Kurt took a quick peek behind him to make sure no one else was looking at him on the street, and then teleported to just inside the church doors. BAMF!
~X~
- "There it –"
BAMF!
"Shit!" Stryker grumbled as the blue-black smoke quickly dissipated into the night wind. "We're going to have to find a new entrance."
"Or make it," replied Krawley, looking annoyed.
~X~
He walked down the dusty aisle between the dilapidated pews, tail swishing, and began to throw the few items he owned into a well-worn duffel bag. Just as he began to untack his various posters from the partial wall, there came a funny screech from the far side of the church, like glass on metal. He was just going to investigate it when he remembered how windy it was outside, and decided it was a part of the old church falling apart. He prayed the place would stay up, and continued packing.
~X~
Stryker hated to admit it, but he did need some help getting through the broken window. Yuriko gave him assistance and, both obviously and gratefully, didn't say a thing. Now, they, Krawley, and one soldier were inside the dark church, the two others outside and ready to give assistance with a silent electronic link from the colonel. They analyzed their surroundings: a nearly dark church , the only light coming in from street lamps outside. Suddenly, a new light blazed in the semi-darkness.
~X~
"Unser Vater, der im Himmel ist," began Kurt, lighting a candle for what he thought would be the last time. Zhank you for zhe shelter, Fazher, and I hope my journey home is uneventful.
~X~
Stryker signaled Yuriko towards the kneeling figure, his head lowered and hands clasped in prayer. Quiet as a cloud, she padded over the muffling dust on the floor, until she was just behind his back and stilled tail. She looked at Stryker, who nodded.
In a flash, she had grabbed the back of the target's upper arms and slammed him into the wooden rack, his face dangerously close to the burning candle. "Mein Gott!" he screamed, thrashing his tail and trying to escape from Yuriko's grip. She deftly pinned the tail under her right foot, and as Krawley and the soldier rushed forward to take over, she extended her adamantium claws with a sinister smile.
"Not now, Yuriko," corrected Stryker with an equally evil smile, following the others.
Apparently the colonel had called in the other soldiers, for with a loud bang the front doors opened and they came running towards the still screaming target. One quickly held down his legs as the other got his hand bitten, cursed, and then shoved his flashlight in the target's mouth. For a few tense seconds, the target kept struggling, but he soon gave up and sagged onto the floor and candle rack.
"Is it secure?" asked Stryker, drawing the syringe from his pocket.
"Yes, sir," replied Krawley, relieved.
The target muttered something incomprehensible through the flashlight and closed his yellow eyes in defeat. Stryker dropped his solution into the back of the target's neck with an eerily satisfying sizzling sound and replaced the syringe. He sighed happily, and said, "Good job, men, Yuriko. Let's get him back to Washington and get him ready." The special ops lifted the limp form of the mutant into their arms and followed Yuriko, Krawley, and Stryker out of the front doors of the church.
"Finally, things are going to go my way."
-x~X~x~X~x-
A/N: Please review me – I will gladly take (and often follow) advice, and I would really appreciate it if you wrote an honest critique.
Harper's Ferry, for those who aren't up on American history, was where a radical named John Brown (on the cover of the book Krawley uses) riled up freedmen and current slaves into a rebellion. I used this in the context of Target by illustrating their use of Kurt as a symbol for a fake rebellion, which of course the President would have to crush by giving Stryker power.
This was my first X-men story on FF.Net, and so I would love feedback. –abracadabra
Thanks to a bunch of lovely reviews, this story has a sequel! It is entitled Captive and you can read it here: