Jean sighed as she closed off the link between her and the young woman
known only as Rogue.
~She shouldn't be fighting so soon,~ She thought, worry spreading over her features like wildfire.
Scott noticed this and frowned.
"What's wrong, Jean?"
She shook her head.
/ Rogue's outside the building.she plans to bust us out. /
Scott looked surprised.
But she.the baby.
Jean smiled grimly.
/ She's delivered it, Scott. /
But.shouldn't she be resting?
Jean blew a strand of red hair off of her face.
/ Apparently her invulnerability renders her fit to fight, from the reading I got off of her,. /
Scott looked thoughtful.
Well, this proves a lifesaver for us.
Jean nodded and looked around the room at her battle-weary friends.
Her eyes settled on Logan's wild features, reminding her of Rogue's request.
/ Logan. /
Logan jerked in reflex and looked at the redheaded telepath, caught unawares.
^What?^ He asked mentally.
/ I had a conversation with Rogue. /
Logan's interest immediately perked.
^How is she? Did she have him? Are they okay?^
Jean smiled as Logan bombarded her with questions, sensing a million more unasked in his mind.
/ She's fine Logan. And yes, she had him. How did you know it would be a boy? /
Logan shrugged.
^Just did. Sense thing. What else did she say?^
Jean grimaced and bit her lip, knowing Logan would not take well to the information that Rogue was on the premises, ready to fight.
/ I.Logan.please stay calm.Rogue is just outside the building. /
"WHAT?! " Logan growled out loud, jumping up and earning himself a pained look from Jubilee.
/ She came to help get us out.Logan...stay calm./
Logan popped one fistful of claws, and Jean could feel the struggle raging within him.
^No.*snarl*..won't.grrrowlf!.sorry..so she's outside, huh?^
Jean nodded.
Logan began pacing the small room up and down as the news settled in, the Wolverine in him intruding into his more logical thinking with little mental growls.
He paused suddenly, holding up a hand to the room as he concentrated on his hearing.
~That mumbling.was that an explosion?.yes, yes it was!~
He tensed he made out Rogue's voice.
Then...
"NO ! *NOT* again! No! No! NOOO!"
The claws slid out of his hand before he could stop them, breaking through the flesh between his knuckles with a loud metallic *snikt*.
~That was that Marvel woman,~ He thought, gritting his teeth.
He knew Rogue's history of absorbing Carol's powers and the long waged war of her mind against Carol's absorbed persona.
What Carol had just said could only mean one thing.
~Rogue touched her.~ He thought, panic flooding his veins. ~Oh my god, she touched her.~
He cradled his face with his hands, the claws disappearing into his forearms as the rage in him was cooled off by pure worry and fear.
"Oh Rogue....Rogue...." He mumbled under his breath.
Jean picked up the worry from across the room and her mouth opened as she read Logan's horrified mind.
She too remembered the endless agonizing trial Rogue had suffered from her last contact with the woman known as Ms. Marvel.
"Oh.....dear...." She said, covering her mouth.
+ + + + + +
Rogue studied the layout of the sentries from her vantage point in the skies.
The newly reorganized Brotherhood was much too strong to take on by herself, so she planned to use Carol's absorbed traits to help her in her mission.
Her plan was to infiltrate the enemy's team, posing as one of them to rescue her captured friends.
The best chance of doing that was with another touch, this time with the metamorphic blue-skinned mutant known best as Mystique.
She watched for a while as Mystique exited the building with three of her associates, waiting until the shape shifter split off from the group to enter another structure that served an unknown purpose.
~Here's my chance,~ thought Rogue as she made sure Mystique was alone.
She pulled off a glove and descended as fast and noiselessly as she could, dropping to the ground right behind the metamorph and covered Mystique's mouth with her bare hand to muffle the attempted scream.
The draw began and she let go, catching the blue-skinned mutant as she fell and hauling her into the unoccupied room, which turned out to be a washroom.
Pulling on her glove, Rogue smirked and found some rope to tie up the shape shifter with.
Sitting her down on the closed seat of the toilet, she slipped stuffed toilet paper into Mystique's unconscious mouth, her chestnut hair with the trademark white streaks turning golden blonde as she activated the powers she had absorbed from her unfortunate victim.
She raised the knocked out metamorph's feet against the door to prevent detection, then locked the stall and flew out of the top to the door of the room.
She peeked outside and, satisfied that no one was coming, took to the skies in the form of Carol Danvers, aka Warbird.
+ + + + +
"Be patient, Victor. You'll get to spill some blood as soon as you receive the order."
Toad flipped his tongue out in the air to catch a passing fly, returning it to his mouth with a loud smack.
Sabertooth snarled.
"Why aren't they givin' the fuckin' order then?"
Toad shrugged.
"How 'm I supposed to know?"
Sabertooth sneered.
"Cuz aren't you supposed to be Magneto's right-hand man?"
Toad caught another fly as he digested this remark.
"No, that spot's reserved for Mystique," He said a little jealously. "I 'm more like his left-hand man."
Both minions looked up as a black-clad figure swooped down from the sky and landed beside them, blonde hair flying as she made contact with earth.
" 'Ello, Carol," Toad said. "Did you get revenge?"
Carol glanced at Toad scornfully.
"Yes and no," She said haughtily.
She noticed Sabertooth's nose flare as he picked up her scent.
"Why'dya smell like Wolverine's lil whore, Carol?"
"Why do * you * smell like a dump, Sabertooth?" She asked, her nose crinkling in disgust.
Sabertooth growled.
"I asked y' a question."
"Little hand-to-hand combat," She said nonchalantly to the huge mutant.
His nostrils flared again but he remained silent, studying her with his pupiless amber eyes.
"We should go check on the hostages," Toad said as he glanced at a watch on his wrist.
Just then Sabertooth's radio crackled.
"Magneto to Sabertooth, Magneto to Sabertooth, do you read me?"
Sabertooth snarled.
"Alright then, it's time to carry out that little job I told you about.remember DO NOT HARM THE CAPTIVE."
This earned another growl from the said Sabertooth.
"Magneto out."
The Radio clicked off and Sabertooth pushed it back into his large parka's pocket.
He then took off for his transportation.
"Right," Said Toad.
"We'll go check on those bloody X-men then, Carol."
He hopped towards the large barn-like building and unlocked the door, not noticing Carol slip off her glove until she had clapped her hand across his mouth, cutting off his shout as she absorbed his powers and memories into herself.
She removed her hand and, replacing her glove, dragged him into the room, tying him up and placing a gag in his wide frog-like mouth as she had done with Mystique.
Straightening, she studied her surroundings.
The sight of a large cell built into half of the room caught her eye and she moved towards it, spotting her captured friends.
++++++
~She shouldn't be fighting so soon,~ She thought, worry spreading over her features like wildfire.
Scott noticed this and frowned.
"What's wrong, Jean?"
She shook her head.
/ Rogue's outside the building.she plans to bust us out. /
Scott looked surprised.
But she.the baby.
Jean smiled grimly.
/ She's delivered it, Scott. /
But.shouldn't she be resting?
Jean blew a strand of red hair off of her face.
/ Apparently her invulnerability renders her fit to fight, from the reading I got off of her,. /
Scott looked thoughtful.
Well, this proves a lifesaver for us.
Jean nodded and looked around the room at her battle-weary friends.
Her eyes settled on Logan's wild features, reminding her of Rogue's request.
/ Logan. /
Logan jerked in reflex and looked at the redheaded telepath, caught unawares.
^What?^ He asked mentally.
/ I had a conversation with Rogue. /
Logan's interest immediately perked.
^How is she? Did she have him? Are they okay?^
Jean smiled as Logan bombarded her with questions, sensing a million more unasked in his mind.
/ She's fine Logan. And yes, she had him. How did you know it would be a boy? /
Logan shrugged.
^Just did. Sense thing. What else did she say?^
Jean grimaced and bit her lip, knowing Logan would not take well to the information that Rogue was on the premises, ready to fight.
/ I.Logan.please stay calm.Rogue is just outside the building. /
"WHAT?! " Logan growled out loud, jumping up and earning himself a pained look from Jubilee.
/ She came to help get us out.Logan...stay calm./
Logan popped one fistful of claws, and Jean could feel the struggle raging within him.
^No.*snarl*..won't.grrrowlf!.sorry..so she's outside, huh?^
Jean nodded.
Logan began pacing the small room up and down as the news settled in, the Wolverine in him intruding into his more logical thinking with little mental growls.
He paused suddenly, holding up a hand to the room as he concentrated on his hearing.
~That mumbling.was that an explosion?.yes, yes it was!~
He tensed he made out Rogue's voice.
Then...
"NO ! *NOT* again! No! No! NOOO!"
The claws slid out of his hand before he could stop them, breaking through the flesh between his knuckles with a loud metallic *snikt*.
