Thanks so much for the feedback: T. Riddle, Ice Princess, Rex, xfearddarknessx, raniatlw, MiracleChick, Tewks
Pietro watched the news broadcast of the battle against the Sentinel and the capture of his friends with Magneto, Sabretooth, Gambit and Pyro. "So-you-got-what-you-wanted," he said. "Everyone-knows. Can-we-rescue-them-now? They're-mutants-that's-what-you-want: Mutants against humans."
"If they can't save themselves they aren't worth my time," Magneto said dismissively.
"But…" Pietro protested.
"Don't question me," Magneto ordered.
Pietro stormed out, "I'll just go rescue them myself," he spat.
"Seal exits," Magneto told the computer.
"That's all?" Sabretooth snorted. "You're going soft."
"Catch him if you have the ability," Magneto said coolly. Sabretooth grinned showing long fangs.
As soon as the door closed behind the feral Gambit reached for the intercom switch. Magneto caught his wrist, stopping him. A scowl darkened the demon-eyed mutant's face. "It only be fair to warn de boy he's bein' hunted."
"Quicksilver can take care of himself," Magneto stated.
"S'pose yo'd know," Gambit said settling back in his seat despite the disapproving look in his eyes. At his words Magneto turned to give the younger mutant a surprised glance.
Pietro pounded angrily on the door out of Magneto's base. "Let me out!" he yelled dashing from one exit to the next.
On the fourth round of the doors a clawed hand grabbed Pietro, spinning him around and slamming him forcefully into the wall. Pietro gasped as the air whooshed out of his lungs.
Sabretooth planted one hand in the center of the teen's chest, leaning in close, using his weight to pin Pietro in place.
The silver-haired mutant wrinkled his nose at the fetid smell of the feral's breath. "Even Toad's breath smells better, what do you eat?" He asked lashing out at his capture. Pietro had long since decided that he loved physics, or at least one of its rules: Force equals mass times acceleration. He wasn't any stronger than a normal human, but because of that little rule he could hit a lot harder.
Quicksilver's knuckles split and Sabretooth's head rocked back as a deep gash opened up over his cheekbone, but his hand only tightened, his claws digging into the teen's flesh as his fingers flexed.
Smiling Sabretooth looked down on his captive, waiting, letting the boy see the effect of his best shot fade and vanish in seconds. "I like prey with spunk," he said laughing. "But I was hoping for more of a chase, Mousy. Maybe I should let ya go so I can catch you again." His fingers dug in until blood was streaming down Pietro's chest and he could feel the feral's claws scraping against his ribs. "Or maybe I'll just tear your heart out. I wonder how long it would keep beating like that in my hand." Sabretooth grinned. "So it can go faster," he said.
Before Pietro could find a retort Sabretooth was torn away from him with a sound like a baseball bat meeting flesh.
As Pietro dashed away he heard Colossus snort with disgust. "The next stage in evolution? We're nothing more than a pack of animals."
****** ****** ******
"Hey! What are you doing with the half-pint?" Logan snarled watching helplessly as Kitty was lain on a lab table and an IV was placed in her arm.
Trask looked down at the restrained mutant. "As I'm sure you know, the young lady is rather hard to hold on to," he said. "We were lucky to catch her, she slid through our restraining polymer like it was nothing. Fortunately for us she doesn't have eyes in the back of her head."
"You hurt her and you're dead," Wolverine threatened.
"You are hardly in a position to make threats," Trask said. "But don't worry, this is only a sedative, just to make sure she stays put until we have time to dissect her."
****** ****** ******
Lance stared at the rubble that was all that remained of the Xavier Institute for Gifted Students. "What the hell happened here?" he said to himself.
Hearing raised voices in the woods he jogged toward them and found Storm, Jean, Nightcrawler and Wanda fresh from the fight he'd seen on the news, the former three looking shell-shocked and Wanda looking furious as was normal for her, the New Mutants, looking as ragged as if they'd been in a battle themselves rather than left behind at home and Scott Summers, still in civvies going nose to nose with Mystique.
"What's she doing here?" Lance demanded.
"Masquerading as the Professor. She was just about to tell us what she did with him," Scott said a threat implied in his tone.
"Don't you have more urgent concerns?" Mystique shot back. "So many of your team in the hands of those who despise us. They undoubtedly have Rogue and Wolverine as well. I can promise you your professor is in no immediate danger, can you say the same of them?"
Before Scott could formulate a reply sirens split the air. The mutants scattered.
Lance found himself in a police car with Jean, Iceman and Nightcrawler. Seeing a blockade of military vehicles in their path and a horde of police on this tail Lance prepared to use his powers to clear the way.
"I've got it," Jean said and their car took flight. Several miles down the road they abandoned the too-notable vehicle and took to the woods on foot.
"Scott wants you two to head for the city," Jean told Bobby and Lance. "You can meet up with Berserker in the alley connecting 5th and Marsing, behind Renee's. He knows a place to lay low for a while."
"And that leaves who for the rescue party?" Lance demanded. "Just you, Nightcrawler, Storm and Cyclops, I don't think so."
