Picture's Worth a Thousand Words - REVISED

This is my first fan fic and I don't own any of the Marvel X-Men characters. No profit is being made on this fan fiction and I don't own anything anyway. In my movie verse, Scott, Jean, Deathstrike, John Wraith, and the Professor are all alive and well.

I would also like to give a special thanks to GypsyWitchBaby for letting me borrow her Lupa character. She is a bit different here, but it's the same Lupa you'll all know and love from The Feral and The Dreaming Animal.

Summary: Some sketches catch Rogue's eye from life in the 1800th century. Little is known about the artist, but Rogue is convinced she has seen them. Little does she know that she's found a piece of Logan's forgotten past?

Chapter 7: Plans and Attacks

Present - 1pm:

While Rogue gave Logan his food, Lupa provided the information she had obtained to the X-Men and the Elder Brothers. Her computer skills could rival Kitty's the resident computer whiz at Xavier's. The school had 4 targets: himself – the Wolverine, the headset for Cerebro, Professor Xavier, and the children. It didn't make him feel any better that Stryker wasn't just here for him. The man was trying to invade the Wolverine's den and he was going pay. Lupa's Intel suggested that soon over 100 armed mercenaries would be invading the School with orders to contain or kill all mutants within the walls. The mercenaries would have 4 air team supports and would be coming in waves. The children had be me moved. They were going to place the children in the underground tunnels starting at 2pm just in case they showed up early. It was a gamble. They didn't know if Stryker knew about tunnels Lupa had found out that Magneto was the source of the information on Xavier's. One of Stryker's new weapons was his own son Jason. He was a telepath that could create strong changes in reality and bend people to his will. Stryker had made a brain solution using the man's cerebral fluids and it was worse than truth serum to most folks. Once Stryker got it on you, he could control you via a chip in your head. Stryker has a remote for all of the chips. Stryker believed if he could get Xavier Jason would be able to bend reality and make Chuck focus Cerebro on all of the mutants on the planet and kill them at once nice and neatly. His other weapon was a beautiful Japanese woman, who was a fellow Feral with a healing factor, she was the new Weapon Y. She had an adamantium skeleton and retractable finger nail claws. She was his muscle. Jimmy was drawn back to her picture many times during the meeting. Victor just laughed knowingly.

Present - 2pm:

It was only 2pm, so James was going to get some shut eye. His head still hurt. He was sleeping in his clothes just in case and all of the children had already been moved to the tunnels along with Chuck. Victor was added some "enhancements "to the Mansion security that Cyke was complaining about. After all "X-Men didn't kill" and Victor's reply was "The Elder Brothers do." The fact of the matter was that with the number of soldier that was facing Xavier couldn't turn down Victor and Lupa's help. They were going to be part of this fight. James was actually looking forward to fighting with Victor. Jimmy had agreed to run Lupa threw a few runs in the Danger Room when he got up at 6pm. He also knew Victor and him would spare as well. No gutting each other, they did have a fight coming that would give them more than enough of an opportunity to claim the blood they both wanted.

The plan was simple. Permanently disable or kill as many of the soldiers as possible to allow the children and Xaiver to escape in the tunnel and go the safe houses. Alpha team would be doing the disabling or killing: Cyclops, Beast, Wolverine, and Sabertooth. They would leave the school in the mini X-jet. Beta team would be security for the chilldren: Rogue, Iceman, Shadowcat, Colossus, Pyro, and Jubilee. Wolf Girl was the runner; she would help either Alpha or Beta team if they had trouble. She was the fastest of them. She was even faster than Sabertooth running. Jimmy had laughed at the thought of his Brother being beaten in a foot race by a Wolf, until Victor had reminded him that meant Lupa could also beat him. Gamma team would find the Blue teleporter using the Blackbird. The Blackbird was being moved to a service exit at a close by airfield in New York. Storm & Marvel Girl would leave for the Blackbird when the children & Xavier left the Mansion.

