Racetrack's Goil: I can't help it, when I have an idea, I must put it into good use! I hope your confusedness settles soon, so far, from chapter 1, you should have realised that the escape from Alkali Lake was not real, it had happened in all their heads. Upon Jean's sacrifice in the vision (which was completely unexpected to Jason) has woken her out of his control.
Sakura5tar: Lol, it was quite wasn't it? Not done ROMY before, but I fancy a go at it. I also plan to make this Gambit nicer than in my saga (although he is still gonna be a badass when he wants to be!)
WolvGambit: Lol, thanks. I will try to get this going, it's a pretty original plot. (Of course, ROMYness aside which is probably over-used) but the plot of Alkali Lake is unique!
Prexistence: Gambit will be along shortly, don't worry! Indeed, this is quote a unique approach, so I hope everyone understands and likes it.
Chica De Los Ojos Café: Thank you. Here is the update!
Shira's Song: Thanks for picking out that the death causes her to snap out of the vision. I did think it would make sense. If you die in a vision, you can't exactly continue to live inside the vision, so you must come back to reality. You will find out just how much has happened in this chapter.
Maid of the Mer: Thanks! Hope you keep reading.
Blix Howlett: Blix Blix Blix. Hello Blix! Lol. I hope you still enjoy this story even though Gambit's in!
Chapter 2Across the other side of the dark cell, Jean could make out the outline of their professor chained to the wall also, his wheelchair nowhere in sight. Ignoring the throb of soreness on her tied limbs, Jean reached forward, desperate to try and get the attention of Xavier. She cried out to him vocally, also trying to telepathically contact him, which only made her head pound with a horrendous ache as it failed, "Charles! Charles!" He didn't even flinch. His head remained bowed against the top of his waistcoat, "Professor, please!"
It was no use; Charles Xavier was as trapped inside the illusion as the rest of them. Jean chewed upon her lower lip gently, fighting to keep the desperate and overwhelming tears back. This was no use. She had never felt so alone, even with all her friends around her.
She made a gasp of surprise as the door to the cell creaked open, and amongst the shadows stepped a large framed figure. The glint of glasses on his face and the heavy sound of footsteps told Jean everything.
"Stryker," she said, a bitter tone evident.
William Stryker strode into the cell some more; his soldiers stood guard in the open doorway. He was wearing his dark military clothing still, the grey pleated trousers with the padded black jumper. One side of his chest was bloodstained, and three neat holes had ripped through this shirt and led to obvious wounds that had since been hastily bandaged. He was lucky to be alive. It seemed his earlier encounter with the Wolverine had been real. But still, Stryker held his posture with a confidence, a man weary but proud.
He turned his hard eyes upon Jean, watching her with a distant glimmer of amusement in his eyes as he watched the mutants chained up around him. "Dr. Grey," he replied in a rather sarcastic sort of tone as he used her doctor status, "I must admit, I was surprised to see one of you awaken so soon. Clearly killing yourself in a vision wakes you up. I didn't expect one of your team to sacrifice themselves. How could I have overlooked that fact in the noble famous X-Men?" He curled his lip slightly in a sneer.
"So it seems," she replied shortly, glaring up at him from her seat.
"I bet the questions you're wanting the answer to is what was real? What has happened since you entered Alkali Lake? And of course.. if you're ever going to get out of my facility," again he smirked. Jean glared up at him, resolutely saying nothing. "Well," continued Stryker in a straightforward manner, fingers taking hold of the edge of one of his lenses as he pushed his glasses further upon his nose, "I can say you were all successfully placed under Mutant 143's control upon Nightcrawler's attempt to rescue your dear Professor from the crumbling Cerebro. Everything after the point of Nightcrawler's attempt to teleport from Cerebro was an illusion. Indeed some areas of the dam burst, but this is a small portion that has remained standing. Oh.. and for that last question.. about you leaving," he spread a grim smile, "No.."
But Jean shook her head, "You're supposed to be dead," said Jean, looking immensely confused now, "You were chained to the wall – Logan said – "
"A vision, a vision," said Stryker, shaking his head; "That was after Nightcrawler tried to get Xavier out of Cerebro. Of course, I remained safely inside this area of Alkali Lake the whole time the dam burst. This place is prepared for emergencies. How foolish do you think engineers of the Government are?"
"So Magneto didn't get away.." said Jean softly, turning her head to look to her right where Magneto and Mystique sat besides the younger X-Men; Rogue, Bobby and Pyro. This suddenly dawned another question upon her. The chains rattled angrily as she turned, "Where are the children! Nightcrawler and Storm rescued them, where are they!"
"Yes, they were rescued by you, but we just took you all back again. Kind of sad really, isn't it?" said Stryker, walking slowly around the wheelchair that held Jason, "This entire situation is rather sad.. using mutants to fight mutants. It's also quite ingenious," he looked up slowly from his son to smile knowingly across to Jean.
"You're despicable," Jean muttered, glaring through fallen strands of hair.
"And you're vermin," snarled Stryker in response, "Worse than rats in a sewer. Plaguing this world. Well, you needn't worry. You may have foiled my original attempts to eradicate mutants, but you won't win this time. Not when I have the most outspoken mutants of the world trapped here in the palm of my hand," in gesture he held out his palm. His expression of resentful amusement continued, a harsh glare in his icy eyes. "And soon.." his palm clamped up abruptly into a tight fist, "I will destroy you all."
"Never!" cried Jean, feeling the probing tears leaking from the corners of her eyes, "Not with Charles alive!"
Like a shadow, Stryker flew in upon her, his palms pressed against the wall either side of her head and he brought his face close to hers. She drew her head back sharply, pressing her cheek back against the wall as she turned her head in a bid to stay as far as possible from him, "Charles?" he repeated in that dangerously low voice. A rather nasty chuckle crept from his lips as he trailed rough fingers down her cheek causing her to flinch. His thumb and two forefingers sharply grabbed her around the jaw and chin, pulling her head from the wall and stepping to one side as he brutally forced her head to face the seated Charles, "Dr. Grey, it doesn't take a woman of your calibre to notice that Professor Xavier isn't much help to you now!"
With a strained gasp, Jean tried to use her telekinesis to throw Stryker's tight grip off her face. But it rebounded inside her head. A turbulent pain rolled around her head like it was empty, banging and echoing against her skull. Stryker noticed her sudden grimace and smiled darkly, "Not smart, Dr. Grey," he released her briskly, her head falling back against the wall as she hung her head and made a soft gasp of tears.
Stryker walked slowly to the centre of the dark grimy cell, watching the still silent figure of Jason, "Right about now I'd say that your dear X-Men are aiming for peace with the President of America," he smirked slowly, looking over his shoulder to her, "And they think you're dead. Goodness me, they must be having a hard time." He chuckled some more, stepping towards the open door, "And it's all just a nasty little nightmare that they'll never wake up from," he watched Jean with a malicious smile before he nodded to the nearest guard. The metal door slammed shut with a noisy echo, and the rhythm of several footsteps disappeared down the corridor, leaving Jean alone to cry as she slumped painfully in her chains.
She raised her head slowly to look to her right to watch the young Rogue besides her, white streaks of her hair hung limply over her relaxed face. To her left, was Scott, face expressionless even though in his head Jean knew he must be lost in his grief. She tried to move across to him slowly, the chains pulled on her arms as she fought to get closer. She was almost touching him when the chains would not give any more. With a defeated sob she bowed her head, cradling in on Scott's shoulder, resting it by his own slumped head. And it was like this she slept, tearstains still marking her face as she lived in the real nightmare.
Thanks for reading! Please review for me! (: