Summary: The X-men have moved into their new home, but Jael isn't about to let them get too comfortable. Part three of my Game series.
Rated M for profanity, violence and some sexual content.
Disclaimer : I do not own the X-men or any of their associated villains, but the Siskans, the Dognan, Jael and the Outkasts are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Thanks. :)
Updated 10-24-13 to add (break)s as needed and do the usual fixin's.
(One)
I can hear your next question already – "How can you know so much from just vague whisperings in the black, Dreamer?"
Well, I didn't remain in the simple black for long. I heard only the voices at first because I myself was no longer out in the world. I had shattered and that shattering was so severe and so complete that I had no other recourse but to build a wall to protect what little sanity I had left. The wall I built was rather grand, I must say, one that no ordinary person could hope to tear down. Fortunately for me, it was an extraordinary person who came to rescue me.
"Who was that?" you might ask. Ah, but that would spoil the surprise and since I - being the precog in this tale who knows how the story will end - know also that it would be a crime for me to give it all away at once. You'll meet my dear friend soon enough, I promise.
As I said, I hid behind my wall, but once I was freed from it and repaired, my dreams began to change. I saw the door and walked through it into the room of black as I had done before. I still heard the voices with their strange vague whisperings, but then - the very first night after I was so forcefully smashed back together again as viciously as I had been torn apart - a window opened up in my black little room. Where there had once been a wall, there was now a square of grey static floating there like a movie screen. It didn't show me vivid pictures of a brave new world, not just yet anyhow. All there was at first was grey static for a moment and then something appeared. It was a simple object, just a small stack of books.
"Your new Master will bring you these in a few days," the voices said. And he did.
My new Master was quite persistent in wooing me, he was clever enough to know that mere words were lost on one so damaged as myself. He offered me treats instead – books, something new to eat, new toys to play with. His tenacity won out in the end, I was soon accepting these small bribes of his and later, grew to love them.
Soon after that, I saw the vague outline of a woman – "You will meet someone new tomorrow." And I did. She was my clutchmate and sister, Babette, and one of the most beautiful Siskans I have ever known.
At first these things were wonderful, even fun, but when I would return to the black room in my dreams at night, I would still hear her, my special one, she who calls out to me always – "Catch me, Aiden! Catch me!"
I can't explain why, but her words terrify me as much as they fill me with hope.
(break)
The same day that Gambit, Molly and Kimble had finally settled their personal affairs, Logan walked into his new office and set his box of records and books down. This office was very nice and roomy, having a large filing cabinet and a small bank of video monitors on the wall. Everything was fully automated, top of the line technology. He would have more access and freedom to investigate and observe here than back at the Mansion.
This was day one of his new job and he couldn't be more thrilled. Back at Westchester, he had been Head of Security. This new Complex was a much bigger place and that vocation was now divided between six individuals, himself included. Each one was given a slice of the facility and that became their jurisdiction. As each new group of refugees and returning X-men were added, they were placed in the Complex together. The Westchester people were pretty much all lumped on the same two levels and these became Logan's territory since he knew them best. That territory included the two Siskans, Henry's labs, the gymnasium, and the Solarium. He had insisted on having that section of the facility because he wanted to keep watch on Kimble and be able to have a say in anything that came up.
Each of the two floors Wolverine now controlled had a small security station that anyone with a complaint could come to. This main office had a lockup with six secure holding cells, just like the Security block back at the Institute. Logan was now a small chief of police and he had handpicked his own crew to assist him. He had Max with him of course, but also some of the Institute's top telekinetics, including two new guys, Jerry Maxwell and John Brown. He also had two of his favorite teammates on his crew, the feisty Rogue and Kurt Wagner - the teleporter known as Nightcrawler and his best drinking buddy.
Wolverine and his crew were to make the rounds on each floor and be a comforting presence to those who might think this place unsafe. Logan had the power to arrest and to detain if it came down to it, plus he was in charge of making sure all of the security measures were in place. He distributed badges within his territory and made sure no one was sneaking around on a level where they didn't belong. Logan was a high ranking X-man and Charles Xavier, now the head honcho of this would be Clan, was trusting him not to be a bully and abuse his power.
Logan didn't think his job was going to be that difficult. Most folks here were well disciplined, it was just nice to know there was someone you could go to to settle disputes or if something got stolen. He knew that often the biggest problem in a mutant community such as this would most likely be contraband related. Substance abuse was high amongst mutants, they didn't always feel they fit in or some believed their mutations made them immune to the substances' side effects or that they were above the law. The rules here were simple, drinking was kept to a minimum and kept mainly to the Clubs where it could be regulated. Narcotics would not be allowed at all. Logan knew that would be the hardest part, keeping the illegal drugs out. With his new position, he was almost as good as a vice cop now. He would have to keep a sharp eye and nose on things.
