Rachel kicked off her slippers and broke into a full out sprint. She flew past dorms and classrooms, chairs and tables until she heard it... the sounds of the fight. She came to a halt at the corner of the impasse that led to the parlor. From her hidden position she could see the majority of the battle.
Thirty or so army guys flooded the large parlor. Scott was in the farthest corner fighting six men, each with an electric shock gun. Blue shots of lightning blazed through the room as they fired relentlessly at Scott. He was weakening but still battle-ready. A few feet away from him, Crystal, Dani and Colossus were surrounded by what looked to be fifteen guys. Colossus was already completely armored but Crystal and Dani took each fire of the taser guns without protection. Crystal shot ice at one of the guns, sending the soldier flying across the room into a brick wall. But as quickly as one fell, three more pushed onward. Rachel focused her ears, listening for Rogue and Bobby. They were in the West halls. And there were footsteps running in that direction... twenty... or no, twenty five, it sounded like. And without Storm, Kurt, the Professor and Logan, the rag tag group of mutants was going to fall quickly unless something drastic happened to change the scales of the battle.
Well, if they needed a warrior, then here she came. Rachel pushed out every sound, every thought from her mind and focused on one single image. She concentrated harder, and began to feel a hot energy deep inside her core. And then it spread, and her body began to transform. The muscles in her body stretched, thinned and slimmed, becoming those of the most deadly creature on the planet. Her bones twisted, her organs shifted as she became their worst nightmare. They needed something drastic... and she was about to give it to them.
"Peter! I can't hold them! They just keep coming!" Crystal shouted, sending wave after wave of ice at the entrance way. Countless men fell, but more came to take their place. Where was every body? Peter had been right beside her, but from the corner of her eye all she saw was mass destruction and multiplying army men! "Peter!!" She turned on her heels to see him lying in the floor, unconscious. "Oh no you didn't!" She shouted as she shot more ice into the oncoming group of men. "You can attack my school. You can shoot me with tasers. You can even beat the shit out of Scott. But you can NOT HURT MY BOYFRIEND!" With a battle cry on her lips, Crystal charged forward, punching and kicking her way into the mass. She was going to take down every stupid son of a bitch, no matter how long it took! As one hand engaged in physical battle, her other kept dealing out the deadly ice shards. She parried with her right and shot a deadly looking ice shard with her left. An especially big fellow came charging at her, but Crystal was ready for him. She leaned back on her haunches and as he came at her, she used his momentum and sent him flying over her head into a big, very breakable mirror. Glass shattered, raining down over the parlor. And then she saw it. A flash of something black and extremely large!
The creature pounced onto four of the commandos, ripping them apart with its massive steel claws. Crystal spun as it leapt over top of her and took down two more guys that she hadn't even seen! Its massive black head swung around and Crystal came face to face with the most massive black panther she had ever seen! Thick, tawny fur covered a body that had to be at least five feet long and a foot and a half wide. The metallic claws gleamed as it growled, flashing an impressive set of canines. Wait... green eyes, metallic claws, big ass panther?
"Rachel?"
The large cat gave a quick nod and then dodged to the right, by-passing Crystal completely and attacking another troop of guys that had just burst through the parlor window. Crystal heard the taser gun seconds after it fired from behind her. With a sickly thud, she fell to the marbled floor, a soft black void filling her mind.
The panther made its way through the dark, exploding parlor, taking out guys left and right. Her claws penetrated their thin bullet proof vests, leaving gashing wounds and long trails of blood in her wake. She was the ultimate killing machine and nothing could crave her thirst for vengeance. A red blast caught her attention as Scott desperately tried to take out the four men surrounding him as he backed further into an inescapable corner. There was no way she could take them and save Scott as well. She shoved off the ground and landed directly beside him and in one fluid motion, caught his leg in her mouth just as he fell and drug him down the nearest hallway.
The large cat carried him for at least two hundred feet until it found a safe alcove. Pain ebbed back and forth through his entire body as the large cat gently released his leg. What the hell was a cat doing in the school? And why did it just drag him away from the fight? He made a motion to stand but the cat pounced, landing both feet on his chest and pushing him back down. With a loud roar, the panther slinked away, giving Scott the clear message to stay put.
As Rachel made her way back into the parlor, she saw that the army men were retreating down the West halls, towards the exit. Damn fucking straight! Her strong legs pumped up and down as she ran full speed after them, taking down as many as she could. She felt every muscle rippled through the cat's skeleton, and it felt amazing! She followed them as far as the outdoor gardens, and saw the twenty or so that had survived haul ass into a large helicopter with the word Stryker on the side. But what she didn't see was the gattling gun attached to both sides to the chopper. When she realized how open of a target she was, it was too late. The panther fell to the grass, eight bullets lodged in its sleek body, a river of blood pouring from the wounds. And as Rachel's mind slipped into a deep black unconsciousness, the panther fell away, and her human form took shape once again.
