Hellllooooo fellow X-Men lovers! Happy New Year! And here's the last update 2009! Enjoy! :)
"Rogue?" Logan said, surprised. He noticed Acadia leaving, but couldn't say anymore as Rogue delved into a long story about what had happened since he'd left. He stood as much of it as he could, before Cyclops finally came rushing down the hall and beckoned for Logan to follow him. "What's up, One-Eye?" Logan asked cynically as he followed Scott to the elevator and they rode it down to the sublevels.
Scott rolled his eyes, though he knew no one would ever see. "We have to go. Professor is going to explain." The rest of the time spent with him was in silence. Logan rocked back on his heels. When the elevator landed, they walked briskly down the blindingly neat and empty hallway. "Suit up," Cyclops told him, throwing him a dark uni-suit.
"You can't be serious. Do I have to wear one?" Logan raised one eyebrow incredulously.
"Yes. You ask every time and the answer never changes. Hurry." Scott said curtly, pulling his own X-Men suit on.
"I could really go for a cigar right about now…" Logan mumbled under his breath as he shrugged his coat off and threw his clothes into one of the cabinets. He pulled the tight-fitting uniform on, pulling at the collar and re-adjusting it constantly. "Damn suit couldn't be comfortable or anything," he said sarcastically.
Scott was leading him to the jet's hangar, he realized after they turned a corner and walked straight down the expansive hallway. The doors slid open as they approached and the silver jet came into view. There was a low hum emanating throughout the echoing hangar, coming from the huge plane. Xavier was in his wheelchair in front of them. "Good, you two got here quickly. Storm is waiting for you in the jet."
"What the hell is going on?" Logan asked irritably. It was aggravating being told to suit up for a mission and not knowing what to expect.
"Scott didn't tell you? He was supposed to." The professor said, casting a scornful glance at Cyclops. "I've located the girl's mother. She's being held at a new base, underground outside Park City. Acadia was still going to try and go with you, so to avoid problems I've moved this mission much sooner: right now. You'll get there tomorrow morning and spend the day figuring out this new underground base. Then tomorrow night you can go in and try to rescue Kayla. Don't spend too much time there, though." He wheeled himself out of the path to the jet. "Go, I'm holding you back with my useless talking."
They nodded and bid the professor goodbye, and then climbed aboard the sleek aircraft. Storm was sitting at the controls, tapping buttons and reading screens. She didn't look up when Logan and Scott showed up, only closed the hatch and sent more power to the engine. Logan could hear the loud rumble of the basketball court splitting so the jet could rise into the night sky. He and Cyclops hurried to their seats and strapped themselves in as the plane shot off to the west.
Acadia woke up with a start. She sat up quickly, her tired mind getting dizzy from the sudden movement. Her breathing sped up when she didn't immediately recognize the sights and smells of where she was. But as she woke up, she realized that she was in the mansion. She glanced around the room and realized she was alone, and she didn't hear anyone in the hall.
She was already too awake to try and go back to sleep, so she stretched and hopped out of bed. Thick curtains were drawn across the room's only window to the outside, and she was getting an anxious, disconcerting sense of vertigo being so boxed in. she hurried over to the window and shoved the curtains back. Bright morning sunlight blinded her, and she shielded her eyes to let them adjust.
Her window overlooked the spacious lawn, with a basketball court and pond directly after a large patio below her window. Students were sitting at the benches and tables, some were running around the basketball court, and a few were even situated on blankets on the green field. It looked so peaceful and optimistic, she thought it wasn't real for a moment.
Well… what do I do now? She asked herself, changing into the jeans and shirt that Storm had given her. She tied her dark hair back in a braid and tucked her long bangs behind her ear so she could see her eyes. That was always something that her mother had complained about: not being able to see Acadia's eyes because of her side bangs. She thought about her for a moment and bit her lip. She had to save her.
When she was ready, she left the room and wandered down the hall. She wasn't sure how to find her way around the school or dorms, but she could figure it out. She reached the end of the polished hallway and found herself on the landing of a wide staircase. From what she could see of the lower floor, it was empty. She made her way cautiously down the staircase; the last thing she wanted was to be caught by a teacher and stuck in a classroom full of people she didn't know.
She found herself in the entrance hall she had entered the night before. The front doors were propped open, letting the chilly fresh air enter the house. There were two hallways branching off on either side of where she was, along with the entrance hall in front of her. After a second of indecision, she turned left and wandered down the western branch of the house.
