Man with a Plan
Disclaimer: Characters are the property of Marvel, I'm just playing with them, I promise to put them back later.
Thanks for the feedback: Eboni, Obsidian, damien455, Namorita, Risty, Dusty, raniatlw, DemonRogue13, IceBlueRose, Little Blue Dragon, Shrug
"Thanks Rogue." Scott replied after she'd told him Destiny's story. He handed her a scrape of paper. "Look, I need you to go to this address. Tell Gambit what you told me, make sure he understands that the government can't take the take the blame either when Lance disappears."
"Yah've been planning this? You, Scott Summers, have been planning a jail break?" Rogue asked.
"As a last resort. You might want to mention that Jamie will be keeping Lance company tonight," Scott replied. "I'll need everyone else at a meeting this evening. For once the School's still standing, we'll meet there."
"Any reason why?" Rogue asked.
"Kelly had security cameras installed after Kitty and Duncan's fight. I think he was looking for proof that we were using our powers. That system can prove we didn't break Lance out just as easily. I'll spread the word. You just talk to Gambit and be at the school by ten."
"Chuck we gotta talk. This is getting out of hand," Logan said.
Moira followed him into Xavier's study. "Ororo was hoping you'd link her in," she said. "It'll spare her the effort of speaking."
"Of course," Xavier said. /Ororo? I'm ready./
"We tried things Murdock's way. The kid's sick, he's being shot at. It's past time to change tactics," Logan stated.
/We must guard against another incident like the one today. Kurt could teleport Lance back and forth. It would be safer and spare Lance the gauntlet of walking up those steps every day,/ Ororo suggested
"If it were just that!" Moira exclaimed. "Every day Lance is slipping further. No matter how sympathetic that judge tries to sound she won't take him off that poison until we've lost him, Charles."
/Professor, could you or Jean make them believe they are drugging Lance when, in truth, they are not?/ Ororo asked.
Xavier smiled. "Let's say I trust Scott's timing as well as his discretion and judgment."
"Ye know what Scott is up to as well?" Moira asked. She sounded startled.
"Jean was concerned by the impressions she was picking up over their new mental link. I confronted him. Scott avoided saying anything specific about Lance, but he mentioned going underground to follow up a lead on Apocalypse and how dangerously exposed the Institute has become."
"Ya know I like the way Shades is thinking," Logan commented. "Charles, you have to admit this place is in the process of getting real public and my past ain't exactly the sort of thing that's going to reassure the faint-hearted 'bout mutants. I might make myself scarce here. I'll chat with Cyclops 'bout this lead of his, maybe scare up some of my own…"
"I would feel more comfortable there were a chaperon keeping an eye on Scott's endeavor," Xavier commented. "Tonight, however, I think you and I should spend some time conferring with Matthew and Franklin, we could take them out to a late dinner."
Gambit whistled softly to himself as he opened the truck door. He put a brick on the gas petal then he carefully replaced the foot on the clutch with his bo staff as he stepped out of the car. Gambit made a minute adjustment to the steering wheel. He stepped back, retracted his staff and the car sped away. Gambit turned and started walking.
A few moments later there was a distinctive crunch as metal met wood. Gambit grinned as the power pole cracked. The lights on the surrounding block flickered and went out.
"Dat takes care of deir monitors," Gambit commented.
Smoothly he free-climbed the outer wall of the converted hotel building. At the fourth floor he paused outside the window. Gambit taped the glass with his nail then sighed. "Y' take all de fun outta life Cyke," he said then pulled out a glass-cutter. A second later he had access to the window hasp then the room.
Gambit strolled down the hall and coolly picked the lock to the room where Lance was being held. He eased the door open and slid inside. To Gambit's unique eyes everything in the darkened room was clearly visible.
He crept across the room to where Jamie was sleeping and clamped a hand over the boy's mouth, as he lifted him into the air. Gambit put pressure on the carotid arteries then waited for Jamie to pass out. He was careful not to apply too much pressure, he didn't want to activate Jamie's powers. When the twelve-year-old went limp Gambit quickly snapped handcuffs around the boy's wrists and ankles then gagged him. "Je desole," he whispered.
Gambit turned his attention to Lance. "Still sleepin'? Y' really are out of it aren' y' kid?"
Gambit made sure Lance would stay unconscious and bound him. He paused for a moment to put in a pair of contacts that disguised his eyes. After that Gambit picked Lance up in a fireman's carry. "Time to get our patsy."
"So what are we doing sitting here talking instead of rescuing Lance?" Pietro demanded as soon as Kurt teleported him to the gym.
"We're here because this is about more than just Lance," Scott said. "In the long run, I think the Professor's right: Humans and mutants need to find a way to peacefully co-exist and throwing our powers around and making demands will never accomplish that."
"So you got us all here to tell us we shouldn't do anything?" Evan said irritably. "You could have done that at home."
"In the long run Professor Xavier is right," Scott reiterated, "in the meantime the mansion has become our last bastion. I know I was wishing we could go public with our powers a couple of terms back, but since it happened we've all had a target painted on our backs. We need someplace less public to retreat to."
"So what's this got to do with Lance?" Todd asked.
"Well, if everything goes according to plan Gambit should be getting Lance right about now. He can't exactly take him back to the mansion now can he?"
"Wake-up Matthews," Gambit said. He gave Duncan a light kick.
"Wha?" Duncan mumbled. He blinked sleepily.
"Get up. Your employer sent me to finish your job and get you out of here before you turned on her."
"Cool," Duncan exclaimed. "Let's do it and get out of here."
"No, I get you out of here. Then I deal with Alvers," Gambit said. Duncan looked like he wanted to argue. "How many people have you killed… without getting caught? I'm calling the shots here. Now move!"
"Who died and made you god?" Duncan complained as he followed after Gambit.
