Disclaimer: I don't own the X-Men, but I'd sure like to date some of them!
A/NI: The thing Amanda says to Shadowcat is a take-off of something Piotr said to Kitty during the Brood series "It is either laugh or cry little one, and I refuse to do these monsters - the Brood - the honor of tears". I love that line! It's in X-Men Essential #4 if you want to have a clue what I'm talking about.
A/NII: I am in love with writing this story but guys -- I know how everything's going to turn out now! I just have to write it (I say that like it's easy . . .)! Therefore, I need your help. I am bereft of ideas, so if you want a sequel you're going to have to suggest something. If I decide to use your idea I will give you full credit, the way I did Silverangel at the beginning of this story when she came up with a basic plot. Not that I didn't still manage to surprise her! Anyway, I would love to write a sequel, it's just that my muse (stubborn sorceress) has decided to abandon me in this area. Help!
Dedication: This one goes to Internutter, for her in-progress fic "When Der Furher Says" and for being the only one who reviewed that last chapter! Also to Queen Bamfie, whose disclaimer I stole. Both have WONDERFUL stories posted at ff.net under the aforementioned pen names, so go look them up when you're done with mine. Assuming anyone's even reading this.
Hmph. Alright, alright. Forward, MARCH!!
Chapter XVII
"Well, it's very well for you to go running around in the ventilation, but in case you hadn't noticed, I can't crawl up walls!" Amanda point out frantically. "How do you propose we get out of this basement?"
"You didn't notice any sort of locking mechanism, did you?" Kurt inquired, studying their lock from the opposite wall. He could barely make it out, but he didn't need much more.
Amanda rolled her eyes. "Yes. All voice-recognition, and I highly doubt they would respond to your German accent."
"You could do it," he pointed out. She nodded.
"Um, Kurt? Aren't they going to see us trying to get out?" she inquired.
"Ja. But if you had caught me by slamming me into a door, wouldn't you underestimate me?"
"Alright, but I don't think you're giving them enough credit."
"They believed you when you come right out and told them you were spying for the Professor. They're new at this. Between Logan and Ororo, I'm not."
Flicking a strand of long brown hair out of her eyes, Amanda crossed her arms. "You're being over confidant for someone who spent a good part of last night babbling at me in German."
He looked as if he was about to make a rebuttal, then thought better of it. Thinking on that for another minute, he earned a distinctly sour expression. "You . . . May have a point. But so do I."
"How about not being an all-mysterious X-Man and explaining things to me?"
"This I can do!" he declared. Instead of returning to study the lock, he peered at her. "Can I borrow your earring?"
Shooting him a surprised look, Amanda removed her medium-sized hoop and handed it to him. Kurt proceeded to stick his tail out of the cage between the bars. "Ororo spent her childhood as a pickpocket in Cairo, and Logan . . . Well, you've met Logan. But this particular talent comes from Ororo. She went right into electrical locking systems because she figured that was mostly what we'd run into, but I never could do it with my hands, my fingers are too thick. My tail, however . . ." he snatched his tail away as the cell door opened. "Is much more effective." he grinned.
Amanda hugged him when they stepped out. "Okay. Glad to have my freedom again. I'm assuming you want me to get us out of here?"
"A map of the ventilation isn't going to do us much good on the ground."
"Kurt, what about Leech?" she gestured to the cage. Kurt bit his lip. "I can't pick his lock too before they come after us. But we'll come back for him."
"Then this is our hallway," Amanda darted to her right and almost made it up the staircase before a gate slammed down in front of her. "Kurt, can you-"
"NO!" Kurt slammed his hands against the bars. "Verdammt thing!" he shrieked. "Is there another way out of here?"
Amanda was about to answer when an amused voice came over the speakers. "No, there isn't, and as you're fully unable to teleport, a containment crew will be down there shortly to reconfine you. I would suggest cooperating unless you want to provoke them. Provocation may result in . . . harsher methods," the voice almost purred when it said that, and Amanda glared at the speaker installed next to Leech's cell.
As it became evident that there was no way to get out of there Amanda turned back to Kurt, an frustrated expression on her face. Then she started banging her head against his shoulder. "Rrr. Not. Again," she groaned.
"Back in the cage," one of the FOH members gestured with a really big gun.
"Oh, that cannot be legal," Amanda commented as she stalked away. Kurt just looked at the battalion of people who'd assembled to make sure they didn't get out.
"Right," he muttered, and slid back to join Amanda. The bars slammed closed behind them and a shelf, installed sideways, effectively kept Kurt from picking the lock.
Amanda had her arms crossed over her chest with a look of ironic resignation. "Well. That could have gone better."
*
Scott's class was the farthest away, so he got to the attendance office last. Jean winced when he walked in; he hadn't seen her scene with Duncan this morning, and he was still steadfastly determined to prove something to her, something she couldn't quite grasp. It damn well frustrated her. She was a telepath but she hadn't a clue what was going on in Scott's head.
