The team gathered in the dimly lit corridor, the cold, damp walls of the abandoned dam pressing in on them. They had just received Mystique's signal—she was in, and the spillway had been opened. The path to Cerebro was clear, but everyone knew the mission was far from over.

Logan glanced at the others, his expression grim. "She's good," he said, his voice low and approving.

Magneto, standing slightly apart from the rest, allowed himself a small, knowing smile. "You have no idea."

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As they moved through the corridors, Rory could feel the tension mounting. Every step echoed ominously, the shadows seemed to stretch and twist, and the sound of distant machinery hummed through the walls. They reached the command room, where two guards were struggling to force the door open.

Rory took a deep breath, focusing on the energy coursing through her. She reached out with her mind, warping the guards' reality. Their eyes glazed over as they began to stumble, disoriented and confused, lost in a world of their own making.

"They won't be a problem now," Rory whispered to the team.

Jean nodded, her face set in concentration as she used her telekinesis to lift the guards off the ground and push them aside. With a flick of his wrist, Magneto tore the door from its hinges, the metal creaking and groaning as it gave way. Inside, Mystique stood waiting.

"Have you found it?" Magneto asked, his voice cold and direct.

"A large portion of energy from the dam has been diverted to this chamber," Mystique replied, her gaze steady. "Cerebro."

"Can you shut it down from here?" Storm asked, stepping forward, her concern evident.

Mystique shook her head. "No."

Magneto's expression darkened. "Come, there's little time," he said, turning to lead the way.

Rory stepped forward, determination in her eyes. "Not without us," she insisted.

Suddenly, Storm's eyes widened with realization. "Oh my god, the children," she gasped, turning to Mystique. "Kurt, Jean, will you come with me?"

"Yes," they responded in unison, their resolve clear.

"Where are they?" Storm demanded, her urgency palpable.

"They're being held in a containment cell one level down," Mystique answered.

"We'll get the children and meet you at Cerebro," Storm said, already forming a plan in her mind.

"I'll try to find Scott and the professor," Rory said, steeling herself for what lay ahead.

Storm cast a wary glance at Magneto and Mystique. "Will you be alright without us?"

Rory nodded. "Yeah, I'll be fine."

As they prepared to split up, Jean's gaze fell on a metallic device on a nearby table. Storm frowned. "Where's Logan?"

Jean sighed. "He's gone."

The tension in the air thickened as Rory and the others exchanged glances. They knew the mission was only going to get more dangerous from here. Rory's heart pounded as she thought about Scott, somewhere in this labyrinthine facility, possibly in danger. She pushed the fear aside, focusing on the task at hand. There was no time to waste.

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Rory followed closely behind Mystique and Magneto, her eyes never leaving their movements. The silence of the dimly lit corridor was abruptly shattered by an eerie whooshing sound that reverberated through the hallways.

Her instincts on high alert, Rory slowed her pace, scanning the area for any sign of danger. The corridor stretched out ahead, shadowy and foreboding. As Magneto and Mystique moved forward, Rory suddenly felt a rush of wind and a crackling sound that sent a shiver down her spine.

Without warning, Scott appeared from a side corridor, his eyes blazing with a fierce, controlled intensity. Rory's heart raced as she saw the beam of energy shoot past her, narrowly missing her head. Instinctively, she threw herself to the ground, barely avoiding the blast.

Struggling to regain her footing, Rory shouted over her shoulder, "Go! I'll take care of him!"

Magneto, momentarily startled, lifted himself off the ground and glanced back. "This is one lover's quarrel we cannot get involved in, my dear," he said, his voice edged with a mix of amusement and resolve.

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"Scott?" Her voice is soft, filled with concern. "Scott, it's me. Rory."

Scott doesn't respond. Instead, he slowly turns to face her, his eyes cold and distant, devoid of the warmth she knows so well. His hand hovers near his visor, ready to unleash his optic blast.

"Rory... you shouldn't be here." His voice is flat, emotionless—a stark contrast to the man she loves.

Rory takes a cautious step forward, her heart aching. "Scott, listen to me. Someone's controlling you."

