"Wolverine, are you listening?"
Logan grunted.
~She'll be fine. I gotta stop thinking about her.~
"Yeah. Sorry."
Scott sighed with frustration.
"Okay, now have I got your attention people?"
Jean placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We're all listening, Scott," She said soothingly, using her powers to release a calming hormone into his blood as she felt his tense emotions.
"Okay. We're watching the entrance to this building."
He motioned to the door.
"I want communication open and minds on the job people! We have to be on our toes if we're to intercept the Brotherhood on their little scheme."
He paused for breath.
"Remember, they have a shapeshifter, an illusionary, and a powerful psychic on their side. They could hoodwink us quite easily, and only Jean would be able to tell the difference."
He motioned at the redheaded telepath that was his fiancée.
"Jean, we need you to make frequent mind scans of everyone in the area. You are to alert us mentally if you detect any suspicious activity."
Jean nodded.
"Wolverine, you're the only one who's totally impenetrable to Psychic attacks, plus you can sniff out a shapeshifter like Mystique. Your job is to use your senses to sniff around the building and tell us if any members of the Brotherhood have paid a visit."
Logan sighed and shifted his position.
~Focus on the job at hand, bub.~
"Colossus, you're on Boarder patrol with me. We'll be the back-up if there's an attack."
The gigantic Russian man nodded, making no change in his expression as his body changed from organic steel to human flesh.
"Alright, people, get to your posts! We've got a job to do!"
He turned away, motioning for Colossus to follow as he trudged over the cobbled courtyard, hand hovering near his visor.
Jean closed her eyes and let the minds of those around her open to her.
.so hard, nobody listens.
She smiled as she Scott's rambling thoughts flashed up.
=Prepare, ready to mold myself at any second.=
She recognized this as Colossus's thoughts.
A mental block presented itself, and she recognized this barrier as Logan's Black Ops training.
( Must get these reports to the.)
A secretary of some sort.
|The taxes have.....|
[ I must call him tomorrow and....]
She scanned through endless minds, picking up random thoughts as she slipped through the thousands that worked at the United Nations.
She paused, however, when she skimmed across a thought that no UN worker should be thinking.
{ Bastards, treat our kind like dirt, they'll pay...oh hello....time to change...}
The thought slipped out of her reach as the mind in question triggered some sort of change that blocked Jean's powers.
/ Scott! /
Jean felt Scott's reflexive jerk.
Jean?
/ I found one mind....it was so hard to read and then it changed somehow....pushed me out..I think it could be Mystique! /
Jean kept her eyes shut as she tried to keep track of the particular mind.
Good work, Jean. Where is she?
Jean struggled for a moment, finally managing to pinpoint the shape shifter's location.
/ She's on the fourth floor...elevator....walking towards.../
Her thought was cut off as she felt another mind override hers, freezing her mentally and psychically in the place she stood.
// Well well, It seems Mystique was right. You X-men aren't as tough as you make yourselves out to be. //
Jean struggled against the force that controlled her without success.
"Who...are....you...?" She gasped, far beyond attempting telepathic contact with her captor.
The voice laughed in her mind and she felt her body start to turn against her will.
She fought, but she continued to turn until she faced the person that held her captive.
A tall blonde woman with piercing blue eyes stood before her, smiling maliciously.
// I am a telepathic telekinetic by the name of Emma Frost. //
Jean felt the name etch itself against her will into her brain.
// As you can see, I am far more powerful than you could ever dream of being. //
She paused, taking a moment to phrase her speech to make it as intimidating as possible.
// I am affiliated with Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, and I have been sent to destroy you. //
She raised her hand into the air beside her and waved at the helpless redhead.
// All has been said. Goodbye. //
Jean's last conscious thought was of Rogue giving birth before her mind was shut down and her world fell into blackness.
+ + + + + +
"* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! * "
Rogue's face contorted as the pain twisted within her, making her scream in absolute agony.