It was identical to the rest of the hallways she had been in, only about halfway down there was a strange cylindrical bulge in the right side of the wall. Noticing a cleverly disguised button next to it, she pressed it and a door slid sideways. Behind it was a pristinely white, cylindrical elevator. Her adventurous curiosity getting the best of her, she glanced around and stepped inside.
There was only one button, and it had a silver X on it. She noticed that it was the same silver X on her shirt. She pressed it and the door slid shut on its track without a sound. The elevator shot down rapidly, almost making Acadia lose her balance. The door glided open once more, revealing a plain white background. If it weren't for the shadows cast by the corners and walls, Acadia would've thought that she was in a white void.
She stepped out warily, looking up and down yet another hall. The white panels of the floor were cool against her bare feet. Every once and a while on the walls there would be large double doors, made of silver Xs. "What the hell is with all the Xs?" She whispered, roaming the underground hall. Just then, one of them slid open and a red-haired woman in a lab coat stepped out. She was looking at her clipboard, and hadn't seen Acadia yet. She stealthily dove behind an indent in the wall, her heart pounding against her ribs. But the woman continued walking, heels clicking against the panels of the floor.
When she walked into another room, Acadia let out a pent-up breath and relaxed. Glancing up and down the long hallway again, she crept along looking for something interesting. She found a few glass cases built into the wall, along with some shelves with clothes. Her eyes lit up and she searched through the clothes for something more comfortable than tight jeans. They were her size, but she couldn't move. She found a pair of guy's jeans, got the next size up, and changed into them. She left her old ones on the bench in front of the shelves and buttoned her new pants. They were much more comfortable, and very baggy. But the waistband was far too big, and they constantly were falling down. She searched in vain for a belt, and then finally noticed what was in the glass cases.
They were uniforms. Dark blue suits with black boots and the X emblem over the heart. There were multiple suits, but some of the mannequins were missing their uniforms. "What is this place?" She asked herself in a whisper. Even though she barely said it, her voice reverberated through the hallway.
"What are you doing here?" A concerned woman's voice asked. There was a rapid clicking of heels on the floor. Acadia pulled up her baggy jeans and spun around. It was the red-haired scientist. "Students aren't supposed to be down here."
"I'm not—" Acadia started, afraid she was getting into trouble for being lost.
The lady cut her off, staring at her curiously. "You must be the girl Logan brought. Acadia… I'm Dr. Grey." Dr. Grey held out her hand, which Acadia shook tentatively. "Let me take you back upstairs. We can enroll you in a couple of classes."
Dr. Grey attempted to lead Acadia back to the elevator, but she stayed back. "Uh, thanks, but I don't know if we're staying here. If you could just tell me where Logan is, then—"
"He didn't tell you?" Dr. Grey asked incredulously.
"Tell me what?"
"He left with the rest of the team on a rescue mission last night." She explained, tugging on Acadia's arm to lead her to the elevator.
Acadia let herself be led along. "They left without me," she muttered bitterly, feeling the heat under her skin from her rising anger. Attempting to calm herself, she asked, "When will they be back?"
Dr. Grey led her into the elevator, pressed the button, and then answered, "No later than three days. There aren't many classes, what with some of the teachers gone, but you can join the ones that still stand."
"Yeah, whatever." Acadia said, hearing the obvious edge in her own voice. They stepped out of the round elevator, back into the school. Students were traversing the halls. Their clamor echoed up to the high ceiling. It reminded Acadia of school back home, which in turn reminded her of her home—and her mother.
Dr. Grey walked quickly down the hall, weaving through the slow-moving students. Acadia had no trouble keeping up, until someone grabbed her arm and stopped her. "Acadia!" A voice with a slight drawl exclaimed. "There you are! I went to get you this morning, but you didn't answer. I assumed you were asleep, so left you alone."
Jean turned around when she realized Acadia was no longer following her. "Rogue," She said, smiling, "would you mind if Acadia joined you in your classes? I think it would be better if she went with somebody she knew."
Rogue nodded exuberantly. "Of course!" She said. Dr. Grey nodded to them and strode down the hall. "Come on, I don't have a class. We'll go outside."
"Okay…" Acadia agreed dully. She didn't want to be rude, but she could barely stand Rogue, and that Dr. Grey wasn't ranking high on her list, either. In her opinion, Dr. Grey thought of herself as classy, wearing more formal clothes than necessary and always smelled of too-strong flowery perfume. Then again, that might just be Acadia's powerful senses. And Rogue was just downright annoying. But without anyone else around for her, she had no choice but to follow the other girl outside.
