04B you are it
'You're IT!'
By DelCreed and Griffin
Disclaimer:
This is a dimension #2 Griffin story Griffin in any dimension is mine, mine I say. So if you want to use him please ask, submit a blood sample to me and write a 1,000,000 word explanation on what you want to do with him and then I might let you barrow him, the same thing goes for the twins Loric and Navar (Hide 'n' Seek) Marvel owns all the rights to the X-Men, Gen-X and X-Factor, and I admit to borrowing them from time to time without their permission I don't make any money doing this, or anything else in my life (Being an 'on call' Security Agent doesn't pay all that much folks) This is part three, it follows: 'Hide and Seek' and 'Camping with the Creeds'… (Griffin: and may God have mercy on us for writing this)Prologue:
When we last joined our heroes they were at a campsite chosen by Mystique, who'd had this strange idea that she could get Victor to bond with his cubs if he just spent some 'Quality Time' alone with them. Well after the near kidnapping of Griffin and the new found feelings of 'Parental Panic' for Vic, she just maybe on the right track after all. Then who should be staying at the same campground as the Creeds… The FoH. Now the FoH have cleared out and its time for… Hide and Seek, you're it!
X-Factor turned their armored personnel carrier around and returned to HQ, there was no need at this time to engage the FoH. The signal from the Nanny unit announcing all clear and Griffin was back to as normal as he could get (Hey!).
By the time the sun had set Griffin felt like himself again, all signs of the beating he'd suffered at the hands of the FoH were healed and there wasn't a scratch on him now. Mystique called to make sure he was okay, not trusting the Nanny any farther then she could throw it, she even went as far as having one of the watcher balls do another scan of him to match against the control scan of a 'pre-camping with Victor Griffin' and it too said he was in top form. Once dinner was over, a hardy stew this time, Victor stood up and faced sons. He'd seen that over the course of the day the campsites had cleared out and they were about the only ones left, so with a big grin he happily announced,
"Tonight we're playing 'Hide and Seek' boys; the goal is not to get caught, NO. MATTER. WHAT." He emphasized. "You can only use powers that a collar couldn't cancel out, agility, claws, strength, and so on. No vanishing, flying, melding together, or illusion. Got it?" The boys nodded. "It's everybody for himself, that means if it comes down to you or your brother surviving, make sure its you." Vic instructed, but seeing their looks of worry he softened slightly and added, "We'll run a teamwork exercise after, first I just want to see strength and weaknesses."
#When do we start?# Griffin asked becoming more interested.
"Let's just say if you're still standin' here by the time I finish my beer, you won't need to worry about 'when'." The three boys eyed the ¾ full bottle and scattered, "I said solo!" The twins split up; once hidden in the woods Navar went in the direction of the main lodge, behind the kitchen part he saw that the a was open. He peeked in to see a lady, in her early forties, doing some dishes.
"Um… Hi." Navar smiled at her endearingly.
"Oh, hello you're one of the boys who helped to run off those idio- I mean undesirable people."
"ya, Sorry for bothering you but my dad sent me to see if you had any pepper and um, vinegar." He lowered his voice, "Griffin got skunked." Navar held up a few dollars. "We can pay for it." The woman smiled at the boy with an impish grin.
"Of course, your brother is having quite a day, here isn't he?" She dug out a large bottle of white vinegar and handed him a red and white, tin of black pepper.
"Gosh, thank you so much. My dad will just love this." Navar took his prizes and ran off into the woods, when he reached the tree line he rubbed himself along the ground creating a sent trail, then holding his sensitive nose he splashed the vinegar on the ground around him in a wide circle, outside that he distributed the pepper in a wider circle, so once passed the vinegar his parent would be in for a second surprise. Navar then doubled back to the lodge from the other side, and climbed the woodpile to watch, as he kept down wind of his original trail. Very soon he saw his dad come out of the woods from the direction of their camp; he went to the kitchen, after a pause he snorted and ran in direction of the 'trap' Navar had set for him. Seeing Victor leave Navar jumped down and ran a few rings around the lodge before using the woodpile to leap to the roof, where he settled in to wait and see if he'd managed to throw the hunter off his 'sent'.
