Hi everyone! Sorry for the later than normal update, but my husband and I have been doing some decorating and I haven't had much chance to get to my laptop! Fortunately, all the painting is done now and the latest chapter is here, better late than never!
Mail Call:
nileena: Thanks for clarifying the 'Oh' review! Glad you're still enjoying the story!
sylphxpression: Good guess! Let's see if you're right ...... !
HyperEmo: Don't worry, I have no intention of leaving this little story unfinished!
Now, without further ado, on with the latest installment!
Mirage
Psylocke breathed deeply, mentally coaxing her body to relax and her heart-rate to slow, as she reached out with her inner self …… searching …… searching. But it was all to no avail. She could no more sense Logan now than she had the day before on the Blackbird. It was almost as though he had vanished off the face of the Earth.
Sighing, she opened her eyes and looked around her. She was seated cross-legged on the floor of Logan's room, where she had retreated just over two hours ago in the vain hope that being near to his belongings would set up a psychic resonance that would kick start their fading bond. The hope, she knew, had been a desperate one and it hadn't worked.
Uncrossing her legs, she rose gracefully to her feet, running a hand distractedly through her purple tinted hair as she realised there was no reason for staying in Logan's room any longer. It was time to admit the truth – the bond she had once shared with him was gone and, for reasons as yet unknown, she was unable to contact either him or the girls through 'conventional' telepathic channels. Maybe the others had more heartening news?
Striding to the door, she was distracted half way there by the sight of Logan's samurai sword lying across its display stand atop the chest of drawers. She hesitated a moment, drawn by the memory of having once wielded such a blade herself. But this one, she would never touch, at least not without permission, for this was the honour sword of the clan Yashida, entrusted to Logan by his lady, Mariko Yashida. Mariko was gone now, poisoned by an assassin some years before and dying in her lover's arms. The sword had since found itself permanently in Logan's care. Without him, it lacked future and purpose and it was Betsy's fervent wish that he would return safe and well to resume his custodianship.
She let herself quietly out of the room and headed downstairs. Despite the hour, the mansion was quiet around her. Students had been excused training and schooling until the present situation had been resolved and they had wisely decided to keep themselves out of the way, sensing the heightened stress levels and not wishing to be the spark that set off the powder keg. Most of the senior X-Men were occupied with trying to find Logan and the girls, so she met no one as she made her way down to the kitchen where she brewed herself a pot of strong black coffee. Pulling a chair up to the table, she sipped at the hot liquid carefully, letting her mind rove back over the events of the last few hours.
It had been just over twenty four hours since Logan and the girls had gone missing and in the intervening time the X-Men had not been idle. Professor Xavier had immediately manned Cerebro, searching almost non-stop for their missing comrades. Although not as proficient at controlling Cerebro as the Professor, Jean and Betsy had proclaimed themselves his back-up, taking over now and then to allow their mentor to rest. His breaks, however, were short and all too infrequent, and Betsy was worried he may be pushing himself too hard. If the Professor succumbed to fatigue a valuable telepathic link would be lost.
After returning to the mansion in the Blackbird, she and Scott had returned to Salem Center in civilian clothing in order to roam the streets and endeavour to pick up some information. Careful questioning and discreet telepathic scanning on Betsy's part had only revealed the fact that some sort of military group had bombed a well known bar and kidnapped several patrons. This much they had already ascertained for themselves. A number of people remembered a huge maned figure, confirming the presence of Sabretooth, and a helicopter had been used to transport all involved from the scene. It had last been seen heading north, but where it had ended up was anybody's guess.
Early that morning, Scott and Remy had set off with the Blackbird, hoping to turn up some better news. Any establishment that could boast a military team and a helicopter landing pad had to be fairly expansive in size and Cyclops was gambling that such a place would be easily identifiable from the air. He and Gambit had headed north, intending to lay down an organised search pattern and check out every possible location. At this moment, the air search seemed to be their only hope.
