Author's note: see ch 1 for disclaimer
Scott jumped up and ran to his room in Chris' suite, quickly donning his uniform. He went back into his and Madelyne's suite and saw Nathan, Nate, and Carolyn had done the same.
"Nathan, Carrie, you're with me. Nate, you're staying here."
"But Dad-!"
"No! I need someone here protecting your mother and the Masters'. You're here." Nate, realizing that he wasn't just being pushed aside, nodded.
"Guns?" He asked Nathan.
"Guns," Nathan confirmed. The two went into Nate's room and tipped his bed. Nathan grabbed the biggest gun and it stuck to his back. He then put several into his many holsters before arming his younger version. They left the room and saw Scott pacing on the phone.
"Logan, I don't care! We NEED you!" Scott hung up and looked at his children. "Who do we have?"
"You, me, Carrie, Rogue, Beast. Is Logan going to make it?" Scott ran a hand through his hair.
"Probably not in time. I need… I need to talk to Alex, Dad." Chris handed him the phone and went to change into his uniform.
"Scott? Are you ready to talk to me now?"
"Where are you?"
"School. Bocklin just… appeared said some stupid stuff about how he knew we wouldn't be protected forever and just… took him."
"Ok. Listen- hide. Don't let Sinister get you, too. We'll be there in a few minutes and we'll go from there." Scott handed the phone back to Chris and left the suite to talk to Charles.
"Cyclops? What-"
"Sinister has Gabriel. I need Magneto there to help us see where he might have gone." Charles nodded and started dialing a number. Scott walked to the com unit in the office and flipped a switch, knowing that if any X-Men had their communicators, they'd be informed of an emergency.
"Charles. I hope this call is an apology for how I was treated yesterday."
"Sinister has struck," Scott said. "He took Gabriel while he and Alex were showing someone the school."
"And why should I help, Cyclops?"
"Because Lorna is there." There was silence on the other end.
"I will meet you at the school." Scott heard the dial tone and looked at Charles.
"I've sent out the distress call. I don't… I don't think we'll be getting more help than what we have. I'm taking Nathan, Carrie, Rogue, and Beast. Nate is staying here to protect Maddie. When we leave, get everybody to the bunker and turn everything on. I don't know if he's luring me away for a trap, and I'm not taking any chances."
"I will protect them, Scott."
"I know, Professor." Scott lifted his communicator to his face. "Cable, Marvel Woman, Rogue, Beast. Meet me in the garage." Scott left the office at the same time as Cable and Carolyn left the suite, followed by Corsair.
"We tried," Nathan told him before rushing down the steps.
"Dad, you need to stay here."
"The hell I do! He's got my SON!"
"And that's exactly why you can't be there! I need everyone to be able to concentrate. Will you be able to do that if you see he's tortured Gabe?"
"I'm going."
"Dad… no. I need you here to help protect Maddie."
"Hepzibah will be here. Let's go." Chris went down the stairs and Scott sighed, following after him. He met up with the small number of X-Men and nodded.
"Sinister has Gabriel. He ambushed him, Alex, and Lorna at the school and took him. Magneto is meeting us there." Chris started the X-Van and everyone climbed in. The drive to the school was one of the fastest, yet slowest drives Scott had ever experienced. When they pulled up, they saw Magneto standing by Alex and Lorna.
"Dad!" Alex yelled before running to him. "I didn't- he froze me, Dad! I swear, I didn't mean for this to happen!" Chris grabbed Alex and hugged him close.
"We'll get him back, Alex. It's going to be ok."
"This is extremely important," Scott said. "Where did Sinister get him?"
"We were around the back of the school. We were showing her the burnt stands."
"Is there an abandoned lab in the back of the school? That would be his ideal place to stay. Easy extraction on school days." Scott put a hand to his head to think of Magneto's words.
"Cyclops, Forge's lab is tha' way!" Scott nodded at Rogue.
"Corsair, I need you here with Alex and Lorna."
"I'm coming with you-"
"And if he knocks us all out? Dad… I need you here as our last defense. You have your communicator. You won't miss anything. Please." Alex grabbed Chris' arm and Chris nodded.
"Get him back."
"We will. X-Men, let's move." Scott led his team around to the side of the school.
"Cable, Marvel Woman. What can you sense?"
"I definitely can tell Vulcan is here. But there's… oh no."
"What?" Scott looked at Nathan to hear what he could sense.
"Scalphunter. Riptide. Vertigo. Arclight? Shit." Nathan took out two guns, one for each hand.
"I don't know any of those names!" Scott hissed.
"Ok. Let me call the shots to get us past them," Nathan requested. Scott nodded.
"Everyone, listen to Cable."
"Carrie, you know Vertigo. Shield us, send her powers back to her, knock her out. Cyclops, blast the shit out of Riptide. He's like when Quicksilver makes tornadoes. Rogue, you dodge and weave until you get to Arclight, the only other female. Essentially a female Avalanche, but she can take a lot more than he can. Beast, you and I are on Scalphunter. The minute you see Gabe, get him. Carrie, once you see Sinister, get something over that damn jewel so he can't stop us. Cyclops, after Riptide, give everything you got to Sinister. Yours and Alex's powers are some of the only things that can actually hurt him."
"Magneto, what are you doing here?" Beast asked him once he'd landed.
"I gave Charles my word that I would help." Cable sighed in thought.
"Ok. You get the jewel covered."
"I wasn't aware you were leading."
"Cyclops doesn't know the Marauders. Yet." Nathan gave Scott a look.
