"Okay my friends, are you ready? Do you know the plan?" Professor Xavier asked as the Blackbird took flight.
"We've been over it a thousand times," Alex grumbled. It was hardly an exaggeration. Professor X had drummed the plan into them since he had learned that Adversary was planning to attack a military base near Seattle.
Adversary was strong, but nothing the team couldn't handle.
Havok and Banshee would man the diner across the street and stake him out while the professor and Beast would take a birds-eye view of the square. It should be easy, if Adversary didn't bring back up.
The last four years had been hard on the team. Initially scolded for the attack on the beach, for their own safety they had to stay in hiding, only coming out two years ago to recruit for the school.
However, no sane parents would let their children stay in a 'special' school with four grown men.
Each member suffered their own losses too. Charles pined for Moira and Raven, his lost friend he had not seen nor heard of since the beach.
Hank was still trying to deal with his blue transformation. Alex, who had been in confinement for years, wished to explore the world with Sean in tow, but their mutant predicament made that impossible.
"I shall tap into his mind," Charles said, handing each of them a small headset. "We will communicate his plan and whereabouts through these. Hank designed them."
Alex took the equipment off the professor and stared at it with distaste. "Hey Bozo. How are we going to remain inconspicuous with these on our heads?" he called to Hank who was flying the aircraft.
"I'm sure you'll think of something," he responded calmly. Hank had learned to deal with Alex's insults now. It was rather ignore them or get angry every ten minutes. Ironically, Hank hated fighting, so kept quiet.
"So any questions," Charles clapped, breaking the awkward silence that had fallen upon them.
"I do," Sean said, speaking up for the first time. "What if my cape breaks?"
"It's not a cape," Hank mumbled. "And it won't break."
"How do you know?" Sean asked.
"Yeah, and how do you know my chest piece won't fall off again?" Alex said, seeing a chance to wind up Hank.
"It won't!" he shouted, his chest growling as he spoke. This was their first real mission since the Cuban Missile Crisis, their second overall. Although they had spent years training, there was still uncertainty, though none of them would admit it.
"Ok, we're coming in to land," Hank said, as the blackbird began to slow. "Havok, Banshee get ready."
Alex went over to the hatch while Sean followed holding out his hand. Alex glared at it and stepped away.
"Aw, common you don't want to hold my hand? You'll fall," Sean teased.
"Can't I just hold your-"
"No," Sean wiggled his hand in front of Alex's face. He reluctantly took it, ignoring Beast's satisfied grin.
"Stay hidden," Charles called over the roar of the wind. "We shall see you soon."
The pair nodded before Banshee jumped out with Havok, his supersonic scream echoed as they flew down to the floor. He navigated toward an alleyway before slowing down to the ground. Once they hand landed, Alex let go of his hand immediately, causing Sean to grin again.
"Shut up," he mumbled, waving away the Blackbird. The aircraft turned around then flew in the direction of the base.
The two on the ground gave each other an encouraging smile before walking into the street. The diner was three blocks away. The journey on foot seemed so much longer with the passing people staring at their uniforms.
"Where are you going?" an elderly man sneered.
"Costume party," Sean answered dully as they hurried their pace down the street. They passed a group of teenage girls who giggled wildly. "I swear, next time I see the professor..." He muttered.
"It's lucky you're wearing this thing. You wouldn't have got their attention otherwise," Alex taunted.
Sean nudged him. "What wrong with you today you're so- scratch that you're always moody."
He could only grin in response.
They reached the diner in under five minutes. Havok discreetly surveyed the arena while Banshee looked around the diner. It was quite full, he hoped they wouldn't have to use their powers in front of all these people.
The pair sat at the counter and ordered two bottles of cola, with no intention of drinking them. The customers of the diner stared at their attire so they hand to move to a booth more out of sight. Next to them sat a group of giggling girls, which caused Sean to blush as red as his hair.
"I don't know why you're getting so embarrassed, like you would have spoken to them anyway," Alex said to his blushing friend.
Sean sat up straight and tried to regain some dignity. "I bet you won't."
He turned around to take a look at the girls. All were between sixteen and eighteen with supposedly flirtatious smiles on their faces. Well, one of the girls didn't, she kept her head down firmly in her book.
Alex scoffed. "I wasn't the one giving Azazel a run for his money," he said, gesturing to his red face. "Besides, they're to young for me and even if they weren't, we're on a mission we need to focus."
"Why are they too young for you?" Sean asked, ignoring Alex's last comment. "You're only twenty two. If you had to pick..."
"Banshee..." Alex said sternly.
"Come on!" Sean whined, leaning closer in on the table. "We've got nothing better to do." He put the headset to his ear and then put it back on the table when he realised it wasn't working. He folded his arms and looked at his friend expectantly.