"Right!" Bobby chimed in. "I can help."
"Lance your powers…" Jean started.
"What if they're unconscious when we find them," Lance interrupted. "I can still carry someone out. Face it Red, you need all the help you can get and Kurt, if you try popping me out to the sidelines again, I promise you won't be coming back with all your teeth."
"Fine, we don't have time for this," Jean huffed. "We're meeting Scott and Storm at Look Out Point."
****** ****** ******
"Lance, what are you doing here?" Scott demanded as soon as he saw the other teen.
"I can still help, even without powers," Lance insisted.
"Considering the danger to you, both from within and without, the risk is too great. I must insist you remain behind," Storm said. "Shield's Commander Fury has given us information on where our friends are being held…"
"And you trust him?" Mystique demanded joining the group. "He's human."
"He had us dead to rights and let us go," Scott said. "Besides, it's not like we have any other leads and why do you care?"
"I will not leave any mutant in the hands of one such as Trask," Mystique declared thinking only of Rogue. "I dispatched Wanda to verify her father and brother's deaths then came to assist you."
"Quicksilver?" Lance exclaimed.
"Is a traitor," Mystique replied coolly. "A triple agent in fact. He pretended his feelings for his sister had caused him to betray the rest of the Brotherhood and your new friends to me while in truth his only loyalty was to his father, Magneto. But Wanda dealt with them; she is such a useful girl, all that rage, all that power at my disposal. She brought a helicopter down on top of them, still one likes to be certain about such things."
Lance stood there blinking with shock, "Pietro's dead?" he managed to ask.
"We cannot be certain," Storm said. "But he made his own choices."
"He set us up for Magneto," Jean stated. "He's why everyone else needs rescuing in the first place."
"Right… you're right," Lance said his expression becoming closed and impassive.
"We'll need transportation," Mystique announced looking up from the schematics she'd been reading over Scott's shoulder. "Storm, take care of it."
"Who put you in charge?" Scott demanded.
"I did, and if you want your Professor back you will deal with it," Mystique snarled.
Storm nodded, her expression tight with anger, "It will be done," she said taking to the skies.
"I'm coming," Lance said as the others digested Mystique's ultimatum.
"You are useless deadweight," Mystique said. "You pointed that out to me yourself Alvers."
While they waited for Storm's return Lance drew Scott off to one side so they could speak privately. "Summers, I'm going," he reiterated.
"Look, you heard Storm, there's too much risk and not enough gain to justify your coming."
"In other words, you agree with Mystique," Lance said bitterly. "I'm still coming, the last time you were in charge of bringing my team home it didn't turn out so well, remember?"
A look of guilt clouded Scott's face. "Swear you won't use your powers," he said.
"You got my word," Lance replied easily, fingers crossed behind his back.
With his visor Scott's face was always hard to read, but something went out of it, leaving his expression grim as he nodded, accepting Lance's promise. "Jean," he said quietly, walking over to the redhead. "Can you mask Avalanche's presence from Storm and Mystique?"
Jean's eyes searched his face then she nodded.
****** ****** ******
Everything went smoothly for maybe the first five minutes of the rescue then a bevy of alarms went off.
Cyclops, Jean and Avalanche gave up their stealthy attempts to work their way to the compound's holding area in favor of a direct assault.
Rounding a corner they came face to face with a unit of soldiers. Turning back Avalanche caught sight of a man crouching in a connecting hall, lining up a shot. The dark haired teen's eyes rolled back as he clenched his fists sending out a wave of tremors. The soldier's shot went wild, striking the roof over Jean's head.
The resultant wave of pain Lance experienced was nauseatingly sudden and severe.
"Keep him moving," Cyclops ordered, clearing a path through the opposing forces with an optic blast.
"I'm good," Lance muttered wiping his mouth with the back of his hand as he forced himself back to his feet, trying to blink away the multicolored explosions behind his eyes. He felt Jean's telekinesis subtly wrapping around him, a steadying and supporting force urging him forward.
And there was nothing else to do but push forward. After the third use of his powers Avalanche quit trying to guess if Cyclops or Jean could handle a threat before cutting loose. First, the pain in his head was so intense he could hardly focus past it and it seemed safe to assume if he were the first to notice a threat the other two were too busy to deal with it. Second, Lance was certain it didn't matter any more; he was past the point of no return. The pain was beyond belief. All he cared about was hanging on long enough to see Kitty, Todd and Fred safe, after that he could happily lay down and die if it meant an end to the pain.
Then there was a triumphant shout and suddenly the hall was full of familiar forms, Nightcrawler's gambit of teleporting ahead had paid off and the escapees were able to meet them halfway.
Lance forced his mind to focus and picked out Fred, all but towing Todd along with him. There was blood dried in the smaller boy's hair but he was on his feet.
The relief Lance felt seeing them relaxed the raw determination that was keeping him marginally on his feet. A moment later he spotted Kitty's limp form cradled in Beast's arms and despair finished the job of shattering his control. Blackness roared up around him and swept the world away.
Back Next Please send feeback