slashing at a nearby Marauder.

"And you, my hairy friend, need to look on the bright side. At least, if we're going to die, we die together, right?"

"Just how I always imagined it," he replied sardonically.

The Marauders had increased in number and strength since their last battle with the X-Men. Cyclops now had to admit that they now comprised a very serious threat. The harder the X-Men struck out at them, the harder they struck back.

A roar hit Scott's ears, and he turned in time to see Beast fall to the ground with a harpoon embedded in his side. "BEAST!" he screamed, wanting to move to his friend's side. Before he could reach it, however, a gust of wind shot by and a young white-haired man was there. "Got him," the boy said, somehow managing to lift the hulking Beast. As quickly as he arrived, the boy was gone. Seconds later, he was back, empty handed.

"Missed me, sugah?" Rogue shot in through the tunnel entrance, the rest of the Brotherhood in tow. "Man, ah'm beginnin' to think ah can seek out trouble faster than a cat seeks out a mouse."

"You have GOT to be kidding me," Jubilee said as the imposing figure of Magneto entered the door. "I had no idea your battles were this interesting."

"What are you..." Cyclops began, only to be quieted by a gesture of Magneto's hand.

"Silence. There is no time. Jean," Magneto said, turning to the bewildered redhead woman. "Create a shield to protect the Morlocks. They are to be your concern right now. Mystique and Quicksilver, take them outside in small groups. Rogue, have at it."

"Mah pleasure." Rogue flew into an adjoining chamber where Gambit was battling two Marauders. "Not sure ah should help ya, but ah'm a sucker for a rascal in distress."

"Y' need t' stop stalkin' me, chere," he said, releasing a few charged cards into Scalphunter's side. "Might t'ink y' like me."

"Sugah, on the list of people ah like, ya don't even make the top ten."

"Christ, kill me," Arclight growled, sending ground pulses towards Gambit. "I'm here to fight, not to listen to you two act like hormonal bumpkins."

"Do ya mind, sister?" Rogue picked up the surprised Arclight in her hands and threw her easily against the wall. "Me and the Swamp Rat were talkin'."

"Dey call it flirtin' where I come from, petit."

"They speak bad French where you come from too, honey." Rogue lifted off the ground again and flew towards yet another chamber. "Ah've got some butts to spank now."

-----

A sudden blast knocked into Scott's side, knocking him to the floor. Quickly recovering, Scott found himself face to face with the palest face he'd ever seen on anyone, human or mutant. The hulking man was dressed in a shredded cape that floated lazily behind him. In the dead center of his forehead, a small red diamond shimmered.

"You are a fascinating creature, Scott Summers," the man said, shocking Scott. "I'm sorry, I should call you Cyclops on the field?"

"Who are you?" Scott asked, his surprise entering his voice.

"My name is Sinister," the man told him, his teeth curling back to reveal a row of shiny pointed teeth. "I am a scientist, you might say."

"Sinister?" Scott snorted in amusement. "That name is more likely to inspire laughter than fear."

"Your petty insults do not interest me," Sinister said. "I am here to see that my Marauders complete the task, plain and simple."

"This is your doing?" Scott raised his hand to his visor. "I ought to blast you through the wall."

"I would have you on the ground before you could push the button," Sinister told him.

"Why are you doing this?"

Sinister smiled. "Survival of the fittest. The Morlocks are unworthy to carry on the title of mutant. They are sniveling creatures, fit for tunnel life only. They serve no purpose other than to pollute the gene pool. They are not like you and I."

"You're sick," Scott hissed. "And we're not like you. We don't murder."

"Oh? Is that why I will have to make a third Vertigo?" He smiled at Scott's silence. "Admittedly, she's not the strongest of the team, but she does have her purposes. I like to keep one of her around. You see, Scott, I've made it my life mission to create the strongest mutant race ever. By my work, I will purify our kind until only the strongest mutants are created."

He cocked his head and observed Scott for a moment. "You and your fiancé would produce a most powerful group of offspring." He smiled coldly. "Perhaps I will spare the two of you long enough to see what sort of fun I can have with your tissue. Ms. Grey especially seems to have most impressive power."

"You leave Jean alone!" Scott pressed the side of his visor, but a blast from Sinister knocked Scott to the ground, redirecting his eye blast directly into the already unstable wall.

"Fine," Sinister said, positioning himself over Scott. "We'll do this the hard way."

-----

Entering the main chamber again, Rogue got a better look at the battle going on before her. There were so many separate fights going on, she could barely decide where to begin. Should she help with the evacuations, or jump back into battle? If she jumped back into battle, how many could she take out immediately?

You can't fight them all. Start with the powerful ones.

Carol. The typically unwelcome voice was surprisingly reassuring to her clouded mind. You're far stronger than the lot of them, Carol continued, her voice soothing. Come on. I'll help you.

She felt the influx confidence, as Carol added every bit of her strength to Rogue's. Combined, they were an unstoppable juggernaut with only one train of thought - Take the Marauders out.

Their first victim stood before them. Polaris. There was the one-time X-Man, engrossed in creating some sort of glowing magnetic field that was growing by the moment. Her. Take her out.

The movement was swift, and within seconds, Rogue had her pinned to the ground. Sparing a moment to remove a glove, she placed her bare hand on the surprised Marauder's face. "Your powers are mine now."

She jolted back, falling off of Lorna's paralyzed body. Somewhere inside Rogue, Carol let out a surprised shriek as not one, but two new presences entered Rogue's psyche.

Hello sweetheart, a new voice told Rogue, still weary from the absorption. Lorna? No, this was someone different.

Forcefully, Rogue was pulled back into her mind, which stretched before her like a barren tract of land. Carol was there, fists clenched. Lorna was on the ground, grasping her head as if gathering her wits. Completing the circle was a strange presence, neither human nor alien. Female in form, the figure grinned, if that's what the grotesque contortion on its 'face' could be called.

For the first time in ages, Rogue looked directly at Carol, who glanced back with wide blue eyes. "This place was already too crowded," Carol muttered angrily. "The last thing we need is another unwelcome houseguest."

"I'm with you on that," Rogue told her. Lashing forward, Rogue reached out to grasp the figure, only to be pushed back roughly with a burst of energy from the creature. The blow, which seemingly came from nothingness, knocked Rogue to the ground violently. She felt woozy, as if not only her body, but also her mind were under brutal assault.

Seeing the figure distracted in her attack on Rogue, Carol pounced, only to pass harmlessly through her, landing roughly on the other side. Composed of pure energy, the figure seemed impervious to a physical attack, standing fully erect with a grotesque smile on her face.

The grin froze on her face and was replaced by pure terror. Dazed, Carol turned to see a now recovered Lorna, standing angrily with her hands outstretched. A pulsating green magnetic energy shot out of her open palms, lacing into the shadowed figure. "That's enough, Malice," Lorna said, drawing her hands apart slowly. "My turn now."

Bit by bit, Malice began to break apart as Lorna polarized the field. Ions began to repel away from each other, breaking the shadowy figure apart. Finally, with a shrill cry, Malice broke apart completely, vaporizing into nothingness.

"Ah didn't know ya could do that," Rogue said, trying to catch breath knocked out of her. Lorna stared forward for a moment, slowly lowering her hands. Finally, she set her eyes on Rogue.

"In the mind, there are no rules," she said, her green eyes flickering. "I wanted to rip her apart molecule by molecule, so I found a way to do it."

Rogue and even Carol were shocked by the harshness in Lorna's voice. With a look that was not quite friendly, yet not entirely cold, the green haired woman asked "How do I get out of here?"

Carol snorted. "Honey, if I knew that, I wouldn't be here. I don't think Rogue held onto you long enough to make it permanent. You'll eventually fade." Lorna nodded, then turned away in thought. Focusing her attention on the Southern girl, Carol asked "You alright?"

"Ah think so," Rogue said. "Don't know what she hit me with, but it hurt. Ah can still feel it."

"You stay here," Carol said. "Gather yourself. I'll take over until you're better."

Rogue nodded, offering no resistance. Carol pushed to the front of Rogue's mind, deftly slipping herself into control. After a moment of disorientation, she found herself back in the middle of the battle. Lorna's unconscious body was still on the ground. Looking up, Carol found herself face to face with Magneto, who stood, glancing at her curiously.

"Take the girl's body out of the tunnels," Magneto barked to Quicksilver, who shot out of the tunnel with Lorna's body in his hands. Then, with a gesture to Carol, he spoke once more. "Come with me. We need you."

-----

Even her one use with Cerebro had never stretched Jean like this. Almost every ounce of energy she had was invested in the shield she had built to protect the Morlocks, who mostly huddled under it, shivering with terror. She was painfully aware that she had maxed her energies out, and they would likely fail her at any given moment. Refusing to give in, Jean reached inward, managing to pull on her last remaining reserves or energy to reinforce the shields.

Scott. She felt his pain the moment he was struck by a blast from the pasty-faced man who loomed over him menacingly. Stay away from him, she projected, trying to extend her force field far enough to reach her fiancé's fallen form.

Her focus began to break as she pushed at the very barriers of her ability. Pure psionic energy lashed out of her, shooting heavenwards with her cry for help. Jean felt herself becoming a veritable supernova of psychic energy as she desperately held on to any sense of control she had.

Somebody help me, she cried out in vain, her silent prayer to the God that seemed to have abandoned her. Her mental cry pushed out into the heavens with the pulsating psionic energy, creating something of a telepathic beacon.

Her cry was heard. Something answered.

The psionic energy changed from a crystalline white to a dull red, then began to glow in intensity as the power she expelled suddenly reversed, channeling back into her. Instead of sapped, she felt rejuvenated, as if the lives and energies of millions upon millions of beings were all manifested in her small frame. Relax, a calm voice told her. I will guide you.

Her shield came back quickly, restructuring itself with lightning speed. Confidence surged through her, drawing forth a smile to the edges of her lips. What kind of power this was, she didn't know. Never before had she felt such raw power. It was exhilarating.

The psionic beacon compacted and began to float around her in the image of flames, delicately curling around her body in fiery tendrils. Though her body appeared to be engulfed in an inferno, she felt nothing but utter calmness. The flames would not hurt her.

"Jeannie?" Scott asked, his gaze fixed on her. She turned her eyes to where her fiancé lay on the ground directly in the shadow of the pasty faced man. Sinister. She didn't know how she knew his name, but somehow it came to her.

"Fascinating," Sinister said, his lips curling back to reveal pointed white teeth. "What remarkable power." His hand extended, the mad scientist appeared ready to release a bolt that, under normal circumstances, would possibly have killed her. He would not have that opportunity today.

Jean's eyes narrowed, and with a slight raising of her hand, she released a burst of flame that engulfed Sinister, immolating him in the golden red flames. He let out a cry, more animalistic than human, as energy slowly burned out of him, bit by bit. As his life left him, Jean fed on it, her own powers increasing even as he lost his.

The walls of the tunnels could stand the stress no longer, ad they began to break apart in chunks. Before Jean could turn her attention to reinforcing them, the walls began to hold together again, as Rogue and Magneto combined their respective powers to create a magnetic shield strong enough to reinforce the entire tunnels.

"I can't hold it much longer," Carol, who was still controlling Rogue's body, called, "the powers are slipping again."

"I will not be able to hold it by myself," Magneto told the bewildered crowd. "Exit, as fast as you can. Leave us here."

"Jean, let's go," Scott said, hesitating to draw near her. "The caverns are coming down."

"Leave us," she replied, her eyes never leaving Sinister, who contorted in her grasp. "We'll not die today."

"I'm not leaving you!" Scott told her, reaching out to grab her. He was stopped by Wolverine, who roughly pulled him back. Scott gave a rough look to his Canadian teammate, who kept a firm grasp on his wrist. "Let me go," he said sharply.

"She's a big girl, Cyke," Wolverine said. "We've got to get the rest of these guys out here. You and I both know she'll be alright."

"The walls are coming down!" Carol barked. "Get OUT!"

Scott hesitated a moment longer. "Fine," Wolverine said. With a quick movement, Wolverine picked Scott up and threw him over his shoulder, marching out. "We'll do this the hard way."

"Put me down!" Scott growled. "I need to go back to Jean."

"You stay here, you die," Wolverine said. "And while I ain't sayin' I like ya, I'm not lettin' ya die either. We're going."

They were barely out of the caverns when the tunnels finally caved, crashing down with a resounding thunder. A hundred or so mutants huddled at the surface, burying their faces in each other's shoulders to keep their eyes away from the crater that now stood where the tunnels once were.

"JEAN!" Scott cried, breaking free of Logan. He ran towards the tunnel door, only to fall to the ground as another section of tunnel caved. Dust flew up in the air, and Scott coughed, unable to see anything.

"Scott!" Ororo cried, moving through the smoke to find her friend.

"I'm alright," he told her, pulling himself up on his arms.

"Who else was down there," she asked, lending him a hand.

"Rogue, Magneto, and Jean," he said, his jaw set. I think everyone else got out.

Storm turned her eyes to the rock-filled crater that stood before her. "I can't see anything," she said softly. "It doesn't look good."

The discussion was interrupted by a rumbling of a different sort. The ground around them began to shake softly, and the sound of moving rocks filled the area. The pile of rocks began to shift and finally part, creating an opening in the very center of the pile.