"Alright. That's everybody. C'mon, let's move!" Logan led them down the hallway and out the front door, where the X-Van (gag me with a spoon!-Jimaine) was waiting. The ride back to the Institute was tense, and Jean couldn't block everything her teammates were thinking. Amara was wondering whether or not the New Mutants were going along, and everyone else was anxious to get back as quickly as possible. How Xavier had finally found Kurt didn't matter, as long as he had and they could go get him.
When the full company of mutants was uniformed they met Xavier, Ororo and Beast in the war room. "Everyone here? Good. Using Cerebro, I located the guard who was currently in charge of Kurt and Amanda. I am not certain how, but the Friends of Humanity know everything about us; our identities, the extent of our abilities, and familial relations. They're holding Kurt in an attempt to lure both the Brotherhood and the X-Men to them, hoping Mystique will come after her son."
"Then we're walking into a trap!" Scott exclaimed. "If they already know everything about us, why don't they just come get us?"
"Because that would draw attention to them. There have always been those few who belong to the majority who stick up for the minority; they can't risk the bad press destroying a school would cause," Storm explained.
"Yes," Xavier agreed. "For now, they are as bound as we are by the publics relative ignorance of mutants. It will not remain so for long but for now it is a double-bladed sword. So they cannot kill us, we cannot harm them."
"Professor!" Rogue protested.
Xavier ignored her. "What we're going to do is have a small number of you - Kitty, Rogue and Logan - infiltrate their headquarters. The other X-Men are going to provide a distraction when the infiltraters reach their cell. Hopefully Shadowcat can phase everyone out of there and back to the van. In case they follow you, as I'm fairly sure they will, I'm posting the New Mutants at the front gates. Beast, Kurt is injured, so I want you to prepare the medilab for when they arrive. Go right around back to the medilab entrance. And Wolverine, check Kurt before Shadowcat phases him; he may be too injured even to phase, and he is certainly too injured to teleport."
"Right Professor! X-Men, move out!" Cyclops raced out of the war room towards the van, the team hot on his heels.
*Scott, Jean,* the two heard mentally, and knew they were the only two who did. *Whatever's going on with you, settle it. We do not have time for it on a rescue mission.* the two winced as they felt Xavier break the link. The X-Men selected for distraction piled into the van, waiting for word that the others were nearing Kurt and Amanda.
Jean opened a telepathic link just as Scott opened his mouth. *Scott?*
Yeah, Jean?
Jean nearly slapped him. Even his mental tone was cool. *Why are you so pissed at me?! Just because I didn't particularly like Amanda? Why should me not liking her make any difference?!*
Because she's important to Kurt, Jean! Scott wanted to take the redhead by the shoulders and shake sense into her. If for no other reason. There are more: because she isn't afraid of us. Because she not only accepts us, but helps us. Because she's willing to go running into danger for mutants when ignoring us or hating us is easier.
Jean shook her head a little to clear it. Telepathy wasn't only words, it was images. Everything Scott had 'said' came with a mental image. The way Amanda looked at Kurt without his image inducer. How she laughed off Bobby's ice slide. Then the last thing he had seen from afar, the terrified look on her face when Graydon and Duncan maneuvered her into Duncan's car. *Okay. I'm getting that I'm wrong about Amanda. I can't say we'll ever be friends, Scott, but I won't be so . . . Hostile. It just worried me that she could accept Kurt so quickly.*
You forget, she caught a glimpse of him months before asking him out, Scott pointed out. She was probably trying to turn his hologram blue. But . . . Then he sighed. I'm not just pissed at you about Amanda, Jean, she was just the last straw.
Jean winced. *Yes?*
Scott seemed to steel himself. I won't be your lapdog, Jean. You can't expect me to obey your every whim while you date that bigot Matthews. I refuse to be treated as if I can't possibly do anything but follow you around forlornly. You know I care more about you than anyone else, but if you're going to brush me off I don't see why I should try.
She looked positively horrified by what she was getting from him. She saw herself when she first came to the Institute, when it was just the two of them, Xavier and Ororo. I look so beautiful in his eyes. To Scott, it had been love at first sight. Other things, as well. The night they'd spent talking when her family invited him for Christmas. Then she'd gone to school the first time, hooked Duncan, and everything changed. Scott getting more and more embarrassed because he was waiting for her while she seemed oblivious.
Reality finally slapped Jean Grey. *I'm a bitch,* she whispered. *A complete, total bitch. My God, I . . . Scott, I don't even know how to apologize. Or even where to begin.*
How about by breaking up with Matthews?
