A/N: THE STORY IS GETTING SOMEHWERE! YES! 31 handwritten pages transformed into 10 (well, now 11) posted chapters! Too bad I'm almost out of prewritten stuff…I foresee writer's block….meh. anyhoo to those of you who predicted Jean was the vision person, congrats, but I guess it was slightly obvious…my friend was ticked that ppl figured it out! But that's ok, at least the pitchforks have gone away…temporarily…*looks around suspiciously and types faster* So enough babbling, read on…wait first I have to say that the new Potter book TOTALLY ROCKS and I finished it already!!! Also that I'll be on vacation from June 30-July12 so no postings then…deepest apologies! Will post more asap!
Scott stared. "You're joking."
"I'm not! The Professor was practically dancing, he was so happy."
Scott scooped her up suddenly, hugging her tightly and bruising a few ribs in the process. "I could kiss you," he said fondly, setting her back down. "Okay, Storm, let's go get the Blackbird set."
"I'm on it." Storm was barely hanging on to her calm composure, but with Sabere's gradually strengthening telepathy, she could easily see the older woman's joy. Logan watched them leave, glaring sullenly at Scott, and Sabere sensed mixed emotions – the expected joy at Jean's return, but also jealousy, and love connected to that jealousy.
Hmm…a love triangle? This could get ugly…
"Did Charley say anything about your uniform?" Logan's question brought her back to the present.
"No," she replied, puzzled. "What kind of uniform?"
"Didn't Charley tell you anything? Have you ever even been downstairs?"
Completely bewildered, Sabere shook her head. "Isn't this downstairs?"
"Good God, what has he told you? Anything? Alright, forget it, come with me…Jesus, Charley, what were you thinking?"
Still grumbling about Xavier's lack of information, Logan led her to what looked like another portion of the wood-paneled wall – except that when he hit it with his fist, it slid away, revealing a simple but futuristic elevator.
"Xavier definitely didn't mention this." Sabere entered the elevator, watching wide-eyed as the door slid closed and the elevator dropped gently.
"Huh. When I got here he gave me the full tour." The door opened again and Logan led her down a utilitarian blue and white hallway. "So let me get this straight – Charley never told you about Magneto, this area of the school, or Cerebro?"
"Until today, yes."
Logan just shook his head. They walked into a wide room that held a dozen glass cases, but only two contained black leather suits. Apparently the rest of the X-Men had already been here. Each case had a small engraved nametag over it – Wolverine, Storm, Nightcrawler – and Jean Grey. Two roses lay on the bottom of her case, one red and one white. Logan sighed and continued past.
"Yup – yours is right here." Logan pointed to one of the cases, and went to the other to gather his own uniform.
Sabere was still looking at the roses. "You liked her, didn't you? I know one of those is from you."
She suddenly found herself staring at ten inches of adamantium claws.
"What's it to you, bub?" he snarled.
In reply, she whipped out her own ten inches of knives and, in three swift movements, threw his hand aside and caught his neck in a scissorhold.
"Curious."
She resheathed the knives and went to the case containing her uniform. It looked like simple black leather, but obviously it was well-armored and still flexible. This thing could take one helluva beating and still look good, too. Knife sheaths hung at each thigh, exactly where she liked them, and she could see what appeared to be a small spike-launcher under each wrist.
"Yeah, I did like her."
Sabere turned back, having not expected a response, certainly not one so unabashed.
"It's no secret. I'd just prefer you hear it from me, rather than Scott." He sighed. "No more questions, kid. We gotta go find her now, and it'll be all mushy-smushy with Scott…" Logan snarled and stalked out of the room. "Don't loiter in here, alright? When you're done, go down the hall to your right. That's where the jet is."
That left her no more chances for questions, one of which being how the hell she was supposed to open the bloody case. She searched all over for a button or lever or something, but finally resorted to opening it via telekinesis. Muttering about high-tech secret devices, she found a small changing room and pulled on the uniform. All her grumpiness vanished as she sheathed the knives and looked in the mirror. Granted, it was more than a little weird to be playing SuperWoman in an armored uniform with various mutants, but the uniform was quite flattering, and she admitted that it looked pretty good on her. Content that everything was in place and functional (she test-launched a small metal spike into Logan's case, just to annoy him), she jogged out of the room and down the hall.
An open door led her into a massive garage, which held the most incredible plane she had ever seen. Sabere admired the sleek and obviously high-tech jet as she hurried up into it. That totally rounds off the weirdest day of my life, she thought giddily. First a vision from a dead – well, supposedly – woman, then an outfit that's probably a SWAT dream come true, and now a stealth superjet –
Wait. Jet. Dammit. Sabere had always hated flying because she usually got airsick. Great. And with the others, who were apparently used to flying, all strapped into seats that folded out from the wall, she felt even worse. Scott and Storm were in the front, piloting, but Logan, Kurt, and Xavier were all seated around her. Actually, Xavier's wheelchair was locked into the floor, but he didn't look at all uncomfortable with the upcoming flight.
=That's because this jet is so well-built that none of us ever get motion-sick. Unless, of course, we wind up in a dogfight.=
Xavier, of course. Didn't he have any other minds to break into? =You're probably used to it by now. I've had trouble flying all my life. And if we do get into a dogfight, I'll make Kurt get me down to solid ground.=
=I thought you'd be in a better mood. You're about to reunite old friends and explain our visions. And you got your uniform in record time – most students take at least three years, but you got yours in less than two weeks.=
=Logan says he got his practically the day he arrived.=
=First of all, he was unconscious for most of his first day. Second, he was already a skilled fighter and didn't need training. Needless to say, he didn't like the uniform. Apparently it didn't suit his sense of style.= Accompanying that last thought was a caricature of Logan smoking a massive cigar and wearing torn and dirty jeans and tee-shirt. Sabere had to stifle a chuckle, making Kurt give her an odd look. Her amusement was immediately replaced by nausea as the jet gained speed and soared over the forested land below. And to her dismay, her powers could do nothing about it.
"We should be there any minute now," Scott said distractedly from the front as he scanned the ground below them.
"Good," Sabere muttered, looking resolutely at the floor and willing herself to not be sick.
The jet suddenly lowered into a snow-covered clearing, and Sabere sighed with relief as the plane touched down. They had a spectacular view of an abandoned military base, complete with a shattered dam and a lake expanding into the woods around the base.
Logan unfastened his harness and stood up, staring bitterly out at the landscape.
"I hate this place."
Xavier undid his own supports and rolled towards the lowering ramp. "Back at Alkali…let's hope everything goes better this time around."