There was silence for a moment, then Rogue's unharmed figure flew out with an unconscious Magneto in her arms.

"Rogue!" Scott called out, genuinely thrilled to see his old friend.

"Carol," she corrected, placing Magneto on the ground gently. "But close enough.

"Where's Jean?" Scott asked.

As soon as the question left his mouth, light shot up out of the hole, bathing the sky in a bright scarlet color. Shading his eyes from the glare, Scott turned to see Jean's body slowly rising from the center only to hover in the air above the crater. The fire that hard burned around her earlier was stronger now, wrapping her body in golden red flames. Her arms outstretched, she formed the figure of a firebird, flames composing her gilded wings.

The crowd was silent for a moment, before Quicksilver's bewildered voice broke through. "Okay, I KNOW she wasn't doing that before."

Jean was quiet as she slowly lowered herself to the ground, standing before an open-mouthed Storm and Cyclops. "I don't know what's going on," she said calmly, before they could speak. "I'm not sure I can even explain it. But right now, we have about two hundred mutants in serious need of medical attention."

-----

Overnight, the population of the school had doubled, as the Morlocks set up camp all over the mansion. Sympathetic students took some of the unharmed mutants into their dormitories, sharing their living space with the shaken crowd until other arrangements could be made. Of the two hundred or so mutants who'd been in the caverns, about seventy-five had received some sort of wounding. Countless dead remained behind, buried under the rocks of the tunnels, lying beside the bodies of the destroyed Marauders.

In regards to the school, most of the X-Men and Generation X were virtually unscathed. Husk's eyes had been slightly injured by Prism, one of the Marauders. Jubilee had some burn marks from where Scrambler had made her powers go haywire.

Beast was the only serious wounding on the team. The harpoon had ripped into his side, destroying quite a bit of the tissue. While he wasn't fatally wounded, he was not likely to leave the infirmary anytime soon.

Rogue and the rest of the Brotherhood had stayed long enough to see that the Morlocks were settled in. Despite Logan and even Remy's attempts at persuasion, Rogue refused to come back to the mansion. "Ah have things ah need to figure out first," she told them. "It's just not time."

Lorna awoke to quite a bit of disorientation, yet found that her powers had managed to survive Rogue's absorption. She spent a few days in the infirmary, recovering from the disorientation Malice's possession had left her with. She was unable to explain exactly what had happened, and was hesitant to even discuss it. Professor X had finally decided to leave her in the capable hands of Remy and Ororo, who reported that she had agreed to rejoin the team once she was feeling healthier.

No one mentioned Jean's dramatic show of power, though a few people kept a comfortable distance away from the telekinetic. Jean herself did not particularly feel inclined to discuss her change just yet, despite Scott's attempt to broach the subject.

A few days after the attack, once things around the mansion had quieted some, the Professor assembled the entire team in the War Room, save Beast and Lorna. "I realize this comes at an awkward time," he began, "But something appears to have come up."

"Is it bad, Professor?" Jean asked, calmly swinging her legs back and forth.

"I'm not sure," the Professor said. "I received this letter in the mail a couple days ago. Ororo, if you will please read it."

Taking the pressed white envelope the Professor handed her, Ororo began to read the typed letter. "Dear Professor Xavier," she cleared her throat. "It had come to my attention that the school you are currently running, the Xavier School for Gifted Youngsters, has a sizeable mutant population." Her eyebrows raised in surprise. "In fact, if my sources are not mistaken, your student body is entirely composed of young mutant students."

"How..." Scott began.

"There is more," the Professor said.

"I have no plans at this time to inform the media or any authorities of your unique situation. You see, in my own student body, I have a handful of mutant students whose well-being I am heavily engrossed in. I would like to set up a private conference in which we could discuss your most fascinating situation. I feel that our two schools, having a common interest in the welfare of our students, could forge a mutually beneficial partnership. If you would be so kind as to direct your correspondence to my fellow Headmaster's assistant Tessa, I would like to set up some sort of meeting as soon as possible. As CEO of Frost Enterprises, I do spend quite a bit of time in New York, and it would thus be no problem for me to fly up to your school immediately. Regards, Emma Frost of the Massachusetts Academy."

"Is this woman serious?" Logan asked. "'I know the secret of your school. Let's do lunch?' It doesn't add up."

"You're not considering her proposition, are you Professor?" Scott asked.

"Considering it?" Professor Xavier raised one eyebrow. "I've already accepted it. Emma Frost arrives first thing tomorrow morning."

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