The Westchester folks were kept close to one another. Wolverine, Karen, and their brood were given an apartment only four doors down from where Remy and Kimble were located. Henry's main lab was just above that as was Fallen and Seth's apartment. Cyclops and Jean were right next door to Logan now as well. Rogue was on his other side. His primary teammates were right beside him and that suited him just fine. He had a feeling that would be critical if and when Jael ever showed up to collect Kimble for real.
Logan was taking no chances on Kimble's potential misbehavior, he had brought along the Siskan's entertainment materials from the holding cell back home and was already getting them nice and comfy in holding cell six, down on the end where it was nice and private. Kimble had spent most of his last days at Westchester in the lockup and Wolverine had a feeling it wouldn't be long before he was back here again. Logan didn't dislike Kimble, he just didn't trust the guy to keep it together. He didn't share Remy's optimism that Kimble could just magically blend in with the society here, even Seth really hadn't integrated well. Seth got by because he kept himself isolated and he had a strong Mistress to keep him in line. Fallen hadn't tried to integrate Seth as Remy had with Kimble and that had worked out just fine. Too bad Gambit couldn't admit that he'd done his best and should just lock Kimble up for good, all nice and quiet.
Logan opened up the box he had brought and started setting up his files. This was a nice room, he had never had an official office back at Westchester. It was sign that Charles had finally admitted that militarizing and organizing this large group of mutants was going to be mandatory if they were going to keep a civilized society in place. Three hundred folks with various powers and temperaments made for a highly volatile environment and their numbers were growing daily. He was never more conscious of that than now. He had his kids to worry about.
Three of them. Jeez! When had that happened? It wasn't all that long ago he had declared he would never marry or ever bring a child into this ugly barbaric world. He had his precious Jessie, a precocious six year old, hair as red as her mother's and just as gentle. Leslie was his four year old darling, a rugrat eager to get into everything and anything. Then there was Carter. Carter was still an infant, just about seven months old now. He was quiet, that one, a natural brooder and his steel grey eyes ever watchful. His hands were disfigured and at first they thought he was deformed until Henry had his fingers X-rayed and they discovered the buds of what would be future talons. He would have the powerful clawed hands of his uncle, Sabretooth. Logan just prayed he wouldn't inherit the bad temper and instability as well.
Kids, who would have thought it? His kids? Guess it just went to show that you never knew what life was going to throw at you. Logan was ever watchful, using his powers and knowledge to keep his kids and his X-men safe.
His wife Karen had opened up shop here at the Complex as well. Being the house shrink had its perks, most of her clients had moved along with her. She was close by, only two doors down from his new office. If someone rowdy was brought in, she would be right there to assist. She still had commitments back East, but Fallen could shuffle her back and forth for a while until they were done. Karen was his right hand partner in all things and he would be happy when she was here to stay.
Logan unpacked his box and sat at his desk. He wasn't one to be happy about change, but here he couldn't complain. He had more equipment and ultimately more power than before. He wished he wouldn't be in a position to have to use it, but he knew better. Just having Kimble here pretty much assured that the holding cells would see some use.
"Hey, boss. Like the new digs?"
Wolverine looked up to see Rogue standing in his doorway. He was glad to have her on his team, she was a natural powerhouse. She was tough as nails and didn't take crap from nobody. "Yeah, actually I do."
"Have you seen the new Danger Room Henry built here? He's outdone himself this time." While some of the senior staff hadn't been aware of this new facility, Henry had been busy here for some time. He would fly back and forth between both facilities and had been working closely with Warren on seeing that things were installed properly and all the precautions taken. Many of the more sophisticated options, like the Danger Room, were operational now or pretty close to it.
"Nope," Logan answered, "But I've been invited to break her in later today, same as you."
"Lookin' forward to a little lettin' loose. All those mutie haters outside just give me the creeps. In the meantime, Ah just got a call. There's been a disturbance in the Third Level Common Room. Someone iced up the soda machine. Literally."
Mutants, gotta love 'em. "Anyone seen Bobby in the area?"
"Actually, he's down in the gym. Seems like we've got more than one Iceboy here."
"Lovely."
"Shall we?" Rogue said, sweeping her arm out into the hallway.
"Let's," Logan replied, standing up and grabbing his jacket.