Forest was scared.
"Shhh, Rogue, its okay....just breath...."
Rogue drew in a deep breath of air as the stabs of pain resided.
"Ah....it's so close....where the ...fuck...is...Jean....?!"
Forest shifted nervously.
"I don't know, Rogue. But she said the baby wouldn't come for hours yet."
Rogue felt another contraction sear through her body, making her pound her arms into the table top, denting the metal with each blow.
"Ah....it's coming....ah can't hold...it...."
Panic spread across Forest's face.
"You can't!"
Rogue shrugged helplessly.
"Ah....can't....help it...* ahhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH! * "
She writhed in pain.
"Ah....it's...it has to....come out...."
Forest took a deep breath and collected her wits.
"Okay...alright....let me get wash my arms and get some gloves."
She walked over to the supplies cabinet and pulled out the necessary equipment.
"Hurry!" Rogue called after her.
Forest washed her arms up to the elbows as she had seen on discovery channel, willing herself to keep her cool and not go berserk.
Rogue was in the holds of another contraction by the time the botanical mutant returned.
"You have to take your clothes off, and put this on." She said, holding up a hospital-like gown for her straining friend.
"Okay..." Rogue said between pants.
Forest helped her friend take off her shoes and dress, then slipped the gown over her shoulders, careful not to touch her with anything but her latex-covered hands.
"Let's get your feet in the stirrups, okay?"
Rogue nodded weakly, lifting up her legs and letting Forest slip her bare feet into the stirrups of the table.
"Alright....that's done.....here, hold my hand, and when you feel the next contraction, then push. Got it?"
"Got it," Rogue gasped, clutching Forest's hand in hers.
"Okay...now....push! Push!"
Rogue strained as the pain overwhelmed her again, and feeling as though she was trying to push out her insides, she tightened her grip on her friend's hand.
"* AHHHHHHH! *" Forest screamed beside her, shooting a long tangle of vines out of the hand that Rogue was squeezing.
"Sorry...." Rogue gasped.
"It's okay," Forest said, wincing.
"I don't think you should hold my hand anymore...."
The mutant with the power of plants moved around to check how much closer Rogue was to delivering her child into the world.
"I see the head!"
Rogue gasped and gritted her teeth as the contraction drew up inside her.
"It's out to the neck! Keep pushing! * Push! * "
Rogue arched her back and used every bit of strength in her body to push, sucking in breath as the contraction let her have momentary relief.
"Good! Good! You're so close, Rogue! On this next one, it's going to come out! I'll catch it! Good! Now push! As hard as you can!"
Rogue strained one last time, calling on her last reserves and letting her head fall back to the table.
"* AhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH! *"
"Rogue! You did it! It's out!"
Rogue lay still, gulping in as much air as would fit into her lungs in each breath.
She was barely aware of Forest moving around as she made sure the baby's airways were clear, then tied a knot in the umbilical cord and severed it with a sterilized instrument she found laid out on the table, noting in passing that the child was a boy.
She found a soft blanket to wrap the newborn in, tucking it gently around the infant before carrying it over to its exhausted young mother.
"Rogue....congrats....it's a boy....he's so cute."
Rogue blinked and smiled.
"Just like he said," She murmured, then held out her arms to the woman holding her baby.
"Can ah see him?"
Forest carefully lowered the newborn into Rogue's arms, then stepped back, watching Rogue smile as she gazed upon her offspring's face for the first time.
"Hi there," Rogue said softly to her son, feeling the smile spread as the eyes that were so new turned their look on her.
"Your name's Ryan, shugah," She cooed.
"Ah'm you're momma."
"M-momm-ma," A tiny voice said.
Rogue and Forest gasped in surprise.
"D-did he just s-say m-mom-ma?" Rogue asked, dumbstruck.
"M-momma." The voice repeated.
"I think he did!" Forest exclaimed as she saw Ryan's lips move to form the words.
