"Val?" Fury asked in a quiet voice, shaking the still body below him. He pulled away to see that in their struggles, she had fallen on her own knife. The lifeless eyes stared up at him. "I'm so sorry, Val. I wanted to save you." He pulled the woman to his chest rocking slowly.
Then, time caught up to him. Where it had seemed so quiet before, now he could hear the loud evacuation klaxons echoing through the halls outside his room. How long? How long had they been fighting? How long did he have left? It felt like the fight had lasted forever.
He ran to the main closet and pulled open the emergency storage area, pulling out a parachute. Every outside room was equipped with such a unit in case of emergency, and a bombing was definitely an emergency. At least the helicarrier was over water, so no innocents on the ground would be injured.
Breaking through the protective glass, he pressed the button to open the bullet-proof outer window and jumped as he heard the first explosion.
-----
Once she could see that Mariko had things under control, Jean shooed everyone else out of the med lab. She went over to the room where they'd put the Professor and opened the door. Even though Logan was calm now, it wasn't wise to keep the Professor so close to him. As she entered the room, she could smell the distinct odor of urine and realized that the Professor had lost control during Logan's attack.
"Come with me," she said to the man cowering in the corner.
"You want to kill me."
"If we wanted to kill you, we wouldn't have stopped Logan. Now, if you want to move to a safer room, I suggest you get up now."
The Professor rose and left the room, Jean following him by a step so she could keep a close eye on him.
As they passed the living room, Jean put a hand on the Professor's arm to stop him and leaned into the room.
"Ok, everyone. It's late. Go to your rooms."
"Jean," Rogue said, jumping up. "How's Logan?"
"Right now, he's calm. Mariko's watching him. You all need your rest. Don't worry about Logan, Professor Xavier will help him." She tried to put confidence in her voice, but after her own trip through Logan's mind, she wasn't so sure even Charles could help. "St. John, could you come with me? The rest of you, goodnight."
St. John hurried up to Jean and saw the man beside her that had been hiding behind the door. "Isn't that the guy..."
"Yes, John. Come with me." Jean interrupted.
She pulled the Professor with her as they went to one of the spare bedrooms on the third floor. "John, seal the window." As she watched John's flame melt the window to its frame, she turned to the older man. "Professor, you should be safer here than down in the lab for tonight. We'll talk about Logan tomorrow."
Jean and St. John exited the room. "John, melt the lock, please."
After the professor was secured, Jean felt that she could finally go to her room. She was exhausted with worry and from overusing her powers throughout the day. She just wanted to hold Scott and sleep for days, but she'd settle for a few uninterrupted hours.
Khaki
**********
Jean passed by Maverick, standing outside one of the bedrooms scowling. Somehow, she didn't think she'd be getting those hours.
"What's wrong?"
"Look lady, you need to tell your boyfriend to get Sabretooth away from that kid."
"He's not dangerous right now. It's really very interesting. When Logan is normal his humanity is dominant over his beast side but it's a struggle. Now, without his memories, he's almost all animal. But in Sabretooth's case it appears to be the exact opposite. His humanity is dominating his bestial side."
Jason Barnett
**********
"Wait a second, lady. I thought Logan's problem was that he had all of his memories, both real and created, and that the confusion and amount of memories was driving him crazy. Now you're telling me he doesn't have any memories?"
"No, you're right," Jean said, closing her eyes and rubbing her forehead. "I'm not thinking straight." She focused her mind, doing a quick metal sweep of her surroundings. "Look, we're all tired. Sabretooth isn't anywhere near this room, and Clarice is asleep. Can't this wait 'til morning?"
-----
"Report," Silver Fox commanded from her hiding place above the mansion.
"The destruction of the Helicarrier has been confirmed. The Ambassador is a confirmed kill, but some survivors escaped, including Nick Fury."
It took all of Silver Fox's willpower not to scream aloud at the failure, but she held back. She didn't want to reveal her position until it was time to attack. "Nick Fury will be dealt with soon. For now, let's concentrate on our mission. Are all the teams in place?"
"Yes, we have the mansion surrounded. Their security is unaware of our presence."
"Good. We will attack at dawn. Kill anyone who gets in your way, but bring Sabretooth, Maverick, Wolverine, and the Professor to me."
Khaki
**********
Marie sat in her room, alone.