Scott's hand tenses over his visor, and Rory instinctively braces herself. "I have my orders," he says, his voice robotic, almost lifeless. "I have to stop you."

Before Rory can react, Scott unleashes a powerful optic blast, narrowly missing her as she dives out of the way. The beam carves a deep gash into the wall behind her, sending debris flying.

"Scott, stop!" she pleads, scrambling to her feet. "You don't want to do this!"

But Scott is relentless. He fires another blast, forcing Rory to dodge again. She realizes with a sinking feeling that he's not holding back—Stryker's control has turned him into a weapon.

 "I'm sorry, Scott. I have to stop you."

Rory's eyes begin to glow with an intense light as she summons her powers. She extends her hand, and suddenly, the world around Scott begins to warp and twist. The floor beneath him shifts, the walls closing in as her mind-warping abilities take hold.

Scott staggers, disoriented by the sudden change in his surroundings. "Rory, what are you doing?" he growls, his voice tinged with confusion.

"Trying to save you." Her voice is steady, but there's a hint of desperation in her eyes.

Scott struggles against the illusion, his mind fighting to break free from her grip. But Rory doesn't relent. She amplifies the illusion, creating multiple versions of herself around him, each one a mirror image, trying to distract him, trying to get through to him.

Scott's frustration grows as he fires at the illusions, each blast tearing through the air but hitting nothing. "Get out of my head!" he shouts, his voice cracking with anger and fear.

Rory steps forward, her real self emerging from the shadows. "I know you're in there, Scott. Fight it! Fight Stryker's control!"

For a brief moment, Scott hesitates. The coldness in his eyes flickers, replaced by a flash of recognition. "Rory..." he murmurs, his hand trembling over his visor.

But the moment is fleeting. Scott's expression hardens once more. He unleashes a devastating optic blast, and Rory barely has time to erect a psychic shield to protect herself. The force of the blast sends her skidding backward, her shield shimmering as it absorbs the impact.

Rory's heart races as she realizes how close she came to being hit. She knows she's running out of time—if she doesn't stop Scott soon, one of them will get seriously hurt.

"I'm sorry, Scott."

She focuses all her energy, reaching deep into Scott's mind. She bypasses the illusions, going straight for the influence, trying to sever Stryker's hold on him. Scott's mind is a chaotic storm, torn between his true self and the control forced upon him.

Scott cries out in pain, clutching his head as Rory's psychic assault battles against Stryker's programming. "Stop it!" he yells, his voice a mixture of Scott's own anguish and Stryker's cold commands.

"You're stronger than this, Scott! Fight it! Remember who you are!"

With a final, desperate push, Rory channels all her power into breaking Stryker's control. The link sparks and crackles, the connection between it and Scott's mind fraying under the strain.

Scott drops to his knees, his visor slipping from his hand as he clutches his head. The pain is unbearable, his mind caught in a violent tug-of-war between Stryker's control and Rory's plea.

"Come back to me, Scott. Please."

Finally, the link shatters, its grip on Scott's mind broken. He gasps, his eyes wide and unfocused as the remnants of the control fade away. Slowly, he looks up at Rory, his expression dazed, but his eyes—his beautiful, red eyes underneath his visor—are his own again.

 "Rory..." His voice is weak, filled with confusion and pain. "What... what happened?"

Rory rushes to his side, dropping to her knees beside him. She pulls him into a tight embrace, relief washing over her like a tidal wave. "You're okay. You're back."

Scott leans into her embrace, his strength returning as he clings to the one thing that brought him back from the brink, placing soft kisses on the column of her neck. "I'm so sorry, Rory. I didn't mean to—"

 "Shh, it's okay. It wasn't your fault." She gently lifts his chin, making him look at her. "You're safe now. We're safe."

"Scott?" He hums, looking up at her. "I love you."

"I love you more."

They stay like that for a moment, holding onto each other, as the world around them slowly returns to normal. The fight is over, but the scars it left behind will take time to heal. But for now, they have each other—and that's all that matters.