Cipher's Elegy

By Cypher

Chapter Twelve: The Find of the Decade

Kurt crossed his arms and scowled out the front windows of the X-Jet. "Why do I have to go?"

Scott sighed. It had taken less than fifteen minutes to get everyone suited up and ready to go. "Because the Professor said so. We have to go and help our teammates." He began powering up the engines. "You don't want to leave Kitty in the hands of the Acolytes, do you?"

Kurt's shoulders slumped a bit at that. That's right. It's not just Douglas. It's Kitty, and Logan. "But do we have to stay afterwards to help them search for...for...whatever?"

"Yes. Just in case Magneto decides to try and attack them again." Scott edged the jet forward, picking up speed as they went down the hangar. Glancing at his furry friend, Scott lowered his voice. "Look, I know you and Douglas are going through some issues, but he'll be busy with this temple thing. Just...ignore him."

From her seat in the back, Jean glanced forward, casting a disapproving look towards Scott. She felt Kurt and Douglas should work out their problems. The last thing she wanted was for either one of them to ignore it. Though technically, Douglas was clueless as to what the problem was. Scott knows how I feel about this. I can't believe he's telling Kurt to ignore this. She crossed her arms and looked away, frowning.

Scott could pick up on Jean's upset, but chose to ignore it. "Just for now, okay? Set an example and be an X-Men, without letting your feelings interfering with your job, alright? I doubt he'll even notice you're there."

"Because he'll be too busy paying attention to Kitty." Kurt's tail lashed around the arm rest and its spade slapped against it a couple times.

"Maybe." Scott input the coordinates to the Alps Douglas had sent them and punched the throttle. "Maybe he'll spend all his time at the Temple."

Kurt snorted and looked away from Scott, watching the clouds part as the jet approached mach one.

Bobby, oblivious to both the tense conversation between Kurt and Scott, and Jean's anger, grinned and put his hands behind his head. "So, what should we do for the next three hours?"

~*()*~

Kitty sighed as she found herself in a cave that, unfortunately, looked like all the other ones she had been in. The only different one she had managed to locate contained the find she had made a while back. "It's like a maze down here. Who would design a maze for a temple?"

Someone who doesn't want something to be found, responded a voice in her head, one that sounded suspiciously like Douglas'.

"I've, like, had him explain history to me way too much." Still, a frown appeared on Kitty's face as she leaned against a wall for a short break. "But that's a good point. Someone doesn't want this place to be found." Her eyes widened. "Magneto! Why else would he send his goons after us?"

Her shoulders slumped after a minute, though. "Mastermind was looking for what we were looking for, though. Magneto would just set up defenses, right?" She sighed through her nose. Truth be told, she didn't know enough about Magneto and his agendas to make that judgment. "Everything in there had been undisturbed too long to be Magneto's doing anyway."

Looking around the cave, Kitty scratched her head, trying to figure out what to do now. "I can't keep walking around in circles. I have to get back to Douglas." She hugged herself and stared off, worrying for a moment. Douglas was strong, but she knew his skill wouldn't last against Magneto's other Acolytes. "There's got to be chalk or coal or something around here. If I could just write on the walls..." She felt herself over, hoping she had something on her. "Damn. Nothing."

Her glow stick dimmed slightly, and she shook it. "Oh no you don't! Don't you dare die on me! I'll, like, be left in the dark!" She was heartened to see it return to its normal luminosity, but knew it would die in another hour, maybe two if she were lucky. "I can't believe I got lost."

Actually, she could. When she backtracked, she realized she had no idea where to go from the cave she started in. Except up, and even then, I was pushed, so I fell at an angle. Staring at her glow stick, an idea started to form in her mind. "No way...I couldn't do that...could I?" Phasing the stick she pushed it halfway into the wall and made it solid, only for a moment, then she pulled it out again. A grin tugged at her lips as a neon green spot was left behind. "Looks like I can."