Betsy paused and looked up as Ororo entered the kitchen. Dressed in beige pants and a loose navy blue beaded top, she looked every inch the African goddess she had once been proclaimed to be. But there was a tightness around her eyes and her forehead was creased into a worried frown.
"Any luck?" she asked, softly, picking up the kettle and moving to the sink to fill it.
Betsy shook her head, sadly. "Nothing," she admitted, with a frown. "I just don't understand it, Ororo. Jean, the Professor and I are three of the most powerful telepaths on the planet. Between us, especially with our abilities augmented by Cerebro, one of us should have made contact by now."
"I wish I had some of the answers for you, Elizabeth." Ororo opened a cupboard and began gathering the makings for a cup of herbal tea. "Logan is a good friend and all this uncertainty surrounding his disappearance is most upsetting. But we cannot afford to give up – we must keep looking. Logan and the girls are out there somewhere, waiting for us to find them."
"Do you know what bothers me the most, Ororo?" Betsy studied her team-mate over the top of her mug. "It's the fact that the helicopter was last seen going north. North, Ororo. Canada." Her voice lowered almost to a whisper. "What if the Weapon X project has got hold of him again?"
Ororo shuddered as Betsy spoke the words that had been preying on all the X-Men's minds since the direction of the helicopter became evident. She turned away to fuss with her cup and saucer. "The Weapon X project was shut down some time ago, Elizabeth." Her tone was hard and betrayed the effort it took to declare the fact.
"Are you sure about that, Ororo? Really sure? Because all it needs is just one die hard director to slip through the net for the whole sordid operation to start up again."
Ororo shook her head as if to fend off Betsy's words. "Do you honestly think the thought hasn't crossed my mind, Elizabeth? It is just too horrible to contemplate, because if you are right, the Weapon X project hasn't only retrieved Wolverine, they have also got their hands on two young mutants who don't stand a chance against their conditioning."
She put down her cup with a little more force than was necessary, gasping as she suddenly realised she might have cracked it. Betsy stood and hurried to her side, taking the cup out of her hand and slipping her arm around her team-mate's shoulders.
"I'm sorry, luv, I didn't mean to upset you. Go on, you sit down and I'll finish off here."
Ororo nodded and gratefully took Betsy's chair at the table, while the telepath finished off making the cup of tea. She placed the hot beverage in front of her companion and slid her own mug of coffee over to the next seat along.
"My art of making subtle conversation needs a little work," she announced ruefully, in an effort to change the subject. "Open mouth, insert foot. That's me."
Ororo smiled to show she held no hard feelings. "Think nothing of it. We are all feeling the strain of uncertainty taking hold."
"So, were there any further developments while I was upstairs?"
"No, not really." Ororo took a sip of her tea. "Jean has taken over Cerebro and sent the Professor to rest. He's been scanning most of the night and he was exhausted. Scott reported in earlier – he and Remy have found no leads as yet."
"Well, that's certainly not what we wanted to hear."
"They will keep searching, Elizabeth. At least there is some good news I can report. Hank arrived home about an hour ago."
"Really? So he cut the lecture short then?"
Ororo nodded. "He said it was the least he could do. He wants to be on hand in case we have need of a doctor when we finally locate Logan and the girls."
She grimaced as she said this and once again the Weapon X scenario loomed between them. The project wasn't known for its kindness towards those it experimented upon and, if their team-mates were truly in its clutches, it was anybody's guess what kind of condition they would be in if and when they got them back.
Ororo broke the spell by setting her cup back on its saucer with a clink. "Well, break over. Time to head down to the War Room. I promised to relieve Rogue."
"I'll come with you," offered Betsy. She gathered up the crockery, rinsing them out under the tap and placing them on the drainer. "I can't really accomplish much up here and sitting around waiting for news will only drive me batty. Maybe I could take over Cerebro for a while?"
"I am sure Jean will appreciate the break," Ororo confirmed, as they left the kitchen together and headed for the elevator. "But try and keep an open mind, Elizabeth. Our friends are out there somewhere and their captors cannot hide them from us forever. We will find them, no matter how long it takes."