Vic chose a cub at random and, once finished his beer, followed him to the lodge's backdoor, where a female's sent joined the boy's.
"If he's gone off with some stranger I'll-" The sent continued off, alone, to the right and back across the field. Vic veered in that direction. Suddenly a wall of fumes hit him. "Vinegar!" He growled as his nose stung. "That explains the stop by the kitchen, Cub is using his head." Vic moved on till he was sure he'd passed the vinegar and tried to pick up the sent again. "A- A- Achooo!" Eyes watering, "That little- Pepper!" Victor was impressed, "The kid spiked his trail with pepper." Creed rubbed his face hurrying away from the offensive area, nose overloaded, he now had to riley on his other scenes to continue his hunt.
Loric didn't like having to be on his own, he'd never been the creative one. Of the twins he was the more physical, so when he ran off he ran 'everywhere' till he got to the beach area where he came across a mud puddle, over by the showers, with a quick glance around he dove into it and coated himself from head to toe in muck. Then he ran around again, took a second dip and finding a low branch he climbed into a tree, from there he managed to switch trees for about fifty yards then with a big leap he managed to reach a pine tree and he scampered up it as high as was safe. In the fork of the branches, hidden by the needles, he curled up to wait.
Victor found the trail of shallow, widely spaced, footprints belonging to the second of his twins… everywhere… and he spotted the mud puddle that had obviously been wallowed in, there were mud splatters everywhere on the ground, crisscrossing and doubling back, but by a trees they disappeared, Creed looked up and sniffed, no his nose was still out for the moment, in the tree there was no sign of a boy, sounding trees were just as boyless.
"Good, but not great." Vic followed the line of trees, also empty, and the next group, no luck.
From a distance Griffin watched Creed fall for Navar's tricks, then he saw Vic follow Loric's wild mud trail; but he decided he'd better get going on his hiding spot. Returning to camp he found a piece of black piping on the ground, near the showers leftover from a plumbing job, and a smile crept onto his face. Hurrying into the lake Griffin swam for the opposite shore, where the reeds and large rocks stuck out of the water. There hidden in the reed, using the tube as a snorkel, he settled down to wait, wrapping his tail around a rock to keep from floating up. A watcher ball joined him and on its small monitor he saw Mystique giving him a proud smile.
Victor heard the pine tree behind him rustle, and saw a high branch twitch. The fact that there was no wind strong enough to account for that much movement had Victor bounding over to it and looking up… right into Loric's wide eyes. Smiling triumphantly Creed started to climb up, just as he got within grabbing distance Loric tossed a volleyball net over him and as Vic struggled with it, the boy made his escape, he ran and hid this time on top of the lean-to hoping that the sent from his sleeping bag would throw his dad off.
The moon and stars were shining brightly by now; Vic removed the last of the net, dropped out of the tree, and shook himself as he thought.
'This cub took a more direct approach, backed into a corner he did what I'd do and charged out head on. They're a lot like me, to a point.' Vic concluded. "So what would I do in this situation? Watch. I'd put myself somewhere I could see my hunters, but the cubs are 'stique's too. She hides, so the kits are somewhere they can watch but hide too." He went back to Navar's trick. 'If he wanted to hide but still see he'd have gone down wind.' Vic widened his search and found the cub's trail again, it took him to the woodpile and around the lodge, but a faint snore reached him from overhead. Scaling the building Victor found Navar curled up sleeping. Vic tapped him on the shoulder with one clawed finger. Navar startled awake and jerked his arm up, the tin of pepper he held, open and ready, hit Creed in the nose. Quickly holding his breath Victor managed to tuck his son under his arm, pinning the boy to his side, before leaping from the roof to the ground. He looked down at the yawning cub. "The pepper was a nice touch."
"Thanks." Navar snuggled closer to his father's side as Victor carried him off.
