The Professor glanced at the paper he held in his hand again. It was
getting serious, and he should have looked into it some time ago. Without
even looking up, he knew Storm and Nightcrawler would be here shortly,
coming to join Rogue, Bobby, Scott and himself, Charles Xavier. Storm
opened the door and greeted the Professor, Nightcrawler doing the same.
"Say, where's Logan?" Rogue asked, anxious to see her friend. Bobby squeezed her gloved hand tensely, not really liking Rogue's attention to the older and surlier male.
"He felt like sleeping in today, but I've persuaded him to arrive." The Professor smirked quite knowingly and the door was shoved open by a cranky, hairy and tired man also known as Wolverine. In nothing but his jeans and a frown.
"You and your damn powers." He grumbled as he pulled up a seat next to Scott. The one that Jean Grey used to occupy. It had been about a month since Jean's passing, and Scott and Logan were still wounded by her death. Once everyone was seated, only then did the Professor look up. His face was worried.
"My thanks for full attendance. Iceman, Rogue, you're here because we need all hands on this case."
"Magneto again?" Scott asked wearily.
"I'm not sure. But we're in trouble even if he's not." Tossing the paper into the middle of the table for all to see, everyone bent in to read the front page:
SHADOWCAT STRIKES AGAIN
Once again, the notorious thief known only as Shadowcat has broken into a gallery and made off with millions in artefacts, leaving no living witnesses in his wake. Security guards Tyler Granger and Gus Mason were found in the security booth with bullet wounds in their bodies.
It is unknown how Shadowcat entered the building, and many anti-mutant lobbyists insist this must be the work of a rogue mutant. Links between the robberies and the recent assassination attempt on the President are being estimated, given the well thought planning of the robberies.
The Gallery has confirmed rumours Shadowcat threatened the break-in by a note attached to a rock being thrown through the Gallery curator's home window. A note was left behind with the bodies today stating that the Gallery of Fine Jewels would be the target tonight. All security is being heightened and the Gallery will be closed all day today.
Nobody needed to read more. They didn't need to have the Professor's psychic ability to know what was happening next.
"That's right. Even if this Shadowcat fellow is not a mutant, I think it would be in the best interest to check this out anyway. Shadowcat never bluffs with his threats, so I think we should wait for him tonight. In a way, I'm glad he's decided to strike so soon."
"Can't you use Cerebro to track him down now?" Logan growled.
"I've been trying for 2 weeks, however he doesn't show up as a mutant or a human. And that worries me greatly." Everyone suddenly started to go panicky. They weren't aware of what they were dealing with. "I would like at least Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine to investigate this case. Go down to the Gallery, wait for him to strike. But you must be very cautious. This thief is very murderous, as records from previous newspaper articles have shown. The only problem is, these robberies have been covered up for months, maybe even years. The robberies have become more frequent now, so we must act immediately." The Professor looked at Nightcrawler and Storm and said softly, "I'm counting on you." With that he nodded his farewell, and wheeled out to leave the X-men stunned, wondering about this new mission.
"Say, where's Logan?" Rogue asked, anxious to see her friend. Bobby squeezed her gloved hand tensely, not really liking Rogue's attention to the older and surlier male.
"He felt like sleeping in today, but I've persuaded him to arrive." The Professor smirked quite knowingly and the door was shoved open by a cranky, hairy and tired man also known as Wolverine. In nothing but his jeans and a frown.
"You and your damn powers." He grumbled as he pulled up a seat next to Scott. The one that Jean Grey used to occupy. It had been about a month since Jean's passing, and Scott and Logan were still wounded by her death. Once everyone was seated, only then did the Professor look up. His face was worried.
"My thanks for full attendance. Iceman, Rogue, you're here because we need all hands on this case."
"Magneto again?" Scott asked wearily.
"I'm not sure. But we're in trouble even if he's not." Tossing the paper into the middle of the table for all to see, everyone bent in to read the front page:
SHADOWCAT STRIKES AGAIN
Once again, the notorious thief known only as Shadowcat has broken into a gallery and made off with millions in artefacts, leaving no living witnesses in his wake. Security guards Tyler Granger and Gus Mason were found in the security booth with bullet wounds in their bodies.
It is unknown how Shadowcat entered the building, and many anti-mutant lobbyists insist this must be the work of a rogue mutant. Links between the robberies and the recent assassination attempt on the President are being estimated, given the well thought planning of the robberies.
The Gallery has confirmed rumours Shadowcat threatened the break-in by a note attached to a rock being thrown through the Gallery curator's home window. A note was left behind with the bodies today stating that the Gallery of Fine Jewels would be the target tonight. All security is being heightened and the Gallery will be closed all day today.
Nobody needed to read more. They didn't need to have the Professor's psychic ability to know what was happening next.
"That's right. Even if this Shadowcat fellow is not a mutant, I think it would be in the best interest to check this out anyway. Shadowcat never bluffs with his threats, so I think we should wait for him tonight. In a way, I'm glad he's decided to strike so soon."
"Can't you use Cerebro to track him down now?" Logan growled.
"I've been trying for 2 weeks, however he doesn't show up as a mutant or a human. And that worries me greatly." Everyone suddenly started to go panicky. They weren't aware of what they were dealing with. "I would like at least Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine to investigate this case. Go down to the Gallery, wait for him to strike. But you must be very cautious. This thief is very murderous, as records from previous newspaper articles have shown. The only problem is, these robberies have been covered up for months, maybe even years. The robberies have become more frequent now, so we must act immediately." The Professor looked at Nightcrawler and Storm and said softly, "I'm counting on you." With that he nodded his farewell, and wheeled out to leave the X-men stunned, wondering about this new mission.