Logan.
She wiped the tears out of her eyes, and tried her best to hold back a sob. She failed miserably.
The door opened a bit, and Jubilee walked in,"Marie?"
Maries looked up, and she shook her head trying to clear her face of tears,"Yah?"
Jubilee's gaze met Marie's. They didn't need to say anything. Logan was close to both of them.
Marie ran to Jubilee and crashed into her arms. (Marie was still wearing all her layered clothes and gloves, as was Jubilee.)
They just stood there, hugging each other; Marie crying her eyes out, and Jubilee holding her comfortingly.
Marie was like a sister, and Jubilee knew more then anyone how she felt. Jubilee's eyes saddened more, but refused to cry. She'd be strong for Marie, she would. Marie had gone through so much, she didn't deserve this.
So, Jubilee comforted Marie as she cried.
They stayed like that a while, until Marie said,"Ah'm gonna go ta sleep, Jubilee."
Jubilee nodded and headed for the door. She'd leave Marie alone for a while.
As Jubilee walked out of the room, she heard Rogue whisper, "Thanks."
Jubilee tilted her head back to Marie's direction a second and flashed Rogue a smile, then walked out of the room.
-----
As she closed the door, Jubilee sniffled a bit.
She hoped Logan would be okay.
She loved him as much as she did Marie and Kitty and all of her best friends.
Tears threatened to spill, as a voice inside Jubilee's head told her that since Marie got to cry, she should too. That it wasn't healthy to keep her feelings in.
But Jubilee refused to give in too tears, she wouldn't! She had to be strong! A lot of her friends here had gone through so much more then her, and the majority of them hadn't shed a tear, so she had no right too cry over anything if they didn't!
With determination in her glassy eyes, she walked forward only to find herself bumping into...
Minkychan
**********
Nick Fury turned to look back at the helicarrier. The first explosion was in the engine room, and it triggered a series of other explosions. Windows blew out as flames and smoke reached for the sky. The air around it was filled with parachutes, hovercars, hoverbikes and the escape pods. There were already people in the water, and he could see the Coast Guard on the way to start picking up the survivors.
Everything was in slow motion as the details etched themselves into his mind. The helicarrier dropped fast after the engines were gone. It hit New York Harbor sending a wave of water over the first block of the docks. It settled in the water and then slipped under the waves to sit at the bottom in a shallow part, sticking out above the water. There were more explosions under the water.
He had gotten wind that Hydra had been planning an offensive attack. He had known that they had to have someone inside S.H.E.I.L.D. to know what they knew, sometimes. He just hadn't been expecting this.
-----
"'Ello, Petite," Remy said as she turned around. Jubilee nearly jumped out of her skin.
"Gumbo I should paff you into next week for that!" Jubilee said in a loud whisper.
"Remy just coming to see how Marie be doing," he said as he looked down at the firecracker in front of him.
"She's ok. She's sleeping," Jubilee said him tring to push past him. She really didn't want anyone to see her right now.
Lurker
**********
Jubilee grumbled in annoyance.
Why did she have to bump into Remy of all people?
Oh, right. Murphy's Law. You're feeling a bit worried and depressed, so you HAVE to bump into the JERK.
Minkychan
**********
"So what are you up to petite, hieh?" Gambit asked as he strolled behind her.
Sparrow
**********
Jubilee pulled a piece of gum out of her pocket. and put it in her mouth. She chewed, then blew a bubble.
"Nothing."
Remy narrowed his eye slightly, "Why ain't you going to sleep? It's pretty late."
Jubilee shot him an annoyed look, "You aren't exactly in bed yourself, LeBeau."
Remy smirked, "Remy ain't tired."
Jubilee just blew another bubble.
Minkychan
**********
"So why do you care so much as to what I do, hieh." Jubilee said mimicking part of his accent.
'So she's going to pull that kind of game, well two can play this,' Remy thought as he pulled out a cigarette.
"Just wondering, petite. Thought you might like to keep Remy a little company. A little entertained." Remy said as he lit his cigarette with his powers and hoped to God he didn't get paffed for saying that last line.
Jubilee just stood there with a cool look on her face. Eyeing him and his 'too cool, I'm the best at everything I do' Cajun charm.
"Entertain, huh?" Jubilee said out loud.