Mystique smiled to herself, she was watching everything.
"I so have to have a photo of this." She snapped one by pressing a button on the HQ computer console that controlled the Nanny unit. Unlike Victor, with the Nanny's help, she knew where everyone was.
Creed took Navar back to the camp and put him down in the lean-to.
"This is home base," He started to explain to the boy; "once you're here you can't leave it unless I say so."
"Hey you never told us that Pop." Navar looked confused,
"I just did Cub." Vic said simply. Then a voice identical to Navar's piped in,
"In that case," Loric flipped down from the roof and landed next to his brother with a big smile, "I'm 'Home Free'!" But Vic snatched him up. "Hey, I'm safe here Dad." He protested.
"I only said this was home base, not that you're safe in it. You're caught Cub, park it." He pointed to the spot next to Navar.
"Busted." Navar pointed out using one of Jubilee's favorite expressions.
"Ya, but I wasn't first." Loric pointed out to his brother.
"True." Navar agreed.
"Now you have to find Griffin." They said together to their dad.
"No." The twins looked at each other, puzzled.
"No?" They echoed. Victor shrugged,
"I'd like to see how long he'll stay out there." Vic waved his hand around the camp, with that he lay down, "you two get some sleep. In the morning we're going to go over evasion tactics, and then you'll help me track your brother if he isn't back by dinner time."
In the lake Griffin was getting fed up and was about to give up and go back to camp, when a flash of purple caught his eye, he turned to see the watcher ball and the little Mystique signaling to him to surface, but to do so quietly. Griffin slowly poked his head out of the water till his ears were clear.
"Griffin," Mystique's voice whispered, "there are some new 'rules' to this game, it seams Vic didn't bother tell you. He has the twins and home base, the lean-to, isn't safe. In the morning they're running evasion tactics and if you aren't back they all be hunting for you together."
#They?# Griffin's voice was projected straight into the watcher ball's speaker so there was no chance of anyone else hearing him.
"Yes, once caught the twins were automatically recruited to his side."
#Looks like that must be the 'teamwork project' he said he'd run.#
"Vic wants to see how long you'll stay out of sight." Griffin quirked an eyebrow at her.
#Rrrrheheheheeeeaaallly.# He said like Ace Ventura.
"I take it you have a plan, because you have that 'I'll show them' look is on you're face." Mystique asked smirking.
#Oh that I will, thank you mom… oh mom.#
"Yes?"
#You'll want to film this one, we'll make a mint selling it.# Griffin advised her then went of to do a recon mission throughout the campsites, staying away from his own… for now. The FoH had left so quickly that there was all kinds of 'equipment' for him to choose from. Griffin packed up a few things and then set to work preparing a 'message' for his family.
The sun was only peeking over the horizon when Vic heard a sharp whistling followed by a solid 'tunk' sound, as an arrow embedded itself into the lean-to… just over his head… His eyes crossed looking up at its quivering shaft; there was a note tied to it. Vic pulled it off and read,
Dad,
I know what you are doing,
And I'm game.
How about you?
-Griffin
Victor smiled and went back to sleep unconcerned. Griffin placed the last trip line with his TK, to keep his hidden now that his dad was slightly more alert; he picked up his packs and hurried to the canoe launch. He found one of the crafts that had been abandoned, tossed his things into it and silently paddled out into the crack of dawn.
The twins woke, hoping to convince their dad to go find their brother before the tactics lessons started. They rushed to get ready and eat so they could start right away. Navar hit a concealed tripwire and a collection of boom-boxes, Griffin had found, were switched on as the extension cords breaker was pressed 'on' by a rock falling off some Popsicle sticks. Loud rock music competed with rap, country music, and opera. The sound was so loud that the ground shook, covering their sensitive ears the twins cringed as Victor bolted upright, sprang from his sleeping bag and rushed around trying to find the source of all the noise. He kicked plugs as he went and eventually found the main power supply, pulling it out quickly. The silence was bliss.
