CHAPTER THIRTY-EIGHT:
HIJACK!
AN: Bad news guys; MY COMPUTER HAS A STUPID VIRUS! So updates may not be as usual as…..usual… (heh heh, that sounded odd) I can't even TYPE on my computer right now. And then, to add insult to injury, when I tried to post this chapter on in the library, the Library doesn't let you get on .
(Growls) Just charming.
Bear with me, folks.
6/25/2013: well, I FINALLY got my computer fixed, the viruses removed, and the internet back. So, here it is folks.
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VICTOR
He didn't know WHY this was bothering him so much. He was a predator, had always been that way. True, now he was a provider again as well, a protector (two roles he never thought he would fall into again) but still, he was a HUNTER. It was in his blood, in his genetic make-up. If his mate didn't understand that, too bad; she was going to have to learn to live with it.
He sniffed the air, winnowing out
different scents (wood polish, carpet, hormones, air freshener) and searched for one single scent…..metal….and a particular KIND of metal.
Being the "henchman" of Magneto, Sabretooth had picked up a lot of interesting information that the Metal-Manipulator didn't think him capable of picking up. As far as Magneto had been concerned, Sabretooth was a third-class thug good for nothing but brawn, and that was the way Victor had KEPT him thinking. One of the things Victor had picked up from his time as Magnetos muscle-man was a general idea of the layout of the major parts of the school, aka Cerebro, the med-labs, the bunkers and (most importantly) the location of the X-mens major source of transportation for mission flights; The Blackbird.
*Victor…..what are you doing?*
Victor swore loudly and colorfully as the Professors voice rang in his head. "None of yer business, cue-ball." He muttered aloud.
*It looks as though you are planning to hijack my plane…..that couldn't be possible, though, could it?*
Finding a way to block the Professor from his head was becoming a serious number-one priority…..well, a number two priority. His first priority was Nick Fury and his seeming agelessness. Still, Magneto had had that helmet, but it had been destroyed. Maybe he could figure out who had come up with such a thing in the first place, or at least find the design plans.
*I doubt it, Victor.* came the Professors voice.
"You mean that's what you hope." Victor grumbled, turning right to go down a set of stairs. "Don't you have someone elses brain ta pick?" the feral growled. "How about that brother of mine; give him a mental shake or somethin', see if that helps him remember."
*As I have told your brother many times, Victor* the Professor said patiently, *the mind is a complex, many-layered mechanism. I cannot simply flip a switch and restore his memories.*
"Then butt out of my brain and go make one of those x-men of yours believe they're a chicken." Victor snapped, getting closer to the metal scent.
*You do know I have no choice but to stop you, Victor.* the Professor said almost sadly in his mind.
The feral mutant growled low and threatening. If he had been trying to track down anyone other than Nick Fury, he would have grabbed his frail and the cub and taken off, except the Blackbird was his best bet to track down Nick Fury…..except his mate still wasn't comfortable with him….except he had a whole school of cubs he had 'taken under his wing' so to speak, that needed care. The Professor Xavier may have been the most powerful telepath in the world but he didn't know %#^& about taking care of cubs whereas he, Sabretooth, had raised his young feral brother from birth, even when he was still a baby in the 'Howlett' mansion, AND he had a payload of instincts to guide him.
The Professor could go wheel himself off a cliff for all Victor cared.
He was taking the Blackbird.
When he felt his limbs begin to freeze, he let his feral rage fill hum, though still keeping it contained. Continuing to follow the scent of metal, he pictured a sturdy brick wall in his head.
He thought he had succeeded when the body freeze slowed, but then the bricks in his mental wall began to crumble, letting out figurative puffs of dust.
*Come now, Victor.* came the Professors voice. *Don't make this any harder than it has to be.* …..but the Professors words were fainter.
Okay, Victor reasoned. If brick wouldn't work he would try metal. He envisioned a steel wall and his limbs became easier to move. He picked up the pace towards the scent of that rare metal alloy. Almost immediately, though, the steel wall began to bulge and both Victor and his semi-alter ego chuckled, enjoying the challenge.
'Oh no you don't, Xavier.' Victor thought to himself. 'You can huff and puff all you want, but I'll still blow you out of the water.`
He ramped the steel wall up one level further…or five or six levels further. Adamantium. Then he broke into a run, going on all fours, heading for the scent of the Blackbird. In his mind he could feel the Professor pushing at his mental wall, searching for chinks.
Sabretooth bounded down the stairs to a steel door requiring a password to open. He could possibly have bypassed it (he knew how) but went for the more expedient way; he sliced the little security box open with his claws and yanked it out of the walls, wires and all, forcing the door to open.
He was vaguely aware of the Professor calling for reinforcements.
Two more metal doors and two more sliced security-boxes later, he found himself in the hanger where the ultimate in technology for flying, the Blackbird, loomed.
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BACK IN THE CAFETERIA
Meanwhile, back in the cafeteria, Rogue, Jubilee, and Logan were all trying to calm Cassie down.
"Are you SERIOUSLY telling me that I was SLEEPING next to a SERIAL KILLER LAST NIGHT!?" Cassie exclaimed.
Rogue, Jubilees, and Clarisses jaws dropped and Cassie set her glare on them. "Not making love, you PERVERTS!"
"Darlin, you need to calm down." Logan said, trying to soothe her as he handed Jonesy over to Rogue. "Yer scare'n the kids."
THAT at least managed to get through to her, the Canadian noticed.
Cassie took a deep breath, noticing the little Roddy was looking at her with frightened eyes. She kissed the young mutants head. "Sorry, hon."