'Two can play at this game. Let's see what you got LeBeau.' "Entertain how, Remy?" Jubilee purred as she let her fingers slide up his arm.
Remy's eyebrows went up a notch and his cigarette hung in his mouth.
"You might want to close that Remy, flies are being let in." Jubilee said as she closed his mouth and walked away with a little swagger in her hips. As soon as she rounded the corner, she started to giggle a little. That little charade paid off to see the Cajun stunned.
Remy just stood in the hall fumming.
'Argh!! I let her walk away. Face it, mon ami, she's got you hooked.' Remy said to himself as he started to walk away down the hall. But decided against it and went looking for Jubilee again.
He found her, and she was laughing.
"Jub..." Remy started to say, but the whole house shook with an explosion.
Sparrow
**********
"So much for sleep," Jean muttered as she tossed off the covers she had slipped under just five minutes earlier. She brought her uniform to herself, telekinetically.
-----
Maverick felt a voice in his mind. ~Sgt. North, I have scanned our attackers minds and found you and Logan and Sabretooth among the principal targets. I would appreciate it if you went to where Logan is. Take Sabretooth as well. We can provide extra protection for you that way, and you can provide extra protection for him.~
Maverick scowled. That last bit was a good point and made him agree when he normally wouldn't. "Move it Creed, we're heading down to watch out for Logan."
"Fine, but I'm gettin' the kid, too. If that guy needs protectin' so does little Clarice."
Jason Barnett
**********
"Who fired that shell? I'll have his head!" Silver Fox screamed as she saw the damage caused by the single shot of artillery. They were supposed to attack at dawn and that was still over an hour and a half away. Some of her forces were eating or loading their weapons. They weren't prepared, but their advantage was gone, the mansion was alerted, and they had to move now, while her enemy was still unprepared.
"Give the attack order. I want them taken down quickly. Use the mortars and shells until our people are close enough to enter the building." Sabretooth, Wolverine, and even Maverick have healing factors. Shelling probably wouldn't kill them, just make them more easy to capture and kill at her convenience. The Professor might die, but she was willing to take the risk. She only wanted to see his dead body, anyway. She'd even settle for his head.
-----
The shelling brought Logan out of his meditation. The sounds of explosions, the building's steel supports buckling, adults and children screaming. The faint smell of mortar in the air. He was in France. The Germans were doing another bombing raid of the city. They had no regard for the fact that there were civilians still in the buildings. They were trying to destroy the Allied forces that had taken shelter there.
He had to get out where he could fight with his unit. He jumped up and ran to the doorway. Instead of running through it, he was thrown back, an electric forcefield shocking his body. Shaking his head, he got back up. There was a woman sitting at the door. Probably one of the French residents.
"Help me. I must join my unit." he said to her in French.
She stayed seated, looking at him in confusion. Wait a minute, the door was shielded. Could be some new German trick.
"Let me out now." he said in German trying to sound intimidating, but she still did not respond.
'I don't have time for this. Maybe my bone claws can cut through the wall.' he thought as he approached the already damaged wall and popped his claws. They made a strange metal on metal sound, and when he looked down, he could see that his bone claws were lined with metal.
"What did you do to me?" he shrieked at the woman in English.
"Logan, calm down. What do you mean? You know how you got your claws. You just have to think..."
More shells hit their building, closer this time, and Logan decided that the time to ask questions was after the battle was through. He threw himself at the damaged wall, cutting through the remains of it quickly and running out of the room towards the sound of gunfire.
Khaki
**********
As soon as the shelling hit the school, and Remy opened his mouth, he lost his footing to the collision and fell on top of Jubilee.
"Get off of me, Cajun!!!" Jubilee screamed as she let loose of some of her paffs.
"Merde, Ouch! I'm trying to petite," Remy said as he got off. "See, I'm off!!"
Jubilee was begining to open her mouth when a piece of brick went whizzing by and hit her in head, and him in the groin.
Needless to say, they both went down, HARD, once again. (same positions, only Remy was curled up in a ball). And Logan went running by heedless of their dire predicament.
Sparrow
**********
Domino hadn't been able to sleep. She was worried about Logan, but she hated hospitals of any kind. Jean didn't have to tell her twice that they'd let her know if anything changed. She had gone to the room they had given her on the top floor and hoping to take her mind off things for awhile took out her beloved sniper rifle to clean. She had smuggled it past customs and airport security. It had been a Chirstmas present from Logan years ago. She had found that breaking it down to take care of it always had a calming effect on her, a lot like a meditaion of sorts.
She had just gotten the case open and the rifle assembled when the first explosion rocked the mansion. She pulled out a few rounds, closed the case as she slipped them into the chamber, and headed to the roof. Target practice was also very calming to the nerves.
-----
Sabretooth made it down the hall to the dorm rooms, Maverick close behind him. There was no way that Maverick was going to leave Creed alone with that little girl. They reached Clarice's and Sabretooth nearly tore the door off its hinges opening it.
Clarice looked up with frightened eyes. "MMMister CCreed?" she asked.
"Come on, pup. I'm taking you someplace safer," Sabretooth said as he reached down to pick her up.
Maverick stood by the door and looked down the hall. It was full of girls from around 5-17 years old looking out their doors. Another blast shook the building and dust particles fell from the ceiling. Sabretooth joined him at the door.
"Come on. We'll get all of you someplace safer," Maverick said taking the hand of one little five year old girl with green scales covering her body. One of the older girls picked up another younger one and followed.
"Where's the boys' rooms?" Maverick asked her.
"I'll take you," she said her, catlike eyes seeing a little better than his in the flickering light.
Lurker
**********
Logan swatted aside the gun the woman guarding him had pointed at his chest and calmly knocked her cold. He didn't really want to hurt her, something about her scent was familiar, but he had to get to his unit. Civilians could get hurt if they didn't get to the Germans quickly and take them down.
His head snapped around as the sounds of two heavy sets of footsteps and several dozen lighter ones ran toward him.
"North? Creed?" Logan shouted as he turned toward the sound. He blinked. "Kids?"
"Logan!" one of the older kids shouted in English with his eyes wide. "Oh, man, am I glad to see you! These two goons won't let me and Johnny go fight!"
"No, no, no!" yelped a little boy with green skin as he clutched the older boy's hand tightly. "Bobby and Johnny stay with Leech! Please? Leech not want to be with big, scary men alone."
A purple girl clutching Creed's hand let go and crouched next to the frightened green boy. "Mr. Creed isn't scary, Leech. He and his friends are here to protect us, okay?"
"Pretty girl promise Leech?" the boy sniffled.
"Promise," she said softly crossing her heart with a finger.
Logan's jaw dropped. "What the h*ll is going on here?"
"The mansion's under attack by heavy mortar fire," another older boy said with a thick Australian accent. "Bobby and me were going to get the squirts down to the tunnels when Big and Bigger over there came running with the girls to get the boys, then dragged us along after we told them where the tunnels were. We got to go find the rest of our team and join up with the others."
Another explosion rocked the building. Logan cursed. He pushed aside all the questions racing through his head and focused on the situation at hand. "Fine. Bobby, Johnny, you two protect the kids. North, Creed, you're with me."
The two other men traded looks then nodded.
"Stay here, pup," Creed told the purple girl. "Anything happens you get everyone else out of here. Think you can do that?"
"Yes, sir!" the girl said with a brilliant smile.
"Good girl," Creed grunted.
Bobby and Johnny glared after the three adults as they ran back the way they had come.
"This sucks!" Bobby shouted, pounding his fist against a wall.
Johnny shrugged. "Could be worse."
"How?" Bobby demanded.
"They could have stayed here to protect *us* instead of leaving us to protect *them*," Johnny said pointing at the littler kids. He grinned at Bobby's suddenly blank expression and adjusted the straps holding on his flame thrower.
"Good point," Bobby muttered. He frowned down the hallway. "The other's aren't going to come looking for us until after the fighting's over. So let's move farther down the hall, then block it off."
"With what?" Clarice asked as she crouched next to the woman Logan had left knocked out on the floor.
Bobby grinned. "Hey, I'm the Iceman. I'll take care of it."
Mac
**********
Nick Fury paced the Coast Guard boat's bridge, demanding information. "I want to know where Hydra is, and I want to know now. No one openly attacks S.H.E.I.L.D. and gets away with it."
"It'll take time, Nick. You know that. We've got to check out our contacts, get leads, make plans." Dum Dum was trying to calm down his superior with little results. Truth be told, he wanted Hydra as much as Nick. All those fresh graduates, so much hope for the future, murdered in one cowardly strike.