After Victor set up his surprises, the explained each modification to the X-Men; Xavier would be the one to spring the nasty surprises if they were needed in the tunnels. Hank was responsible for the back doors to the Mansion and Victor had the front door chargers. Victor made a point to remind them that the lives they were saving were their precious students.

Lupa and Victor sat in a room, close to James' on the same floor. They could both hear him sleeping. Victor pulled Lupa to his lap, "Baby Girl, I don't want you anywhere need Weapon Y. She can take you head and that would kill me. You leave her to Jimmy and me. I really want you to stay on the Blackbird if possible after we abandon the Mansion. Stryker would love to get his hands on you. You're a Feral that heals; you could have been Weapon Y yourself."

Lupa purred into his chest, the sound always calmed him. She looked him directly in the eye, "I brought my Katana and my Kevlar guards, and you're as well my Mate. I have no disillusion that Stryker will die before this is all said and done. He harmed our Family. I just need you my Mate to live throw the battle. I'm glad you found Jimmy, but I don't want to trade his life for your own. I know you owe him. I know we owe him. He guarded you Soul for a lot of decades and made sure you had one to give to me. He kept your Beast in check even when you didn't want him too. You must remember that you have both a Mate and a Pack and BOTH of us expect and demand that you come home. I will honor your request and stay out of the main fight with the Weapons, but if you get into trouble, I'm coming for what is MINE."

Victor nodded his head and enjoyed his Mates scent. It always calmed him to be in her presents. Later he would shed his humanity for the fight and let his Beast out. He knew Jimmy would be doing the same. He wondered if the Elder Brothers would show the FERAL FURY this night. He doubted it. Jimmy was still pissed at him. He could feel it in his bones, but he was a professional and the bad Blood between them would wait until this was over. He was also concerned about Jimmy's interest in Weapon Y. Jimmy always had a thing for Red heads and Japanese Frails. That could get him killed, if he tried to save this Frail vs just takin' her head and being done with it. He would watch his Brother's back this night. He would keep his promise to both his Mate and his Pack.

Since he was the Eldest of the Pack, he would start looking around for his Brother's Mate as well. He was 99% sure Jimmy's Mate would be like them. She had to be in order to share his life span. That meant it really should be too hard to find all the females that fit into that category. A female Feral with a healing factor shouldn't be too hard to track down. His Brother would thank him for it and it would make up for all that business with Kayla.

Present – 6pm.

James woke up and found at the foot of his bed was his old black overcoat plus his original dog tags that had James Howlett's on them. Victor must have put them in his room while he slept; only Victor could have done it without waking him. The overcoat matched Victor's. It also had some new inserts around the neck, shoulder, elbows, and wrists that were covered in Kevlar. Not much good against adamantium but good protection against anything else. He put on original dog tags. He would wear the coat over his uniform. Victor was going to laugh his ass off when saw the black uniforms. They were way to form fitting for his taste and he doubted that Victor would wear one.

He met Lupa and Victor in the Danger Room. They practiced together and learned each other's moves. Lupa was good with a Katana. Jimmy was impressed. Victor had taught her well, but Victor wasn't a blade man. Jimmy formally asked Victor permission to address his Mate, it was granted. He told Lupa they were Family and he would appreciate if she dropped the formality of the Pack Alpha pecking order. He also requested permission to correct her form and touch her person. One didn't touch another Feral's Mate, even Family. Victor consented. Jimmy corrected the forms, pointed out her weakness and showed her three moves that fit her style. The Flipping Blade attack - played to Lupa's speed and her agility. The move made her a cutting death machine that few would take on willing. The Double Blade strike attack – defended her natural blind spot, the back of her neck. Victor had always left his neck open and so did Lupa. This swing motion covered the blind spot if no one was at her back. The last one was survival move; the Dragon attack – this was if she was on the ground and had lost one or both of her Katana. She would use her claws and hook them into the soft skin of their throats and rip it out. Victor thanked Jimmy for the instruction and his Mate purred her approval.