Betsy nodded. "I know, Ororo. Thanks. It's just all this uncertainty that's so hard to take. I wish I knew what's happening to them."
"So do I, Elizabeth," responded Ororo, as the elevator doors slid open to admit them. "But wherever they are, at least they are together. Maybe we could take some small comfort from that?"
oooOOOooo
The guard stationed outside the mutants' door stood a little straighter as a figure appeared at the end of the hallway, only to relax slightly as he recognised Roberts' daughter. Slender, with short curly brown hair and a pretty heart shaped face, she couldn't
have been more unlike her father if she'd tried. His cruel no-nonsense attitude cowed all but the most brutal of guards into submission, leaving no room for warmth or compassion. His daughter, however, seemed to have inherited all the qualities her father had forsaken, being open and friendly and full of compassion for her fellow man, be they human or mutant. The guard hoped this wouldn't prove to be her downfall. In a base full of mutant haters, a word in the wrong ear could prove fatal.
The girl's normally pleasant face was pulled into a frown as she approached, giving the guard pause for thought. She was carrying a tray, upon which rested a covered plate and two bottles of water and it was this that seemed to be ruining her usual demeanour.
The guard smiled warmly as she drew nearer, hoping for one in return. "Gina, anything wrong?"
Gina set the tray down on the guard's chair with a rattle and straightened angrily, one hand on a hip. "Plenty, Hudson! Would you believe the maids have refused to bring our 'guests' food? And those that will are more than likely to put something nasty in it! Do you believe these people?"
Hudson sighed. He'd warned Gina something like this might happen once they finally got hold of Wolverine, but it had obviously taken the maids' inaction to open her eyes to their treachery. Not that she was so naïve. She knew perfectly well the kind of people she was surrounded by. It was just hard to see their hatred being acted out.
She picked up the tray with a disgruntled huff and moved to the door. "I've made them something myself, so can you let me in?"
"Are you sure?" Hudson frowned and put a restraining arm across the door, despite it still being firmly locked. "These are X-Men you're talking about. Even without their powers, they're not defenceless."
Gina sighed. "Come on, Hudson, I'm not without my own defences, you know? Besides, I can't let them starve, can I?"
"No, I suppose not." Hudson withdrew his arm and made to unlock the door, then paused. "Gina, there's something you should know before you go in there."
"What?"
Hudson took a deep breath. "The lab guys visited Wolverine several times last night."
Gina was aghast. "What, they took blood already?" She snorted at the guard's sullen nod. "Geez, Mark, he's not been here twenty four hours yet and the bloodsuckers are already busy!"
"We knew this would happen, Gina."
"I know that, Mark, but …… well …… it doesn't make it any easier, you know?" She paused, shuffling her feet nervously. "Is he okay?"
"As well as can be expected. Rik managed to slip a blanket to him, so at least he's got some comfort." He hesitated, seeing Gina's sceptical expression and he smiled in what he hoped was an encouraging fashion. "It'll be okay, Gina." He reached out and unlocked the door. "Go. Take their food in. They're probably hungry."
Gina nodded as Hudson unlocked the door, creating a gap just big enough to slide herself and the tray through. Inside, the curtains were still drawn and the room was dark. She peered around as the door clicked shut behind her. "Hello? I've brought food."
A sudden flash of movement sent Gina scrambling backwards as Jubilee erupted from behind the sofa, brandishing a bedside lamp. "Geez!" Suddenly finding her back against the wall, Gina flinched as the lamp came swinging towards her, one bottle of water slipping from her tray and bouncing across the floor. "No, wait! Wait! I'm a friend!"
"Jubilee, no!"
Gina's eyes widened as the base of the lamp whistled through the air just inches from her head, as its wielder pulled her swing. Turning angrily, the X-Man planted a hand on her hip and glared at the other girl who Gina could now see standing by the bathroom door.
