Ch.
14 – You've got a Friend
"We have to find him! He could be in danger!" said Shadowcat after she showed them the
note Slash left on her door. They all
looked at each other. Cyclops piped up.
"He left on his own accord. He can handle himself!" He got up and walked out. Personally, he was glad to be rid of
Slash. Jean followed him out to talk to
him. Xavier waited and then spoke.
"Normally I would say we do not need
to be concerned about a mutant leaving the X-Men. However, in this case, I do sense Slash in extreme physical pain,
more so than when Wolverine cut him up. I believe it would be in our best interest to go rescue him. If you all wish, I can find him, and get him
out of there. He needs our help
X-Men." The normally quiet Psylocke
spoke up as well.
"I haven't gotten to know him quite
as well as I should have. Despite the
fact that I was heavily drugged the night of our rescue from the FOH, I still
remember him willing to give his life for me. I've never seen that in another mutant, or another human for that
matter. I'm willing to go get him, even
if I die in the process. I owe him
that, because he would have done the same for us." Silence came over the group. Gambit jumped to his feet.
"De X-Men Recon volunteer to go get
Slash out of de clutches of whoever try to hold him. Slash always willin to give his life for us, so Gambit willin to
go give his life for Slash. Whoz wid
me?" Wolverine stood up.
"I'm with ya Cajun." Rogue and Shadowcat joined him. Psylocke and Beast also stood up.
"I am assuming that since he is in
extreme pain, he's going to need a physician." Everyone else stood up. Xavier
then picked out the rescue team.
"Beast, you're leader on this
one. Rogue, Gambit, Psylocke,
Shadowcat, and Wolverine are with him. Gambit, you're flying this mission. Get to the plane, and I'll send the coordinates to the computer. Let's get going." X-Men Recon headed out, while Beast got his medical gear. "Beast." Called Xavier. He turned. "Get plenty of blood for this one. Slash is running on about half his blood
level. He's been tortured
extensively. Get him back here as soon
as possible.
Slash couldn't tell exactly how much
time had passed since he had been captured. Most of the bleeding had clotted over, but he could still feel it
flowing down into the drain on the floor. He slowly moved his hand over to where Gyrick had torn apart his
abdomen. He could feel his internal
organs hanging out. Man, he
thought. I've been in some tight spots,
but this one takes the cake. Slash was
really beginning to think he was going to die. He was glad, because he believed
he would see Erin again. Just as he was
about to black out, he heard a claw tearing a huge hole in the wall. Then, the torn section was pushed out of the
way, revealing Beast, and Wolverine.
"Oh…hey. Good…to…see…you…guys…" Shadowcat was crying at the site of
him. Slash blacked out.
"Shadowcat, help me stop the
bleeding. Psylocke, watch the
door. If anyone comes, take them
out. Gambit and Wolverine help
her. Rogue, help me get him back to the
plane. We've got to get him back to the
X-Mansion or else he will die."
"Beast hurry, you better hurry
up. We got company." Gambit charged up a spread of cards, as
Beast and Rogue gently transferred Slash over to the hover gurney. Shadowcat had Slash's hand, and promptly
told Beast that she wasn't leaving Slash's side. She squeezed Slash's hand. No response.
"Hurry Beast!" cried Shadowcat. She didn't want to lose him now. They moved him onto the airplane and got him hooked up into the plane's
life support system.
"Carefully…carefully. All right. Now we begin the transfusion. Come on Slash…come on…" Beast was
worried, but he got up to the front of the plane and began pre-flight
sequence. "Gambit, Wolverine,
Psylocke! Let's MOVE!" They didn't have to be told twice. With security men of the Sentinel program
hot on their trail, the three X-Men scurried up the ramp. Wolverine fell, but quickly got back up and
continued.
"Ungh. Just got shot by one of them. I'm fine." Wolverine was fine. If only they could say that about Slash. Gambit hurriedly threw the plane up, and on its way to the
X-Mansion.
"Beast, how is he?" Xavier's face appeared on the
telecommunications screen.
"It is worse than any of us
thought. He's going to need extensive
surgery. Prepare the surgical
ward. It's going to be close. He's lost a ton of blood and there is
massive internal trauma." Wolverine secretly regarded Slash as a brother. Now, his brother was fighting for his life.
"Come on dammit. Don't die on me now!" A single tear came down his face. It was the first time that anyone could
remember that Wolverine actually cried. Shadowcat's tears were staining the bandages covering Slash's
wounds. Everyone was crying except for
Beast and Gambit, who were both busy with more important matters. It took all they had not to think, or
express their emotions, about their fallen comrade.
Slash came in and out of
consciousness. Every time, he saw
Shadowcat right at his side. There
wasn't an instant she wasn't there. Beast came over every once and a while, he thought. It appeared they were nearing the mansion,
so he squeezed Shadowcat's hand. She
turned in surprise. He motioned that he
had something to say. Everyone was
watching what was going on in a stunned silence (even Gambit, because now the
plane was on autopilot for landing). They watched as he whispered something in Shadowcat's ear. She smiled and turned to the group.
"He says thank you, and that he owes
you his life." Psylocke, normally quiet
spoke up.
"No Slash. We owe you our thanks…"
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