After Victor and Jimmy's sparing session, they started their cool down routine. They used Thai Chi movements and stretch their bodies and moved their limbs in very controlled motions. Both Brothers knew they had had watchers for most of the Danger Room session. They ignored them and continued their movements. This has always been the Elder Brothers way of preparing for a battle or war. They would clear their minds and let the movements flow around them. It allowed their Beast to have a very singular purpose in a fight. They reviewed the Battle plans and worked their bodies. They closed their eyes and let their other senses provide them what they needed to know. After they completed the routine, they bowed to each other and headed for a large dinner in the kitchen with Lupa in tow.

In the observation room above the Danger Room; all of the X-Men from all teams, watched the Brothers and Lupa. James was lethal with the Japanese Blades. They had all know James to be good with all types of Blades, but this was another level. He used moves they had never seen him teach or use in combat. The sparing between the Brothers had been a savage dance that if one or other had a misstep it would have put them out of the fight before it began. They truly did move as one. They bounced off of each other, moved around each other, took out all of the programmed opponents, and didn't shed a drop of their own blood in Danger Room. It was clear they had done this before. The years of training, fighting, and just knowing your partner showed in their movements. The Thai Chi cool down was equally graceful and just as deadly. They moved in a way that seemed to combine –air, water, and space. It was like watching to Masters practicing. Beast commented that they probably WERE two Masters of many different art forms of War. The Elder Brother would be a force be reckoned with this day was out and the X-Men were glad to have them on their side.

Present – 9pm Main Level.

The first soldiers came early. They had brought two new weapons that X-Men weren't expecting. A telepathic blood hound so to speak. His purpose was to find Xavier and neutralize him. He successed in making Xavier "fall asleep" in his office along with Cyclops; Xavier and Cyclops were taken from the grounds easily within the first 5 minutes of the battle via another mutant that could walk through walls. Of course if Xavier and Cyclops had listened to the Brother's Xavier would have already been in the tunnels with the kids. That might have worked either way, since the Blood Hound might have been able to find the children, despite the psi shielding in the tunnels. They would never know it would have played out.

The Elder Brothers took the front door, and the main hallways. The soldiers had been expecting Wolverine, but not Sabertooth. It gave them an advantage and they used it fully. Sabertooth was not visible at first during the fight. He would neutralize all of the soldiers that Wolverine tossed into the alcove from the main hall. He easily filled the room with 50 soldiers. He killed them mostly or insured that they were injured to the point not ever being able to return to battle. Victor had even surprised Jimmy; both Victor and Lupa were sporting X-Men uniforms under their respective black overcoats.

The next wave of soldier had high powered stun grenades that messed up Wolverine's senses, but that was clearly the point of the attack. The job of first wave of soldiers was to wear him down and the next wave was to capture him alive. Stryker was in this wave himself. "Well, well, well. What do we have here? I must day Wolverine. This is the last place I had planned to see you; was at a School. I didn't know that Xavier was taking in savages such as you. You look exactly the same as before, while I have been a victim of Nature." At the word Nature Jimmy's claws retracted, he had a sharp pain at the base of his spine, and he got a vacant look in his eyes. Stryker was holding something in his hands that looked like a remote. The soldiers started to unleash those special stun grenades right in Jimmy's face. Victor started to move, when Jimmy froze in place.

At the same time, Beast was taking care of the back entrance, but couldn't raise Cyclops. He didn't have time to think about that situation. He took down around 25 men. Then he saw Lupa, Rogue, and Iceman and realized they had trouble. He set off the surprises Victor had set up and back entrance way exploded taking out all of the incoming soldiers.

Present – 9pm Tunnel Level.

