Chapter 13

Somewhere over the Atlantic

"I recall tellin' you 'no, no, and no'. How am I here again?" Logan grumpily asked.

"Because I won our argument. Now please, let me get some shut-eye," Cyclops said, reclining his seat.

They were four hours into their flight heading to Warsaw where they'd have to catch another plane to Klaipeda. Logan was not in a good mood. Scott, who was sitting to his left smelled like Jean. He knew they didn't have sex. But they were definitely wrapped in each other's arms long enough that even a shower that morning didn't erase Jean's sweet smell from the man beside him. God, it was going to be a long flight.

It wasn't like Logan was jealous… Alright, he was a little jealous. But for the most part, what irked him wasn't that he and Jean weren't together. He knew and accepted that she would never be his. But a part of him still felt like Scott didn't deserve her. Emma Frost sitting to Scott's left was a constant reminder of his indiscretion… of his betrayal of Jean. As if reading his mind, Emma turned to him with a small smirk before going back to reading her magazine.

"It's not like you needed me anyway. Rogue's here. She can do the dirty work same as me. I was o' better use on the back-up team," Logan grumbled, not quite finished his rant. "I can think o' better ways to spend ten hours than sittin' next to you in this cramped plane."

"Please, you just wanted to be back in New York with Jean," Cyclops said, calling him out.

"Well… she is better company than you," Logan said.

Cyclops looked like he was about to make a retort, when a pretty flight attendant approached their row and asked, "Have you all decided what you'd like to have for lunch?"

Rogue just shook her head no, not wanting anything. Emma ordered a glass of wine… shocking, Logan thought sarcastically. He ended up ordering a reuben sandwich. Cyke, who was last, asked for a bottle of water and the tuscan wrap. However, instead of the flight attendant moving on to the next row, she decided to make small talk with Scott.

"So, is this your first time going to Poland?"

Cyke gave the flight attendant a friendly smile. "No, I've been to Poland before."

"Oh, is this trip for business or pleasure?" the flight attendant asked. Logan couldn't help but roll his eyes at the way she practically purred the word pleasure.

"Neither, I'm afraid. My grandma is very ill and could go at any time. I just hope I'll get there in time to say my goodbyes," Scott answered. If Logan hadn't known any better, he would have believed him. Looks like ol' Cyke was a pretty talented actor.

"Oh my god! I'm so sorry to hear that," the flight attendant said looking genuinely sad for Scott. The two chatted for another few seconds before the flight attendant was forced to move on to the next row.

When she was out of hearing range, Logan said, "Wow…"

"What?" Scott asked, raising his eyebrow which could be seen above his glasses.

"You lied so flawlessly to that flight attendant. Your breathing didn't quicken. No signs of sweating… You didn't even look nervous."

"What's your point, Logan?"

"My point is that a lack o' a physiological response while tellin' a lie is a character trait of most violent sociopaths," Logan said, crossing his arms.

"First of all… she's a flight attendant, not a cop. Why would I be nervous? Second of all… what's your point?" Scott asked, sounding annoyed.

"No point… just wonderin' if Jeannie knows you have sociopathic tendencies," Logan said, enjoying needling ol' fearless.

"I do not-" but Scott stopped mid-sentence when he saw the smirk on Logan's face. Probably realizing he'd been had, Scott just said, "You know what, Logan… just eat your damn sandwich."

Logan wasn't in the mood anymore for chitchat, and so started browsing the movie selection in front of him. He was about to settle on Jumanji, when he heard Cyke and Emma whispering to each other to his left.

"God, Scott, I just took a bite of your wrap, you don't have to order me my own," Emma said, sounding annoyed.

"I'm quite hungry, so I'm probably going to eat all of it. It's fine, I'll pay for yours. It's no big deal," Scott answered.

"Then just order more later if you're still hungry. I really don't want my own, it's too much and I can't finish it," Emma said.

"Then don't finish it. Just put it away until later."

"Didn't your mother ever tell you that sharing is caring?" Emma said in an exaggerated saccharine voice.

"No," Scott answered curtly.

"What's your issue, Scott? You've never had a problem with me eating off your plate before," Emma said, calling Scott out.

