Chapter Eleven: Vision of the Future
When we came down for breakfast the following morning, the plan was almost complete. It had been outlined to us as succinctly as possible, and each of us had been briefed on our own individual role. Myself and my friends had not stayed to hear every detail, since it was a lot to take in, and it was essential that we concentrate fully on our own part. We were all aware of the possibility that we might not come back from the mission alive, and all of us wanted to spend time together, in case we never got the chance again. The exception was Jacqueline, who had stayed with the adults to continue listening to the plans, since she had nobody she wanted to spend any time with. That fact, however, would soon change.
Chloe and I had taken a walk around the estate, stopping in all the quiet nature spots that she loved so much, watching the birds and other animals, taking in as much as we could before we had to leave the next day. We had kissed, fiercely and passionately, as if we might never be able to do so again. We had not made love; Chloe did not want to get pregnant, and we weren't taking the chance a second time. We had played table tennis with Chris and Felicity (or 'Chris and Fliss', as I was beginning to think of them) after dinner. Jacqueline had finally emerged from the Professor's office, and somebody had managed to coax her into watching TV with us. Joined by Marie and Bobby, we'd sat in front of the television set, aimlessly flicking through the channels, sharing jokes and stories, just enjoying each other's company; seven friends who had been through so much and loved each other like family.
If only we had known that one of us would not be there the next day.
Now we found ourselves together again, seated around one of the dining tables for breakfast, nobody saying anything, concentrating on eating food that our stomachs were unwilling to receive. We were all too anxious and wound up about the mission; I could sense it in the others, and it was a nervous fear that was only going to get worse as time went on. In a way, I hoped we could leave as soon as possible, and get it over with. At the same time, I didn't want to leave at all; I wanted more time with my friends.
The table seated eight, which meant there was one empty chair. It did not stay empty for long. From one side came a cough, and an uncertain voice, "Hey, guys. Um – is it OK if I join you?"
Pyro.
"You're the only ones here my own age," he said by way of explanation.
I exchanged glances with Chris, who shrugged. Chloe moved closer to me; I sensed she was afraid. Jacqueline merely looked up at the newcomer. No objections had been raised, so Pyro put his breakfast tray down on the table, and took the seat next to Jacqueline. An uncomfortable silence fell over the table.
"For what it's worth," Pyro said. "I'm sorry about trying to kill you guys, you know, that time in the forest. I'm glad we're working together now. I'd much rather be your friends than your enemies."
I sensed that he had not wanted to say this, but he wanted somebody to talk to. He was lonely, with no friends his own age, and he was hoping we would accept him into our group, at least temporarily. I felt that somebody should say something in reply, so I answered, "I'm glad we're working together as well."
He nodded, "I really hate fighting other mutants."
"What about humans?" Chris asked.
John hesitated, "Well, it's like Magneto says. It's not that we want to kill humans. It's just that they want to kill us, and we have to fight back."
"Right," said Chris sarcastically. "Tell me again why you destroyed that elementary school?"
"Don't talk about that!" Jacqueline snapped. "I'm trying to forget what I did!"
"Sorry. But listen, John, we don't have to fight humans. We can try to make peace with them."
John shrugged, "How long have you been trying? It doesn't seem to be working."
"That doesn't mean we should give up."
"Maybe not, but look, some humans will never be interested in peace. Like the guys who are developing these weapons we're going out to destroy. If we don't fight against them, they'll wipe us out."
Chris shook his head, and maintained his viewpoint, "It would just take one action, one act of heroism or bravery, to show the world the truth about mutants, to show them that we aren't as bad as they think."
Felicity spoke up, "It took years to overcome racism and abolish slavery, but it worked. This is the same thing. It will just take time."
Pyro shrugged, and concentrated on his food.
"What time are we leaving for Nevada?" asked Jacqueline.
"Noon," said Bobby. "The Professor wants us to be in his office for eleven, for a final briefing."
Chris added, "That means we've got about two hours in which to enjoy ourselves, before we fly off and risk our lives for all of mutantkind."
"You make it sound so dramatic," Fliss giggled.
He leaned over to give her a loving peck on the cheek. She smiled and gave him a little kiss in return. There was a clang as Jacqueline's fork hit her plate more loudly than she had intended. Narrowing her eyes, she glared hatefully at Felicity for a moment, then returned to her usual emotionless mask. Her mental barriers still prevented me from reading her feelings. She stood up, leaving her breakfast unfinished, and walked to the exit without a backward glance. Pyro watched her go, an intrigued expression crossing his face.
Chloe and I excused ourselves, and headed out into the garden once more. For all we knew, it might be the last time. She did not seem to be enjoying herself as much as she usually did out here, and I sensed she was afraid: afraid that one or both of us might not come back from this mission alive. I shared this fear, and I knew the others did too. Even the eternally confident ones like Chris and Bobby seemed quieter and more subdued than normal. I knew it was not a suicide mission. The Professor would not be sending us out on it if there was no chance we would survive. There were dangers, however, and a number of uncertainties.
My main concern was the possibility of Rat smelling us out before we could get close enough. I had brought this up more than once during the planning phase, as I felt it was not being given due attention. The Professor and Magneto had decided that I, with my long-range vision and X-ray eyesight, would be responsible for looking out for Rat, and making sure we did not venture too close to him. If he happened to become aware of our presence, I was to notify Jacqueline, who would read my mind to pinpoint Rat's location, and use her power to manipulate his thoughts, making him forget about us. It seemed risky, and would require luck and good timing, but the same could be said about the whole operation.
There were other things that worried me. The Professor had used Cerebro again last night, trying to communicate with Nightcrawler, to let him know that we were coming, and that he mustn't lose hope. But for some unknown reason, he hadn't been able to telepath a message to him. Kurt had been awake, which made it even more strange. Why didn't he just teleport his way out of there? We could only assume he was being forced to stay there under duress of a threat of some kind. That was a plausible explanation, but I could sense that neither Xavier nor Magneto seemed happy with it. Part of the plan seemed to be that Nightcrawler would teleport himself and his rescuer(s) out of the bottom level of the facility, before the poisonous gas was released. This was the part I had the least confidence in, since any number of unforeseen problems could occur.
I knew Chloe was scared, not so much for her own safety, but for mine. When consenting to become part of this mission, we had both agreed to expose ourselves to the risks and hazards that might arise. We both knew how to look after ourselves, and weren't afraid to face the danger. The same did not apply to our worries about each other. At any give time during the mission, I would know if I was safe or threatened, and what sort of situation I was in. I wouldn't have the same information about Chloe, and I would be worrying about her. If a threat arose, I would know whether or not I could handle it. I wouldn't know what was happening to Chloe. I was willing to risk my own life for the success of the mission. I wasn't willing to risk hers. I was willing to suffer pain, capture or torture for the sake of my friends. I wasn't willing to let the same thing happen to Chloe. I knew she felt the exact same way about me.
I forced myself to get a grip, and stop worrying. Chloe could take care of herself, just as I could, just as any of us could. She had already told me off for being overprotective, and I couldn't treat her like a china doll. As she had said, she had to live her own life, and that meant facing the same perils that I would face.
At the same time, I knew I would never be able to live with it if she died. I knew my life would effectively be over, with half of my heart ripped out. That was why I was so afraid for her sake. If Chloe died, part of me died. Better that we die together than one of us die alone. I knew that if she was in mortal danger, I would give my life to save her. I knew that she would do the same for me. I knew, in a strange sort of way, that I would never forgive her for it, for saving my life, only for me to live on without her.
Both of us were feeling extremely emotional now, as if all the love we had for one another was going to pour out in burst, in case we never got another chance to share it. Tears were in Chloe's eyes, and she put her arms around me, holding me close. I hugged her tightly, as if I could keep her in my arms forever. We didn't kiss. This was possessive, protective love, not the fiery, passionate love that had engulfed us two nights ago. We drew apart, still holding hands, her eyes glistening wet.
"I wish I could hold you forever," she sobbed. "I wish we could come together and never part."
"We have come together. We will never part. You're part of me and I'm part of you."
"If I'd known this might be our last day together…"
I put a hand gently over her mouth, "It won't be. We're not going to die, Chloe."
"How can you be so sure?"
"Well, look at the people we've got on our side: Xavier, Cyclops, Magneto, Wolverine, Storm…I could go on. There's fourteen of us; fourteen of the most powerful beings on the planet. What on Earth could possibly stop us?"
She said nothing.
"Do you believe in God, Chloe?"
"Yes…"
"We're fighting on the side of right. That's got to be worth something up there."
"I guess so…Neil, promise me one thing."
"Anything."
"If I'm in danger, don't risk your life to come and save me. I could never live with myself if you died trying to rescue me."
"I was thinking the same thing earlier," I said. "Chloe, I can't promise you that. I could say the words, and mean it, but when the time came, my heart would rule my head and I wouldn't be able to stop myself."
"I know. That's what I would have said too. I feel exactly the same way."
"I will promise you one thing, if you'll promise me the same."
"What?"
"That we'll live through this and our love will last forever."
She smiled, "Promise."
"Promise."
We knew we didn't have long. It would take more time than we had to express to each other all that we wanted. I looked at my watch; it was nearly eleven already. Time seemed to have gone unnaturally quickly, as it always did when you had so much you wanted to say or do. Chloe took one last, longing look at the natural surroundings she loved so much, then she slipped her hand into mine, and we walked back to the mansion.
The final briefing was essentially a re-cap of the plan that had been defined to us the previous day. I knew everything had been thought through and considered as fully as possible in the time available, and all contingencies had been accounted for as best as possible. I knew that with everyone working together, the plan could work. That didn't stop the uneasy feeling in my heart from growing. Maybe it was just a natural fear of going out to face the unknown and rescue our friend from the very jaws of the enemy.
Jacqueline had once again shunned us, and was standing off to one side. To my surprise, she was beside Pyro, and talking with him in low tones. For once she wasn't looking at Chris and Fliss as if she'd like to murder one of them.
As the Professor continued to outline the mission to us, I forced myself to clear my mind, to remove all my worries about Chloe and the rest of my friends, and concentrate solely on memorising my part of the plan. I knew everyone else would be doing the same. As the briefing concluded, and we headed towards the jet's hangar, I glanced back at Xavier, remaining behind his desk, watching as we left. He would be staying behind; his lack of mobility meant that he was the obvious choice to stay at the school and look after the children. He could use Cerebro to communicate with us and co-ordinate the mission when necessary. Having been in command a short time myself, I had an idea of what he must be feeling. His plan, his mission, being carried out by the people he was sending: his students, his friends. He could do no more. He had masterminded the operation, and now it was down to us to carry it out. His feeling of powerlessness must have been almost unbearable. I knew he trusted us, and had confidence in us to make it work, but not being there himself made it so much harder.