Beta team moved all of the children out of the school as soon as the first shots were heard. Storm, Marvel Girl, Jubilee, Shadowcat, and Colossus lead the way out the school to the waiting cars. They saw the hoard of soldiers attacking Wolverine and saw almost all of the fall or get tossed in the alcove as they peeled out into the night. Storm and Marvel Girl took the Blackbird out the service entrance and caught air. Rogue, Iceman, and Lupa were bringing up the rear by the children, when an explosion rocked the tunnel. They had incoming soldier and they had been cut off from the group. Xavier was missing in action. It was time to change plans. Lupa ordered Iceman to throw up a wall. They slide into a secondary tunnel and main their way to the main level coming out in Xavier's study. They saw Xavier's empty chair. Lupa sensed her Mates concern when Jimmy's claws retracted. She had Iceman throw a huge amount of ice shards down the hallway. Sabertooth tackled Wolverine to the ground and they both rolled way; during the near white out condition. Victor detonated the explosive he had set earlier and took out any men coming into the Mansion. Iceman then threw up a wall and all of them ran for the mini X-Jet.

The path to the mini X-Jet with blocked, so they ended up taking one of the cars. James was driving after having hotwired one of Cyke's new cars. Both he a Victor got a good laugh it was Cyke's new car. They realized they had lost Xavier, Cyclops, and the piece of Cerebro Stryker needed. It wasn't a good day. All of the children got out and they had eliminated the majority of Stryker's forces. They would meet the Girls in Boston, MA to meet teleporter and regroup.

Present – 12 midnight.

Iceman and Rogue were sound asleep in the back of the car. Victor looked sideways at Jimmy. "Jimmy why did yur claws, snap in like that when ya heard Stryker? That vacant look ya got coulda gotta ya killed or worse CAUGHT." Victor wasn't pleased at the moment.

Jimmy couldn't figure it out either, but he did remember the pain at the base if his spine. He could see Stryker holding that strange box. When he hit some of the buttons, the pain in his head shot to new levels. He would see himself, like some strange outer body experience, but he couldn't move to save his life. Victor had saved his ass by tackling him into the alcove. Jimmy pulled the car over the curb after letting Storm where to pick them up. He faced Victor, but caught Lupa and Beast's eyes in the rear view mirror. "I couldn't stop myself from pulling them in when he said the word Nature. He also had a remote looking box in his hand. I think I've got one of those chips in my skin. Victor yur gonna have to cut into my neck and see if ya can see it and pull it out if ya can?"

Jimmy sat on the sidewalk. The kids were still asleep and that was for the best at the moment. This wasn't going to be pretty. Lupa stood with her back to the Brothers with blades out and Beast was in front of them hands at the ready as well. They would watch their backs while Victor dug into Jimmy. "Baby Girl, where did you say the chip would be located?"

"At the base of the neck, right at the brain stem," Lupa reply.

Jimmy exposed his neck to Victor. Victor dug his claw into Jimmy's neck. Jimmy didn't move a muscle. He found the small piece of shiny metal with a flashing light. He pulled the thing from his skin, but kept the device in tack. If Stryker thought it was functioning; he would have no fear of coming within range of Jimmy's claws.

Beast studies the object and concluded that within the range of the remote control, it forced the wearer to submit to certain preprogrammed safe words. He suspected that each subject had his or her own safe words that would demand the mutant to stand down. It was a fail safe for Stryker. Once the word or phrase was uttered, the mutant would be at Stryker's mercy. He also suspected the each weapon had an attack word or phrase as well.

They would have to assume that Cyclops would have a chip in him the next time they met him. The same was said for all of the weapons. Jimmy's chip was over 17 years old; the new ones might be more difficult to remove or be in a different place. The chip wouldn't work with Xavier, so Jason would be the target. Lupa, Victor, and Jimmy, Beast, and maybe Jean could remove the chips themselves, but everyone else would need equipment to do it. There was also the fact that getting those out was going to be tricky on a mutant without a healing factor. They would have to go to Stryker's lair: Alkali Lake.

….To Be Continued?

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