Scott sighed. "I… just don't think it's appropriate… I mean us… sharing that way."

Emma gave Cyke the most sardonic look Logan had ever seen. "Really? Well, might I remind you, darling, that we've shared a whole lot more than that."

Scott looked like he had something to say to that, but instead, he turned to his right and waved at a male flight attendant closest to them. "Hi, could I order another of these Tuscan wraps?"

Before the flight attendant could acknowledge the order, Emma interrupted. "Never mind that. I'm not hungry. If you'll excuse me…" Emma walked past Cyke and Logan and headed to the restroom.

As the flight attendant walked away, Logan turned to Scott. "I didn't see that comin'. I must say, a part of me half-expected you two to be in each other's laps by now."

"Expected or hoped?" Scott asked, taking a bite of his food.

"Touché."

"Look, Logan… not that I owe you an explanation… But I'm not the same man you saw fall into Emma's bed when Jean wasn't even cold in her grave." Logan actually saw pain in the man's face before him. Interesting.

"Out of curiosity, what's changed, huh, Cyke?"

"I don't know… my time with Emma… my time without Jean… my time being dead… mostly I'd say, it's just time. I've had time to distance myself from the mind fuck Apocalypse put me through. I've had time to realize I became a man I couldn't recognize anymore, nor even respect…" Cyke said, trailing off.

It was unnerving to hear such heartfelt remorse in his former leader's voice. There was a time that he had lost hope in the man before him. That lost faith in his old leader was especially prevalent shortly after Jean died and Logan had found Scott and Emma in bed together. He wasn't sure what to think at the moment.

"Well, whatever your new-found outlook in life, you've pissed off the White Queen it seems," Logan said.

"She'll get over it. Emma's never been one to take no for an answer. But even she knows deep down that she and I are finished. I'm devoted to Jean. This act of hers is just to ease her hurt pride. That's why I tolerate it. Because if I were in her shoes, and it was Jean who made it clear she didn't love me anymore… well, I'd be broken inside."

The conversation was getting a tad uncomfortable for Logan, so he decided to end it. "Well, pal, all I can say is that this will be one hell of a long-ass flight."

Meanwhile

New York

"I haven't seen Scott like this since before he merged with Apocalypse," Nathan said.

"What do you mean?" Jean asked her son.

"He's the man I remember again. He's acting like the man who raised me. I haven't seen him remotely happy in a long time. I mean, truly happy. It's because of you, you know."

"It's because of us, Nate. He has his family back," Jean said.

"I agree with Nathan, mom," Rachel chimed in. "It's mostly you. It's like what Lorna Dane often said shortly after you passed away. She'd always say, 'I liked Scott a lot more when Jean was here.' I think no one felt more that way than Scott himself, if you asked me."

"Well, I'll have to take your guys' word for it. After all, I wasn't here to witness any of it," Jean said, sighing.

"Cheer up, mom. I know you're not happy you had to stay behind, but it's for the best. You need time to heal. And now that Hank's here, he and Nathan can work together to find out more about that virus that dart injected you with," Rachel said.

"Rachel's right, Jean. I'm very worried about that virus inside you. Not to mention, Scott keeps texting me every hour asking if Hank or I have learned anything new," Nathan added. "Isn't he supposed to put his cell phone on airplane mode?"

"Tell your father to focus on the mission at hand, and to stop worrying about me," Jean answered.

Rachel scoffed. "That's like telling Bobby to stop being gay… it's just inherent in Scott to worry about you."

"Tell him to try anyway," Jean said.

Before Rachel could answer, Hank walked into the room. "I'm sorry to interrupt, but may I speak to you privately, Jean?"

Jean, seeing the look of concern on Hank's face, quickly followed him out the room. Hank tried making small talk with her as they made their way to the lab. It only served to make Jean even more nervous.

"What have you discovered, Hank?" Jean asked.

"I'm not entirely sure. Further tests have shown that the virus itself is not dampening your powers. It's debilitating the part of your brain that controls it."

"So, you're saying my powers are still working, only that I can't turn it on?" Jean asked.