A vague silence descended upon the mansion as Scott strained to hear just what was going on. A faint whirling sound came from the window behind him as the helicopters pulled out, disappearing into the blackened night. What the hell had just happened? When he locked his classroom door and made his way to the back hall where his room was, he had never expected a swarm of soldiers to raid the place! Scott would bet anything on the fact that those were Stryker's guys. Probably following latent orders, lashing out for the loss of their leader. Well it was rude! And Scott felt instantly violated at the second intrusion into what he use to think was the safest place on earth. He needed to contact the Professor and the rest of the X-team, let them know about the attack and about the battle including news on the students including Colossus, Rogue, Bobby, Crystal and Dani... Oh God! Dani! Last he had seen of her she was surrounded by a swarm of guys, a look of steel determination on her face as she teleported in and out of the scene, swiftly attacking who ever she could reach. But where was she now?
Scott shot up immediately with only one purpose, he had to find Dani. Sharp pain radiated from his leg, little needles digging into his calf, but Scott couldn't bother to think about it as he awkwardly jogged down the corridor. Upon reaching the main parlor, he came to a stop... the sight he saw was overwhelming. One light flickered on and off, the shards of glass catching the faint glow. Blood streaked every wall and the bodies of the army men lay mangled and twisted upon one another. Colossus came out from a shadowy corner, the metallic armor dissolving away. "Where is Dani?"
Colossus scanned the room and found the Dani and Crystal over by the entrance to the South halls, both silently lying on the floor. Scott followed Colossus' line of sight and immediately ran forward when he saw Dani. His hands were shaking as he knelt down beside her, slowly sliding his eyes up and down her body, searching for wounds. Her arm looked mangled, most likely broken. Scott instinctively wished for the man who did that to die a long, slow death. Whoa! Where did that come from? But before he could analyze it further, Dani began to come around. "Dani? Are you all right? Head contusions? Blurry vision? Troubles breathing? Muscle fatigue? Come on Dani, speak to me!"
"Scott, I am fine, ok? Just my arm, I think I broke it when I went down, but no other problems." She turned her weary eyes and found his wrinkled brow. He was worried. About her? Well, what a nice turn of events! Break an arm, gain a sympathetic hot man. Nothing could beat that. "Really Scott, it's ok, I promise."
"Well, we aren't taking any chances. You are going straight to the medical lab for tests and are not leaving until I say so." A warm hand moved down her back, as Dani struggled to a standing position, and when she wobbled, his arm fastened tight around her waist. Oh to the medical lab we will go, dear Scott! He could play doctor all night if it meant his hands keep doing what they were doing! "Peter, get the other young girl and let's go!"
"Um, I do have a name ya know? And besides we can not leave without Rachel!" Crystal planted her feet on the marble as her knees buckled. Every inch of her body was throbbing from pain and a cold trickle of blood ran from her stomach on down to her knees.
"Rachel never came, Crystal. It was just us and Bobby and Rogue, remember?" Peter turned to Scott as Crystal swayed against his supportive arms. "She must be delusional."
"I am not CRAZY, Peter! She was here. That big black panther was her! She saved my life! If it hadn't been for her, those army guys would have clobbered me and Dani, but instead she ran them off! But now she isn't here and if we don't find her she could be really hurt or lost and..." The room took a dip as Crystal's speech trailed off. It felt like she was riding the world's loopiest rollercoaster, upside down and backwards. Peter bent down to pick her up but she pushed him away.
"Crystal come on! Don't be proud! You have to go to the medical lab so Scott can take care of you." Again his arms reached for her, but this time she turned and sprinted down the hall, mustering every last drop of spare energy she could as her legs weakly carried her away. Distantly she could hear Peter, Scott and Dani all yelling from behind her, but all she cared about
was Rachel. She had to find her. Had to help her! There was no way she was loosing her new best friend! Not for all the rice in China!
The corridors seemed hollow, as the empty echo of her feet slamming the ground reverberated through against the beige walls. She rounded a corner that led to an outdoor veranda, and then came to a sudden halt. There on the ground was Rachel, the human Rachel. Her skin was badly bruised and in some places, long, sickly gashes curved and crossed on top of one another. She was almost naked, except for a pair of skin-tight bicycle shorts. Crystal took a few tentitive steps forward and then saw it. A river of deep red blood poured from underneath Rachel's mangled body.
"Crystal! Come on now, just let it..." Peter's voice trailed off as he came to stand beside her. Scott and Dani came to a halt directly behind Peter. Everyone saw it now. The twisting pool of blood on the pristine green grass. "Scott." Peter turned, waving his hand in front of Scott's face. He blinked a few times, and then finally noticed the waving. "Scott!"
"Yes, sorry Peter. It's just... Rachel."
"Yeah, I know. Can you take care of getting Crystal and Dani to the med lab by yourself?"
"Yes. Of course." Scott took Crystal's hand, leading her away from Rachel. "Come on."
"Peter?" Crystal's voice sounded meek and many miles away.
"What is it darling?" The pain in her large brown eyes tore away at his heart. She was in shock, but also, her heart was breaking. "Crystal honey?"
"Please, just take care of her." And with that, Crystal fainted.
