Disclaimer: I do not own, nor am I making any money from, the X-Men
characters. Thanks also to my good friend Corrinth for the use of the
character Ilehana Xavier.
A/N: I have no idea what I am going to do when I've finished this, any suggestions on a postcard please!
Scene Sixteen
Remy left the office despite Jacobi's protestations, sick of the pettiness of those he left behind. The gantry should have been lined with soldiers, but those that were on duty had left their posts unmanned. Instead they bashed frantically at the reinforced electronically locked doors to their barracks with their rifles and shoulders. So this was it, strangely Gambit felt only calm.
The hum of a jet engine seemed to suddenly make the floor shake. Wordless shouts came from the men on the gantry, and suddenly their trapped colleagues were forgotten. Safeties were knocked off the guns, positions were filled and even Gambit found himself holding an ace of spades in his right hand, ready for action.
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"You ready Rogue?" Blaze's voice practically buzzed with anticipation. In reply Rogue removed her uniform gloves. She may not like her power, but it was the only weapon she had. Blaze wished that she too had some form of mutant attack, but if wishes were horses... And she did still have a few tricks up her sleeve. Punching another command sequence into the palmtop she prepared to open the door to the tiny computer room.
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Cyclops was opening the jet's hatch before he had even fully touched the great blackbird down. With a thud and a judder the jet landed on the helipad, and the X-Men had arrived. Next to him Storm's eyes where white and lightning-blessed, and static filled the air. Outside the clear afternoon sunlight was blacked out with hastily gathering storm clouds. With goddess-like power she commanded lightning bolts, clearing the roof of Jacobi's minions.
The rest of the team undid their harnesses and leap to action. They ran for the roof door like men possessed, the power of Storm raging around them. Claws unsheathed, Wolverine sliced at the lock, pulling the electronic mechanism clean of the door with a snarl.
"I'm sure Blaze left that unlocked for us, Wolverine." Cyclops stepped past Logan with a snide smile and entered the atrium of Jacobi's building. Wolverine looked at Iceman.
"But where's the fun in that?"
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The lock overridden, the door to the room where Blaze and Rogue had been working opened with a hiss. Within seconds they stood at the opposite end of the gantry to their five X-Men colleagues. And then the armed men were firing at them, bullets ripped through the air. Nightcrawler sprung into action, disappearing and reappearing all around the room, kicking and snatching weapons from the startled men. A trail of blue smoke coiled serpent-like around the room marked his progress. With great skill his martial art movements left more than one man lying helpless on the floor.
Blaze and Rogue sprinted unthinking towards their fellows. With his laser vision Cyclops blasted gunman after gunman. Sharp ribbons of red light ripped the room into fragments, each time he fired Cyclops took another man out. With a yell, one man fell backwards over the gantry rail, crashing onto his back on the concrete floor below.
Wolverine ran to meet the two girls; head down he dodged the bullets with claws unsheathed. Without stopping he charged straight between Blaze and Rogue, slicing a minion who had come up behind them. With a gulp the stabbed man fell to the floor, bleeding.
At the same time, Iceman, frowning with concentration, put a bare hand to the wall. Like tendrils of a creeping plant, ice moved along the wall and floor. Before they knew it, three men across the gangway were encased to their knees in solid, chilling ice. It continued growing, reaching up to trap their arms and weapons as the men started to panic.
With Rogue and Blaze a short three steps away from Cyclops, Bobby and Storm, a new volley of bullets leapt through the air. With a wordless yell, Wolverine threw himself in front of the girls, taking three bullets in the chest and falling backwards against the wall. In the doorway for the roof, Storm stepped forwards involuntarily as Logan fell. Another bullet took her in the shoulder. Blaze was horrified as Storm cried out in pain. Her own shoulder, with its not long healed bullet wound throbbed in sympathy. Rogue ran to catch Storm as she fell, barely remembering to not touch Storm's skin with her bare hands.