(break)
Remy hobbled up the stairs to the Danger Room control booth, cursing his injury with each step. The brace and cane had given him more mobility than the cast, but that didn't mean navigating an upward climb was any easier. An elevator had been installed for this upstairs room but he wasn't about to admit he was feeble enough to have to use it. He did feel oddly better than he had just yesterday morning, as if that last session with Kimble the previous night had revived him somewhat. His leg had been itching like mad all day, like it was telling him to hurry up and get this healing over with. The stairs were mercifully short and lead to a control room that oversaw the newly improved Danger Room that had been installed in the Complex.
He had been invited to this practice session but, being on the disabled list, couldn't fully participate. It wasn't a position he was used to being in and he had been hating every minute of it. He felt like he was missing out on everything and was going more than a little stir crazy. He wasn't alone in being sidelined or disabled, Charles was overseeing the session taking place down below.
The Danger Room was a room that Henry McCoy and Charles Xavier had designed that used machines and Shi'ar technology to simulate environments and opponents so that the X-men could exercise their more dangerous skills in safety. They were supervised from above and evaluated for strengths and weakness to keep their skills sharp and their confidence high.
Charles' most senior staff was no longer assigned to squads like they had been on years before, they were older now and that experience was being spent on training the next generation. That is not to say they didn't go out on missions when needed, but not as organized squads or groups. With the emerging human threat outside their walls due to Jael's destructive Game playing, it was more important than ever to see to it that those most powerful on the X-team stayed in proper shape.
This new room was larger and more sophisticated than the one back home. It was the size of a football field and currently simulating an urban environment. Grouped together was the remnants of Gambit's old Blue squad – Wolverine, Rogue, Phoenix, Cyclops and Nightcrawler.
As if anticipating the troubles to come, Charles had programmed in a simulated anti-mutant death squad similar to the ones being reported in the papers. The group of ersatz terrorists wasn't particularly large, there were only about five of them, but they were heavily armed. What was going to make this session difficult, was the parameters that Charles had set – none of the humans or surrounding structures were to be seriously harmed. Property damage and loss of life were the two chief complaints among the innocent bystanders the media enjoyed so much to interview.
Charles spared Gambit hardly a glance as he heard the thief's clumsy entrance, but greeted warmly, "Glad you could join us. Have a seat."
Remy shuffled to a nearby chair and dumped himself in with a grace only this nimble thief could manage. "Dey get started yet?"
Charles smiled just a little, "Only just now. You're right on time."
Inside the Danger Room, Wolverine was in the back of the group, biding his time. The squad here today had not operated as such for some time, but they had fallen back into their old roles as easily as putting on a pair of worn but well loved pair of shoes. Cyclops as usual was up front with his wife, Jean, trying to negotiate with the gang of mutie haters. Of course they knew this was a simulated exercise and that talking their way out of it most likely was not going to work, but they had to do it for ritual. Sometimes these sessions were taped and played for students so all the bases had to be covered.
Behind Phoenix and Cyclops stood Nightcrawler and Rogue. Rogue was a bit of scrapper and it showed, already her fists had clenched and her shoulders tightened as she scanned the group in front of them, already assessing their weaknesses. Rogue had earned every inch of her codename, she was a bit of a loner these days and not always predictable in the field – with one exception. She could always be counted on to have your back. Logan had seen her bust through brick walls and plow through bad guys like a bowling ball through pins to save him when she thought he needed the help. She was fearless and courageous, never hesitating to do the rough stuff. It was the main reason he had selected her to be one of the high ranking officers on his security detail.
Next to her stood Kurt Wagner, or Nightcrawler as he was called in the field. He was a handy man to have around, he was a teleporter and master gymnast, hard to catch and agile. He could blend into shadows and cling to walls in dark places without being noticed. He was also the cool head to balance out Rogue and Logan on the team. Kurt was soft spoken and kind, quick to lend a compassionate ear to your troubles or a hand to help out. He often volunteered to do work with homeless mutants and any new people who came on board back at the Mansion. Kurt hadn't been here in the new facility long and already he was finding new ways to be of help by volunteering through his church and seeing that the new people found their way around. It wasn't always easy for him, his mutation wasn't limited to his ability to teleport, he had the appearance of a demon – a dark indigo complexion, yellow eyes, elven ears and a demon's pointed tail made him look a lot less friendly than he actually was. His hands and feet were also strange, he possessed only three fingers and toes. While odd in appearance, they actually gave him greater gripping power and added to his agility. Unfortunately he looked much scarier than he actually was and it could take some time before people got used to him.
Logan, the fall back guy or last resort, remained in the back. He would step in when all the other plans were tried and failed. It looked like his services might needed this round.
"We'ere here to help you and stop the violence," Cyclops was saying. He was attempting to persuade the gang of men in front of him to stand down. It didn't seem to be working.
"You people think you can come into our streets, into our homes, and do as you please! These are our homes and our streets and we're going to take them back!" The man in front raised his gun and fired.