Changing into our uniforms and boarding the jet passed in a blur. Storm and Cyclops were piloting, and the flight was estimated to take two or three hours, depending on weather conditions. Us teenagers sat in a group of eight in the mid-section of the jet, mostly in silence. Occasionally Chris, Bobby or John would attempt a joke, and the rest of us would laugh, not out of humour, but because we were nervous and trying not to show it. Looking around the interior of the plane, I glanced at each person in turn, remembering the conversations, experiences and fights that I had had with each of them. Magneto, Mystique, Wolverine, Storm, Cyclops, Gaia, Iceman, Rogue, Shock, Shapeshifter, Pyro, Jacqueline, and myself, Oculus. Thirteen of us. Thirteen, an unlucky number for some. I hoped it wouldn't be unlucky for us.
Gaia had closed her eyes, her lips moving soundlessly, and appeared to be offering up a prayer; Shock was trying to hide her anxiety by laughing loudly at a joke Shapeshifter was telling; Jacqueline and Pyro were talking together once more, and I was sure I caught a hint of a smile on her face. Rogue looked nervous and ill at ease, moving closer towards Iceman. The seven of them were my friends, the only real friends my own age I had in the world. As yet I didn't know it, but one of them would not be coming back. In the years to follow, I often looked back and wondered how differently I might have acted if I had known.
The time passed quickly, and before I knew it, the jet was landing. Cyclops lowered the boarding ramp, and all other thoughts went out of my mind. The mission had begun.
When I stepped off the ramp, I had a quick look all round, gauging the terrain, seeing how the land lay.
"How far away are we?" Gaia asked.
"This is as close as we could get without being seen by their radar," said Cyclops. "We're still several miles away. The facility lies to the north."
I faced in the direction he was pointing, and squinted into the distance.
"I can see it," I said. "The front entrance is on the east. It's being guarded like the proverbial fortress, just like the Professor said."
"We'll worry about that later," said Cyclops. "Right now our priority is to get there. The sensors and traps are set within a two-mile radius of the base. We shouldn't have any trouble until we get that close, but stay sharp, all the same. Oculus, if you see anything in the distance that you think we should avoid, let me know."
I nodded.
"Let's go," he said.
We began to move out. The jet was concealed by a large rock formation and, barring ill fortune, would remain safe until our return. I was glad there had been no problems regarding command. The Professor had made clear his wish for Cyclops to lead the mission, and I had expected Magneto to make some kind of protest, but he had accepted it quite easily. Perhaps too easily…or maybe I was just being too suspicious. The truth was more likely in the fact that the majority of us would much rather follow Cyclops, and Magneto knew that. I was watching him carefully for any signs of deception, but so far Magneto had done nothing untoward.
We set out towards the facility at a fast pace, and Cyclops turned to ask me, "Can you see any patrols?"
I looked into the distance again, scanned the terrain close to the base, and nodded, "Yeah. Mostly guys in jeeps and buggies. They're covering overlapping patrol routes, always staying in sight of one another."
"Can we get past them without them noticing?" asked Pyro.
"I doubt it," I said.
"Once we get closer, we'll have to decide how to get by them," Cyclops said.
We walked on in silence, following his lead, drawing ever nearer to the complex known as Area 51. It was a hot day, and I was beginning to feel uncomfortable. Most of the rest appeared to be fine, but having grown up in the not particularly warm climes of Scotland, I wasn't used to the heat or the humidity. Gaia and Jacqueline seemed to be similarly unhappy, but Shapeshifter, immune to temperate change because of his mutation, did not have a problem.
I didn't know how far we'd walked – it must have been some miles – when Magneto raised his hand and said, "Stop!"
"What's wrong?" Cyclops asked.
"There are several concentrations of metal ahead. I think we've reached their sensors."
"Oculus, how far away is the facility?"
"About two miles," I said.
"Right," said Cyclops. "Here's what we do now. Oculus, Magneto, you two work together to find out exactly where the sensors are placed. If you can, find out what type of sensor each one of them is. Try to plot a route that will take us past as few as possible – preferably none."
Magneto and I moved ahead of the rest of the group slightly, and he said, "I can sense where each of the devices is located. You'll need to read my mind to get the information."
"Fine. Here I go."
I pushed out towards him with my mind, and began reading his thoughts.
"You still want me to join you," I said in surprise.
"Yes. I was wondering if you had given it any more thought."
"Some. I think I understand why you feel the way you do, and…in a way…I agree. I've never had to experience anything like what you have, so I don't feel it as strongly as you. I can bring myself to hate individuals, even certain groups of people – but never the entire human race."
He nodded slowly, "I see. I won't try to convince you with a clever argument, because you're reading my mind and you'd see right through it. But I will say one thing."
"What?"
"You are powerful. More powerful than you realise. Possibly more powerful than even Charles Xavier realises. You have already demonstrated the potential of your multiple gifts, but you are not even an adult yet. In ten, maybe even five years, you may be the most powerful mutant on Earth."
"What about you and the Professor?"
"We will not be able to go on forever. Mutations are becoming more common in children nowadays, and soon it will be time for your generation to take over from old men such as us."
"And you want me to take over from you, and carry on your fight?"
"Forgive me. That was not a thought I wanted you to read. That would be my wish, yes, but you will have to make up your own mind."
"Are you going somewhere with this?"
"Yes. The main thing I wanted to say is this: power corrupts, especially in those too young to know how to use it wisely. That is why Charles hides from you the true potential of your abilities, because he is afraid you would grow too full of self-importance, and forget everything he has taught you."
"Magneto, get to the point. What are you trying to tell me?"
"All right. I think that you have the power to succeed in whatever you want to do. If you want to follow my path and fight against the human race, I believe you could destroy them. If you choose to follow Charles Xavier's teachings and seek peace with humans, I believe you could achieve that too. I will admit, when I tried to have you killed when we first met, it was because I was afraid of you. I saw what you could become. Just as your father did."
"How do you know about my father?" I snapped.
"I have my sources."
"You mean Jacqueline told you."
"Yes. I do not seek to deceive or incite you here, merely to enlighten you. You will be the supreme being on this planet one day, perhaps sooner than you might think. The future of the world is in your hands. You could do anything."
The weight of what he was saying hit me more heavily than I would have liked. The most powerful mutant on Earth…the supreme being…could that really be me one day? I could do anything…anything at all…
No, I told myself, I'm not that. I'm no supreme being. I was born an ordinary human, and artificially changed into something I was never meant to be. Not a true mutant, and no longer a human. A half-caste, a nothing, the lowest of the low. That was how I saw myself. Could that person really become the most powerful man alive?
It was so confusing! In the depths of my heart, I saw myself as being worth nothing. My friends saw me as a calm, reasonable, good-humoured equal. Chloe saw me as an irreplaceable, indispensable part of her mind and heart, and her future husband. The Professor and the other X-Men saw me as a promising student with possible leadership capabilities. Magneto saw me as the future ruler of the world. Which of them should I believe?
I forced myself to stop thinking about it, and concentrate on the mission. I'd think about what Magneto had said later. For now, the mission. I had finished reading the locations of the sensors from his mind, and I gladly pulled my senses out of his head, surveying the land beyond, using my new knowledge to pinpoint the places where the sensors must be. I turned back to the rest of the group and called, "Jacqueline? Cyclops?"
The two of them looked over, and I said, "I know where the sensors are. Jacqueline, if you read my mind and send the images to Cyclops, he can plan our route."
She looked uncomfortable, either because she didn't want to go into my mind, or because she didn't want to use her power at all, but nevertheless acquiesced. I felt the strange light-headedness that occurred whenever a telepath entered my thoughts, and she began to send the visual locations of the sensors to Cyclops. This took a few minutes, and I tried not to have any thoughts that I would not want Jacqueline to know about. Eventually it was done, and she pulled out of my head. Cyclops began planning our path ahead, and I was about to return to my friends, when I realised something. When Jacqueline read my thoughts, she would have to have lowered her own mental shields to push her own senses out. I knew it would take her a little while to get them back up, and in the meantime I could probe her mind.
My first incursion was gentle, pushing my senses into the periphery of her mind, just to see if it would work. She detected me instantly, and her telepathic voice came into my head, fast and furious, Get out of my mind!
Why?
What are you doing in here? What do you want?
To see why you've become so distant. You were our friend for a while, back to normal, the Jacqueline we used to know and love. Then you changed.
Get out!
Jacqueline…
Get out! she screamed, I'll kill you!
I saw her lifting both of her arms, looking furiously at me, and I pulled out of her mind. She lowered her arms, and walked away from me, back to where Pyro was standing alone. I went back to stand with Gaia and Shapeshifter.
"You all right?" Shapeshifter asked. "You look like someone just hit you with a mortar shell."
"Oh, it was Jacqueline. I managed to get inside her mind. She yelled at me to get out, and threatened to kill me."
"Kill you?" Gaia repeated in shock.
"Yeah. She's still messed up in there. I don't know if she'll ever be completely sane again."
"If the Professor trusts her to come on this mission, he must think she's all right," she reasoned.
"I suppose so."
I didn't tell them what Magneto had said to me. I still wasn't sure if it was true, or if he was lying, trying to manipulate me. I hadn't sensed any deception when I was reading his thoughts, so he must have been telling the truth. Or, at least, he must have genuinely believed what he was saying. Could the Professor really be hiding my true potential from me? Was he really afraid of me going out of control with my own ego? I had never sensed him having any thoughts on this matter…but then the Professor was a powerful enough telepath that he could easily conceal anything he didn't want me to sense.
No. The mission. I had to concentrate on the mission. Cyclops had called us towards him, and we walked over.
"Right, I've got a route planned out," he said. "We'll be going pretty close to some of the sensors, so I'll quickly tell you a bit about them. There are four types of sensor we will encounter: motion, sound, pressure and heat. Motion sensors are the most dangerous, since there's no way we can fool them, and our tactic is simple. Avoid them. Sound sensors, same deal. Pressure sensors are only dangerous if we don't know where they are. Since we do, we simply avoid standing on them. Heat sensors: here we are slightly lucky. The devices we'll be dealing with are only designed to detect a certain level of heat; they can't detect sudden changes in temperature, and most importantly, they can't detect cold."
"That would be where I come in," said Iceman.
"Right. If you can fire a jet of ice that will cover the heat sensor, it won't be able to detect our presence. All right, let's move. Watch carefully where I step and don't veer from my path."
We set off once more, going slowly to maximise the care we took to avoid the sensors. I was still concerned about Jacqueline, and I decided I had to talk to her. I walked slightly faster to catch up with her, and fell into step beside her.
"I'm sorry," I said. "I obviously upset you by going into your mind. I didn't mean to hurt you. Forgive me?"