"Precisely. Tell me, have you been experiencing any new sensations outside of not being able to use your powers? Headaches, nausea, feeling sleepy, numbness anywhere…?"

"I woke up with a slight headache this morning. It was nothing severe. I took an Advil and I've felt fine since. What's concerning you, Hank?"

"I'm worried because it seems the virus is mutating. Right now, it's only suppressing your ability to control your powers, but it's slowly changing, and I fear it will eventually attack your brain."

"I see…" Jean said, allowing the latest information to sink in. "If you're right, and that is indeed what's happening, how long do you think I have?"

"It's impossible to say at this stage. All I can say for sure is that we need to make it a priority to create antibodies for this," Hank said.

Before Jean could respond, Nathan walked in the room. "So, my suspicions were correct? It's mutating?"

"Yes, Cable. Preliminary tests seem to show that it is," Hank answered solemnly.

"What can we do?" Jean asked.

"We need to create those antibodies to combat the virus," Hank said.

"We don't have time for that," Nathan argued. "We have no idea how fast this will progress. If those members of the Order of the Cross were able to create this virus, then they will probably have a cure for it."

"Probably," Hank answered.

Before Jean could add her two cents, Nathan's cell phone beeped. "It's Scott," he said, looking at his phone. "He's asking how you are. He needs to know about Hank's discovery."

"NO! Wait, Nathan… just wait," Jean said, snatching the cell phone from her son's hand. "I don't want Scott or his team distracted whatsoever with this. Let's deal with this ourselves."

"But he's the one on his way to the enemy's base. If there are existing antibodies in the hands of the Order, he and his team would have the best chance of getting their hands on them," Nathan argued.

"I concur with Cable, Jean," Hank added.

"I said no. I'm sorry. Our priority is to rescue the other X-Men. Hank, I have every faith in you that you'll be able to find a cure for whatever this is. Reach out to Dr. Richards if need be. I don't want Scott and his team deviating from their objective to look for a cure that may or may not exist. Once the captured X-Men are safe, we can then discuss a mission solely to retrieve a cure, but until then, I don't want to complicate matters unnecessarily," Jean said.

"But Jean, according to you, the captured X-Men were also hit by those darts. We'll need a cure for them too," Nathan said.

"I understand that, son. But imagine that your father and his team were successful in freeing the others, but then instead of making their escape, they stay behind looking for something that may not even be there, and as a result, things go to hell," Jean argued.

"I say we risk it. That's the reason why we have a back-up team," Nathan said.

It was hard for Jean to argue with her son's logic. And she knew that part of her reluctance was that she was afraid for Scott's safety. If her husband knew the potential danger she faced with the virus mutating in her system, he'd be beyond worried. She was afraid that if he was distracted, he'd lose his focus and possibly get himself killed. But the situation was time-sensitive. After all, she didn't want to have her team rescued, just for them to succumb to the virus.

"Alright, Nate. You win. But I don't want you to tell your father about my condition. Just tell him that it's taking longer for Hank to find a cure and that if the opportunity presents itself, for him to see if the Order might be housing those antibodies that we need."

"Fine," Nathan said, taking his cell phone back from her.

Several Hours Later

Klaipeda, Lithuania

Scott was looking through a pair of binoculars at the base they believed their teammates were being held captive. The entire area looked like an abandoned military base. There were several buildings, but the armory was the most logical location for their captured teammates. But Scott's mind wasn't entirely on rescuing their teammates. He was also trying to come up with a feasible plan to try to find a cure for that virus.

Scott had spoken to Nathan several hours earlier the moment they landed in Warsaw. Scott couldn't shake the nagging feeling that something wasn't quite right. Why would his son all of a sudden bring up this mission within a mission? Why wasn't it discussed while they were all strategizing back at the mansion? Scott asked over and over again if Jean was alright, and Nathan kept saying she was. Call it a father's intuition, but he felt his son wasn't being entirely forthcoming.

"You look distracted. Somethin' wrong, Sugah?" Rogue asked Scott.