Jean's response was swift and effective. Jean Grey, codename Phoenix, was a master telepath and telekine. These Danger Room exercises served her well – she couldn't telepathically read the AI of simulated people - the Siskans included -and that deficiency kept her from depending on her mental powers too much. Even her perceptive mind could be deceived, it was best to be able to operate without telepathy in case it was ever blunted or blocked out somehow. Years of training and field work had her responding with no more thought than scratching an itch. She threw up a telekinetic shield to protect her teammates from the oncoming bullets, making it not so hard that the bullets would bounce back into the man who fired, but that they would be ensnared in it and kept from causing further damage.
Jean had no more than raised the shield when Nightcrawler played his own hand. He teleported swiftly, leaving behind his trademark cloud of smoke with a soft "bamf"-ing sound. In what looked like a carefully orchestrated dance, he reappeared and disappeared in bursts around the five gang members, taking as many weapons from them as he could snatch and toss away. His power was disconcerting to the uninitiated, the men were simulated but their confusion was realistic enough. As fast as they could try to reach for him, Kurt was gone and somewhere else.
When Jean saw Kurt's signature plumes of black smoke, she dissolved the shield she had made and she and the rest of her teammates advanced as one. Cyclops had the ability to fire beams of energy from his eyes. That did not mean it was his first option of attack. He started with his hands, using his martial arts skills to disable the first man he reached. The X-men took cues from their police counterparts and came prepared. He and the others always carried plastic wire tie hand cuffs and as fast as he was able, he had the man twisted around and backwards, and then cuffed before the man could do more than gasp in surprise.
The next guy was a bit faster than the first. He dodged Scott's grasp for him and snatched at one of the guns Kurt had tossed aside. He had no more than laid his fingers on it when he was fired upon. A bright flash of red had come from Cyclops's visor and made a sharp stinging brand on the back on his hand.
He howled in pain and surprise , but was next sprawled out on his back. Rogue had taken flight and given him a swift kick to the chin to lay him out. She could have hit him much harder, but her training had given her fine control and she was ever mindful of the mission parameters. She could have easily killed him but that would have defeated the purpose of the exercise. With two down and three left to go - technically two, since Nightcrawler was wrestling down the last guy he 'ported to - Rogue never broke stride as she took on the next man, bowling him over and knocking him down. Her enhanced strength was no match for him and he was down and cuffed in no time.
Logan meanwhile had held back, watching the goings on with a smile. He was enjoying watching Rogue work. He was glad he had chosen her to help on his security team, she had her man down in five seconds flat, cuffed and ready to go. Wolverine could have chosen to jump in here, but he was choosing to use this as an opportunity to watch Rogue and 'Crawler work. He was evaluating their effectiveness for his security team and was quite pleased with what he had seen.
The last man remaining from the gang took flight. Scott turned and grinned at Logan, the one member who had done nothing more than stand back and watch so far this session. Nothing needed to be said, Wolverine launched himself after the guy with animal swiftness. It wasn't even close to a fair fight, for his size Logan was quite speedy when he had to be. He would be the first to admit that he liked this, hunting down his prey and taking them down. He loved the kill, a guilty pleasure he kept to himself. Unlike Sabretooth, he had learned to hold that deadly secret in check, he would not harm anyone without a good reason. He did not kill for sport. He jumped the man from behind and they tumbled to the ground, a wolf tackling its prey with all the skill of a true hunter. Logan pinned the man down with his superior weight – he was about three hundred pounds with all of his metal bones – and had him cuffed before the dust had even begun to settle.
Remy sat in his seat, one hand absently scratching at his leg. The itch was deep down inside and he would never be able to get at it, but the rubbing still felt good. He was watching the Danger Room exercise and feeling a sort of gloom settle over him. He knew he would never be able to sit out any of these exercises for long. Like Logan, it was in his blood now. Plus he was concerned that if something did happen with Jael right away, he wouldn't be unable to hold up his end of things. He wanted his family safe and he couldn't imagine not being able to help out.
"Henry says you should be back on the team soon," Xavier commented. He hadn't exactly pried into Remy's thoughts, the boy was telegraphing them all on his own without speaking a word. "You have an appointment with him soon?"
"Oui. Tomorrow. But de brace ain't gonna come off a couple more weeks at least," Remy replied, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice. Man, he was so bored.
"Well, Kimble should be keeping you busy."
Gambit grinned. " 'E still a little nervous 'bout t'ings."
"Well, he can be assured he will be safe here. With all the protection we have installed and having the bulk of the team here, he should have nothing to worry about."
"I'll keep an eye on him."
Charles looked at him with a smile. "I'm sure you will."