Alex sighed in defeat. "Fine, probably the brown haired one, she's the only one not simpering." He turned around to creep a look at the girl. Sensing his eyes on her, she looked up. His pale blue eyes met her bright green ones.
Alex was taken back by the intensity of her gaze, he was captivated and could not look away. She looked down in embarrassment and went back to her book.
Alex turned around back to Sean but found her was not looking at the green eyed girl, but her blonde friend.
Sean studied the girl for a few more seconds before recognition lit up his eyes.
"Holy crap, It's Amy Finn," he said loudly.
"Who?" Alex asked cluelessly.
"She's this girl I used to like before the team. We'd bond over at the aquarium, but she always turned me down..."
"Well nows your chance to get her," Alex said, hitting him encouragingly on the arm.
Sean blushed again and looked down. "We're on a mission remember."
Alex nodded understandingly but then a wicked idea came into his head.
"Hey Amy!" he called to the booth behind him. He spun back and ducked down so his teammate was in full view.
"Sean Cassidy?" a chipper voice asked from behind him. Sean's face had turned even more red, if that was possible.
"Hi Amy," he said awkwardly. Amy stood up and scooted over to their booth.
"What happened to you? You just seemed to disappear off the face of the earth in freshman year," she said. Her face held a look of concern, but both men could tell she couldn't care less.
"Boarding school," Sean answered simply. "Hey, have you met my friend Alex?" he asked, eager to get the attention off himself.
"No, I-"
"Alex, there has been interference with the headsets." the Professor's voice echoed throughout his head. "Adversary's brought company in Riptide."
"What? Is Magneto with them?" he asked silently.
"I cannot sense him. I can only see the two of them but they're heading your way."
Alex stood up and hit Sean's arm, this time with warning force. "We've got to go. Riptide's here too."
"What?" Sean got up beside him, leaving Amy sitting confused at the table.
"Where are you going?" she asked.
"Away... Well it was nice seeing you Amy." He gave her a small bow causing Alex to roll his eyes. He really needed to teach him how to talk to girls.
Sean looked out the window and saw a whirlwind headed towards the building opposite. He could vaguely make out a man, controlling the storm from its eye.
Riptide seemed to notice the pair as well. The twister turned faster as it made its way closer to the diner.
"Get down, Now!" Alex shouted to the customers. Those who had noticed the storm got down immediately but there were a few protests followed by wild eyes of terror.
"What do we do?" Sean asked once everyone was on the floor. "There are too many people."
"It doesn't matter about exposure people will get hurt. Blast the glass out; save it coming it later."
Banshee took in a deep breath and let out a supersonic squark. The windows of the diner shattered outward immediately but that didn't stop Riptide. He was coming at them, pieces of debris and several cars caught up in his whirlwind.
The two of them ran closer toward him, stopping where the window once was incase they had to protect the people. Riptide had no intention of invading the headquarters. His job was to deal with security.
Havok sent a red energy beam at him but it flew straight through the whirlwind and crashed into a building, the bricks joining the debris which was threatening to crush them as it swirled nearer toward them.
Riptide grinned at their powerless state and flicked his arm. From then on everything seemed to move in slow motion.
One of the cars left the twister and came hurling at the diner. Havok tried to hit it with his chest piece but Riptide swerved it out of his path.
Banshee and Havok ran into the diner to take cover but the car wasn't aiming for them anymore, it had come off track and was hurdling at the group of girls and Amy.
Havok ran forward but it was too late. The green eyed girl held up her hands defensively but instead of being crushed by the car it was pushed away, moved by the grey force field which was coming from the girls hands.
She turned around in shock, her frightened eyes meeting Havok's again, but he could not move from surprise.
Once the car was gone the force field disappeared. She looked down at her hands and turned them over, as though she was expecting something to be hidden under her palms, but they were empty. The girl looked behind her but no one was there. She had created the force field and saved them all.
"You're a mutant?" Havok asked, finally regaining his speech.
"A-A What?" Her voice was frightened and shaky, she was as surprised as they were.
"I don't think she knew about her powers," Banshee muttered, looking up to the sky where the blackbird was coming into view.
"We should take her with us, it's not safe," Alex stated responsibly. "The professor will want to meet and help her. Hey!"
She turned around immediately, eager to escape the frightened looks from her friends.
"It's not safe here, but we can help you. We're like you. Please come with us."
She was in a state of shock and just nodded, her face numb. She followed them out of the diner and onto the street where Riptide was frozen in the air, the professor a few yards away from him with his hands to his temple.
An army truck was stationed underneath. The professor let him drop and then lowered a ladder to his friends on the ground.
They climbed up, Alex letting the girl go before him. She looked pretty scared and unstable; it took her a while.
By the time he got up, Sean was already explaining the situation to The Professor and beast who was flying them back to base.
"What's your name?" The professor asked the girl.
"Lorna," she said quietly. "Lorna Dane."