AN: Jesus tapdancing christ it's gotten hard to keep a story on the front page of this section for more than four hours! Anyway. Here's another chapter, more should be coming shortly. This will probably replace Tag as my longest fic very soon. Thanks for reading and/or reviewing.
is anybody
out there please?
it's too quiet in here
and i'm beginning to freeze
i've got icicles hanging
from my knees
under fifteen feet of pure white snow
-Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, 'Fifteen Feet of Pure White Snow'
The spheres touched down in two groups: Colossus' team in front, Quicksilver's directly behind. The spheres split open, and in spite of the thermal gear, each mutant was shocked by the blast of cold air. They climbed out of the thin shells and stepped down onto icy tundra in the dead of night.
"Report," Magneto's voice said in their ears.
Colossus blinked behind his goggles.
"There is nothing here," he said, "Just ice."
"No scent," Sabertooth growled. "You sure you got the coordinates right?"
"Don't insult me. The facility must be underground. Pyro. See if you can't put a leak in their roof."
Flames danced from Pyro's fingers across the ice and snow, taking on the form of penguins in spots as he tried to melt into the ice cap.
"You're so fucking weird," Todd started to say. He was cut off mid-sentiment, however, as he was struck by a mesh of needles and wires which flashed as a current ran through them.
"Oh hell," Quicksilver said. "It's a trap!" he shouted through his communicator. "Somewhere between a hundred and fifty and two hundred soldiers, packing tazers, possibly more. Toad is down."
"Get back to the transport," Magneto replied. Quicksilver surveyed the hundred plus soldiers surrounding them, and the number of them between them and the spheres.
"Yeah. Sure. We'll get right on that," Quicksilver said. "You heard the boss, everyone, strategic withdrawal!"
He zipped across the ice and scooped up Todd, but the snow hindered his speed and the ice hindered his traction. He saw Wanda hit the ground, stopped too hard and skidded out of control. The tazer hit him before he was able to regain his feet. In the ice and snow, he fell into unconsciousness.
"Status!" Magneto shouted.
"Quicksilver, Scarlet Witch and Toad are down. Avalanche and Blob are safely in transports. Sabertooth, Pyro, I cannot tell. Gambit and I are holding off the soldiers."
"Evacuate."
"What about the captives?"
"We'll regroup and come back for them. Go."
Gambit leapt into his sphere without hesitation, Piotr more reluctantly. The last thing he was as the transport sealed shut was a group of soldiers shackling Quicksilver's legs with heavy chains.
Rogue was bored, sitting and watching TV, eating dry Froot Loops out of the box, and worrying out of her mind. She'd bitten her fingernails down to the quick, and her fingertips ached. There was no certainty on how long this mission should take, and three hours after they'd been gone she was convinced that they should've been back. So she hadn't slept, just sat on the couch and listened for any sound coming from the driveway. She was listening so intently that the noise with which the door slammed open nearly stopped her heart.
She leapt to her feet as the first figure entered the house. All six two of Magneto's imposing self strode through the door.
"Oh sit down," he snapped. "I knew you were here."
Rogue's eyes snapped off of him as Gambit, Colossus, Avalanche and Blob slunk in behind him.
"Where is he?" Rogue asked Lance. Lance scowled darkly.
"We got tricked. Pietro and the others got captured."
"What?" she asked. "By who?"
"We don't know yet, we will soon find out," Magneto said. "I will not be made a fool of. The rescue party will consist of Gambit, Colossus, Rogue and myself."
"Hey!" Lance started to protest, Blob preparing to join in. Magneto transfixed them like bugs on an index cards with a single look, and replied,
"Silence. This is an extraction operation, it requires finesse and a degree of discretion. You two possess neither. You," he said turning to Rogue. "Clean yourself up and get into uniform, I don't have time to waste. Let's see if you're worthy of Quicksilver's high regard."
Rogue ran up the stairs to the room she shared with Pietro to prepare. Back on the first floor, Lance spoke up.
"How are you gonna find them?"
Magneto clenched his fist.
"Those damned hairless apes aren't the only ones with a Cerebro, Avalanche."
Lance raised an eyebrow.
"What makes you think he'll let you use it?"
Magneto's smile could be heard in his voice as he answered.
"Oh, I'm sure he will, if I ask nicely."