"For heaven's sake, Kristi ……! We'll never get out of here if you stop me from lamping everyone that comes in!"
"She says she's a friend, Jubilee. I think we ought to listen to her." Kristi moved forward, standing in the middle of the room with arms folded. "Go on …… or I'll set Jubilee loose again."
Gina looked from one to the other, her eyes wide. She hadn't expected this at all. Hudson was right. These weren't frightened and cowed captives – they were X-Men, through and through.
She took a deep breath. "I'm not here to hurt you. I brought you some food." She indicated the tray. "Can I put this down?"
Kristi nodded and Gina moved slowly across the room and deposited the tray on the coffee table. Jubilee picked up the fallen bottle of water and held on to it, looking as though she would relish any excuse to throw it at someone.
"How are you feeling?" Gina asked, hesitantly.
Jubilee rolled her eyes. "How the hell do you think we're feeling?" She gestured to herself and Kristi with the lamp she was still holding. "We're not exactly free to come and go, are we? And collars? So not a fashion statement! And my partner is stuck in a bloody cell about to have his blood leeched! So you tell me, how should we be feeling?"
"I'm not your enemy," whispered Gina, stunned by the force of Jubilee's anger.
"No? Well, excuse me if I don't appreciate your particular brand of hospitality."
About to retort, Gina hesitated as Kristi suddenly held up a hand. "Hold on a minute. What's your name?"
Gina bit at her lip, anxiously. She had hoped to gain the mutants' trust before having to reveal her lineage. But she couldn't lie. She had to tell them the truth.
"My name is Gina. Gina Roberts."
"She's his daughter!" Jubilee took a step back as though Gina carried something that was catching. "We can't trust her!"
"Calm down a minute, Jubilee." Kristi studied Gina keenly, and the girl forced herself to meet the X-Man's gaze calmly. It was imperative that she gained their trust and as Kristi was obviously the eldest of the two girls she figured she was the one in charge and therefore the one she had to convince. She smiled, hoping her nervousness wasn't turning it into a grimace.
Kristi came to a decision. "I'm figuring, as Roberts' daughter, you took a great risk coming here." She tilted her head. "Care to tell us why?"
"Because not all of us here agree with what my father is doing." Gina licked her lips nervously and looked back and forth between the two girls. "I'm obviously one of them. There are also two guards."
"And that's supposed to convince us?" Jubilee banged the lamp and bottle down on the coffee table and folded her arms. "I'm sensing a set up here, Kristi."
"I'm telling the truth!" insisted Gina.
"Then prove it!" challenged Jubilee. "We're not gonna trust ya till ya do, an' risk getting ourselves into worse shit than we are now."
"Isn't my word good enough for you?"
"No, basically, it isn't." Jubilee rocked back on one heel and tossed her head. "We've been drugged, caged and collared. Hardly an incentive for trust, is it?"
"Oh, for heaven's sake, I haven't got time for all this!" Gina pursed her lips in frustration and then let her breath out in a rush. "I'm a mutant, you idiots!"
Jubilee's jaw dropped.
"You know, I wasn't expecting to have to do this, but ……" She studied Jubilee intently for several seconds, her head tilted in concentration. The air around her suddenly seemed to shimmer, her features blurring and shifting, and then abruptly Wolverine was standing before them, a slight smile on 'his' face.
"A shapeshifter!" Jubilee took an involuntary step back. "Whoa!"
"Yes, in a way," responded Gina. It was weird to hear the girl's soft voice coming from 'Wolverine's' lips. "Oh, hang on a sec – sorry!" Her next words were spoken in Wolverine's gravely tones. "Is that better? Good. Well, anyway, I can't just shift into a shape at will. I have to pull an image of someone from your mind and then I can shift. I call myself Mirage," she added, hesitantly.
The air around 'Wolverine' shimmered once more and then Gina was looking back at them, her eyes wary. "So now you know my secret and the risk I've taken in revealing this to you."