"Yeah," she said. "And I'm sorry too, for saying I would kill you. I was just desperate to get you out of there. I can't bear to have another person's mind inside me. It reminds me too much of having Mindstorm in there. I had to get you out; I felt like I was going to go crazy again."
"I'm sorry. I just wanted to help you. I know you're still upset about Chris."
"I'm getting over it. I've found somebody else."
"You have? Who?"
"Who do you think?"
She walked on ahead until she was beside Pyro, and another rare smile lit up her face as he greeted her. My eyes widened in surprise. Jacqueline and Pyro? Surely fate could not have thrown together a more unlikely pairing. The fiery, impatient, unpredictable Pyro, and the vulnerable, unstable, slightly neurotic Jacqueline. What could they possibly have in common? I couldn't think of anything. Perhaps the answer lay in the vulnerabilities, the unhappiness, the insecurity that both of them possessed. Could it be that which had brought them together? Did they recognise in each other a person with the same problems?
We were moving in even closer to the base now, and it was now near enough that I could see it without having to use my mutation. The others could see it too, and I sensed Gaia's fear as she looked at the dark, forbidding spectacle of the heavily guarded complex. I squeezed her hand and tried to reassure her, "Don't worry. We'll be OK. The Professor's plan will work."
"I hope so."
The route we were following wound and twisted its way along the land on the south side of the base. It was keeping us as far away from the sensors as possible, and soon we would come to the perimeter of the area protected by electrified fences and other traps. The sensors had been the second line of defence, after the radar, and would have detected the intrusion of any normal invader. It was only due to Magneto's ability to sense their presence, and my ability to visually plot the position of each of them, that we ourselves had got past. As Iceman coated the last heat sensor with a film of ice, we reached the end of the sensor field, finding our path blocked by the ten-foot high electrified fence that surrounded the whole facility. Cyclops called a halt and said, "Oculus, can you see Rat? We can proceed as long as we know he won't be able to smell us."
I looked at the facility again, and increased my focus, looking through the outer walls. Scanning the interior, I tried to find Rat. The top floor, which was at ground level, was mostly security stations and military equipment. The next lowest levels were staff accommodation and storage areas. Below those were what appeared to be research laboratories and a computer complex. Beneath that, the second-lowest floor was the hub of the complex's security system. The very lowest level housed the ultra high security research labs. I could see Kurt – being kept in a cell on this floor. I still couldn't understand why he didn't just teleport away.
"I see Nightcrawler," I said. "He's awake. Why doesn't he just port out of there?"
"Maybe he can't see where to go," said Storm. "He can only teleport where he can see, remember."
"I can't see Rat anywhere," I frowned. "Nor Lutowski or Van Gaarde."
I sensed Gaia flinching at her tormentor's name. Jacqueline pushed out with her mind, "I can sense Rat. I think he's out with one of the patrols."
"Where?" said Cyclops.
"North side of the facility."
"How far away is he?"
"I can't be sure. Far enough away that he won't smell us. I'm certain of that."
"All right. We'll move. Shock, you're up."
Shock, immune to electricity, knelt in front of the fence and took hold of the bottom wire. She lifted it up, away from the ground, as far as its tautness would allow. This left a small space at the bottom for the rest of us to crawl through. Magneto, with his command of metal, could have done the same thing more easily, and I wondered why this hadn't been his responsibility. Perhaps Xavier didn't trust him not to 'accidentally' let the wire fall back on top of one of us. This was the riskiest part of the operation so far; even the slightest contact with the wire would send a lethal voltage into whoever touched it. There was plenty of space to crawl through, but it was still an uncomfortable proposition. Wolverine, whose body was part metal, was looking particularly unhappy.
One by one, we slid through the gap, Shapeshifter taking no chances and changing into a liquid before doing so. When we were all on the other side, finally Shock twisted and squirmed underneath, unharmed by the wire touching her chest, and stood up to join us.
"Good work," said Cyclops. "Now it gets harder. We have to get across the ground to the facility, avoiding all their traps, and keeping out of sight of the patrols."
"There's no way we can sneak past the guards," I said, peering ahead. "It's all open ground with nowhere to hide."
"We can't risk attacking them," said Wolverine. "If they got a message off to their base, we'd be sunk. We'll have to distract them."
Cyclops nodded, "Storm, Gaia, Mystique, that's your job. Right now we have to get past their traps."
"What are we looking at?" Shapeshifter asked.
"Hidden explosive caches, triggered by lasers. Clearly anybody who manages to get past the sensors and the fence is extremely dangerous, and the safest thing to do is destroy them. The lasers are only visible in the infra red part of the spectrum, so they'll be invisible to any intruders."
"And I don't suppose anybody here can see infra red light?" Wolverine said sarcastically.
Cyclops gave him a grin, "Actually, I can. When I built my new visor, that was one of the modifications I made. Give me a few minutes to plan a route."
While he went to work, I stood next to Gaia and said, "Are you feeling OK about your part?"
She shrugged, "I think so. I just have to stay next to Storm and deal with any dogs that they have out on patrol. Then we'll be staying behind to cover the escape route. You'll be going inside the base, won't you?"
"Yes. I'll be with the main group going in and making our way down to the bottom floor, to find Kurt and destroy the weapons they're making."
"Do you – do you think they're testing their weapons on him? The way they were with us?"
"I hope not. He's strong, though, and he'll be able to hold together if they are. He may not know we're coming for him, but he won't have given up hope. I know he believes in God too, and he'll be praying for help."