Logan ramped up his purr as loud as he could. "Why don't we all go to Maries room and sort this out. Bring your food with you, and make sure you get some more water, Clarisse." He hustled the little group towards the cafeteria doors, determinedly ignoring the stares and mummers of the other kids in the cafeteria.
He had just got the little group out of the cafeteria, when the Professors voice rang in his head. *X-men, we have a situation. Sabretooth is attempting to hijack the Blackbird.*
Logan rolled his eyes and 'thought' back. `He's just borrowing it, Chuck, no need to blow a wheel.`
Rogue frowned, shifting Jonesy to her other hip and looking to the feral. "Logan?"
The Wolverine shook his head. "We're staying out of this one, Marie."
That was when Bobby Drake pushed himself forward, his entire body already turned into ice. The teen glared at Logan then spoke to Rogue. "Come on, Rogue, the Professor needs us to stop Sabretooth." He held out his hand for Rogues gloved one, but Rogue shook her head.
"Ah'm not goin', Bobby, you go on ahead."
The 'Ice-Man' gave her an incredulous look. "WHAT!?"
"You heard her, ice-boy." Logan growled, helping Clarisse steady her tray. "Now get move'n."
Bobby glared at him. "Siding with the enemy, Wolverine?"
Logan deepened his warning growl. "Don't pick a fight with me, kid, you won't win."
*So you're not going to help, Logan?* came Charles voice in his head.
`Yer over-reacting, Charles.` Logan thought back gravely. `No, I'm not going to help, and neither is Rogue or Jubilee.`
*I know he is your brother, Logan, but Victor is still quite feral. Who knows how many he will kill!?*
`He hasn't killed for a while, Chuck.` Logan thought back. `Besides, Fury can take care of himself.`
The Wolverine frowned when one of the younger x-men, Katherine Pryde, started to run through the door. With lightning fast reflexes, Logan reached out and caught the young woman around the shoulders. "Hold it, Kitty, where do you think you're goin?"
The phaser gave him a look of confusion. "Didn't you hear, Logan!? Sabretooth's trying to steal our jet!"
"He's just borrowing it, Kitty."
The younger woman gaped at him. "Did someone shoot you in the head again, Logan?"
Cassie turned so fast she tripped herself and her tray of food spilled onto the floor. "AGAIN!? You mean you were shot in the head BEFORE!?"
Logan could feel one heck've a headache coming on behind his adamantium-laced skull. "Maries room! NOW!" ….and the sooner they got there, the better.
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VICTOR:
It took him a little while to figure out how to get into the jet, but not too long, and quickly he was strapping himself into the jets pilot seat. (He knew he couldn't die if he DID crash, but he would much rather spare himself the headache.)
Thanks to his endless experience with flying and his analytical mind (when he wasn't full feral, that is) it didn't take him long to get the jet started…..only…..how was he supposed to get it out of the compound?
Thinking back to the plans of the school he had seen, Victor recalled something about the hanger being under a basketball court.
The feral face-palmed himself, cursing loudly. "What the # $^ was that stupid cripple thinking!? What if there are CUBS playing up there when ya gotta take off!?"
He could just see it now; the basketball court sliding open and several unsuspecting cubs, in the middle of a game, falling inside and breaking bones. Someone needed to do the school a favor and kill the Professor.
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STEVE ASWELL
Steve Aswell had made quick and efficient use of his time. The instant the Professor had shown him his quarters, he was onto his laptop hacking into the schools system. Within seconds he had the blueprints to the entire school, Cerebro, the hangers, and a complete roster of all the teachers, students, and their powers.
That was when he 'heard' the Professor Xavier calling for all X-men.
Steve put a hand to his forehead. It was always unsettling when a telepaths 'inner voice' managed to get into his head. He had blocks in place, of course. It was mandatory for his line of work; two years in courses of intense meditation and hypnosis to build up a block against mind-reading, but when the power of telepathy wasn't intentionally aimed AT HIM he could pick it up. His trainers had wanted it that way so that he could pick up on information that a telepath might not necessarily want him to know.
*X-men, we have a situation. Sabretooth is attempting to hijack the Blackbird.*
Well now, THAT was certainly interesting. What was that crazed feral fleabag up to now? And, even more importantly, was his 'petite soeur' with him?
A little more anxious now, he hastily pulled up a list of commands for the Blackbirds computer system and checked for passengers.
Well, well, well…..it looked like the "DerSchlater" was alone. He let out a breath of relief; watching as the jet started then idled.
Steve arched a blonde eyebrow. "What is wrong, chaton, can't figure out how to fly the plane?" But that couldn't be it. The 'El Tigre' had extensive military training and knowledge, he should be able to figure out the jet…..but perhaps not to get out of the school.
Steve chuckled. "Just like a cat, to get yourself into a place you cannot get out of. Well, I don't see why I shouldn't help you just this once. After all, it will get you away from my petite soeur."
He typed in the commands to open the loading bay doors.
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VICTOR
The ferals amber eyes widened when the 'ceiling' above him opened, parting in two, and the Blackbird began to rise on a circular dais up through where the basketball court had currently been.
"What the-!?" Victor was dumbfounded. He was pretty sure that he hadn't hit anything to open the loading bay doors, but he wasn't about to look a gift horse in the mouth.
Relieved that no cubs had been playing on the court (he was DEFINITELY going to do something about that when he got back) Victor eased the jet into the air, entering commands into the keyboard.
"FIND NICK FURY: HELLICARRIER"
A neon-green map overlay came over the screen showing a little blinking dot in red and another green blinking dot labeled "Blackbird".
"Better keep yer good eye open, Fury, 'cause here I come."
Victor eased the jet into the air.