Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the X Men, title or characters. Evie is
my character.
Chapter 19 – Oh The Pain
"Lab first," Jesse said as he took off toward the door. All followed and found Jesse massed solid blocking the door and deflecting the bullets being shot at him. When the rounds were empty the firing stopped. Jesse exhaled and ducked quickly as Brennan fired from the doorway taking out two of the six guards in the lab. Shalimar and a fully recovered Wolverine attacked and took out two more as Gambit and Jesse fought with the last ones.
Seeing Mulwray, Fox and Kilmartin fighting with 3 other powerful mutants was enough to tell Mason Eckhart that this operation was over. Never completely vulnerable, he slipped out of the lab by a back door and quickly made his way out and off the base, sulking and swearing he would come up with something else to get back at Adam and Mutant X.
Storm's eyes searched the lab from the doorway. There was no one else in the lab. Then she noticed an opening leading to a sectioned off area of the lab. Rushing past the fighting she prayed to find her friends. Once there she spotted two gurneys. She had found Shadowcat and Rogue both obviously in pain as they struggled against the governors they had been gifted with. As the fighting in the lab ended, she heard Wolverine calling her. "I am here. I found them."
Rushing in Jesse and Gambit quickly moved to the girls' sides. They saw the pain on their faces and immediately took them into their arms. Fearing they were being attacked both girls instinctively tried to fight back and screamed in pain as the governors did the job they were designed to do.
Gambit began whispering in French to try to calm Rogue down. The soft familiarity of his voice and the loving words he spoke to her seemed to break through the pain and allow her to relax slightly.
Next to them, Kitty was struggling against the arms of her captor. In her panic she tried to phase away but only succeeded in triggering the governor into a higher setting. She screamed in pain as she allowed herself to solidify again. Jesse's heart was breaking. "Kitty,---Kitty, it's me. Please don't fight and don't try to phase." Jesse tried to hold on to her. "Kitty, you have to listen. Stop fighting me."
She thought she was dreaming. 'Was that really Jesse's voice?' She fought the pain and tried to open her eyes. She almost couldn't believe it when she saw Jesse smiling down at her. She stopped resisting him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Jesse," her voice was but a whisper and tears continued to flow, "it---hurts."
He couldn't help the tears that came to his own eyes at hearing her pain. "I know, Baby. It'll stop in a minute. I promise." He saw Brennan move quickly between Kitty and Marie. Jesse held Kitty tightly with one arm and gently moved aside her long hair with his other hand to give Brennan access to the governor on her neck. With a quick flash from his finger, Brennan deactivated the governor and turned to find Remy holding Marie in the same position. Both girls sighed and collapsed into unconsciousness when the governors were deactivated. Jesse and Remy both looked concerned until they heard Brennan explain, "It's ok. I think it's the strain from constantly fighting it. Evie'll be able to help them. Let's find Adam and get out of here."
The girls were lifted carefully and carried out. Wolverine and Shalimar took point as they made their way to Adam's office. Standing in front of the door they heard the guard inside. "I'm only going to give you one warning, do not attempt to enter."
Storm moved to stand in front of the door and raised her hands in the air. Moving them quickly forward she pushed the winds that blew in the door. The guard who was in position behind it was thrown back against the wall. Falling helplessly to the floor, he dropped his gun.
Adam, hiding under the desk, found the gun sliding to a stop in front of him and remembered what Mason said about being kidnapped. He took the gun and firmly positioned his finger against the trigger.
Storm stood in the doorway and called, "Adam? Please come out."
He stood quickly and pulled the trigger as he moved to another hiding place behind a file cabinet.
Storm fell backwards as she raised a hand to cover the pain in her shoulder. Wolverine caught her and lowered her carefully to the floor out of the way of the door. "Ro, darlin'?"
"It's not bad." She saw the anger in his eyes and reached up to his face so he would focus on her. "He's not himself. He believes us to be his enemies. Please do not be angry with him." Her words calmed him as he smiled and held her close.
Shalimar began to walk past Brennan. "Whoa, where're you going?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "He's afraid and trapped in there. He'll try to kill you if you spook him."
"I have to try to talk to him. Maybe he'll recognize me." Shalimar tried to be confident but the worry in her eyes spoke volumes to Brennan.
Jesse moved up to them. "Brennan, take Kitty. I'll go in front of Shal. We can't have a stand off here. We have to get the girls back to Evie." Jesse was ready to do whatever it took to get the girls out safely.
As they approached the door, Shalimar called out softly, "Adam, please put the gun down."
"NO!" he screamed as he came out into the open and began firing at the doorway.
Jesse massed and Shalimar pressed herself against his back until the barrel was empty.
Adam dropped the now empty gun and his jaw, as he couldn't believe his eyes. He was shocked to see the man still standing after all those bullets hit him---and seemed to bounce off. "Who---who are you and what do you want?" Adam asked as he began to back away.
Shalimar emerged from Jesse's shadow and began to speak again. "Adam, you know who we are. Look at us. Try to remember." She saw him looking intently at her face. "That's it, try to remember. We have to take you home. Evie needs you."
"Sh---Shalimar?" Adam's voice was hesitant and distant then he collapsed to the floor and screamed as he grabbed his head in pain. She was by him in an instant but he was already unconscious.
Jesse took Kitty back from Brennan so he could carry Adam. Wolverine cradle Storm and Shalimar led the way back to the Blackbird. They secured the injured in seats as Wolverine contacted the professor and piloted the Blackbird back to New Orleans.
TBC
I know that this will come as a great disappointment to some of you but I am going to have to increase the length of my chapters in order to have the whole story posted by the time I move. If I don't, I'm afraid there will be a long delay before I can get back to working here. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me.