"Don't-" Vic pulled their hands away from their ears, "don't move, or touch anything, his smell is everywhere." The twins stood and backed up to stand against the lean-to, out of the way. 'Click' was the only warning they had that one of them had tripped another wire, this one set up against the side of the lean-to. Cords hissed as they were released and bent back branches returned to their original positions, delivering in the process first, watered down syrups of all kinds mixed with jam, and then payloads of biscuit mix, flour and spices. Victor had acted on instinct and jumped to put himself between his cubs and the unknown danger, so he received the largest amounts of the goopy mix. The three looked like a mottled crew of ghosts, the twins tried not to laugh at their father's shocked look.
"Um pop, did we mention that-" Navar started,
"Griffin loves to play practical jokes-" Loric joined in,
"with Jubilee. He's learned loads of new stuff from Iceman too." They finished. Vic rolled his eyes.
"Now you tell me, sh- Heck, lets go wash this stuff of before it hardens and we become some pigeon's toilet." They headed for the tent to get clean clothes, but stepping into their shoes the twins paused, each pulling their foot back out, to find it covered with peanut butter.
"Dad." Loric gasped, Victor looked over at them. Judiciously he looked in his sneakers before trying to put his feet in them. He even shook them but found nothing, except the fact that he could use a new pair of odor-eaters, so he slid one on… something broke inside the toe and the smell of egg came out to tell him what it was before he even looked. Pulling his foot out raw egg covered his toes in a slimy mess; he reached in and pulled out the remains of shell and some masking tape, which explained why the egg had stayed in the toe of the shoe. By now the few other campers, non-FoH, had come to see what all the noise was so early in the morning, they were greeted by the sight of a tall man and two boys covered head to toe in white powder and other odd colors. There was a discreet snigger as victor and the kids took clean clothes and without shoes headed for the showers.
Forge was still laughing and Mystique was in tears she was cracking up so hard,
"I have to go to the bathroom, if I laugh any more I'll pee myself." Mystique looked over at the X-Force leader,
"Well then you better hurry Forge, I think this is only the tip of the iceberg that Griffin has planed for them." Forge ran to the bathroom and was back in time to see the three Creeds reach the Showers.
Once at the camp washroom they all really wanted to get the goop off of them, it had started to itch as it dried. Vic stepped into a shower stall and with his eyes closed let the sweet smelling water wash over him… sweet smelling? Vic's eyes popped open to see the bright blue water falling on him, staining his skin blue and turning his blond hair an odd green color. The twins cried out,
"Kool-aid!" Together,
"Loric you're all red and you have orangey hair!" Navar cried pointing at his twin,
"Well you're all purple Navar." They paused then called out,
"Pop/Dad, what color are you?"
"Blue!" Victor snarled trying to rinse off as much of the gunk as he could, once the water was clear again. But sure enough when they were all dressed they found that each was still splotchy with the semi permanent food coloring, red, purple, and blue. "I can't believe this." They turned to leave and found a note pinned behind the door, there was also a watcher ball.
Do you give up? Just wave a white flag
in the camp, and promise no paybacks
when I come back.
Was all that the note said. Victor took the note, looked over at his colorful cubs and with his claws he tore the paper up into iddy-bitty pieces.
"I'm not giving up yet." Victor vowed stubbornly, so the twins shrugged and followed him back to their camp.
By now many members of X-Force were watching, some seen Forge running to the monitoring room, had thought there was an emergency, others had heard the mad laughter and followed… none were disappointed with what they were seeing. Everyone was cheering for Griffin.
The campers who'd seen the Creeds leave covered in goop did a double-take stunned as the mini rainbow walked passed them. Arriving back at camp the first thing they saw was a blow-up doll, Griffin had found in one of the FoH's tents, it had on a black bikini. A sign posted beside it read,
Vicky I missed you,
You never write anymore,
Give us a kiss!
"Pop, dose this mean-"
"there's no breakfast?" The twins asked, because besides the doll everything else was gone, the tent, sleeping bags, even the green station wagon was gone, well all but the tire tracks leading into the lake.