In a fraction of a second, Nightcrawler too was at Storm's side, aiding Rogue with first aid and talking in his most calming tone to his wounded friend. Defensively, Cyclops, Iceman, Blaze and the fast healing Wolverine stood in a semi-circle around their fallen colleague. Looking out across the room, they could see that many of Jacobi's troops had been defeated. Only a handful remained standing and armed, gathered in the centre of the ground floor, muzzles of their weapons pointed at the X-Men. There was no sign of Gambit or any of Jacobi's inner circle.
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As the first gunshots rang out, and the X-Men made their appearance, Gambit had felt a strong hand take hold of his wrist. Mystique hissed in his ear "Come with me..."
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"Drop the weapons!" There was no room for argument in Cyclops' tone. His finger rested lightly on the trigger of his visor.
"Make us!" One of the twelve remaining men called out, fear obvious in his voice. Shrugging slightly, Cyclops hit the trigger. In the same instant, the man who had spoke fired his weapon. The bullet ricochet harmlessly off one wall. Cyclops' laser blast knocked the man off his feet and sent him backwards. The rest of the men let their guns drop clattering to the floor before kicking them away from themselves, eyes wearily staying locked on the X-Men.
"Iceman, freeze them." Cyclops was taking no chances. Bobby raised his hands and sent a jet of ice crystal towards the men. He built a wall ten feet high around the men, ignoring their cries. In a second pulse of ice he froze their weapons. He didn't think they would get over the wall, but if they did they would have no guns to fight back with.
"How is she?" Wolverine asked Nightcrawler.
"Not so good, she bleeds much." The blue mutant could not keep the fear from his voice.
"Nightcrawler, Rogue, get Storm back on the jet. Vixen are you there?" Cyclops spoke quickly.
"Yeah." Came the reply over the radio. "I'm on my way, don't worry."
"Good." Cyclops' face was stern behind the visor. "Wolverine, Blaze, Iceman you're with me." He walked towards the gantry steps, heading for the ground level. Iceman and Wolverine followed him, but Blaze hesitated. Something unnerving tickled at the back of her mind, something wasn't as it should be...
A/N: I have no idea what I am going to do when I've finished this, any suggestions on a postcard please!
Scene Sixteen
Remy left the office despite Jacobi's protestations, sick of the pettiness of those he left behind. The gantry should have been lined with soldiers, but those that were on duty had left their posts unmanned. Instead they bashed frantically at the reinforced electronically locked doors to their barracks with their rifles and shoulders. So this was it, strangely Gambit felt only calm.
The hum of a jet engine seemed to suddenly make the floor shake. Wordless shouts came from the men on the gantry, and suddenly their trapped colleagues were forgotten. Safeties were knocked off the guns, positions were filled and even Gambit found himself holding an ace of spades in his right hand, ready for action.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"You ready Rogue?" Blaze's voice practically buzzed with anticipation. In reply Rogue removed her uniform gloves. She may not like her power, but it was the only weapon she had. Blaze wished that she too had some form of mutant attack, but if wishes were horses... And she did still have a few tricks up her sleeve. Punching another command sequence into the palmtop she prepared to open the door to the tiny computer room.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Cyclops was opening the jet's hatch before he had even fully touched the great blackbird down. With a thud and a judder the jet landed on the helipad, and the X-Men had arrived. Next to him Storm's eyes where white and lightning-blessed, and static filled the air. Outside the clear afternoon sunlight was blacked out with hastily gathering storm clouds. With goddess-like power she commanded lightning bolts, clearing the roof of Jacobi's minions.
The rest of the team undid their harnesses and leap to action. They ran for the roof door like men possessed, the power of Storm raging around them. Claws unsheathed, Wolverine sliced at the lock, pulling the electronic mechanism clean of the door with a snarl.
"I'm sure Blaze left that unlocked for us, Wolverine." Cyclops stepped past Logan with a snide smile and entered the atrium of Jacobi's building. Wolverine looked at Iceman.
"But where's the fun in that?"