Scott turned to face Rogue, Emma and Logan. "Listen up, guys. Cable informed me that they've had no luck finding a cure for that virus Jean contracted when we were on our initial mission. The captured X-Men will also be infected. We need to scour the base and see if they're holding any antibodies that could help Hank in creating a cure."

"This wasn't part of the plan," Emma said, sounding irritated.

"How do we go about doing that, Cyclops?" Rogue asked. "We didn't plan for this."

"I say we split up. Rogue, Wolverine and Emma, you guys find the others. I'm going to search the premises and see if they have any labs or anything that might house those antibodies," Scott said.

"And how do we escape? You're the only one who knows how to hijack that old rust bucket over there!" Logan said, pointing to the old Soviet Antonov, a four-engined turbo-prop transport aircraft.

Scott turned to Emma. "Em, I need you to absorb my knowledge on how to fly that aircraft. In case I don't make it out in time, I need you to be able to pilot that to make your escape."

"You seriously think I'd leave you behind?" Emma said.

"You have to! Whatever happens, Emma, if you guys have the opportunity to escape, you do it. With or without me. At least with you guys free, you can always come back for me if I'm captured. I'm not leaving without that cure," Scott said adamantly.

"What good is findin' it, if you can't escape with us?" Logan asked.

"Just because I don't escape with you, doesn't mean I don't escape at all. If you guys do get away without me, chances are everyone on this base will be distracted by you. I can make my escape on foot then. You'll be just the diversion I need."

"There may not even be a cure, Cyke," Rogue said.

"True, but it's more likely that they do have one. After all, they did create that virus. In order to test it, they would most likely need a cure to go along with it. Anyway, the moment I have the cure, I'll be making my way to the aircraft. If you guys have taken off without me, I'll make my own way out," Scott said.

"Fine, let's get this show on the road then," Logan said.

The four of them made their way to the south side of the building. It didn't look like the Order was anticipating any danger. They seemed relatively lax in their security. The sliding electronic door had a passcode however.

"We gonna bust our way in or what, Sugah?" Rogue asked.

Before anyone could answer Rogue's query, the door buzzed open on its own. Several armed members came out of the armory. Emma quickly shielded the four of them telepathically. They then slipped into the building undetected just before the door shut behind them. That seemed a little too easy, Scott worriedly thought, but no time to dwell on the matter.

The four of them quickly made their way to the stairwell. Chances were, if their teammates were there, they'd be held underground. Any labs would probably be located there as well. They quickly ran down the stairs.

"Ahhh, shit!" Logan swore under his breath.

"What is it?" Scott turned around. But Logan didn't answer, entirely engrossed with his arm. "Logan! What's wrong?"

"I nicked my arm making the turn up there. I hit something sharp," Logan answered.

"Seriously? You're fine! Come on, we have no time to lose," Scott said exasperated.

"But my healin' factor's not kickin' in…" Logan said, sounding confused.

"What?" Scott said, running up to see the cut on Logan's arm himself. Before he could truly understand what was happening, the doors above and below them in the stairwell burst open. Masked men with automatics all pointed their weapons at the four of them.

"Freeze! Don't move, we have you surrounded!" One of the men yelled.

Scott instinctively took off his visor trying to blow a hole in the ceiling hoping it would come down on their attackers, but nothing happened. Realizing they were outgunned and outnumbered, the four of them hopelessly put their arms up in surrender. They were completely surrounded. One of the men walked over to Scott, took his automatic and slammed it against his head. Then everything went black.

Meanwhile

"SCOTT!" Jean screamed, jerking up in bed. She felt a blinding pain, then darkness. It must have been just a dream, but it felt so real. It was a feeling that was reminiscent of their psychic rapport. But that was impossible. They hadn't re-established their link, nor did she have her powers.

Jean tried to calm her racing heart. What did that mean? The more Jean cleared the cobwebs of sleepiness from her mind, the more she was sure it wasn't a dream. Her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on her door.

"Mom?" Rachel peeked her head in. "You okay? I felt your fear. It was so strong, it woke me up. What's the matter?"

"It's your father…"

To be continued…

I'm back from vacation. Thanks for being patient with the update. I will admit, I've been struggling a bit with writer's block. So, if you have any suggestions, please feel free to share.