"No, he wouldn't!" Vic ran to the water's edge and looked in. There was no signs of the car, a closer look showed that tracks leading into the woods had been swept away. "Can he drive?" Vic thought to ask the twins, they shook their heads.
"No, not that we know."
"But you should see him on his video games,"
"he dose the best crashes." The twins assured him, Victor shuttered.
It was as Griffin was taking a moment of privacy, before setting up his 'Grand Finally' that the men dressed in tree camouflage, jumped him and hit him with a trank dart in the shoulder. The sudden shift of his body from standing to prone triggered a watcher ball to override the four minute privacy program, and come investigate. It scanned humans with guns, it managed to send off an alarm before it was seen and shot out of the air.
In camp Victor and the boys roasted fish on sticks, this is how he had originally envisioned this camping trip, but darn it all he was actually missing having Griffin there to share it with them.
"Well this ain't so-" The nanny unit and the watcher balls went off suddenly, the balls broke formation. "What the-" Mystique's voice came out over the com links.
"Vic, watch yourselves the FoH has sent in a hit squad, X-Factor is on its way, but Griffin has been hit." Victor Looked at the spinning Nanny unit and realized,
"Ya right, you've been on his side the whole time." Mystique lost her cool,
"Victor Justin Creed, you secure the twins this instant and then go get our son away from those hatemongering nuts." Vic blanched, she'd used his full name, she was very serious.
"Pop ma's not-"
'kidding." The twins whispered. Victor nodded,
"Fade away cubs." He ordered them.
"Griffin says-"
"Fade out." They corrected him.
"Now!" Creed barked and they went invisible. "Where are they?" He asked Mystique.
"The island, in the center of the lake… Griffin has a camp there, that's where the black ops got him, Graydon is there now too. Oh Vic they collared him again, he's drugged, and tied up." Creed swore a blue streak as he stripped down to his swimming trunks. A watcher ball zoomed in closer.
"What?" The ball dropped to waist level, "So their comfortable. Hey can't you send these things over to zap them till I get there?"
"No, the solar recharging is not finished, and hitting the FoH yesterday drained them nearly dry." With a mutter about how useless technology was Vic dove into the lake.
A very groggy Griffin slowly opened his eyes to see his older brother looking down at him.
"So, you are my little brother are you?" Graydon sneered.
#Ya I know sad, I don't know how I'll ever show my face again once word gets out.# Griffin was surprised to hear his 'voice', how could it be he felt the collar around his neck, yet the scratches on his arms weren't healing and his TK wasn't there. Then he remembered Hank telling Gen-X that there was no universal collar, most of them needed to be fine tuned to the mutant wearing it, if you were lucky your power would only be diminished leaving open a chance for escape. #Come to think of it, we're only half brothers.#
"Really, Well that's half too much… which one spawned you anyway?" Griffin shifted to look at the man standing over him.
#Both of them, but that's because I have four biological parents, two are yours too, but I'm half of my other parents too.# Graydon looked at him,
"What are you exactly?"
#A genetic experiment, gone haywire, yet dashingly noble.# Griffin joked.
"You mean to tell me that there is someone out there, engendering mutants?" Graydon was shocked and repulsed.
#Oh yes, he lives to created designer mutants, only the best of the best are chosen to donate to his cause… unwillingly.# Griffin looked the leader of the FoH in the eye, #His name is Mr. Sinister, a pasty faced phantasm with shark teeth, red eyes and a black smudge right between his eyes. Look you untie me I'll give you his address.# Griffin offered.
"What do you think I am stupid?"
#Do you really want me to answer that one bro?# Graydon Creed growled at Griffin, #You sounded just like dad!# Griffin smiled.
"He is not my father!" Graydon exploded, raising his hand over Griffin's face; the boy flinched but didn't look away. Graydon lowered his hand, turned and walked away. From the trees Victor watched the two interacting.
