Author's note: Had to split this into two parts because my stupid MS word was being…well, stupid. PS – Reviewer responses at the end. :-)
Chapter 11:
Interlude X contintued:
Xavier turned and greeted the training X-Men warmly as they entered the observation room.
Rogue went quickly to Bobby, but paused by Remy first and smiled.
"Good job today, Gambit," she said and then her eyes flashed with amusement, "Guess you finally found the right ammo, huh?"
"I guess you could say that, chére," Remy agreed and thumbed through the remains of his cards sadly, "I only hope this school has the budget for another fifty-two."
"I think…" Xavier began, smiling pleasantly as he approached, "…that can be arranged."
Remy gave the Professor a meaningful, but tired salute with his first two fingers and nodded appreciatively.
Storm entered the room next, followed by Scott, and they both walked over to where Mary was standing. Storm smiled and looked at the younger woman curiously.
"So, what did you think?" she asked.
"It was incredible," Mary said with quiet astonishment, "I know I say this a lot but…I really had no idea mutants could be that powerful. Kinda makes my power seem a little under dramatic…"
"No," Storm shook her head, "Don't think that…not at all."
"Our powers may be externally oriented," Scott added, "But no more is happening inside of us than inside of you."
Mary chuckled, "I believe that. Watching you guys…that's actually what I feel like on the inside during a vision. Attacked…out of control."
Storm and Scott nodded in understanding, but not pity. Never pity. They were all mutants after all, different but the same.
Xavier glanced at his watch and sighed.
"Well," he said, addressing all of them, "It's about time for breakfast. Why don't we all freshen up and head upstairs."
Following his lead, they began to head out. Rogue waited for Mary and grinned.
"This should be fun for you," she said, "Pancake Saturday…"
Bobby chuckled from behind them, "If you call that fun…"
Rogue glanced back with mock astonishment, "You don't think making hundreds of pancakes and ending up covered in batter is fun?"
"I think the eating is fun," Bobby said to their right, "Now the cleaning, that's when the real work begins…"
Rogue laughed again, as they walked on, but Mary had paused and trailed behind. Her eyes suddenly widened, and she felt the room spinning around her.
"Oh, no…" she said aloud, and Kurt looked back when she spoke.
"Mary?" he asked with concern, "Are you alright?"
Mary met his eyes and shook her head quickly, "No…"
She collapsed forward and heard Kurt shouting for the Professor as he caught her.
…
…
…
…Time for our work to begin…
…They are already flying over the Atlantic…
who
…They have all come…he knows they will all be needed…
who
…The man in the maroon cape…she can see him now…
…He is sitting behind the piloded......houting for the Professor as he caught her.
ary was standing. t's seat…savoring the metallic taste on his tongue…
…They are moving west…
…There is fire in the west…
…There is fire in the north, more dangerous..
…she drowned…
…They do not know what else is coming…
…They do not know the general lived…
…They do not know they are being watched…
…eyes everywhere…
…not all looking for the same reason…
…but they will all see…
…sentinels…
***
Mary gasped and sat up, her eyes filled with terror. The last vision had passed and she suppressed a scream. Dark, impossibly tall beings moving and searching, finding and taking…
"Mary," the Professor said softly, and the voice drew her back. She was still sitting on the floor of the observation room.
Mary met his gaze firmly, ignoring the other worried glances around her. This one had been quick, she knew, or else she would have been in the infirmary again.
"There's fire, Professor," she said, "He's looking for her…he's looking for them…"
Xavier's face became grave, "Who is, Mary?"
"There's a man, something like steel, in red…wearing a helmet…" she said, frowning to remember the details of the vision. Around her, the X-Men exchanged quick, knowing glances.
"He's heading west…and he's not alone," Mary finished and Xavier sighed. He glanced up at Scott, Cyclops, and his face became like stone.
"Ready the jet," he said to his X-Men, "I fear…we may be meeting Magneto again."
Mary blinked and frowned in confusion at Xavier as Cyclops, with Storm and Wolverine headed towards the exit. They had been expecting this, they had just been waiting for the Brotherhood's next action.
"Who is that?" she asked and he looked at her with an odd sadness.
"The man you saw…a very dangerous man…" Xavier replied.
Mary frowned, "The man with the cape…the general?"