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
The lock overridden, the door to the room where Blaze and Rogue had been working opened with a hiss. Within seconds they stood at the opposite end of the gantry to their five X-Men colleagues. And then the armed men were firing at them, bullets ripped through the air. Nightcrawler sprung into action, disappearing and reappearing all around the room, kicking and snatching weapons from the startled men. A trail of blue smoke coiled serpent-like around the room marked his progress. With great skill his martial art movements left more than one man lying helpless on the floor.
Blaze and Rogue sprinted unthinking towards their fellows. With his laser vision Cyclops blasted gunman after gunman. Sharp ribbons of red light ripped the room into fragments, each time he fired Cyclops took another man out. With a yell, one man fell backwards over the gantry rail, crashing onto his back on the concrete floor below.
Wolverine ran to meet the two girls; head down he dodged the bullets with claws unsheathed. Without stopping he charged straight between Blaze and Rogue, slicing a minion who had come up behind them. With a gulp the stabbed man fell to the floor, bleeding.
At the same time, Iceman, frowning with concentration, put a bare hand to the wall. Like tendrils of a creeping plant, ice moved along the wall and floor. Before they knew it, three men across the gangway were encased to their knees in solid, chilling ice. It continued growing, reaching up to trap their arms and weapons as the men started to panic.
With Rogue and Blaze a short three steps away from Cyclops, Bobby and Storm, a new volley of bullets leapt through the air. With a wordless yell, Wolverine threw himself in front of the girls, taking three bullets in the chest and falling backwards against the wall. In the doorway for the roof, Storm stepped forwards involuntarily as Logan fell. Another bullet took her in the shoulder. Blaze was horrified as Storm cried out in pain. Her own shoulder, with its not long healed bullet wound throbbed in sympathy. Rogue ran to catch Storm as she fell, barely remembering to not touch Storm's skin with her bare hands.
In a fraction of a second, Nightcrawler too was at Storm's side, aiding Rogue with first aid and talking in his most calming tone to his wounded friend. Defensively, Cyclops, Iceman, Blaze and the fast healing Wolverine stood in a semi-circle around their fallen colleague. Looking out across the room, they could see that many of Jacobi's troops had been defeated. Only a handful remained standing and armed, gathered in the centre of the ground floor, muzzles of their weapons pointed at the X-Men. There was no sign of Gambit or any of Jacobi's inner circle.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
As the first gunshots rang out, and the X-Men made their appearance, Gambit had felt a strong hand take hold of his wrist. Mystique hissed in his ear "Come with me..."
xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx
"Drop the weapons!" There was no room for argument in Cyclops' tone. His finger rested lightly on the trigger of his visor.
"Make us!" One of the twelve remaining men called out, fear obvious in his voice. Shrugging slightly, Cyclops hit the trigger. In the same instant, the man who had spoke fired his weapon. The bullet ricochet harmlessly off one wall. Cyclops' laser blast knocked the man off his feet and sent him backwards. The rest of the men let their guns drop clattering to the floor before kicking them away from themselves, eyes wearily staying locked on the X-Men.
"Iceman, freeze them." Cyclops was taking no chances. Bobby raised his hands and sent a jet of ice crystal towards the men. He built a wall ten feet high around the men, ignoring their cries. In a second pulse of ice he froze their weapons. He didn't think they would get over the wall, but if they did they would have no guns to fight back with.
"How is she?" Wolverine asked Nightcrawler.
"Not so good, she bleeds much." The blue mutant could not keep the fear from his voice.
"Nightcrawler, Rogue, get Storm back on the jet. Vixen are you there?" Cyclops spoke quickly.
"Yeah." Came the reply over the radio. "I'm on my way, don't worry."
"Good." Cyclops' face was stern behind the visor. "Wolverine, Blaze, Iceman you're with me." He walked towards the gantry steps, heading for the ground level. Iceman and Wolverine followed him, but Blaze hesitated. Something unnerving tickled at the back of her mind, something wasn't as it should be...
