Cipher's Elegy

By Cypher

Chapter Ten: The Alps

Douglas sighed as he watched the edge of the eastern coastline of the United States recede, being quickly replaced by not just the Ocean of the Atlantic, but by an ocean of clouds. His right hand was tapping lightly against the armrest, while his left was being used to support his head. He was in his X-Men uniform, an outfit he actually had a brief argument with Logan about, as they wouldn't blend in with the natives. Logan had just retorted they'd be in the mountains, and they were mutants. There was no one to fit in with, and even if there was, they'd stand out.

It's not like I can't speak French. I could easily blend us in. None of us have physical examples of mutations. His eyes flitted briefly to the feral pilot. Well, okay, his claws might stand out, but not too much. In these clothes, though, we're practically walking targets. I kinda wanted to find this place on my own, without attracting attention to us.

He frowned at his transparent reflection in the glass. Why don't you address what's really bothering you? He closed his eyelids and leaned his head forward slightly, resting it on the window. Why was Kurt so cruel? What did he mean when he said I knew what I'd done to him. I've done nothing...haven't I? I mean, sure, I told him not to include me in the morning pranks, and I did read a bit later than I was supposed to on some occasions. But I thought he was okay with everything else.

"Hey. I, like, thought you'd want your laptop to do some research."

Douglas blinked and turned, smiling slightly as Kitty grinned at him and held out his computer to him. Nodding, he took it. "Thanks. It's probably best I do some last minute review of the data before we arrive." Opening the screen and waiting for it to boot up, he turned to face the window once more, his mind again wandering back to Kurt. I still can't believe he spilled about the vocabulary...

Kitty sat back, then tapped Logan on the shoulder. "I'm worried about Douglas. He seemed so happy, and now he's like, totally bummed."

Logan grunted, indicating he was busy piloting to be disturbed by her. Truth be told, though, he was also worried about the blond. It didn't take a genius to see he was upset about something. Even now it was obvious, as his eyes were concentrated on the sky outside while one of his hands typed mindlessly on the keyboard. What's he got to be upset about? We're going to the damn Alps on this long shot that he'll find some temple.

Kitty crossed her arms and bit her lip, watching her boyfriend. It's got to be Kurt. That's the only thing that's bothered him today. She sighed as he finally paid attention to the computer. When we get back I'm gonna corner that fuzzball and get to the bottom of this. How dare he attack Douglas like that without a reason!

~*()*~

"Kurt, what is with you, man?"

Kurt took a bite of his sandwich and tilted his head as he chewed. "What?"

Scott tried not to gag as he caught glimpses of what was in the sandwich. Peanut butter, pickles, and salami? What is it with his appetite? "With Douglas. Jean talked with Kitty about what you did...why'd you do it, man?"

Kurt swallowed and shrugged, taking another few bites out of his snack. He didn't really want to talk with Scott about it, and in his mind it wasn't really any of Scott's concern.

"Kurt," Scott crossed his arms and gave the blue mutant his leadership stare, "why'd you do it? What has Douglas ever done to you?"

"What has he ever done to me?" Kurt let his teeth show, fangs and all, for a moment. "You know what he did. He took my room, he took my brother,"

Scott furrowed his brow a moment before remembering that Kurt considered Jamie his little brother. That means next on his list will be-

"And he took Kitty. I just got tired of him taking and telling me about how happy he is, especially with her, and how he's doing all this great stuff. I just got tired of it, and now he's going to have to deal with my real feelings."

Scott rubbed the back of his head, thinking. "But...you've been able to handle that until now. What changed?"

Kurt frowned and finished the rest of his sandwich, glaring past Scott. What changed? Maybe me catching them in that verdammt lip lock! And what's worse, he just wouldn't shut up about it. Sure, he didn't actually say anything, but the smirk on his face... His tail wrapped around a table leg and squeezed involuntarily, causing Scott to back away slightly. "Nothing changed. I just got tired of trying to be nice to a person I don't like. That's all."

Scott frowned. He doubted very much that was it, and considering how a crack resounded that caused the table to lean slightly, he figured there was a lot of anger Kurt wasn't telling him about. I've got to get him to open up somehow... He blinked. He's angry, he's lashing out... "Alright. Say, you up to a Danger Room session? You seem like you could let off some steam."

Kurt blinked at the sudden change in topic, but understood why Scott did it. Well...I am ready to kill something. "Sure, why not." Maybe I can program a virtual Douglas to get my hands on...

~*()*~

"I don't get it. It's got to be around here somewhere." Douglas turned around in a circle, trying to find any indication of a temple entrance.

"Maybe it's, like, hidden." Kitty slid out the door of the chopper and glanced back at Douglas' seat, where the laptop rested. "Don't you want your computer?"

"No, not if we'll be exploring. I want to wait until we know where this place is, then I'll come back and get it." He started feeling along a rock face, his blue eyes scanning up its surface. "Beautiful."

Kitty walked over and followed his line of vision. "This rock? Why?"

"Why? Kitty, imagine the time and energy put into creating this thing. Sure, it's a natural formation, but if you think about it, it's a beautiful thing because it's still here. It's survived and is here to show the majesty that is nature. And it's still practically untouched by human and mutant hands."

"What about the temple?"

"That's why I said practically. But looking at it right now..." Douglas closed his eyes, still holding his hand against the rock.

Kitty watched him, and smiled slightly. His color, as well as spirit, seemed to return. Glad to see he's feeling better. If we find this temple of his, I doubt Kurt will be anywhere on his mind.

"Alright kiddies, we're not here to meditate or appreciate nature. That dot you made on the map covers at least a half mile radius." Logan made sure the X-chopper was locked and secure before walking towards his two charges. "You two stick together, I'm gonna check the area for either natives or wildlife, as well as any other dangers."

Douglas nodded without opening his eyes, still absorbing the feeling of the rock.

Kitty patted her boyfriend's shoulder and waved at her teacher. "No problem, Mr. Logan. We'll start looking right away."

Logan turned and wandered off, sniffing the air cautiously.

"Douglas, like, come on. We don't have time for-"

"Shh. Just listen."

"The sounds of nature are nice, but-"

"Shh!" Douglas opened his eyes, grabbed Kitty's wrist, and forced her hand against the rock face. "Listen!"

Kitty blinked, surprised, but did as he said. At first she heard nothing, but after a few minutes, she could make out a soft hum, almost a thrumming noise. "What's that?"

"I don't know." Douglas looked around. "But something is making that noise. Either something in a cave, or a power system, or even some person humming, but something IS humming. There's something here."

Kitty hesitated a moment before phasing her hand through the solid material. "No good. It's just rock on the inside."

"It may be deeper inside, or maybe even another area of the mountain. Vibrations can happen from miles away and the sound would travel. It's just subtle enough that no technology could pick it up, but loud enough that if you focused, you could notice it with normal senses." He crossed his arms and dipped his head, his eyes narrowing.

Kitty backed up slightly and started looking around, knowing that the blond teen was entering his thinking state. Best leave him be. Maybe he can figure out what that sound is. Noticing an outcropping that would be difficult to get around, she decided to see if there was a ledge on the other side for her to phase to. Without thinking about it too much, she stepped right through the mineral.

She let out an involuntary yelp as she stepped out into a psychic blast.

~*()*~

Logan sniffed, his eyes shifting around. There were two unfamiliar scents in the area, along with Kitty and Douglas'. No, not two. One I don't know, but the other...the other I've met before. But where? And who? A glowing card flew into his peripheral vision, and he jumped back, catching only the tail end of the explosion. "Gambit!"

"Oui, Wolverine. Long time no see." The ex-theif stood on a ledge almost two dozen feet higher. He held his staff in one hand, and another card in his other.

Unsheathing his claws, he growled. "What're you doing here?"

"Just seeing what you're up to." He ignited the card he was holding.

Glancing to the mountain curve where he left the X-chopper and his two charges, he clenched his fists tighter. Hang on as long as you can, kids. I'll be there in a minute.

~*()*~

Douglas was snapped out of his revere by two simultaneous sounds. To his right he heard an explosion, but to his left he heard Kitty yell. What the hell?! Looking in both directions, he decided it would be best to find out about Kitty. Logan can take care of himself better than anyone I know. Realizing as an afterthought that it was probably a dumb idea to leave their mode of transportation unguarded, Douglas nonetheless ran towards a rock outcropping and clenched his teeth. Here goes nothing.

Using his gathered inertia, he threw his weight into one more step and hurled himself over the outcropping. At least, that was the goal. What he actually managed to do was get his torso over most of the top, and then had to scramble for handholds, quickly, as he was sliding back without any solid footholds. Trying not to wince as he felt some jagged edges tear at his uniform, he managed to get a decent grip and slowly haul himself up. When he was sure he wouldn't slide back, or fall head first into the ground, he risked a glance up. His breath caught in his throat.

Kitty was standing there, seemingly stunned, while this elderly man was doing...something. His eyes were glowing, and the fact that Kitty's eyes were flinching let Douglas know it probably was something mental, and definitely not something good. Pulling himself into a crouch, he looked at the rock face. Angle this right. You don't want to shove her off the mountain. Biting his lip, he shifted his footing, then hauled back.

Mastermind was completely taken by surprise when he suddenly heard the phrase "Kitty! Phase!" He was even more surprised when a blond teenage boy lunged at his prey and pushed her directly at the mountain face. He understood why, however, when the girl actually fell INTO the mountain face. Damn. Not like she knew much. Only that they were here for some temple. He stepped back as the blond mutant got to his feet. She indicated he was the one who knew everything.

Douglas, on his part, got into a fighting stance and emitted a low growl. "Who the hell are you and what do you want?" It was taking all of his self control not to tear into this old man--No. Wait, Xavier showed me his picture before....Mastermind? Yeah, Mastermind.--into Mastermind for attacking Kitty.

"That doesn't matter. What does is that you have information I need." Mastermind wasn't concerned with this teen. Like the girl, he would simply stun him and search for what Magneto sought, and then erase the fact that he had. Without much effort, he sent out another psychic blast.

And was struck dumb, literally, when the blond teen not only remained unaffected, but landed a blow to chin, sending him sprawling back. What...but how?!

"Answer me! Why did you attack Kitty? Why're you attacking us?" Douglas grabbed Mastermind by the collar of his coat and slammed him into the mountain wall, using his free arm to apply pressure to Mastermind's neck.

Struggling rather meekly, he tried another, stronger psychic blast. Again, it seemed to have no effect except to make the teenager blink. How is this possible? Deciding to forego the psychic paralysis for a moment, he tried to see within the mutant's mind, and nearly reeled back physically by the sheer amount of knowledge that blocked his entry. Who IS he?

"Now, old man! Before I knock you out and let Wolverine interrogate you!"

~Gambit, I need assistance. NOW!~

~*()*~

Gambit shrugged at the mental summons. In all honesty, he was glad for it. Wolverine hadn't presented much of a challenge, though that was mainly due to the fact that he hadn't allowed the feral mutant any chance to climb up and get him. "Sorry, mon chere, but I'm needed elsewhere." Pulling out a dozen charged cards, he flung them around Wolverine, causing the ground the X-man was on to crumble away and the person on it to fall a hundred feet to a ledge below.

Using his staff, he jumped to another ledge and worked his way to Mastermind's position. He wasn't worried about Wolverine, knowing that the mutant had not only a healing ability, but a strong will to survive just about anything. Wonder what's got Mastermind so worried. Can't be Shadowcat. It must be that new kid. Cipher, I think is what Pietro called him. Stopping on a peak above Mastermind's position, he spotted the older mutant in a practical choke grip by a blond teen. Yep, that's him.

Thinking for a moment, he jumped off the peak and turned around, trapping the teen's arms with his pole and his body. He tried using his empathy to cool the kid off, but finding it had no effect, he decided to go with vocal commands. "Just calm down, mon ami, and we won't hurt you."

"Mon ami?! Vous-"

To Gambit's surprise, the kid let out a stream of French phrases that would make any native sailor blush. Impressive. Then, as yet another surprise, the kid slammed his elbow into Gambit's abdomen and his head into Gambit's nose. A second later his foot landed on Gambit's instep, and somehow, his other elbow managed to land a blow against Gambit's groin. The near simultaneous attacks caused Gambit to loosen his grip and stumble back, allowing Cipher to slip out of his clutches and back away from both Acolytes.

"What is going on?! Why're you here?"

Feeling his nose, and relieved when he didn't feel any blood, Gambit took an odd step forward, still feeling pain from the last hit Cipher had landed. "That's for us to know."

Douglas growled again, but his attention quickly landed on Mastermind as he tried to move. "Freeze, geezer! I may not shoot stuff from my eyes," he kicked up a small stone from the ground and caught it, "but I've got killer aim."

Mastermind froze and tried yet another psychic blast, pouring a lot more energy into the attack.

This time, Douglas winced, putting a hand to his forehead as a headache started to form. What the...that's like when the Professor tries to get in there! Narrowing his eyes, and knowing just how dangerous it could be if the psychic attack continued, he threw the rock at the older man.

Mastermind held up his hands to protect himself. Douglas was so focused on his taking out the psychic mutant, that he momentarily forgot about Gambit. Seizing this window of opportunity, Gambit jumped into the air and twirled his staff. He landed right next to Cipher, and slammed his metal weapon into the base of the teen's neck.

Douglas blinked and stumbled, stunned for a moment, before falling to the ground, unconscious.

Mastermind shook his head, glaring at the scratch he had received on his arm from the rock. Gambit merely tsked, and pulled out some rope. They would learn why the X-Men had come, even if they had to get the information the old fashioned way.

~*()*~

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Author's Prattle: Well...that was a surprise, ne? Well, more for me than you. I thought I could wrap this up in one neat little chapter, but apparently, I was wrong. C'est la vie. As a result, though, it's shorter than expected. Sorry about that, but it moves the plot along rather quickly.

For those of you wondering what happened to Wolvie and Kitty, you'll find out next chapter. I promise! They didn't just vanish...oh no. I have plans...good plans. And Cipher...well...you just can't keep a good mutant down, can you? You'll just have to wait and see!

As always, I don't mean to offend anyone with the swearing. I also don't want to offend anyone who owns these characters. That's right, I don't own X-Men Evolution, the characters or settings. I also don't own Cipher or the enemy (which is fairly obvious if you've read the other chapters). They all belong to Marvel. I also don't own the Alps. And a reminder, ~ indicates telepathy.

Hmm...I think that's it. Chapter eleven will be out to end this little problem..and then....the end will be upon us all! Muwahahahaha!

...the end of the fic, that is. As always, reviews are welcome, and hope you enjoyed reading!