"Let's hope we can bring it to him."
Before I could say anything more, we were interrupted. Cyclops had decided on a route, and we began to follow him. We were getting closer to the base, and the patrols. Jacqueline pushed out with her senses and told us that Rat was still miles away on the other side of the complex. When we had gone as far as we could safely go, Cyclops stopped us, and said, "If we go any further, we'll be seen. Now we need our distraction. Storm?"
Storm's eyes started to whiten as she used her power. Black clouds began to form overhead, and torrents of rain poured down around us. Fog started to drift on to the scene, killing all visibility for the guards below. The one or two jeeps that I could see out on patrol stopped, and the soldiers began looking up in amazement at the lashing rain, weather that was virtually unheard of this deep in the desert.
"Go," Magneto said to Mystique.
I watched out of the corner of my eye as Mystique transformed, taking on the form of a uniformed army officer, a Major. She hurried down the small incline in front of us, towards the stationary jeeps.
"Now's our chance; let's go," Cyclops urged.
While Gaia and Storm remained behind, the rest of us moved forward, travelling in a tight group to avoid anyone being lost in the fog. Visibility was almost nil, but Storm seemed to have created a sort of bubble around us, keeping the worst of the bad weather away from us at all times. I could sense the presence of the guards as we passed; Mystique, posing as the major, was demanding to know why they weren't following some obscure military protocol. Like wraiths we flitted through the fog, getting safely past the soldiers, and then the mist began to thin, and we found ourselves nearing the south entrance of the base.
"Rat's moving east," said Jacqueline suddenly. "He'll be close enough to detect us soon."
"It's too late to go back," Cyclops said. "They'll know we're here soon enough anyway. Keep moving."
Staying low, keeping behind the cover of rocks when we could, we came closer and closer to the entrance. As we paused behind a particularly large rock formation, I looked through the rock to examine the entrance more closely. It was heavily guarded, as I knew it would be. Two tanks, one Apache helicopter, three machine-gun emplacements and at least thirty soldiers stood between us and the way into the facility. I didn't know if this was standard defensive protocol, or if they were expecting trouble. Perhaps the guard had been increased because they feared attacks from mutants. I sensed Mystique approaching, as she rejoined the group, having distracted the patrols long enough.
"All right," said Cyclops. "Time to split into three groups, as we planned. First: Rogue, borrow Shapeshifter's power, and the two of you find a way to sneak in. Head down for the lower levels and try to do as much as you can to disrupt or sabotage their security system. That'll make it easier for us to get back out. Second: Magneto, Pyro, Shock; keep the troops at the main entrance busy, to give the rest of us a chance to get inside. Remember, no killings. Third: the rest of us; we head into the base and go to find Nightcrawler. Any questions?"
There were none. Rogue tugged off her glove and put her hand to Shapeshifter's cheek, absorbing his power, pulling away before he could be seriously hurt. The two of them transformed into liquid state, and headed for the base. There were plenty of ventilation ducts that they should be able to use to get inside. Once inside, getting to the security level should be fairly easy too. It all depended on how long Rogue could keep mastery of his power. I told myself there was no point in my worrying about it; there was nothing I could do to help them. I had my own part to worry about.
I continued to look through the rock, watching as Magneto led the other two towards the entrance. When they were ready, he raised his arms and lifted the tank into the air. I could sense the shock and surprise felt by the soldiers, then the tank was sent into the side of the helicopter, crushing it completely. Pyro acted next, a huge ball of fire scorching from his lighter to ignite the fuel tanks of the ruined chopper. Soldiers fled from the blaze, some of them rolling on the ground to put out flames that had caught their clothes. Shock fired a bolt of lightning at one of the machine gun turrets, disabling it permanently.
The soldiers were well trained and overcame their panic quickly, seeking out their enemy. Shots were fired, but Magneto easily extended one hand to stop the bullets. Pyro launched another fire ball, this time discouraging the group of soldiers who were trying to get to the second tank. Shock blasted the tank with an electric bolt, knocking it out of commission. I nodded to Cyclops, "They're doing it. We can move now."
The six of us who were left began running towards the entrance, unseen in the cloud of smoke that was rising from the exploded helicopter, past the soldiers, who had been herded away by the attack, and towards the doors that led into the base. The time for stealth was over. All that mattered now was speed, that and staying alive. The doors were locked electronically; Cyclops blasted them apart with his visor. Wolverine led the way inside, his claws extended. Beyond the ruined door, there were more guards, all of them overcoming their shock and hastily reaching for and loading their weapons. I raised one hand, pulling the guns from their arms, sending them spinning across the room. The soldiers panicked, some of them reaching for sidearm pistols. I sensed Jacqueline using her power, entering their minds to render them unconscious. They fell to the floor, no longer a threat. Reinforcements were coming, along a corridor to the left. I sensed their presence before they appeared, and quickly turned to Iceman, "There's more coming! Block off that corridor!"
Ice burst from his fingertips, creating a solid wall that acted as a barrier.
"The elevators are this way, come on," Cyclops urged.
We followed him down the corridor to the right. A soldier with a bazooka appeared from around a corner, but Wolverine was too fast for him. Slicing the weapon apart with his claws, he floored the man with a sideways kick to the face. The building was suddenly shaken by the force of an explosion from outside, and I quickly pushed out with my senses, fearing the worst. No…Magneto and the other two were still unharmed. I could still sense the same number of humans, so it seemed they hadn't killed anybody. Magneto was keeping his promise so far.