'That went well.' He checked the soundings, only one guard now watched the cub, Vic followed Graydon in time to see a Zodiac with 4 men in it being waved off by his oldest son. Creed went back and took out the guard with a knock to the back of the head. Finding zip strips on the fallen man Vic secured his arms and legs and gagged him, so he could go rescue his wayward cub undisturbed. Griffin looked up as a shadow fell over him, expecting that Graydon had returned, he was relieved to see it was his dad.
#Dad, now don't look so blue I'm okay.# Victor released Griffin's hands and looked at him.
"Don't remind me." Victor paused, "You know if I hadn't seen the test results with my own eyes, I'd swear Sinister mixed up his samples and you're Deadpool's kid, with the mouth you got." Griffin tried not to smile; Creed was looking at the collar, and sighed. "Wish we'd kept the key from the last time (See part two 'Camping with the creeds) you got stuck in one of these."
#I did, J-Lee said 'If you ever, I mean EVER find a collar key, keep it you'll never know who you can help.'# Griffin pulled the key from his pocket and Victor unlocked him. They'd just turned to go when a cold voice behind them said,
"Don't move!" The two Creeds turned to face the third Creed, who was holding a gun pointed at them, but it wavered as Graydon started to laugh, "You look like that woman." Vic snarled,
"That 'Woman' is mama puppy, respect her a little." Griffin watched them his eyes going cold.
"I didn't know you cared for her so much?" Graydon sneered.
"I don't, it's just that she's the mother of all o' my cubs and his ma too and he likes her." Vic laid a hand on Griffin's shoulder as he said to Graydon, "Bye pup." At Graydon's confused look Vic shrugged, just as a watcher ball hit the FoH leader in the head and he went down. Victor and Griffin hopped into the canoe and went after the twins and to see where the men in the Zodiac had gotten to. This once Creed didn't complain when Griffin used his TK to go faster. They saw the gray rubber boat pulled up on the shore near their camp.
#Hide 'n' Seek anyone?# Griffin said, but his tone was serious.
"Can we play too."
"We've been good." The twins reappeared and quickly melded into their united form.
"Only if you stay out of sight." Creed agreed.
#And don't play with the guns.# Griffin quickly added before the twins vanished again. Victor paused,
"Ya, what he said 'no guns' and we meet back here."
"Fine." The twins' odd combined voice replied. Vic turned to Griffin,
"You are okay aren't you, the drugs they pumped into you worn off completely?"
#Ya dad I'm fine. You came before they did anything; actually they were more concerned about you showing up then with doing anything to me. If my hands hadn't been tied so tightly I'd have gotten untied, with my claws, and gotten the collar off sooner. Lets do this.# Griffin turned to go find his target, just before he ran off Victor gave him a lightning kick to the backside.
"You watch your tail this time."
The twins found one of the men at their campsite,
"Look there is one; let's kick his hinny for taking Griffin." They said in one voice. To be honest the whole thing was over very quickly, one kick from an invisible foot to the head and it was lights out for the man. The twins stripped the gear off the man and used the hand cuffs to secure him. "Get the key to these, or he'll be able to unlock himself." They moved the man away from all his things and on second thought made his gun invisible for now. Then still invisible themselves, they sat down to wait.
Griffin headed for the lodge; he arrived just in time to find one of the four men holding a gun on the camp manager and his family.
"What is it with this place, it's crawling with mutants?" The man kept his gun on the 'glowing' man who held his weeping wife, she was the woman who'd helped Navar earlier, and she protectively held the blond girl Griffin had seen yesterday with the dark haired girl. Using his TK Griffin locked the gun's safety in place before he went to confront the bigot.
