Chapter 13
Bait
"Listen, as far as anyone here is concerned, we're still a couple right?" Damon asked. "So, for now, let's walk around here like any normal boyfriend and girlfriend would. We might be able to get close enough to listen in on any conversations. Maybe we'll pick up on something."
"Sounds like as much of a plan as any," Anna agreed. "Before we do this, let me try calling Scott one more time." Anna held her breath, hoping that he would answer this time.
"Summers," the voice said on the other line.
"Thank god," Anna sighed in relief. "Listen, we've tracked 728. He's here at the mansion. I need you to call the X-Men back now!"
"How could you have possibly," Scott started to say. Anna was in no mood for his doubtfulness.
"Listen, that doesn't matter," Anna insisted. "All that matters is that 728 is somewhere in the courtyard. We don't know who it is, but he's definitely here."
"Don't move until we get there," Scott demanded.
"Sorry, Scott," Anna replied, "but you see, Ah ain't an X-Man, remember? Ah don't have ta take orders from you." Anna quickly hung up her phone before joining Damon. He placed his arm around her as they started their faux lovers' walk.
"What about that big burly guy over there?" Damon motioned toward a mutant that Anna had never seen before. He was at least seven feet tall. All across his rugged skin were menacing spikes.
"Isn't that a bit too obvious?" Anna commented.
"What do you mean?" Damon asked.
"Well," Anna explained, "728 has advanced intelligence right? Don't ya think he'd want ta blend in a little better? Ah mean, look at him, he's got public enemy number one written all over him. Ah'd probably keep a look out for the quiet ones that no one seems ta notice."
"Good point," Damon agreed. They continued to walk around the yard. Just a few days ago, Anna would have loved walking around with his arm around her waist. But, given the current awkwardness of their relationship (mostly in her own mind), Anna could feel the tension in her shoulders growing. Damon was quick to pick up on her mood. "Relax, will you?" He joked. "I'm not trying to steal you away from your boyfriend."
"Ah'm sorry, Damon," Anna replied. "It's just weird for me."
"Listen, Raven," Damon rebutted, "we're just working. If I was trying to win you over, you'd know." He flashed a quick smile, and his crystal eyes once again mesmerized Anna.
If Anna had been paying more attention, she would have noticed the woman that was approaching from the left. Anna felt like she hit a brick wall when she collided with the other person. The impact overwhelmed her mentally, knocking her off her feet.
"Oh mah, Lord! Ah'm so sorry," apologized Anna. She bent down to help the woman pick her purse. Their collision caused a domino reaction with a group of students walking by. It was as if a blizzard of papers dumped itself on the court. In the commotion, Anna never realized who the other person was. "Lanie," Anna choked out, face turning beet red. "Ah'm so sorry! Ah didn't see ya, sugah. Are you okay?"
"I'm okay, thanks," Lanie replied pleasantly. "Sorry there, I was thinking about something. I guess I didn't see you guys walking. I'll see you around." Anna and Damon stared at her until she disappeared into the sea of students.
"Guess, she's forgiven me," Anna whispered.
"What was that?" Damon asked, unable to hear her over the still chaotic scene around them.
Anna was unable to repeat herself though. Off in the distance, a loud boom filled the air. The agents quickly fled the courtyard to check out the source of the explosion. If it was 728, they needed to get there as fast as possible. The returning X-Men were already in the lab just as they got out of the elevator.
"What happened?" Anna asked everyone. She and Damon had instinctually drawn their weapons, ready to fire.
"Take it easy, chere," Remy answered. "M'sieur Bete was just tinkerin' wit' some o' his toys." Remy walked up to her, lowering her arms with his hand.
"We got the message from slim," Wolverine said. "How the hell did this thing get in the mansion?"
"I have no clue," Damon replied. "We were able to track it down to the courtyard, but there were just too many students to figure out who 728 was."
"We'll have to get Chuck to do a scan of all the mutants in the perimeter," Wolverine suggested. "That's the only way to know for sure."
"Ah think Ah know just who ta start with," Anna jumped in. "Ah'll ask the professor to check first, but Ah just might have a plan on how to stop 728 without any of the students getting harmed."
Anna walked into the war room with Logan. She gave him a small smile and mouthed the words "thank you" before taking her seat. A faint psy-scan from Xavier proved Anna's suspicions. 728 was exactly who she thought it was. After confirming 728's identity, Anna devised a plan that would put her into very real danger. Her plan was simple enough. Anna would approach 728 and draw it into an isolated space under false pretenses. It would be her job to lower 728's guard just long enough so that the rest of the X-Men could strike offensively. She and Xavier thoroughly discussed the plan with the rest of the team, including Damon.
"Dis is insane, chere," Remy yelled at his recently reacquainted girlfriend. "I won' let y' put y'self in harm like dis."
"For once, I agree with Remy," Damon added. "There's no way you're going through with this."
Both men knew that one of Anna's greatest pet peeves was being told what she could and could not do. They both prepared themselves for the inevitable backlash that was on its way.
"What Ah decide to do with mah life is no one's decision but mah own," Anna spat at the two men seated across from her. "This is the only way we can guarantee that no one else gets hurt."
"Maybe so," Remy argued. "But, it don' have t' be you. I can go in and do the same exact t'ing."
"No, Remy," replied Anna. "You have your own mission right now." Her voiced trailed off as she felt a sickening sense of anxiety in her stomach. "After Ah leave, Professor Xavier will give you all the details." She looked over to Xavier who nodded to Gambit. Anna took one more sigh before standing from her seat. "Ah'm ready to do this now."
"Just remember what we talked about. If anything starts to go wrong, we will be in right away. I will maintain a psychic link with you and the entire time," Xavier reminded her.
"Right," Anna sighed. Damon couldn't bring himself to look at her. He couldn't help but feel that somehow, if anything happened to Anna, it was indirectly his fault.
"Be careful, chere," Remy said as he pulled her into a long embrace.
"Ah will, love," Anna whispered into the crook of his neck. She gave him a gentle kiss on the lips before quickly pulling away. Any more time in Remy's arms and she wouldn't have had the courage to go through with her suicidal plan.
Anna felt as if she were taking the walk of the dead man right before his own execution. A chill ran up her spine at the thought. She continued to remind herself that the rest of the team would be in the other room. If she needed them, they were there. That was one of the things that she missed the most about being an X-Man.
Anna walked back out into the courtyard. It was still as busy as earlier in the day. Anna surveyed the area for her target. After a few minutes, she spotted 728 sitting by one of the grounds' fountains. It sat peacefully, reading a book. Its ability to sit so tranquilly and assimilate itself into the rest of the student population was terrifying to Anna. If it could include itself here in Xavier's School so easily, its prey had no chance of survival if it were on the hunt. Anna took a deep breath and prepared herself for the approach. There was no sense in delaying the inevitable now. 728 was only three steps ahead. Anna steadily reached her hand out to tap 728 on the shoulder.
"Hi," Anna smiled as best she could. "Ah was wondering if you and Ah could talk for a minute."
"Sure," 728 replied. "What about?"
"Remy," Anna lied. "And if we could, maybe we could talk in private." 728 nodded before standing up beside Anna. "Thanks. Ah really appreciate this Lanie."