The elevator was guarded by two more soldiers, who were slow to react, and Mystique knocked both of them out, seemingly without even breaking sweat. We stopped by the lift door; a chance to get our breath back. Cyclops looked closely at the door, "OK, the lift won't operate without a retinal scan. Mystique?"
She nodded, and morphed into the shape of one of the unconscious guards, walking over to put her eye to the scanner beside the door. The display flashed green, and the lift doors opened. Mystique changed back into her usual form, and we entered the elevator.
"The third bottom floor is the lowest this will take us," Cyclops said. "After that we need to get out and go through more security procedures, before they'll let us go any further down."
"So what's the plan, chief?" said Wolverine sarcastically.
"Simple enough that even you should be able to handle it. Knock out anybody who doesn't like the look of us. Then Mystique can take on the appearance of Colonel Lutowski – you do know what he looks like?"
She nodded, "I ran into him in that other base of his, the one we destroyed."
"Fine. If anyone has access to the bottom floor, it'll be him. Get down there and find these weapons they're building, plus any research papers on the subject. Destroy them. Once you've done that, find Nightcrawler, and get him out. With luck, you'll be able to get back here before anyone realises you're not Lutowski. Of course, if they do realise, the nerve gas will be released. In that case you'll need to get Kurt to teleport both of you back up here. The gas won't spread off the bottom floor."
"Wait a minute," said Wolverine. "I thought you said Kurt couldn't teleport to where he can't see!"
"That's right. Oculus, that's where you come in. Look through the floor until you can see Nightcrawler, then telepath your vision to him. He'll be able to see where he is in relation to us, and so he can port to where we are."
"Good thinking," said Iceman appreciatively.
"Hey, it's my job."
The elevator stopped at the third from bottom floor, and we prepared ourselves for whatever was waiting outside. There were four guards, all of them armed and ready for us; obviously the whole base had been alerted by now. They began firing at us the moment the elevator doors opened. Jacqueline and I both used our telekinesis to stop the incoming bullets, and Wolverine and Mystique ran forward to knock the four men unconscious. We remained alert for a few moments longer, in case more soldiers should arrive, but I couldn't sense anybody else close to us. Cyclops turned back to the elevator, "Right. This will need retinal and fingerprint scans from authorised personnel before it will take us down any further. Again, Mystique, please."
She changed form to take on the shape of Lutowski. I'd seen him in photographs, but had yet to meet him face to face, and it felt strange to be standing next to him, even if I knew it was Mystique. She pressed her thumb to the fingerprint reader, it flashed green, then she stooped to put her eye to the retinal scanner. It too gave a green light of acceptance, and the doors slid open. Mystique, still in the Colonel's form, walked in.
"What about the rest of us?" said Wolverine.
"We wait," said Cyclops. "There will still be other troops on this level. You and Iceman go to hold them off if necessary. Oculus, find Nightcrawler."
Wolverine and Iceman hurried further along the corridor to watch out for reinforcements. I looked down at the floor, and through it. I could see on to the second bottom level, the security complex. Pushing my vision further, I was down on to the lowest level. Where was Nightcrawler? I tried to remember where I'd seen him before, and looked in that direction.
"I can sense Rat," Jacqueline said suddenly. "He's in the facility, on one of the upper floors. He's heading for the elevator."
"You and I will wait here and be ready for him," Cyclops said. "Kill him only if you have no other choice."
"Understood."
"Can you sense Rogue and Shapeshifter? What's their status?"
She concentrated for a second, then said, "They're on the security level. They haven't been detected. They're trying to disable the computer system."
"Magneto and the others?"
"They're alive. They've got the soldiers on the run, but I don't think it will last long."
"It won't," Cyclops agreed. "They'll only be able to keep them busy for so long, then we'll have to get out of here."
"How long do we have?" I asked.
"A matter of minutes. Sooner or later the soldiers will figure out that we're deliberately not killing them. They'll get bolder, and they'll force us into retreat."
"What if Magneto breaks his word and starts killing them?" asked Jacqueline.
"He won't," I said. "Ah – I can see Kurt."
"Where's Mystique?"
"She's looking around the labs. There are a few researchers there, but they obviously think she's Lutowski."
"How can you be so sure Magneto will keep his promise?" Jacqueline demanded.
"Because I know him," I said. "The Professor trusts him, and so do I."
Neither of them replied. I could sense Cyclops feeling uneasy; he obviously trusted the Professor's judgement, but at the same time it was understandably hard for him to be sure of Magneto.
"What's happening down there?" he asked.
"Mystique's ordered the researchers out of the room. She's piling up the weapons and research documents, and I think she's going to set fire to them."
"Good idea. That should start a panic, and the confusion will work in her favour."
I watched as Mystique piled up the rest of the materials and then as she looked around for some way to start the blaze. Bottles and tubes of chemicals were lined up on shelves around the laboratory, and she grabbed a few, pouring them on to the pile. The combination was explosive, and soon the entire lab was engulfed by flame. Mystique hurried out of the room, and I telepathed to her, letting her know where Nightcrawler was. She ran down the corridor in his direction.
The fire must have been detected, and a flurry of activity began on the lowest floor. Somebody hit the fire alarm button, and several others started attacking the inferno with extinguishers. A gas was released from spigots on the roof, and I panicked for a moment, thinking it was the nerve gas. It was some kind of fire-fighting vapour, as the flames in the lab began to die. I noted with satisfaction, however, that the weapons and documents had been completely incinerated, and I breathed a sigh of relief. Never again would a mutant have to suffer pain the way Chloe and I had.