~That was that Marvel woman,~ He thought, gritting his teeth.
He knew Rogue's history of absorbing Carol's powers and the long waged war of her mind against Carol's absorbed persona.
What Carol had just said could only mean one thing.
~Rogue touched her.~ He thought, panic flooding his veins. ~Oh my god, she touched her.~
He cradled his face with his hands, the claws disappearing into his forearms as the rage in him was cooled off by pure worry and fear.
"Oh Rogue....Rogue...." He mumbled under his breath.
Jean picked up the worry from across the room and her mouth opened as she read Logan's horrified mind.
She too remembered the endless agonizing trial Rogue had suffered from her last contact with the woman known as Ms. Marvel.
"Oh.....dear...." She said, covering her mouth.
+ + + + + +
Rogue studied the layout of the sentries from her vantage point in the skies.
The newly reorganized Brotherhood was much too strong to take on by herself, so she planned to use Carol's absorbed traits to help her in her mission.
Her plan was to infiltrate the enemy's team, posing as one of them to rescue her captured friends.
The best chance of doing that was with another touch, this time with the metamorphic blue-skinned mutant known best as Mystique.
She watched for a while as Mystique exited the building with three of her associates, waiting until the shape shifter split off from the group to enter another structure that served an unknown purpose.
~Here's my chance,~ thought Rogue as she made sure Mystique was alone.
She pulled off a glove and descended as fast and noiselessly as she could, dropping to the ground right behind the metamorph and covered Mystique's mouth with her bare hand to muffle the attempted scream.
The draw began and she let go, catching the blue-skinned mutant as she fell and hauling her into the unoccupied room, which turned out to be a washroom.
Pulling on her glove, Rogue smirked and found some rope to tie up the shape shifter with.
Sitting her down on the closed seat of the toilet, she slipped stuffed toilet paper into Mystique's unconscious mouth, her chestnut hair with the trademark white streaks turning golden blonde as she activated the powers she had absorbed from her unfortunate victim.
She raised the knocked out metamorph's feet against the door to prevent detection, then locked the stall and flew out of the top to the door of the room.
She peeked outside and, satisfied that no one was coming, took to the skies in the form of Carol Danvers, aka Warbird.
+ + + + +
"Be patient, Victor. You'll get to spill some blood as soon as you receive the order."
Toad flipped his tongue out in the air to catch a passing fly, returning it to his mouth with a loud smack.
Sabertooth snarled.
"Why aren't they givin' the fuckin' order then?"
Toad shrugged.
"How 'm I supposed to know?"
Sabertooth sneered.
"Cuz aren't you supposed to be Magneto's right-hand man?"
Toad caught another fly as he digested this remark.
"No, that spot's reserved for Mystique," He said a little jealously. "I 'm more like his left-hand man."
Both minions looked up as a black-clad figure swooped down from the sky and landed beside them, blonde hair flying as she made contact with earth.
" 'Ello, Carol," Toad said. "Did you get revenge?"
Carol glanced at Toad scornfully.
"Yes and no," She said haughtily.
She noticed Sabertooth's nose flare as he picked up her scent.
"Why'dya smell like Wolverine's lil whore, Carol?"
"Why do * you * smell like a dump, Sabertooth?" She asked, her nose crinkling in disgust.
Sabertooth growled.
"I asked y' a question."
"Little hand-to-hand combat," She said nonchalantly to the huge mutant.
His nostrils flared again but he remained silent, studying her with his pupiless amber eyes.
"We should go check on the hostages," Toad said as he glanced at a watch on his wrist.
Just then Sabertooth's radio crackled.
"Magneto to Sabertooth, Magneto to Sabertooth, do you read me?"
Sabertooth snarled.
"Alright then, it's time to carry out that little job I told you about.remember DO NOT HARM THE CAPTIVE."
This earned another growl from the said Sabertooth.
"Magneto out."
The Radio clicked off and Sabertooth pushed it back into his large parka's pocket.
He then took off for his transportation.
"Right," Said Toad.
"We'll go check on those bloody X-men then, Carol."
He hopped towards the large barn-like building and unlocked the door, not noticing Carol slip off her glove until she had clapped her hand across his mouth, cutting off his shout as she absorbed his powers and memories into herself.
She removed her hand and, replacing her glove, dragged him into the room, tying him up and placing a gag in his wide frog-like mouth as she had done with Mystique.
Straightening, she studied her surroundings.
The sight of a large cell built into half of the room caught her eye and she moved towards it, spotting her captured friends.
++++++