"Well ah'll be---better not swear, ah guess," Rogue said.
"Momma." Ryan struggled to move his arms from the blanket that held them in.
"Yeah, shugah, ah'm your momma," Rogue said softly, then realized he needed her milk.
'What should ah do? Ah think he's hungry." Asked Rogue, uncertain.
"What-oh, right, your skin..."
Rogue thought a moment before pulling a glove off of her pale hand with her teeth.
"Ah'll touch him, to see if ah can, for less than ah second, ah can pull back before ah hurt him if mah powers start working."
Forest nodded and crossed her fingers as Rogue ventured to brush one fingertip against Ryan's cheek.
They both let out a sigh of relief as nothing happened.
"Ah can touch him!" Rogue exclaimed, feeling her eyes brim and overflow with tears of joy.
"Momma...hungry..." Ryan said, managing to bring one arm out of his snug wrapping.
"Alright, Ryan, go ahead," Rogue said, pulling up the gown to give her son access.
+ + + + + + + +
Scott shook his head with a frown.
Jean? Jean? * Jean! *
"* Jean! * "
Colossus glanced at his teammate, concerned.
"What's wrong?"
Scott ran a hand through his hair.
"Jean located Mystique."
The Russian man named Piotr smiled.
"But that's good!"
Scott nodded without enthusiasm.
"Yeah, it's good, but I lost contact with Jean before she could tell me where Mystique was."
Colossus stopped smiling.
"Is she alright?"
Scott shrugged.
"That's what I'm worried about."
He sighed and touched his wristband.
"Cyclops to Jean! Jean, do you read me?"
"You are wasting your time."
Scott looked up to see a brown haired man of average height and stature standing before them.
Behind him lay the body of the redheaded psychic.
"* Noo! Jean! *" Scott cried, running to corpse of his fiancée and cradling it in his arms.
"Jean! Get up! You've got to! Jean!" A tear rolled down his cheek from beneath his red visor.
Colossus frowned.
"Scott, I don't see---"
He paused halfway through his sentence as something appeared in the corner of his eye.
"Illyana!" He shouted, watching something only his eyes could see with horror.
"No! Don't! * Illyana! * "
Suddenly Colossus stopped and turned to the man.
"Wait...Illyana is in Russia....."
Scott's words came back to him.
~Remember, they have a shapeshifter, an illusionary, and a powerful psychic on their side. They could hoodwink us quite easily, and only Jean would be able to tell the difference.~
"Scott! Scott!" He yelled.
"It's a trick! An illusion!"
Scott looked from Colossus to the man.
"Mastermind," He said, raising his hand to the button on his visor.
Before he could press it, a bolt of energy hit him in the back and sent him sprawling across the cobblestone.
Mastermind looked up.
"There you are, Wanda! Where have you been?!"
The woman called Wanda landed on the ground and walked towards her accomplice.
"I still got here on time," She said, tossing her long black hair defiantly.
Scott groaned from his place on the ground.
"I didn't want to have to do that, Cyclops," She said sadly. "If only you would join us."
"Never," Said Scott, sitting up.
"Then we shall have to deal with you as enemies. I am truly sorry."
She stretched out her hand and cast a devastating hex bolt at the Leader of the X-men, which barely missed him as he rolled out of the way.
"Colossus! Help me out!" He hissed at Piotr, seeing the Russian man standing idly.
"Oh, sorry," He said, his form melding into Organic steel.
Colossus threw a punch at Wanda, who was also known as the Scarlet Witch, giving Scott time to press the button on his visor.
A blast of red light hit the Scarlet Witch, sending her flying into a pillar that supported the building.
"Shouldn'ta done that, Cyclops," Said a familiar twangy voice with an English accent.
Scott turned to see a small green frog-like man, accompanied by a massive, almost invulnerable mutant known as the Blob.
"Fuck...." Scott said in a hoarse whisper.
+ + + + +
Logan grunted.
~She'll be fine. I gotta stop thinking about her.~
"Yeah. Sorry."
Scott sighed with frustration.
"Okay, now have I got your attention people?"
Jean placed a hand on his shoulder.
"We're all listening, Scott," She said soothingly, using her powers to release a calming hormone into his blood as she felt his tense emotions.
"Okay. We're watching the entrance to this building."
He motioned to the door.
"I want communication open and minds on the job people! We have to be on our toes if we're to intercept the Brotherhood on their little scheme."
He paused for breath.
"Remember, they have a shapeshifter, an illusionary, and a powerful psychic on their side. They could hoodwink us quite easily, and only Jean would be able to tell the difference."
He motioned at the redheaded telepath that was his fiancée.
"Jean, we need you to make frequent mind scans of everyone in the area. You are to alert us mentally if you detect any suspicious activity."
Jean nodded.
"Wolverine, you're the only one who's totally impenetrable to Psychic attacks, plus you can sniff out a shapeshifter like Mystique. Your job is to use your senses to sniff around the building and tell us if any members of the Brotherhood have paid a visit."
Logan sighed and shifted his position.
~Focus on the job at hand, bub.~
"Colossus, you're on Boarder patrol with me. We'll be the back-up if there's an attack."
The gigantic Russian man nodded, making no change in his expression as his body changed from organic steel to human flesh.
"Alright, people, get to your posts! We've got a job to do!"
He turned away, motioning for Colossus to follow as he trudged over the cobbled courtyard, hand hovering near his visor.
Jean closed her eyes and let the minds of those around her open to her.
.so hard, nobody listens.
She smiled as she Scott's rambling thoughts flashed up.
=Prepare, ready to mold myself at any second.=
She recognized this as Colossus's thoughts.
A mental block presented itself, and she recognized this barrier as Logan's Black Ops training.
( Must get these reports to the.)
A secretary of some sort.
|The taxes have.....|
[ I must call him tomorrow and....]
She scanned through endless minds, picking up random thoughts as she slipped through the thousands that worked at the United Nations.
She paused, however, when she skimmed across a thought that no UN worker should be thinking.
{ Bastards, treat our kind like dirt, they'll pay...oh hello....time to change...}
The thought slipped out of her reach as the mind in question triggered some sort of change that blocked Jean's powers.
/ Scott! /
Jean felt Scott's reflexive jerk.
Jean?
/ I found one mind....it was so hard to read and then it changed somehow....pushed me out..I think it could be Mystique! /
Jean kept her eyes shut as she tried to keep track of the particular mind.
Good work, Jean. Where is she?
Jean struggled for a moment, finally managing to pinpoint the shape shifter's location.
/ She's on the fourth floor...elevator....walking towards.../
Her thought was cut off as she felt another mind override hers, freezing her mentally and psychically in the place she stood.
// Well well, It seems Mystique was right. You X-men aren't as tough as you make yourselves out to be. //
Jean struggled against the force that controlled her without success.
"Who...are....you...?" She gasped, far beyond attempting telepathic contact with her captor.
The voice laughed in her mind and she felt her body start to turn against her will.
She fought, but she continued to turn until she faced the person that held her captive.
A tall blonde woman with piercing blue eyes stood before her, smiling maliciously.
// I am a telepathic telekinetic by the name of Emma Frost. //
Jean felt the name etch itself against her will into her brain.
// As you can see, I am far more powerful than you could ever dream of being. //
She paused, taking a moment to phrase her speech to make it as intimidating as possible.
// I am affiliated with Magneto's Brotherhood of Mutants, and I have been sent to destroy you. //
She raised her hand into the air beside her and waved at the helpless redhead.
// All has been said. Goodbye. //
Jean's last conscious thought was of Rogue giving birth before her mind was shut down and her world fell into blackness.
+ + + + + +
"* AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH! * "
Rogue's face contorted as the pain twisted within her, making her scream in absolute agony.