Xavier nodded, missing Mary's last word in his current focus, "How many others were with him?"
"I don't know…" she replied honestly, "More, but I couldn't give you a number."
"Very well…" he said, and glanced quickly to the three X-Men, "Take Bobby with you. We can't be sure how many of the Brotherhood returned to him."
Remy stepped forward and frowned, "Would I be any help, Professor? I know you're all going off to stop the bad guys or whatever you do, maybe I can just be like a back up or something. The guy in the getaway car, you know?"
Xavier seemed to weight this option heavily, and then inquired to his team, "Storm…Cyclops…?"
"We could use the extra fire power," Cyclops said and Logan glared.
"We're wasting time," he growled, "No offence, bub, but you're kind of a rookie."
"He did back me up pretty good in the Room, though" Bobby replied, and Logan started to disagree again.
"This will be dangerous, you do understand that, Mr. LeBeau," Xavier said evenly, "You have seen what we have been preparing for with our training…Magneto is more powerful than most mutants you have seen. I leave the choice then, to yourself and the team."
Remy frowned in thought for a moment and then shrugged. He glanced at Rogue and Mary and grinned.
"I guess I could always stay and look after the women…" he said musingly.
Bobby and Logan wore identical expressions of exaggerated horror and spoke at the same time.
"He's coming with us."
Xavier nodded, "Very well. I will lock onto the Brotherhood's coordinates with Cerebro and send them on to you in the jet. Begin by heading west…toward Chicago."
Logan leveled a long look at Xavier and nodded before heading out with the other X-Men.
"Kurt," Xavier said and the German mutant looked at him worriedly, "Let's get Mary to the medical bay. Rogue, let's go to Cerebro."
***
After about an hour in the medical bay, Mary headed upstairs with Rogue. She felt confused and lost again. They had seemed hesitant to give her many details about the vision, and Mary felt as if she was missing something.
"So," she said, "This general…he's recruiting mutants, too? But, why?"
"We don't know if he is or isn't," Rogue said, "That helmet he wears makes it impossible for the Professor to read his mind so we don't know what he's planning until he acts."
"Oh," Mary said, still frowning. They had heard the noise of the X-Jet as it left the compound only a few minutes after the team had left the observation room, and the mansion felt eerily empty.
"And this general is the same guy to attacked Liberty Island a few years ago?" Mary asked and Rogue paused a moment before she nodded.
"And, after he escaped from prison…" Rogue explained in a strangely monotone voice, "He found us at Alkalai Lake…we were going there to find the Professor…"
"Alkalai Lake?" Mary asked, the very words stirring a chill in her heart she could not explain.
Rogue nodded, "It was a hidden base…run by General Stryker. He did…terrible things to mutants there…"
"General Stryker?" Mary asked, more confused than ever, "So Magneto and the general aren't the same person?"
Rogue frowned and glanced at Mary, "No…why did you think that?"
"Because," Mary explained, "If the man in the cape is this Magneto…then he isn't the one who is the danger…"
"What?" Rogue said, her eyes widening, "What are you talking about?"
"The General is the danger," Mary said, "Magneto's looking for someone…but someone else is looking for him…"
For a moment, Rogue only stared at her. The General? Looking for Magneto? How could it be him…?
"It…it can't be Stryker…" Rogue stammered, "He's dead. We know he's dead."
Mary shrugged and shook her head, "I don't know his name. I thought he was the man the Professor was talking about…but there are two men…and the man in the helmet was not the most dangerous one…"
Rogue felt frozen, sick, unable to move. Magneto was flying west…and now so was her friends…her family…and the danger was not what any of them expected…
"Professor…" she said softly and Mary frowned. Rogue's eyes became wide and fearful. There was a terror there which Mary did not recognize, but understood…the same terror she felt in the vision.
"I have to tell the Professor!" Rogue shouted and ran towards Cerebro.
"Wait!" Mary called after her, "Wait…there's more! There's something else coming!"
***
Reviewer responses:
To amber eyed wolf: Big serving of Remy for you there. But no secrets of future romances given away!
To sych77: Soon…very soon. But it might not turn out exactly as planned!
To Celeste Moonstone: Laziness accepted (sign in is a pain). Feel free to lounge around. :-) Thanks for the comments!