"Everyone know what they're doing? Ok. Let's go." Scott took the lead and started taking the team he had, and Magneto, to Forge's abandoned lab. Scott realized he was up first as a white haired man came out, stretching his hands, causing the wind around him to start picking up. Scott steadied himself and quickly blasted him out of the way, allowing his team to run inside. Riptide stood back up and started coming for Scott. Scott again blasted him into the school building, hearing a sickening crunch. Riptide crumpled to the ground and Scott saw Carolyn coming out of the building, fighting with Vertigo. Scott saw her fall to the ground and blasted Vertigo into the wall before running to his daughter.
"I almost had her," Carolyn said, throwing up immediately after.
"You're done. Go to Corsair." Carolyn nodded and flew away. Scott continued into the lab, a place he hadn't even thought of since Kurt was stuck in Forge's Middleverse. He saw his brother strapped to a table, his team fighting against two mutants Scott had never seen before, and Magneto- their enemy- using the metal he could to protect Gabriel and knock out Mr. Sinister. Scott felt like time slowed down as he saw the pale blue skinned man with the ruby on his forehead.
"Cyclops!" Cable shouted, fighting with Beast against a crazed looking man with almost as many weapons as Cable. "Do it NOW!" Scott stood where he wouldn't hit anyone else and removed his visor, allowing his power to be unbridled against the man who took and would take everything from him. Scott let his beams continue until he felt his reserves near gone. He collapsed to the floor and let the blackness set in.
"-be awake by now? It's been three days, Hank!"
"Scott used more of his powers than he ever used before. His body simply wasn't prepared for it, Chris. He'll wake up when he's ready." Scott groaned and tried opening his eyes.
"Dad?" Scott felt someone grab his hand.
"Oh thank God. I'm here, son."
"Gabe?"
"He's safe. He's down here with us in Med Lab."
"Shades?"
"Your glasses are on, Scott. Open your eyes." Scott opened them and carefully looked around.
"Beast, what happened?"
"Exhaustion, Scott. Your sleepless nights and full use of your powers until they were tapped caused you to pass out." Scott winced at the tightened grip of Chris' hand.
"How's everyone else?"
"Carolyn still gets dizzy spells, Rogue received a concussion and scrapes and bruises, and Nathan…" Scott sat up, grabbing his head.
"What about Nathan?"
"I'm fine." Scott looked beside him and saw Nathan in another bed.
"You nearly lost your arm."
"But I didn't."
"What happened?"
"Scalphunter turned my own gun against me. Don't worry. Beast stitched me up. They're just keeping me down here for their own insane reasons."
"He lost a lot of blood," Chris told Scott. "He needed a transfusion. He's been down here so we could make sure the blood Hank gave him didn't react with the virus." Scott nodded.
"What about you, Beast?"
"Nathan kept Scalphunter busy once you came into the lab. I was able to get Gabriel out to your father before coming back for you."
"Magneto?"
"Fine, from what we could tell, not that he would accept help from us. He took… he took what was left of Sinister."
"What was left?"
"Son, you practically decimated him. There was almost nothing left."
"Then that's good. He can't get us again."
"He can. He'll need time, but he'll be back. Magneto thought if he could get him locked away, we wouldn't be bothered by him again for a long, long time," Nathan said.
"How long?"
"At least two years. I told you you were powerful," Nathan smirked. Scott looked over and saw Gabriel on his bed, completely still.
"What did he do to Gabe?" Silence met his question. "Dad?"
"We don't know. He hasn't woken up." Scott swung his legs off the bed. "Scott, don't. You're too-" Scott stood up and stumbled to Gabriel's bed.
"Gabe. Gabe, wake up!" Scott could only see the rising and falling of Gabriel's chest. "Can, can Professor Xavier get into his mind?"
"No. We tried."
"What about Maddie? Nate? Carrie? There are more telepaths in this mansion than anything!"
"We tried everyone but Madelyne. We didn't know if she could get in, and we didn't want that to be a stressor on the babies." Scott pushed down the bile and the panic and stood up, resuming his role as Cyclops.
"What do we do?"
"I don't know what else we can try," Beast said, honestly.
"Dad? There's gotta be someone you know."
"There… there's one. But I can't see him coming here. I would have to take Gabriel to him."
"You mean leave."
"He's in space, yes. The Starjammers are on standby for us. I wasn't leaving until you woke up."
"You're leaving us."
"I will return."
"But you're- you're leaving me and Alex again."
"Gabriel could die if I make him stay here much longer. We, we don't know what's wrong."
"How… how long?"
"I don't know."
"Mom?"
"Would go with me." Scott looked away.
"Go."
"Scott-"
"Don't. Don't make it harder, Corsair. Just- get him better and come back." Chris put a hand on Scott's shoulder.
"I'm leaving my Starjammers communicator. Hepzibah is taking hers. You'll be able to talk to me every day." Scott pulled his arm away.
"Does Alex know?" Chris nodded. "Then what are you waiting for? Go."
"I love you, son. I'll be back before you know it." Nathan got out of bed and walked with Scott out of Med Lab.
"He'll be back, Dad. Trust him." Scott waved Nathan's words away and staggered to the elevator, refusing to look back.
A/N: And that's the end of story #5. Thanks for sticking with me through this! Chapter 1 of story 6 will be uploaded some time this week, so be on the look out for that. It'll go through the aftermath of this story and the toll it took on the Summers family, plus it's picking up with the X-Men Evolution episodes, starting with the Sadie Hawkins dance episode (that I sort of changed up a bit to fit this story better, but not by much).
Newbee