X3 Last Stand
Chapter Twenty-One: Infiltration Negated
After spilling her guts to the agent, Raven Darkholme formerly known as Mystique was seated in a cell. Trask had informed her that she'd be let go once they had Magneto. She smiled thanking him. She was given something to eat while awaiting news about Magneto.
Meanwhile the troops were given specific instructions about the weapons they'd be using. The soldiers took their metal guns and replaced them with plastic ones and given cartridges with the cure in them. They suspected that they'd be dealing with a lot dangerous mutants so the more they had the better prepared they'd be.
It's night fall. The troops are locked, loaded and ready to go. They are dressed in camouflaged outfits. Trask allowed Raven to watch. The president is there with them as they watch the monitor. On radar, numerous white dots indicate the congregation.
The troops close in on their intended target.
"Hands up!" A soldier yells.
In the pentagon ready room, suddenly, dots vanish and masse from the radar screen. The president's eyes widen in shock, while Trask angrily rounds on Raven.
"What's going on?" Trask asks her angrily.
"I don't know!" Raven told him. She was just as shocked as she was.
The dots continue to disappear until only one remains. All flashlights focus on the encampment's sole occupant: Jamie Madrox. Madrox simply shrugs.
"You caught me." Madrox said. He smirked and just like that he disappeared. The soldiers were baffled. thry hadnt realized that he used a copy of himself and the real Madrox was heading with Magneto to Alcatraz.
"What hell? Where did he go?" The soldier asked.
In the pentagon ready room, the president becomes angry.
"If he's not there, then where the hell is he?" President asks.
Trask yells at Raven.
"He was ready for us! You tipped him off, you told him we were on him!" Trask yells to her.
"Do you honestly think Erik cares about me anymore?" Raven asked. "I'm not a mutant anymore so whatever loyalty I thought he had for me has gone right out the window." She told them. Trask pauses, seeing the very real hurt in Raven's eyes. "He wouldn't hear a word I had to say, even if I did want to help him. She sits down. "So go ahead. Lock me away."
Trask looks to the president, who looks to Raven sympathetically.
"Let her go. Get her wherever she needs to go." The president said.
Trask responds reluctantly.
"Yes, sir." Trask said.
At the mansion, Ororo was in her room on the bed. She was looking at the photos of Logan when he was younger. With her are Jean, Emma and Megan. Jean had little Nathan in her arms. All four are worried about the men in their lives. Where had they gone to? What are they doing? These are questions that needed to be answered. Looking at baby pictures of Logan proved to be a great distraction.
"He was a cute little guy." Megan said looking a baby picture of Logan.
"Yeah." Ororo said.
"Can't wait til that little one is born can you?" Emma asked. Ororo glanced at her stomach.
"No. I'm excited and scared all at once." Ororo said.
"Have you and Logan set a set date yet?" Jean asked.
"Not yet." Ororo said playing with baby Nathan's hand. He smiled at her.
"I know he's glad to have found his family." Megan said.
"Yeah. Family is important." Ororo said. They stared at her. She caught their expressions. "What?"
"This coming from the woman who wished death on her brother." Emma said.
"I didn't wish death on him." Ororo defended.
"Yes you did Roh. For a long time you hated Rion and we never really understood why." Jean said holding baby Nathan who is listening somewhat. Ororo looked down sadly. She knew they were right. "We now know why you felt the way you did and are glad that you two are closer now, but yeah you did hate him." Jean said.
"Well things are different now. I worry about him." Ororo said.
"How do you mean?" Megan asked.
"He's a UFC fighter. I worry that he'll get hurt. Then I remember his mutations and it puts me at ease. Rion is one of the nicest guys you'll ever meet. He treats people with respect and his kindness knows no boundaries. Even when I was angry with him, I still admired him." Ororo said. "I'm worried about Logan to. I mean is it me or have our men just disappeared on us."
"It's not you. We're thinking the same thing. Jean and I have been trying to reach out to the guys telepathically but Rion has that barrier up. Whatever they are doing they really don't want us to know about it." Emma said.
"You think they're doing something illegal?" Megan asked.
"God I hope not. I can't take my son to see his father behind bars." Jean said.
"I agree." Ororo said.
"Rion knows better." Megan said.
"So does Alex." Emma said.
"Whatever it is they are doing it better be worth it because I'm giving Scott a piece of my mind." Jean said.
"We got your back." Megan said as the girls chuckled. They figured whatever the guys were up to, they'd know about it later. For now, they'd go back to looking through the pictures.