Eyeing how much liquid was left, she quickly went around and marked tunnels she had gone down already. "Alright, now we can do something." Taking only a second to mark the next tunnel entrance, she jogged down yet another rocky path. I'm coming Douglas. Just hang on!

~*()*~

Douglas winced as he felt Mastermind attempt yet another psychic attack. Hang in there, Douglas. He's gotta be pouring a ton of energy into these otherwise you wouldn't even feel them. Eventually he'll pass out. Scratching his head, he looked over the flying controls. While hacking into the computer core was relatively simple, Logan had set up a completely separate code for the flight and weapon controls. I could try and write a virus to break down the codes- "AGH!" He grabbed his temples. Except I don't have time for that because of that bastard outside!

He felt a pain in his arm, and it took him a minute to realize he had fallen over. Something wet and slightly sour reached his lips. Frowning, he licked it, then touched his face and pulled his hand away. Blood... He swallowed. Oh shit... It didn't take long for him notice the trickle was coming from his nose, and he tilted his head back to try to stop the flow. Xavier was right.

After the discovery of his mental incompatibility, Professor Xavier had explained the advantages and dangers of having such a different mind. "You see, Douglas, while I cannot scan you instantly, that doesn't mean you're immune."

"What do you mean I'm not immune? The way I see it, no telepath should be able to read me. Not unless we spend hours training like you're doing with me."

"That's not true, Douglas. The fact of the fact of the matter is, I could read your mind if I wanted to. However, the effort I would have to exert would be near equal to that of wiping the minds of almost a hundred individuals."

Douglas smirked and crossed his arms. "In other words, impossible."

"Not impossible, Douglas. I have wiped that many minds before."

Douglas' smirk faltered. "Oh."

"And the scan wouldn't harm just me. Should a telepath force their way into your mind, the neural disruptions and physiological impacts would destroy both your mind and your body. So you see, just because you're immune on the surface, a mutant, like Mastermind, if he wanted to, could kill you by forcing your mind to open to his."

"I...see. I'll keep that in mind, Professor."

Gritting his teeth, Douglas pushed himself into an upright position, still holding his nose. I didn't think he was too serious about the killing. Or even what the physiological impacts were...damn! I've got to stop Mastermind. Now. Grunting and searching around for something to deter the old man outside, his eyes landed on weapon's control. I don't want to kill...but survival doesn't always entail mercy. Half crawling to the weapon controls, he pulled himself into the chair and started typing, ignoring the blood he was dripping and smearing over the console. Live now, clean later.

Mastermind panted as he re-gathered his energies. Without a direct line-of-site, he had to strain his powers to their limit. However, the last blast he had sent, he caught a glimpse within the mutant's mind. Just one word: Exodus. Who or what that was, he wasn't sure. One more blast, though, and he should pass out.

He jumped when a door underneath the chopper slid aside and a cannon of some sort lowered, aiming in his general direction. He wouldn't. He's a kid. The blast of laser energy that flew by his face and singed part of his hair made him rethink that opinion. If I move farther away, I won't be able to continue my attack. When the laser blasted again, he had to roll out of the way. Forget this. Exodus is what the kid wants here. I'll let Magneto figure it out. Searching for a path, he grabbed a jutting handhold and hauled himself to a higher ledge.

Douglas let out the breath he was holding as Mastermind disappeared off the targeting sensor. His second blast had nearly killed the geezer, and he didn't want a death on his hands, even if it was in defense. Sitting back in the chair, he felt his nose, grimacing as he felt dried blood. At least it's stopped flowing. And if it'd been from my ears... He shuddered. One more blast and I think I would've been out. For a good, long time. Blinking slowly, he set up an auto-defense perimeter, hoping Gambit wouldn't return. If he comes back, he'll either get hurt, or blow me to bits.

Rubbing his left eye with the back of his hand, he tried to force the telepathic headache away from the front of his mind. We've got to have something here for headaches. I just have to find it. Actually, I could use a bathroom too. He looked towards the back of the vehicle. Do I really wanna get up right now? Whether from the telepathic attack, or just everything that had happened, Douglas felt rather tired. Maybe I'll just...sit here and keep an eye out for Wolverine and Kitty. So that I can...turn off the gun. He yawned. Stay awake...stay awake...what will help you stay awake? I know. I could do some scans of the area, try and find the temple.

Leaning forward, he stretched his fingers and began typing. It'll take at least an hour, but I've got at least another two before help arrives. If any arrives at all.

~*()*~

Gambit raised his cards and pressed himself against the rock face. His empathy couldn't sense things, but the tension in the air clearly indicated he wasn't alone. He's around this next bend. Fanning out four cards, he ignited them and inched towards the turn in the road. I just hope Mastermind doesn't do anything foolish while I'm away. I think I'm getting to that kid.

Holding his breath, he strained to listen for any sounds from another person. Nothing. While he may not hear anything, his instincts told him Wolverine was nearby. Steeling himself, he slid around the bend and threw the cards, ducking to avoid any claw swipes. What he saw, however, surprised him. His cards merely hit a cliff side almost thirty feet away from him. Where is he?

"Looking for me, bub?"

Gambit didn't look up and quickly rolled out of the way as Wolverine fell from his position above and slammed his claws into the ground. Pulling them out, he glared at the Southerner. "No one messes with my kids. Especially one of Magneto's lackeys."

Gambit shrugged and backed up a step, sliding another card into his hand. "And what're you gonna do about it?"

Wolverine stepped forward. "Anything I have to."

Gambit twirled his staff, trying to deflect the feral mutant's attention. After a second, he hurled the card at Wolverine's feet, exploding the ground and raising a huge dust cloud. Using his staff as a fan, his eyes searched for any sign of his opponent. Three claws suddenly appearing at his throat and an arm clamping down on his bow wrist informed him exactly where he was.

"Now, we can do this the easy way, or the hard way Cajun."

Gambit frowned, but raised his hands, dropping his weapon. How'd he get back there?

Wolverine grunted at the weapon's release. "What did you want with Blonde?"

Gambit raised an eyebrow. "What? Have a soft spot for him?"

"Let's just say I have a...special relationship with him." His claws pressed against the younger mutant's neck. "Now why did you capture him."

Gambit debated telling the mutant a lie, but knew that wouldn't help his situation much. "What's in it for me?"

A growl was Gambit's response. "If he's unharmed, I'll let you go. This time, Cajun. Only this time."

Gambit nodded. "Fair enough, though Blonde figured it out on his own. Magneto wanted to know what you were up to."

"And Douglas?"

"He was fine, tied up just outside your chopper."

"Was?"

Gambit tried not to swallow as one adamantium claw dug into his flesh hard enough to draw a bead of blood. "When I left, he was fine. I don't know if anything's happened since then."

Wolverine waited a moment, then threw Gambit to the side, nearly off the cliff itself. "If I find you've lied, Gambit, I will hunt you down."

Eyeing the long way down, Gambit took a step towards the cliff face. "I'll be waiting, chere."

Wolverine growled once more, then turned and hurried away.

Retrieving his staff, he retracted it and walked away from the direction Logan was heading. Time to head home. I'll just pick up Mastermind on the way back to Magneto's. Wonder if the geezer's found anything yet. A smirk tugged at the edges of his lips. Geezer. I'll have to tell the others of that. Blonde certainly knows how to name 'em.

~*()*~

"Is that a jet taking off?"

Kurt blinked, surprised at Scott's sudden question. "What? Is what taking off."

"There." Scott pointed at the Alps. While at least twenty minutes away, the mountains were plainly visible, as was the small craft ascending from them. "Could it be the Velocity?"

Jean narrowed her eyes, extending her senses momentarily. "No, it's not. It's...Acolytes. It's the Acolytes!"