Forest was scared.
"Shhh, Rogue, its okay....just breath...."
Rogue drew in a deep breath of air as the stabs of pain resided.
"Ah....it's so close....where the ...fuck...is...Jean....?!"
Forest shifted nervously.
"I don't know, Rogue. But she said the baby wouldn't come for hours yet."
Rogue felt another contraction sear through her body, making her pound her arms into the table top, denting the metal with each blow.
"Ah....it's coming....ah can't hold...it...."
Panic spread across Forest's face.
"You can't!"
Rogue shrugged helplessly.
"Ah....can't....help it...* ahhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH! * "
She writhed in pain.
"Ah....it's...it has to....come out...."
Forest took a deep breath and collected her wits.
"Okay...alright....let me get wash my arms and get some gloves."
She walked over to the supplies cabinet and pulled out the necessary equipment.
"Hurry!" Rogue called after her.
Forest washed her arms up to the elbows as she had seen on discovery channel, willing herself to keep her cool and not go berserk.
Rogue was in the holds of another contraction by the time the botanical mutant returned.
"You have to take your clothes off, and put this on." She said, holding up a hospital-like gown for her straining friend.
"Okay..." Rogue said between pants.
Forest helped her friend take off her shoes and dress, then slipped the gown over her shoulders, careful not to touch her with anything but her latex-covered hands.
"Let's get your feet in the stirrups, okay?"
Rogue nodded weakly, lifting up her legs and letting Forest slip her bare feet into the stirrups of the table.
"Alright....that's done.....here, hold my hand, and when you feel the next contraction, then push. Got it?"
"Got it," Rogue gasped, clutching Forest's hand in hers.
"Okay...now....push! Push!"
Rogue strained as the pain overwhelmed her again, and feeling as though she was trying to push out her insides, she tightened her grip on her friend's hand.
"* AHHHHHHH! *" Forest screamed beside her, shooting a long tangle of vines out of the hand that Rogue was squeezing.
"Sorry...." Rogue gasped.
"It's okay," Forest said, wincing.
"I don't think you should hold my hand anymore...."
The mutant with the power of plants moved around to check how much closer Rogue was to delivering her child into the world.
"I see the head!"
Rogue gasped and gritted her teeth as the contraction drew up inside her.
"It's out to the neck! Keep pushing! * Push! * "
Rogue arched her back and used every bit of strength in her body to push, sucking in breath as the contraction let her have momentary relief.
"Good! Good! You're so close, Rogue! On this next one, it's going to come out! I'll catch it! Good! Now push! As hard as you can!"
Rogue strained one last time, calling on her last reserves and letting her head fall back to the table.
"* AhhhhhhhhHHHHHHHHH! *"
"Rogue! You did it! It's out!"
Rogue lay still, gulping in as much air as would fit into her lungs in each breath.
She was barely aware of Forest moving around as she made sure the baby's airways were clear, then tied a knot in the umbilical cord and severed it with a sterilized instrument she found laid out on the table, noting in passing that the child was a boy.
She found a soft blanket to wrap the newborn in, tucking it gently around the infant before carrying it over to its exhausted young mother.
"Rogue....congrats....it's a boy....he's so cute."
Rogue blinked and smiled.
"Just like he said," She murmured, then held out her arms to the woman holding her baby.
"Can ah see him?"
Forest carefully lowered the newborn into Rogue's arms, then stepped back, watching Rogue smile as she gazed upon her offspring's face for the first time.
"Hi there," Rogue said softly to her son, feeling the smile spread as the eyes that were so new turned their look on her.
"Your name's Ryan, shugah," She cooed.
"Ah'm you're momma."
"M-momm-ma," A tiny voice said.
Rogue and Forest gasped in surprise.
"D-did he just s-say m-mom-ma?" Rogue asked, dumbstruck.
"M-momma." The voice repeated.
"I think he did!" Forest exclaimed as she saw Ryan's lips move to form the words.