#What can I say, it must be all that fresh, clean air around here.# The man spun around to fire on him, just as Griffin sprang up over him, landing in a three point stance (Both feet and one hand on the ground in a crouched position over his prone victim), one hand flexed to display his three inch long extended claws, and his tail whipping about behind him. #Its not nice to hold guns on people.# Cougar (Griffin's Gen-X codename) swiped the gun from the startled man's hands. Cougar flashed his teeth at the cowering FoH Cougar asked, #Have you anything to tie him up with?# The manager pulled a big roll of duct tape from under the counter. #Perfect, I love this stuff.# By the time the manager and his family were done securing the man, he looked like a large silver sausage, wrapped from head- #Ouch, that's going to hurt.# to toe, #Removing all his clothes was a nice touch, but will my eyes ever recover from the fright.# The manager was comforting his wife again and their daughter came over to Griffin.
"I'm happy you are a mutant, that girl… her folks looked like nice people, but they were with the FoH, I was too scared that they'd go after my dad if I'd told her off. Next time I'll stand up to them." Griffin smiled,
#That's how it starts to get better you know, by people not letting others scare them into doing things they really don't want to do.# Griffin shouldered the captive man in a fireman's carry and set off back to camp.
Sabretooth picked up the sent of two men, after he'd taken care of their boat. The men were heading for the sports field, the same place the FoH had been using to spread their hatred. Vic listened as he followed the men who searched the camps.
"Someone has already been into the tents, there's no briefcase in any of these." The first said.
"Shit, the information for the all of this year's targets is in that. And with Creed's 'there can only one copy' rule, we'll have to start planning all over again." The second raged.
"That case gets found by the wrong people and we won't have to worry about re-planning anything 'cause we'll all be in the slammer."
"Tell me about it; it wasn't only this year's mutant targets in there, there was also all the names of past mutants we took out and their family members we had to kill to get to them." Vic stepped up behind them,
"Ya don't say." He grabbed them by the necks, cracked their heads together and dragged them off.
Griffin tossed down his captive next to the man the twins had taken out, just as Victor pulled his two into camp.
"Hey Cubs," He looked at the two men, "Not bad, have any of you seen a briefcase in the FoH camp? Forge is going to want to have it. If you can believe it these idiots write down stuff about their kills." Griffin stood,
#I found it the other night, I put it in the car for safekeeping.# By the time he'd returned with the case the X-Factor's personnel carrier had arrived to collect the four FoH operatives, Graydon and the man who'd been on the island had vanished. Griffin handed the case over to Forge, but the Native American wasn't looking at him he was rolling around on the ground busting a gut laughing at the sight of Sabretooth stained blue in person. The twins ran to Mystique and hugged her.
"We're having so-"
"much fun, dad is showing-"
"us loads of cool stuff." They showed her the lake, and the lean-to. The rest of the gear was still being packed back in the car.
#Place was nicer before the FoH showed up.# Griffin pointed out.
"And before you littered it, with the debris from the jokes you played on them." She giggled once before she was able to stop herself. "We've been watching. The Kool-aid was a '10'."
#Iceman said it was a classic.# Forge walked over to Victor,
"Well I guess after having your kid nearly kidnapped, an FoH rally, and these war games gone wrong, you're ready to pack it in and come home now." Victor cast him an 'Are you crazy' look.
"Hell no, this is more fun then I've had in years." Forge's mouth fell open in surprise.
"But what about the floured goop, the eggs taped inside your shoe, peanut butter, and the kool-aid?" Victor put his chin up.
"All that did was to show me that my cub can hold his own, and that the little ones need to watch where they step a bit more.
"Well it's your dime Creed." Forge waved to him, as Mystique boarded the transport. "Do you really think we should have left him there with the boys?" Forge asked her.
"The boys are doing fine, don't worry about them." She assured him.
"The boys… its Sabretooth I'm worried about." Forge whispered.
"Oh you!" Mystique knuckled him in the shoulder.
"So, where's the car parked?" Victor asked as he watched the carrier fly off,
"Yeah we're hungry." The twins chimed in turning to look at Griffin, but he was gone… again.
"Dad!
"Pop!" Vic realized he hadn't called a truce with Griffin and now that they didn't need to work together the Cub had pulled a tactical retreat. Vic facepalmed.
End of part 3