Chapter 19 – Oh The Pain
"Lab first," Jesse said as he took off toward the door. All followed and found Jesse massed solid blocking the door and deflecting the bullets being shot at him. When the rounds were empty the firing stopped. Jesse exhaled and ducked quickly as Brennan fired from the doorway taking out two of the six guards in the lab. Shalimar and a fully recovered Wolverine attacked and took out two more as Gambit and Jesse fought with the last ones.
Seeing Mulwray, Fox and Kilmartin fighting with 3 other powerful mutants was enough to tell Mason Eckhart that this operation was over. Never completely vulnerable, he slipped out of the lab by a back door and quickly made his way out and off the base, sulking and swearing he would come up with something else to get back at Adam and Mutant X.
Storm's eyes searched the lab from the doorway. There was no one else in the lab. Then she noticed an opening leading to a sectioned off area of the lab. Rushing past the fighting she prayed to find her friends. Once there she spotted two gurneys. She had found Shadowcat and Rogue both obviously in pain as they struggled against the governors they had been gifted with. As the fighting in the lab ended, she heard Wolverine calling her. "I am here. I found them."
Rushing in Jesse and Gambit quickly moved to the girls' sides. They saw the pain on their faces and immediately took them into their arms. Fearing they were being attacked both girls instinctively tried to fight back and screamed in pain as the governors did the job they were designed to do.
Gambit began whispering in French to try to calm Rogue down. The soft familiarity of his voice and the loving words he spoke to her seemed to break through the pain and allow her to relax slightly.
Next to them, Kitty was struggling against the arms of her captor. In her panic she tried to phase away but only succeeded in triggering the governor into a higher setting. She screamed in pain as she allowed herself to solidify again. Jesse's heart was breaking. "Kitty,---Kitty, it's me. Please don't fight and don't try to phase." Jesse tried to hold on to her. "Kitty, you have to listen. Stop fighting me."
She thought she was dreaming. 'Was that really Jesse's voice?' She fought the pain and tried to open her eyes. She almost couldn't believe it when she saw Jesse smiling down at her. She stopped resisting him and wrapped her arms tightly around him. "Jesse," her voice was but a whisper and tears continued to flow, "it---hurts."
He couldn't help the tears that came to his own eyes at hearing her pain. "I know, Baby. It'll stop in a minute. I promise." He saw Brennan move quickly between Kitty and Marie. Jesse held Kitty tightly with one arm and gently moved aside her long hair with his other hand to give Brennan access to the governor on her neck. With a quick flash from his finger, Brennan deactivated the governor and turned to find Remy holding Marie in the same position. Both girls sighed and collapsed into unconsciousness when the governors were deactivated. Jesse and Remy both looked concerned until they heard Brennan explain, "It's ok. I think it's the strain from constantly fighting it. Evie'll be able to help them. Let's find Adam and get out of here."
The girls were lifted carefully and carried out. Wolverine and Shalimar took point as they made their way to Adam's office. Standing in front of the door they heard the guard inside. "I'm only going to give you one warning, do not attempt to enter."
Storm moved to stand in front of the door and raised her hands in the air. Moving them quickly forward she pushed the winds that blew in the door. The guard who was in position behind it was thrown back against the wall. Falling helplessly to the floor, he dropped his gun.
Adam, hiding under the desk, found the gun sliding to a stop in front of him and remembered what Mason said about being kidnapped. He took the gun and firmly positioned his finger against the trigger.
Storm stood in the doorway and called, "Adam? Please come out."
He stood quickly and pulled the trigger as he moved to another hiding place behind a file cabinet.
Storm fell backwards as she raised a hand to cover the pain in her shoulder. Wolverine caught her and lowered her carefully to the floor out of the way of the door. "Ro, darlin'?"
"It's not bad." She saw the anger in his eyes and reached up to his face so he would focus on her. "He's not himself. He believes us to be his enemies. Please do not be angry with him." Her words calmed him as he smiled and held her close.
Shalimar began to walk past Brennan. "Whoa, where're you going?" He grabbed her arm and pulled her to him. "He's afraid and trapped in there. He'll try to kill you if you spook him."
"I have to try to talk to him. Maybe he'll recognize me." Shalimar tried to be confident but the worry in her eyes spoke volumes to Brennan.
Jesse moved up to them. "Brennan, take Kitty. I'll go in front of Shal. We can't have a stand off here. We have to get the girls back to Evie." Jesse was ready to do whatever it took to get the girls out safely.
As they approached the door, Shalimar called out softly, "Adam, please put the gun down."
"NO!" he screamed as he came out into the open and began firing at the doorway.
Jesse massed and Shalimar pressed herself against his back until the barrel was empty.
Adam dropped the now empty gun and his jaw, as he couldn't believe his eyes. He was shocked to see the man still standing after all those bullets hit him---and seemed to bounce off. "Who---who are you and what do you want?" Adam asked as he began to back away.
Shalimar emerged from Jesse's shadow and began to speak again. "Adam, you know who we are. Look at us. Try to remember." She saw him looking intently at her face. "That's it, try to remember. We have to take you home. Evie needs you."
"Sh---Shalimar?" Adam's voice was hesitant and distant then he collapsed to the floor and screamed as he grabbed his head in pain. She was by him in an instant but he was already unconscious.
Jesse took Kitty back from Brennan so he could carry Adam. Wolverine cradle Storm and Shalimar led the way back to the Blackbird. They secured the injured in seats as Wolverine contacted the professor and piloted the Blackbird back to New Orleans.
TBC
I know that this will come as a great disappointment to some of you but I am going to have to increase the length of my chapters in order to have the whole story posted by the time I move. If I don't, I'm afraid there will be a long delay before I can get back to working here. Thanks to those of you who have stuck with me.