*Done,* she shuddered. *After knowing he was actively anti-mutant I wasn't about to ever date him again. I never want to see him again,* that was accompanied by the image of her shoving him away and stalking off that morning. *So . . . How do you want to handle this?*
I don't want to have to start over again, that's for sure, but -
Jean smiled at him from next to him in the van. *Then may we start where we left off?*
Yeah, Scott cocked part of a smile back. Yeah, I think we can.
*
Shadowcat was beginning to get paranoid. She had seen the inside of more closets in FOH's headquarters than she had seen anything else. She'd had been forced to drag the three of them away from FOH members several times, and it was taxing her. They'd made it down to the sub-level Kurt and Amanda were on but if she wasn't careful she was going to go right through something electrical, short the place out, and totally give them away.
*Shadowcat, Logan, Rogue - the prison lookout is just to your left. Rogue, whatever you do, don't touch him. He's avidly anti-mutant, and I don't think your psyche could handle the self-hate that would result.*
Thanks for the heads up, Professor.
*Alright. Remember, once you enter the main prison area I won't be able to contact you and none of your abilities will work.*
We got it, Xavier.
Shadowcat phased the three of them through the door and before the guard registered that they were there Wolverine hit him over the head and he was out like a light. The advantages of an adamantium-laced skeleton.
Shadowcat phased them out of the room as fast as she could until they reached a set of bars across their path. She reached out and tried to phase through them, but only ended up hurting her hand.
"Right," Wolverine nodded, expecting this, and in less then ten seconds the bars were on the floor with little more sound than a SNIKT. "Rogue, you get the kid who's causing this outta here," he ordered. "You benefit from his powers; we don't. Shadowcat and I'll take care of Kurt!"
The girls nodded and went to work.
"Logan! Kitty! Thank God, Kurt's in awful shape!" Amanda cried when she saw them. Kurt had, indeed, spiraled since their escape attempt, although he was still mostly coherent.
Wolverine put a hand up to keep Shadowcat from phasing through the bars. "Kurt can't phase, kid, he's not healthy enough for it. I'll get 'im out, you grab 'Manda."
Amanda shook her head a few times after passing through the bars. "That was - interesting. Whoa," she braced herself with a hand against the wall. "Do they know you're here? How's he doing that if Leech is canceling his powers?"
"Wolverine's claws aren't, like, a power. See how Kurt isn't totally bald? Canceling physical mutations takes, like, years of power deprivation. And it's not like you can erase adamantium - Wolvie'd have those claws even if he weren't a mutant!"
"Shaddup, half-pint, or someone's gonna notice us," Wolverine growled as he helped Kurt out of the cell. The elf stretched, trying to work out kinks in his muscles that couldn't be there if he wanted to run. "Rogue! Kid's name is Leech, how're you doing?" the tension in his voice was audible, and Amanda was waiting to get away. Out but not yet free.
"C'mon, Leech, I ain't gonna hurt yah. See this, Ah got this white streak in mah hair 'cause I'm a mutant too. Ah'm sure you don't want to stay here!" she coaxed.
"Al-alright," the tiny green-skinned child slowly began to come out. Rogue sighed.
"Here, Ah'll prove it to yah. Kurt, C'mere, wouldya?"
He limped over next to Rogue with Amanda's help and Leech started, then raced out. "You really are a mutant!" he exclaimed.
Wolverine grinned. "Yeah, we really are mutants."
"That's a new one, from what I've heard," Amanda commented from underneath Kurt's arm. "From what Kurt's told me you usually get the scream-and-run-for-torches reaction."
"Ah, ja, liebchen, but there is a distinct lack of torch material in America!" Kurt teased, bringing out Amanda's laugh. Shadowcat stared. It's unbelievable! I'd have been a wreak by now, how does that girl keep laughing?
Amanda and Kurt both caught the expression. She answered it. "It's either laugh or cry and I refuse to do these monsters the honor of tears."
Shadowcat nodded, as did Wolverine, continuing with "Well-said, 'Manda, but let's get out of her before - "
BREEE!! BREEE!! BREEE!!
"- they realize we're here," he finished. "Right, Leech, up on my back. We're taking a less direct way out than we did to come in. Shadowcat, get Rogue to the surface. Amanda, help Kurt, and I'll clear the row!"
Shadowcat and Rogue vanished through the ceiling as the other four took off down the hallway. Between what they remembered about their various trips down to the cell block the quartet managed to get to the first sublevel before running into trouble.
"Halt!"
"Halt?" Amanda repeated as Wolverine fought their way up to the surface. Nothing had gotten past him yet but she and Kurt had fallen behind, just in case. "Did he actually say 'halt'?"
"Ah - ja," Kurt answered. Amanda paused for a moment to adjust her hold on him when Wolverine screamed a warning from in front of them. Amanda had one second to register the man who'd gotten past Wolverine and his really big gun. Then -
BAMF!