They were using the Coast Guard rescue boat to scour the bay for more survivors, but he didn't hold out much hope. Most of the people that escaped by parachute were already in the water when the helicarrier exploded. It fell directly on them, hitting the water in a massive explosion. A bomb, planted by a woman that had most certainly been manipulated, it wasn't playing fair. They had no chance to defend themselves. When, not if, when they found Hydra, they'd show them what S.H.I.E.L.D. could do in a fight.
The ring of Nick's cell phone interrupted his thoughts.
"What? ... Nickie? ... Hydra? ... We're on our way."
"What is it, Nick?"
"That Xavier school Nickie's watching for me is under attack. She said, by the uniforms, the attackers were Hydra."
"Let's go."
Khaki
**********
Xavier liked to think of himself as a moral and ethical person. He controlled his powers and believed that to use them to control others was abhorent. It was something he avoided except in the most dire circumstances. Now, his school, his children, were under attack. Some of them would surely die unless he took action.
He could not control the minds of all the attacking soldiers. He was still too weak from his overexertion in Cerebro yesterday. Instead, he searched for the mind of the commander. If he could force him to issue a retreat order, then the soldiers would leave.
He closed his eyes, searching, lightly scanning the closest soldiers to see who they took orders from. It was a woman. Silver Fox. When he found her mind, he tried his hardest to control her, command her body to bow to his will, but she was too strong. She had fought telepaths before, and her hate and determination helped to defeat his powers in his weakened condition.
He kept trying.
-----
Cyclops, Jean, and Storm fought side-by-side their younger counterparts. Cyclops was impressed with the control and courage the younger mutants showed. They worked effectively in their team; Jubilee reinforcing his orders and giving some of her own. So far, they were holding the soldiers back, but they were greatly outnumbered.
They had to keep trying, though. These people were after Logan and his old friends, but they didn't care who they hurt in the process. The X-Men had to protect the school. Give the younger students time to get to shelter and safety. Besides, loathe as he was to admit it, Scott kind of liked Logan.
'Think of the devil,' Scott thought as he saw Logan, Maverick, and Sabretooth burst through the front doors of the school and join in the fight.
"Aren't we supposed to be protecting you?" Scott yelled over the roar of artillery and shelling.
"Appreciate the gesture, but it's time for the professionals to get some action," Logan replied.
-----
Logan was trying his hardest to focus on the here and now, the battle in front of him, and nothing else. He couldn't afford distractions, and every time he looked at Sabretooth and Maverick, that's all he got. They kept changing before his eyes into the personnas they had taken for different missions. One minute, there was Victor Creed, then El Tigre, then Sabretooth. It was confusing to say the least, and he didn't have time for it.
He fought his way through the enemy, slashing, striking, fighting with all the skill his years of training and experience had given him, Sabretooth and Maverick fighting alongside him. When the enemies immediately around him were defeated, he took a moment to look around and assess the battle. That's when he saw her, back through the trees, the first light of dawn revealing all her features to his heightened senses.
Silver Fox.
Her face, her name, the memories enveloped him and the battle faded away.
Khaki
**********
Domino sat on the roof, the sun rising behind her, picking off as many of what appeared to be the leaders as possible. She was running low on ammo and had to be careful.
"What in the h$ll does Hydra want here?" she asked herself as she slipped another shell into the chamber. Any merc in the world recognized Hydra.
-----
Remy stayed close to Jubilee as they fought. She had refused to go to the med lab after that brick had hit her. She'd even passed out for a few minutes. The large lump on her head didn't look good, and Remy had noticed that she was swaying on her feet. He worked his way closer to her. She may not like being coddled but he was damed if he was going to lose her in some stupid fight.
Lurker
**********
Inside the mansion a pair of Hydra agents stumbled onto two young dark-skinned girls. Thinking they had hostages they grabbed them.
"Let go of my sisters," Monet St.Croix stated slamming them away. Scenes like this were happening accross the school. The older students protected the younger.
-----
Logan watched the woman. Her clothes changed from blink to blink, from traditional dress for her tribe, to a combat uniform, to casual everyday clothes, to the uniform she currently wore. "Fox!!"
Jason Barnett