The A boy at least 17 stood on a small hill, commanding the HYDRA agents. His name? Arthur Shmidt. Son of the red skull. He looked almost identical to his father. With the head shaped and looking red and a skull, and wearing his black HYDRA suit, only difference is his powerful green eyes. He had heard of mutant signatures being found in the Savage Lands and another reason to be there? The ever lasting beauty and usage, such as collecting the oil far down, even if it destroyed the beautiful land. He was speaking in German and the X-Men couldn't understand.
"What is he even saying?!" Nathan whispers.
"How should I know? I speak a little French, but that's it!" Juliet whispers.
"This is mega annoying." Andrew complains.
"Artemis?" Rachel asks.
"He-He's destroying the Savage Land! We have to stop him." Artemis whispers.
"Okay...but the freaks got guns!" Andrew reminds her and she smirks
"Since when did we let weapons stop us?" Artemis asks. They all look at each other and smile "Juliet, no gloves." Artemis says. Juliet smiles brightly, she never took off the gloves since she had her mom's power and a single touch could hurt her friends. But villains? And she got to take off the hot gloves? She was going to enjoy taking Hydra down. Juliet pulled her gloves off and got her cards out. Andrew turned ice again. Nathan barred his beast fangs and got ready to strike. Rachel let the Phoenix bur in her and fire went around her. Artemis grabbed her bow and arrow "Now, X-Men." She commands. They all jump from the cliff and Arthur turns to them and smiles.
"Ze Mutantz show zem zelves." He says, his German accent showing.
"What do you want, red?" Juliet asks.
"I only wantz to take ze freakz to baze. Zo I can take their powerz." Arthur says.
"Sorry, dude, isn't happening." Andrew says.
"We will zee. HYDRA, attack!" He commands and the HYDRA agents attack. The X-Men seem unfazed and charge. Rachel lifts multiple HYDRA agents and throws them into trees with telekinesis. Rachel throws cards with kinetic energy at HYDRA and grabs some of them with her bare hands and they fall unconscious. Andrew freezes people and throws ice blast at the HYDRA agents. Nathan kicks them and throws the HYDRA agents into each other. Artemis? She being the leader was being attacked the most. Her abilities do help her though. Her mutant abilities? Enhanced physical skills, healing factor. At least, those were the powers she used. She roundhouse kicked a HYDRA agent under his ankles and he falls down. Artemis pulls an arrow out of her quiver and shoots two HYDRA agents, not looking at taking out another one. "Thiz one, Zhe iz different." Arthur whispers. He watches Artemis as she fights. Artemis takes out another HYDRA agent but when she turns she gets punched in the face. She feels her tooth fall out and spits it into the HYDRA's knees and he screams in pain. Artemis rubs the blood off her face, only to smudge it.
"Arty! We're winning, right?" Juliet asks.
"So far." She answers. Arthur narrows his eyes and then steps into the plane he had came in
"Red Skull! Are we retreating?" One of the remaining HYDRA agent asks.
"No. I am going to zpeak with my bozz. You, are being left to them." He answers.
"Hey! You aren't going anywhere!" Andrew shouts.
"Of course I am. Oh, and do thank ze Avengerz for me. They're Quinjet gave me a better way of tracking you." Arthur says. The X-Men's eyes widen and they freeze, letting Arthur escape. The HYRDA agents lay on the floor either dead or close to it. The X-Men beaten, bruised, and bloodied up. They look down. Laura runs into the clearing they were in with Tony and the Avengers.
"You're okay! Thank god!" Laura says. The X-Men look at her and she gasps "Are you okay?! We need to get you to the med room! Are you-"
"We're fine!" Artemis snaps. Her eyes burned with anger and hurt. She was damaged the most. Missing a tooth that was slowly and painfully growing back. Multiple cuts on her face. A black eye. Her suit was torn and her hair was messy. She had multiple bruises up her arms and legs. And the final part, tears streamed down her face. Francis was worried for his sister and walked up to her
"Artemis? Are you-"
"Get away!" She screamed and pushed him away. Francis was shocked, but mainly hurt.
"Artemis!" Laura says.
"How dare you hurt you brother and deny him the knowing of your safety?" Torrun asks.
"SAFETY?! NONE OF YOU CARE ABOUT OUR SFAETY! WE'RE JUST FREAKS TO YOU! YOU EVEN BROUGHT HYDRA HERE!" Artemis screamed.
"Artemis! I don't have any clue what is up with you guys! You have been brats ever since they came here and I am tired of your attitude!" Laura shouts, obviously angry. Then she realizes what she told them. Artemis was shocked at first but narrows her eyes. She turns away and storms off. Juliet holds back tears and Rachel wraps a comforting arm around her shoulder. "Girls, girls." Laura tries to reason when they walk away. Nathan looks down and sulks away. Andrew was the last one there and Laura reaches out but he turns away and walks away from her. "What have I done?" Laura whispers. She holds her head and sits down.
"Laura, it's okay, you were just worried. You can't blame yourself. James, you and the team look for them." Tony says.
"Got it, Tony." James replies and the Avengers run into the jungle. They go to the tree houses and when they check, none of the X-Men are in their tree houses.
"Where can they be?" Torrun asks.
"Wait, Artemis told me something about a jet..." Francis mumbles and they all realize. They run to where the Black Bird was. The X-Men thought Laura was actually mad at them. That she was annoyed and didn't want them. But, they didn't know better. As well as Laura had raised them, she couldn't fill their parents places, that they would know she was just mad because she always held in her frustration. Now? The X-Men still being young, honestly believed she hated them. Nathan and Rachel were piloting. Andrew leaned on the wall of the Black Bird. Juliet laid, silently sobbing on Artemis lap while she stroked her hair. Artemis was the oldest of the five, making her leader and the older sister. Meaning she cared for them when they were hurt or felt alone. "Artemis!' Francis screamed. Her head jerked up. She turned to Rachel and Nathan
"Close the hatch! Go! Now!" She commands.
"Roger!" Nathan replies and flips switches. Andrew slams his fist on the hatch button and it closes before Francis gets close enough. Artemis sighs and strokes Juliet's hair
"Artemis?" Juliet whispers.
"Yeah?" Artemis replies.
"Can-can you sing for me?" Juliet whispers. Artemis has a small smiles a little and looks up
"I don't know if You can hear me, or if You're even there. I don't know if You would listen to a gypsy's prayer. Yes, I know I'm just an outcast, I shouldn't speak to you. Still I see your face and wonder, were you once an outcast too?
God help the outcasts, hungry from birth. Show them the mercy, they don't find on Earth. God help my people, we look to you still. God help the outcasts, or nobody will.
I ask for nothing I can get by, but I know so many less lucky than I. Please help my people, the poor and downtrod. I thought we all were the children of God. God help the outcasts, children of God."
When Artemis is done, tears run down her face and Juliet is asleep, a long with Andrew and Rachel sat in the back, sleeping. Artemis smiles, whipes her eyes and sits in the co pilot seat next to Nathan. Neither of them saying anything, just taking in the silence.