Scott responded by changing course and putting the jet in a nosedive, trying to come up behind the smaller jet. "Who's on it?"

Jean, loosening the restraints, tried to focus on who was inside. "Gambit...Mastermind. That's all I can sense. But if Douglas was in there-"

"You wouldn't sense him." Scott leveled the jet off and glanced at Kurt. "Think you can pop in long enough to see if he's there?"

Kurt grimaced. He wouldn't have minded if they did take the blue-eyed translator. However, his duty as an X-man superseded that feeling and he gave Scott a curt nod. Spotting the window, and the empty copilot's seat, he teleported himself over.

"What the-"

Ignoring the Cajun mutant, Kurt did a brief scan of the interior cabin before waving and returning to the safety of the X-Jet. "All clear. He's not aboard."

"Right." Scott pulled the jet back and headed for the Alps and the landing coordinates Douglas had given them. "We'll be there in twenty-five minutes. It seems the Acolytes have been scared away, but some of our people might be hurt."

Bobby looked rather dismayed at the fact the enemy had left. "Man this sucks. That means I won't get to practice being an X-Man."

"Saving and helping our teammates is part of being an X-Man as well." Jean glanced at Kurt. "Even when we don't like them as friends."

Kurt frowned and faced forward, crossing his arms again. Way to be subtle, Jean.

Bobby simply sulked. This bites!

~*()*~

"Mr. Logan!"

Wolverine turned as Kitty phased right through the cliff face. "Where've you been?"

"You wouldn't, like, believe what I've gone through. Douglas pushed me out of danger and I fell into these caves and I've been wandering for hours trying to--where's Douglas?"

"By the Velocity." He sniffed the air and scowled.

Kitty glanced in the direction he seemed to be headed. "What's wrong?"

"Blood. I swear, if that Cajun harmed him..." Logan jogged towards the chopper, climbing over a jutting of rock before his pupil could phase him. As he landed, though, a beam of energy hit him square in the shoulder and he stumbled back, letting out a short string of words he wasn't supposed to say around students.

"Mr. Logan? Are you like, okay?"

"Watch yourself, Half-pint. The Velocity has its cannon out." He dodged another shot and hid in a rather small alcove.

"Can you see Douglas?"

"They must've dragged him inside."

"Right. I'll get the cannon and see how he is." Kitty ran through the rock outcropping and kept herself phased, ignoring the laser as it passed through her.

Logan knew it was useless to protest. Besides, his shoulder was rather badly burned, and would take several hours to regenerate. Her phasing should get her through this.

Sure enough, Kitty slid into the ground, and came up through the cannon, shorting it out. Smiling, she pulled herself up into the main cabin. "Douglas, I-" She choked on her words as she saw the state of her boyfriend.

His hands, the front of his uniform, and half of his face was covered in blood. His hands were resting on the keyboard, the now bloody keyboard, heavily, pushing in some of the keys. What scared her the most, though, was his head, and how it was lolled to the side. His entire body was limp.

"Douglas. Oh God...Douglas!" Kitty hurriedly looked for a pulse, and her knees nearly gave out as she found it, strong and steady. "Douglas...oh God, you scared me you jerk." She rubbed his shoulder. "Douglas, are you okay?"

"Huhzwha?" Douglas squinted up. "Kitty? Wha..." He rubbed his eyes. "What...where have you been?" He blinked a few times and sat up. "I've been worried."

"You've been worried about me? You scared me half to death! What's with the blood?"
Douglas tilted his head, then looked down at his hands and shirt. "I, um, Mastermind tried to read my mind. He...I think a couple blood vessels in my nose burst. It's worse than it looks, really." He offered Kitty a small smile. "The headache's almost gone. I guess my body just needed to shut down for a bit to repair the damage." He stood and held open his arms. "I'm...sorry. I didn't mean to scare you."

Kitty stepped forward and accepted the embrace, trying not to let out the few tears that had gathered when she thought the Acolytes had left him-No, don't go there. Just don't. "If you ever do that again, I swear..."

"It'll never happen again. That I promise." Douglas rubbed Kitty's back, trying to soothe her. I must've really given her a scare.

"Oh! Douglas, you'll never guess what I found! You have to see this!" Kitty began phasing the two of them through the floor.

"Wait! Can't I...clean up a bit?" The dried blood was starting to get on his nerves.

"Trust me, you don't want to wait."

Just at that moment, Logan pried open the door. "Thanks for unlocking it--kids?"

"We'll be right back, Mr. Logan. I just have to show Douglas something."

Douglas gave his teacher a weak smile and shrug before being pulled down through the floor of the chopper.

Logan stared where the two teens had been for a moment, trying to comprehend what just happened. The blood must've been someone else's. But why'd he have it all over himself, then? Something told him he'd be searching for Gambit for some payback soon.

"Okay, we're here." Scott ran up behind Logan, hand on his visor.

Nightcrawler teleported right into the cabin. "Where's the danger, Herr Logan?"

Logan grumbled and rubbed his forehead. "You missed it."

"I told you this sucked. And I was so looking forward to kicking some Acolyte butt." Bobby crossed his arms as his body de-iced itself. "Hey, where's Kitty and Doug?"

Logan pointed down as Jean began examining his shoulder. "You just missed them, too."

~*()*~

"Kitty, where're we going? And how'd you know about this cave complex?"

Kitty, having grabbed Douglas' emergency glow stick, was following the trail of neon marks she had left behind that had led her to the surface. "Well, when you pushed me through the mountain side, I fell and lost consciousness, and woke up in this complex. While I was wondering, I came across something I thought might interest you."

Douglas furrowed his brow. "We should've brought the others. What if there's a cave in? Or-"

"I can phase us, silly. And besides, haven't you noticed? The tunnels are man made." Kitty paused at the edge of a tunnel and looked at him.

Hesitantly, Douglas examined the tunnel entrance. It's jagged, but there's a definite straightedge under here, one that's not natural. "You've got keen eyes."

Kitty giggled. "I just remembered it from hanging around with you." She took his hand and led him down another tunnel. "It's just a little farther. You won't believe it when you see it."

"See what? And...isn't that the vibration we heard earlier?"

"Yep!" With that, Kitty paused outside one more tunnel entrance, this one containing light on the other side of it. "After you."

Eyeing his girlfriend, and wondering if she'd hit her head when she fell, he took a few steps towards the light. That's definitely the noise we heard earlier. But what the hell is it? His caution subsiding, he walked more swiftly towards the light. As he stepped out of the tunnel, his footing faltered, and he fell to the ground. Kitty was by his side in an instant, but he didn't notice. All he could see were the crystals. And the structure laying before them.

"That's it, isn't it?" Kitty's voice had an almost reverent tone. "That's what we came for."

Douglas nodded slowly. He couldn't tear his eyes off the building that was before him. "The Temple of Exodus."

~*()*~

~*()*~

~*()*~

Author's Prattle: Sorry it took so long to get this chapter out. My sister had her wisdom teeth taken out, my mom had to go to the hospital, and the writing energy just got sucked from my body. On the plus side, it gave me time to figure out how the ending of this would occur, another 7th Heaven plot, and some SG-1 ideas. And if you're worried about my family, it's alright. Sis is now at cheer leading camp, mom's back home, and I'm listening to my new Jpop CD. Life is good.

Disclaimers. I don't own X-Men Evolution, Cipher, or Exodus. They all belong to Marvel. I believe that's it this chapter. Not many, huh? Oh, and the title is referring to the confirmation that Kitty had found the Temple. It was the best I could come up with, since so much happens in this chapter.

Hmm...well, we're really getting close to the ending. I estimate two...maybe three more chapters until the end. Any who, as always, reviews are welcome, and please, enjoy!