"The weapons have been destroyed," I said.
"Where is she now?" asked Cyclops.
"Heading towards Kurt. Oh, damn. I think she's been found out. There's soldiers running after her. Ah – one of them's the real Lutowski. That must be how they knew she was fake."
"I was hoping she wouldn't run into him," said Cyclops. "Never mind; we can't change what's happened. You'd better start telepathing to Kurt so he can get them out of there."
I watched as Mystique managed to outrun her pursuers, turning a corner to move out of their sight. She stopped at the door behind which Kurt was imprisoned, and I sent to her, That's the one. Hurry.
The door required fingerprint access, and she pressed her thumb against its reader. The light flashed green and the door opened. Mystique entered, morphing back into her natural form as she did so.
Mystique? What are you doing?
I pushed out, trying to read her mind for a response. I couldn't sense anything.
Mystique?
Nothing. Maybe she was ignoring me. It probably didn't matter. I decided I had better start talking to Kurt.
Nightcrawler? It's Oculus. We've never met, but I'm working with the X-Men. We're here to help you. I'm going to send you my vision; use it to teleport yourself and Mystique out of there.
There was no response. I couldn't sense his thoughts.
Nightcrawler?
Again, nothing. Maybe he didn't trust me.
Nightcrawler! Mystique! Can either of you hear me?
Something was wrong. Mystique had stopped in the centre of the room, and Nightcrawler was still hunched in the corner, neither of them making any moves to escape. I pushed my mind out towards them, increasing my telepathic power, trying to find out what was going on.
Nothing. I couldn't sense anything. I couldn't even sense their presence. It was as if they weren't there.
"How's she doing?" Cyclops asked.
"I don't know. Something's gone wrong. I don't understand."
"Just send your vision to Kurt and tell them to get out of there!"
I shook my head, "I can't! They can't hear me. I can't sense them. It's as if there's something blocking my telepathy."
"Let me try," said Jacqueline.
A few moments passed, then she said in confusion, "I can't sense them either. It's like there's a hole, a vacuum, where my senses can't go."
The soldiers had arrived at the door down below, and Mystique was trapped. She tried to attack them, but for some reason she was not moving with her usual grace and agility. Her movements were clumsy and sluggish, and she stumbled, falling on to the floor.
From further down the corridor, I heard Wolverine's voice yelling, "Cyclops! We've got company! We can't hold them off for long! What's keeping you guys?"
"Oculus, what's going on down there?" Cyclops snapped, beginning to lose his cool.
"I don't know!" I retorted. "It doesn't make any sense! Hang on…wait...I think I know what's wrong."
"What?"
"We can't sense what's going on down there, and Mystique and Kurt seem to be unable to use their powers. What if there's some sort of – I dunno, some kind of force-field – that's cancelling out their mutations?"
"What? Impossible!"
"Is it?" I countered. "This is the army's top anti-mutant research lab! Who knows what they've developed down there?"
We heard Wolverine yelling again, "Cyclops! What the hell's taking so long?!"
"We haven't got time," Jacqueline said. "Let's just cut our losses and go!"
"No!" Cyclops snapped. "We're not leaving Kurt or Mystique behind!"
"Magneto and the others are being forced to retreat!" she exclaimed. "We can't wait any longer! What are we going to do?"
"I don't know. Just give me a minute; I'll think of something."
"We haven't got a minute!"
"Shut up!"
My eyes still focused on events two floors below, I watched in horror as the soldiers blocking the cell door parted slightly, to allow another man through.
Elias Van Gaarde.
"Oh God, no," I whispered.
There was no question; we had to get them out of there. There was no possibility of leaving Nightcrawler or Mystique to the mercy of my father's sadistic research partner. I pulled my vision back to look at Cyclops, who was desperately trying to piece together a plan to rescue our mission from becoming a disaster.
"Van Gaarde's down there," I told him. "We've got to get them out now."
Before he could answer, the elevator doors behind him slid open, to reveal a solitary figure standing inside the lift.
Rat.
He sprang at Jacqueline, taking her by surprise, his claws ripping at her chest. She screamed and fell to the ground, clutching her abdomen, blood seeping between her fingers. I ran to her side, kneeling by her, praying her wounds weren't fatal, my hopes sinking when I got a closer look at her body. Rat jumped, twisted in mid-air, and delivered a spinning kick that knocked Cyclops' visor into the air. Cyclops instinctively closed his eyes. Rat, his claws extended, flung himself at the blinded X-Man. I desperately launched a psychic blast, hitting both of them. Cyclops was thrown into the wall, and fell on to his back, disoriented and temporarily stunned. Rat rolled when he hit the floor, and rose to face me, his teeth bared, his eyes twin yellow balls of hate.
I tried to stop myself from panicking. Jacqueline was dying beside me, Cyclops was out of it, Mystique and Nightcrawler were in grave peril, and I could sense our other battles were going against us. As if that weren't bad enough, I had to deal with Rat, who was buoyed by adrenaline and intent on slaughter. Things had gone horribly, terribly wrong; somewhere along the line our plans had slipped off the rails. I could sense Jacqueline's life ebbing away; she had mere minutes left. Rat advanced, claws out in readiness to tear me to shreds, and I prepared to fight him in any way I could.