The air was dry and cold, with no wind and the sun shown warmly on everything. Acadia breathed in deeply, letting the frigid air fill her lungs. She loved being outdoors, and one aspect she appreciated about the school was its wide green lawn and surrounding forests, which were painted reds, greens, and yellows as the trees prepared to shed their leaves. The sun warmed her shoulders and back while the air chilled her skin. It lifted her tenebrous mood a bit as she followed Rogue onto the lawn and they sat on a blanket on the ground.
"So what do you think of the school?" Rogue asked her as they rested on the blanket. Rogue sat with her legs crossed and Acadia laid on her back, staring into the sky.
"Eh… it's alright… definitely better than the last week or so." Acadia admitted, freer than she expected she could.
Rogue nodded. "I guess you just need to get used to it here. Everyone does. Most of us ran away from home, or were kicked out by our parents."
Acadia didn't answer. She just continued to stare at the sky, deep in thought, until her curiosity got the better of her. "What is your mutation?" She asked the other girl, finally looking over at Rogue.
"It's kind of hard to explain," Rogue said sheepishly, "but it's more like a curse. If I touch someone, I take their energy, and can use their powers for a minute or two. But if I touch them too long…" She let the sentence hang, staring at her hands in her lap. "What about you?"
Acadia was trying to think of a way to describe herself, when she remembered what Logan had said. A feral, she thought, smirking ruefully at the title. "I'm a feral." She said. Then added, "Do you know what that is?"
Rogue nodded. "Yeah, I do. Like Logan? That's so cool! That explains the teeth," she joked.
"Yeah," she agreed, smiling. To show her, she lifted her hands up and extended her claws. It was only slightly painful; not enough to bother her. In accordance, her fangs grew out, too. And, even though she couldn't feel it, she knew her eyes were sparkling cyan.
Rogue's mouth dropped open in fascination. "That's nothing like Logan," she clarified, staring at the lethal claws, "but still pretty awesome."
"I guess…" Acadia agreed, retracting her claws and fangs.
"Why do your eyes change color like that?" Rogue asked.
"Just part of it all," Acadia told her, growing tired of the conversation. Rogue seemed to understand, and didn't pursue it anymore.
The flight to Park City was almost two hours long, so Logan was grateful for the time to sleep. For the last few days he had been traveling nonstop, with almost no food or sleep. He napped dreamlessly as the jet flew seamlessly through the thin air.
"Logan?" A woman's voice echoed in his head. Somebody shook him. "Logan, wake up. We just landed." He started awake, shaking the sleep out of his brain. Storm was standing over him, one small hand on his shoulder. "Come on," she said, turning away from him.
Logan undid his seatbelt, stood up, and stretched. He stared out the windshield of the jet, only to see the darkness of the morning outside. "What time is it?" He mumbled the question.
"Four A.M." Cyclops answered, pressing the button to open the door. The stairway descended to the ground, and an icy gust of wind blew into the jet. "Damn, it's cold," Cyclops said rubbing his hands together.
"No shit, it's the mountains." Logan chuckled cynically. Cyclops stared at him for a moment, before leaving the plane.
"Cool it, Logan." Storm warned, following Scott. Logan rolled his eyes and hurried out of the plane, thankful to be back on solid ground. The hatch closed and they were left in the darkness. Logan's eyes adjusted, and he took in the scenery. They were up high in the Rockies, and he could see the bright lights of Park City in the valley below them. "Alright," Storm said, stowing the keys to the jet in her bag, "the base is built into the mountains. The entrance should be that way," she pointed down the road that they were currently standing in the middle of.
"Well then what are we waiting for?" Logan said, breaking into a jog. He was anxious to get to Kayla; God knows what experiments they were performing on her.
"Hate to break it to you," he heard Cyclops say, "but you're the only one who wants to jog." He saw Logan turn around to protest and said, "It's only about a mile. We can walk. Besides, we're already conspicuous enough."
"Fine." Logan agreed reluctantly. He waited for them to catch up to him, and they walked together down the road. The pavement became more and more worn and broken, until they were traveling on a gravel road. They finally came to tall chain link gate, crested with barbed wire, and, of course, electrically charged. "I get the feeling we're here," Logan mumbled, eyeing the fence. "Cyclops? Storm?"
Scott put one hand up to his visor, pressing the button to release the laser from his eyes. He targeted the security cameras easily, taking each one out quickly. "We don't have much time."
Storm nodded. Her dark eyes filled with a white mist, and the wind suddenly picked up. It blew around them fiercely, until a mini tornado was throwing up the gravel on its way to the fence. It tore through the gate and dissipated. "Hurry," she said, running through the opening. Scott and Logan followed suit. Their next obstacle was a heavy steel door, built into the rocky side of the mountain.
Cyclops shot another crimson laser beam from his eyes, but it only left a miniscule burn mark on the enforced metal. "I got this one," Logan scoffed, releasing the long claws from his knuckles. With two strong swipes—obviously in the shape of an X—the door was cut all the way through. Logan kicked it in with one booted foot, leaving a jagged hole right in the middle. Logan retracted the claws and led the way inside.
The unpleasant stench of chemicals, humans, and weaponry was the first thing to find him. It brought back terrible memories of the only interactions he'd had with those self-proclaimed scientists. In that area, he was grateful for not being able to remember all the pain places like this one had caused him.
There was a long hallway on the other side of the door, and they covered the distance quickly. "Cameras, Scott," Storm whispered, and Cyclops took out a few more of them.
"If they don't know we're here by now, this ought to be easy." He said, hurrying to the elevator. They rushed in as soon as the doors opened. They were silent as they ascended to the main level of the base.
The elevator stumbled to a stop, and the doors glided open. Logan's eyes widened as he saw and smelled what was waiting on the other side. "Get behind me!" He told Storm and Cyclops, who obliged. As soon as the doors were open enough, the trio was showered with a volley of bullets from waiting gunmen. They all hit Logan; through his shoulders, stomach, and one even slashed across the side of his neck.
Relying on adrenaline, he growled and lunged forward, stabbing the soldiers and cutting them down. As he was facing the last one, a red beam came from behind him and blew soldier into the concrete wall. He fell to the floor, unconscious.
Logan's breath caught in his throat, and he had to lean onto the wall. Blood poured from dozens of punctures and gashes. His chest heaved and his knees felt as if they would give up holding his weight. He felt Storm and Cyclops's eyes on warily watching him. But he couldn't pay attention to anything but the pain, and his nostrils flared at the stench of his own blood and sweat. It was overwhelming, and, just as he thought it couldn't get any worse and he was begging for death, the familiar tingling, itching sensation of healing covered every part of his injuries.
Soon, all that was left was the holes and blood stains on his uniform. He rolled his neck and stretched, ignoring the fascinated glances his teammates were sending his way. "Are you all right?" Storm asked him as they continued on their mission.
"Yeah." Logan answered curtly, searching through the chemically laden air for Kayla's scent. "It tickled."
The elevator had brought to the main level, which was another large room with more rooms and halls branching away from it. "Alright," Storm said quietly, and Logan knew by her tone that she was about to give orders, "the Professor wants us to scout the place before we rescue the girl."
"But if we're caught scouting, we won't able to rescue 'the girl'." Logan growled. "I say you two do the scouting. I'll find Kayla."
They reluctantly agreed to Logan's plan. "Keep in touch with us, Logan." Storm warned. "Do you have your ear piece?" She asked, taking her own from her belt and putting it in her ear.
Logan nodded and did the same. He immediately began checking the signs on the doors and hallways, looking for one that might lead to Kayla. "Be back at the jet by dawn." Storm told him. He ignored her, rushing down a hallway suddenly. "God, it's like taking care of a child." She told Scott. Scott chuckled, and then they both left, too.
Logan found a sign that read "Laboratories and kennels" and decided it was a good start. As he walked briskly down the hallway, he began to notice a familiar scent. He immediately recognized it as Kayla, and followed it down the hall. There was reinforced door to his left that was bolted shut from the outside. There wasn't a sign on the outside, but the strength of Kayla's scent coming from the other side told him he was on the right track.
He cut an X into the door and bashed it in. Then he glanced up and down the hall before ducking inside. It was pitch black except for guide lights along the pathway leading straight from the door. Logan searched the wall for a switch, and flipped the first one he found. Bright overhead lights flickered on, illuminating the horror in front of him. There was a row a giant cages on either side of the pathway. Most were just metal chain link, but some were huge boxes made of steel and glass viewing windows. A few had voltage warnings on them. And, in every single one, was a person; a mutant, caged like an animal. The sight drove Logan crazy with raw fury.
He set off down the pathway, anxiously checking every single cage. From each one stared back a pair lost, empty eyes, some of which belonged to children. Biting back the pity rising in his chest, he continued his search for Kayla. He could barely decipher it through all the other mutant's scents.
Just as he was beginning to think that she wasn't in one of the cages, he passed by one with a woman lying against the far side of the cage. Her face was covered with her dark hair. Her pale, thin arms were covered with dark bruises, and, despite the chill in the room, she was only dressed in a flimsy dress. Her body was unmoving; Logan could barely see her chest rise and fall with her shallow breaths.
Okie dokie another chapter done. Reviews make my day, and I might even post more faster! You never know :P