"Well ah'll be---better not swear, ah guess," Rogue said.
"Momma." Ryan struggled to move his arms from the blanket that held them in.
"Yeah, shugah, ah'm your momma," Rogue said softly, then realized he needed her milk.
'What should ah do? Ah think he's hungry." Asked Rogue, uncertain.
"What-oh, right, your skin..."
Rogue thought a moment before pulling a glove off of her pale hand with her teeth.
"Ah'll touch him, to see if ah can, for less than ah second, ah can pull back before ah hurt him if mah powers start working."
Forest nodded and crossed her fingers as Rogue ventured to brush one fingertip against Ryan's cheek.
They both let out a sigh of relief as nothing happened.
"Ah can touch him!" Rogue exclaimed, feeling her eyes brim and overflow with tears of joy.
"Momma...hungry..." Ryan said, managing to bring one arm out of his snug wrapping.
"Alright, Ryan, go ahead," Rogue said, pulling up the gown to give her son access.
+ + + + + + + +
Scott shook his head with a frown.
Jean? Jean? * Jean! *
"* Jean! * "
Colossus glanced at his teammate, concerned.
"What's wrong?"
Scott ran a hand through his hair.
"Jean located Mystique."
The Russian man named Piotr smiled.
"But that's good!"
Scott nodded without enthusiasm.
"Yeah, it's good, but I lost contact with Jean before she could tell me where Mystique was."
Colossus stopped smiling.
"Is she alright?"
Scott shrugged.
"That's what I'm worried about."
He sighed and touched his wristband.
"Cyclops to Jean! Jean, do you read me?"
"You are wasting your time."
Scott looked up to see a brown haired man of average height and stature standing before them.
Behind him lay the body of the redheaded psychic.
"* Noo! Jean! *" Scott cried, running to corpse of his fiancée and cradling it in his arms.
"Jean! Get up! You've got to! Jean!" A tear rolled down his cheek from beneath his red visor.
Colossus frowned.
"Scott, I don't see---"
He paused halfway through his sentence as something appeared in the corner of his eye.
"Illyana!" He shouted, watching something only his eyes could see with horror.
"No! Don't! * Illyana! * "
Suddenly Colossus stopped and turned to the man.
"Wait...Illyana is in Russia....."
Scott's words came back to him.
~Remember, they have a shapeshifter, an illusionary, and a powerful psychic on their side. They could hoodwink us quite easily, and only Jean would be able to tell the difference.~
"Scott! Scott!" He yelled.
"It's a trick! An illusion!"
Scott looked from Colossus to the man.
"Mastermind," He said, raising his hand to the button on his visor.
Before he could press it, a bolt of energy hit him in the back and sent him sprawling across the cobblestone.
Mastermind looked up.
"There you are, Wanda! Where have you been?!"
The woman called Wanda landed on the ground and walked towards her accomplice.
"I still got here on time," She said, tossing her long black hair defiantly.
Scott groaned from his place on the ground.
"I didn't want to have to do that, Cyclops," She said sadly. "If only you would join us."
"Never," Said Scott, sitting up.
"Then we shall have to deal with you as enemies. I am truly sorry."
She stretched out her hand and cast a devastating hex bolt at the Leader of the X-men, which barely missed him as he rolled out of the way.
"Colossus! Help me out!" He hissed at Piotr, seeing the Russian man standing idly.
"Oh, sorry," He said, his form melding into Organic steel.
Colossus threw a punch at Wanda, who was also known as the Scarlet Witch, giving Scott time to press the button on his visor.
A blast of red light hit the Scarlet Witch, sending her flying into a pillar that supported the building.
"Shouldn'ta done that, Cyclops," Said a familiar twangy voice with an English accent.
Scott turned to see a small green frog-like man, accompanied by a massive, almost invulnerable mutant known as the Blob.
"Fuck...." Scott said in a hoarse whisper.
+ + + + +