Ch.
2- New Allies
In the X-Mansion, Gambit and
Wolverine were watching the evening news. Wolverine was a bit upset over the increased anti-mutant advertisements,
and anti-mutant news reports.
"I'll show 'em how we feel about
em."
"Eazy mon ami. Dey don get what dey don understand."
Cyclops entered the Recreation Room
from behind them.
"Meeting in the War Room. Let's go."
When the three had arrived, they found
they were the last ones there. Jean
Grey, Storm, Beast, Rogue and Xavier were all seated around the table. Gambit, Wolverine and Cyclops joined
them. Xavier started.
"We intercepted some interesting news
reports. In Virginia, a Navy
lieutenant, who is also a mutant, had his home destroyed by the Friends of
Humanity and they also murdered his wife. The local authorities are searching for him in a dense forest called the
Great Dismal Swamp. We need to find him
before they do. I need volunteers."
They all raised their hands. Xavier looked without expression at the
response.
"Well I need some to stay here. Jean and Beast will remain here in case
something happens. The rest of you,
suit up, and be ready to take off within the next ten minutes. You two," motioning to Jean and Beast, "will
remain here in the War Room. I'll be in
Cerebro. Any questions?"
"Yeah." Piped up Cyclops. "How
many people are out looking for this Navy officer?
"Well local police and air units are
swarming the area. Locals are assisting
with dogs and they are armed and dangerous. But to not hurt them unless you are attacked."
"Wish you hadn't asked that One Eye."
Scowled Wolverine.
"Any more? Alright then, lets get going." Within seconds, they all had disappeared.
Meanwhile in the Dismal Swamp, Matt was
hiding out in a small patch of clearing, far away from the nearest
highway. No, he thought. Matt Kerns is now dead. Slash has taken his place. Once this blows over, I'm gonna go kill all
those FOH and make them pay for their treachery. A small smile broke over his face.
"I'm trained to kill a man over 200 ways. And I'm gonna enjoy taking it out on each of
those Friends of Humanity cowards. Move
and evade. I shall exact my revenge. Oh my Erin, I can hear your blood crying
out. Soon my love. Soon."
Suddenly movement caught his eye. Men with dogs at over a mile away. Time to move on, he thought. He strapped up, and flew up into the sky to
find another location. He looked behind
him as he heard a noise. A jet? Flying treetop level? He knew some Navy fighter jocks that loved
to do that, but the plane didn't look Navy at all. In fact, it looked beyond even what he knew the Air Force
flies. Slash was puzzled: what is
it? He quickly set down, and watched
the plane veer away and settle down about a quarter mile from him. Land without a runway?? Slash knew only the Marines use vertical
take off planes, the Harrier, but nothing that big. He immediately set up his rifle, but looked with his naked
eye. People got off. Slash examined each of them. An African American woman with white
hair? He had never seen that
before. A man in a trench coat and
woman in a nice green spandex suit were headed in his direction. The guy with the visor seemed to be the
leader. Another with yellow spandex was
what looked like sniffing. The yellow
spandex guy grabbed visor boy and pointed him right at me. Spandex woman and trench coat man stopped
and hit the dirt. Slash grabbed his
rifle and then pointed it at the visor guy…and waited.
Wolverine was frustrated with
Cyke. He could smell the guy over there
about a quarter mile or so.
"C'mon Cyke. Navy boy can't be to hard to take out."
Suddenly a shot rang out. Cyclops was hit, and he collapsed. Storm came to Cyclops' aid, and treated him
for the gunshot. It hit him in the
chest, but it looked to hit no major organs.
"YOU'RE GONNA PAY FOR THAT SQUID!" screamed Wolverine, and he ran straight at
Slash. Slash immediately pulled out his
Colt carbine and began plastering Wolverine with what otherwise would have been
lethal accuracy. Wolverine was hit by
no less than 15 of the 20 rounds in the carbines' clip. Wolverine had healing powers, but his system
couldn't that that much punishment that fast. Wolverine temporarily collapsed, as Gambit got up and slowly walked
toward Slash with his hands raised.
"Go chere. Take to da sky and flah behind him. I'll talk to 'im. Wait
for mah signal to hit 'em."
"Don't you get yoself killed Cajun
hunney or I'll have to do it mahself." Rogue flew up into the air.
"Hello mon ami Kerns? I am Gambit, we de X-Men. We here to help."
Slash had replaced the clip and now
pointed the rifle right at Gambit's head.
"Give me one good reason why I
shouldn't plaster you right now?"
"Cause we mutants. Beside, when Wolverine get up, he gonna tear
you to pieces. You gonna need someone
on yo side."
"What?? You're a mutant too?"
"We all mutants mon ami. Specially Rogue who standin right behind
you."
Slash, now startled, turn to see the
woman in the green spandex behind him. He pulled out his MP-5, but before he could start shooting, Rogue
reached out with her hand and touched him just enough to knock him out.
"Great job chere. Now we gotta get outta here."
"WHERE IS HE???? NOW HE'S GOIN DOWN!"
screamed a now pissed off Wolverine.
"Grab him mon ami. Let get him on da plane. Faster da better."
"Yeah Cajun. I think we've got company."
Suddenly, bullet fire came from a
nearby grove of trees.
"Grab hes stuff. Rogue, take care dem wannabe shootas."
"You got it sugah." Rogue took off, and found about 20 FOH
members behind the trees popping shots at the X-Men. One cheered as Gambit took a bullet in the arm.
"DON'T YOU EVAH HURT MAH CAJUN!" Rogue, now completely pissed off, scooped up
all the rifles of the FOH and tossed them in the nearby Lake Drummond. The FOH shooters quickly took to their heels
and vanished into the swamp. Rogue came
over and picked all three of them up and dropped them next to the plane.
"Get hem abourd! I'll help Cyclops 'n Storm."
Rogue flew over to them.
"Howz he?"
"Cyclops is not mortally wounded. However, if we keep him out here, he will
not be for much longer. Help me get him
onto the plane."
Rogue and Storm carefully grab Cyclops
and carry him onto the plane. Meanwhile, Gambit prepares the Blackbird for takeoff, headed back to the
X-Mansion. Storm takes over as soon as
Cyclops is being tended too. They take
off and head back to New York.