"Well, I wasn't expecting that at all," admitted Kristi. She sat down on the edge of the bed. "I take it your father knows nothing of this?"
"Not likely, he'd kill me. No, really, he would," she added, as she noted Jubilee's sceptical expression. "He hates mutants – all mutants – no matter who they are. He considers them the lowest scum on Earth, not worthy of even calling themselves human. Do you really think he'd tolerate finding out his own daughter had become one of them?"
Jubilee said nothing, still wary, but Kristi came to a decision. She stood and walked over to Gina, holding out her hand. "We appreciate the risk you've taken in revealing your secret to us, Gina. If you are willing to help us, then we are willing to trust you. My name's Kristi. This is Jubilee."
Gina shook her hand. "Jubilee, huh? My father's research mentioned you." Jubilee positively preened at the accolade. "But I don't recall seeing your name," she added, turning to Kristi. "Sorry."
"Don't be," responded Kristi, with a dismissive wave of a hand. "I haven't been with the team very long." She inwardly debated whether to tell her she was a trainee or not, then decided against it. It didn't matter anyhow. "So what's the story with your father? Why's he so obsessed with Wolverine?"
Gina sighed. "He wasn't always so ……" She searched for the right word. "…… self centered. But then, about seven years ago, my brother was diagnosed with Wayland's Syndrome and he changed – he became obsessed with finding a cure. Things weren't going well. Then he heard about Wolverine's healing factor and he became convinced that your friend was the answer to the problem. He was like a man possessed, pouring all his fortune and resources into a facility that would enable him to capture and hold your partner indefinitely. He located black market files on the X-Men – studying them diligently to learn everything he could about Wolverine – trying to find weaknesses or a pattern to his movements – anything he could utilise to his advantage, shunning family and friends in his quest for knowledge. About four years ago, my mother finally gave up the battle to hold her family together and she left. She just couldn't take it anymore."
"So, why didn't you leave too?" asked Jubilee.
"Believe me, I wanted to. But then I realised I could do more good if I stayed here. So I began secretly working against my father's plans – 'accidentally' wiping research on the computers, mislaying materials, that sort of thing. I even sabotaged the collars once – that set him back weeks. But I knew my father would get hold of Wolverine sooner or later, especially when Sabretooth volunteered his services, so I began thinking of ways to get him out. I hadn't reckoned on you two though," she added, with a rueful grin.
"So you do have a plan?" asked Kristi.
"Yes ….."
"But what about the collars?" put in Jubilee. "We can't use our powers with these on."
"Don't worry, I've got it all covered."
"But ……"
"No, I'm not going to tell you what the plan is," interrupted Gina, correctly guessing Jubilee's next question. "The fewer people know of it, the less chance there is of my father finding out. All I'll say is, be prepared to move at a moment's notice."
She turned then, as a soft knock at the door attracted her attention – two knocks, then three, then two again. "That's Hudson. His relief must be on his way. I've got to go." She started for the door, but hesitated part way there. "Look, I don't know when I'll be able to talk to you at length again, but I'll try to bring you food every day, so don't eat whatever anyone else brings you, okay? It might not be safe. My guards are going to look out for Wolverine, so try not to worry about him – they'll make sure he's okay. Oh, and if one of them comes in to talk to you, try not to bash his brains out with the lamp! Their names are Mark Hudson and Richard Coffey. I'll remind them to warn you before they come in. Feel free to brain anyone else. They'll probably deserve it."
"Consider them bashed!" remarked Jubilee.
Gina grinned and tapped lightly on the door. It opened just wide enough for her to slip out, then the door closed and was locked once more.
Jubilee turned to Kristi with an expression of pure disbelief. "Well, what do you think to that?"
Kristi shook her head. "As strange as it may seem, Jubes, I think we've stumbled across the one ray of hope in this whole pit of vipers. Let's just hope she doesn't turn out to be a wolf in sheep's clothing."
NEXT: Wolverine gets more than he bargained for when visitors come a-calling!