"You if you don't start co-operating. Corpse don't talk to cops either," Gambit said. He led the way back tot the window where he'd broken in. He dumped Lance on the bed then quickly tied a rope under his arms. "Help me get him down to the street."
Grudging Matthews did as he was told. As soon as Lance was on the ground Gambit was out the window. He made a rapid and graceful descent then walked across the street and popped the trunk of a car parked there while Duncan figured out a way down for himself.
"Get in the car," Gambit stated as he hefted Lance's body on to his shoulder again. He started back for the car without waiting for Duncan's response. "Hope y' don' wake 'til I can 'xplain, mon ami," Gambit whispered as he lowered Lance into the trunk then he carefully nicked the ring of scabs around Lance's wrist. He watched for a moment as ruby-red blood slowly welled up from the small wound and was absorbed by the carpet on the floor of the car trunk. Gambit noticed a blanket stowed in the trunk and slid it under Lance's head then slammed the trunk and walked to the passenger seat.
"Hey, you got a key?" Duncan asked.
Gambit sighed. He reached under the dash, pulled a few wires and hotwired the car.
"The last thing we want is a mass migration," Scott said. "At first it's just going to be Lance, Forge and myself."
"Why?" Pietro asked.
"I need Forge's abilities," Scott said. "He says his parents won't come looking."
"They still don't know what to think about me being home and still seventeen after being missing for thirty years. It doesn't seem real to them," Forge said with a small, sad shrug. "It doesn't help that they're a little senile. They had me late and y'know I'm supposed to be forty-seven now. They're always surprised when they see me. After thirty years they got used to me being gone."
"And I'm eighteen," Scott said. "Professor X was my legal guardian, Alex lives in Hawaii. I graduated from High School and my grades aren't good enough to convince any of the colleges I wanted to overlook me being a mutant. If anyone bothers to check there's absolutely nothing holding me here."
"When do the rest of us get to join up with you three?" Kitty asked.
"We have to support Professor Xavier. He can't prove mutants and humans can live together unless he's got students here doing just that," Scott said. "Beyond that, once you choose to go with me I don't think you'll be able to go back."
"What are you planning on doing Scott?" Jean asked with a frown.
"Whatever I have to," Scott replied. "I'm not going to let Lance or anyone else be made into a martyr. We're going to be taking in other fugitives, hiding them until the world changes enough that a mutant can survive standing trial."
"How long will that be?" Todd asked.
"I don't know, maybe the rest of our lives."
"So, like Kitty asked, when are you taking more volunteers?" Todd said. "I don't want to stay here. I wanna go with Lance. Come on Scotty, you saw me in court. I ain't public relations material."
"Graduate High School first," Scott said. "That goes for all of you."
Officer Nelsen sat back and hit the illumination on her wristwatch. "Power's been down for fifteen minutes," she said. "I told you we should have had a back up generator."
"No one likes a know-it-all Nelsen," McFadden said.
"I'm going to check on our 'guests'," Nelsen said as she headed for the stairs.
"Come on. The mutants wouldn't bother waiting for a blackout and the would-be assassin is too much of a moron to take advantage of it."
"What about Alvers?" Nelsen asked. "He just got shot at, he doesn't have his powers to fall back on and, unlike Matthews, he might have the brains to know an opportunity when he sees one."
"Even if he does how far would he get?" McFadden argued. "Hell, I'm starting to feel sorry for the kid. He couldn't make it to the ground floor without collapsing."
"I'm still checking on them," Nelsen said.
"Knock yourself out," McFadden replied.
Nelsen jogged up to the room where Lance was being held and tried to open the door. There was a muffled yelp as the door collided with something slightly yielding then she heard several soft popping noises and the weight against the door increased. Nelsen put her shoulder into it and forced the door open a few inches only to find herself confronting a squirming mass of bodies filling the room. She saw a gagged mouth within arm's reach so she pulled off the duct tape.
"Yow!" Jamie exclaimed. "Someone took Lance!"
"What happened?" Nelsen demanded.
"Someone knocked me out. When I woke up I was tied up and Lance was gone," Jamie cried. "I freaked. By the time I calmed down there were dozens of me in the room. I tried to pull myself together but I couldn't stop bumping into myself and more and more and more dupes kept appearing, faster than I could reabsorb them…. It's like a mosh pit in a trash compacter in here!"
"We'll look for Alvers and I'll send for someone to… sort you out," Nelsen said.
"Stop here," Gambit said.
"This is the middle of no where," Duncan argued.
"And that's what makes it a good place to dump a body."
"We finally get to kill him?" Duncan asked eagerly.
"No. You keep driving. I'm done with you," Gambit replied. "Let me worry about Alvers."
"Whatever," Duncan groused.
"Pop the trunk," Gambit ordered as he got out of the car. As soon he shut the door Duncan hit the gas. The car spun out on the gravel along the side of the road. Gambit threw himself onto the roof of the vehicle. As the car picked up speed Gambit reached through the driver's side window and wrapped his hand around Duncan's throat. "Stop de car!" he snarled as he squeezed.
Duncan complied. Gambit yanked open the door then tossed Duncan on the pavement. He kicked the teen in the gut then glared down at him as Duncan writhed on the ground. "Y're lucky I don' like killin' homme, or y'd be dead now," Gambit snarled.
He stalked to the trunk, picked the lock and hoisted Lance over his shoulder then stormed off into the woods. A few moments later, when Gambit didn't hear an engine's roar he sighed, set Lance down and jogged back to the car where Duncan was peering under the dash and trying to figure out how Gambit had hotwired it.
Gambit grabbed the teen by the collar of his shirt and yanked him upright. He was careful to make sure Duncan's head hit the dash in the process. "You are a complete incompetent aren't you?" he said shortly as he selected the correct wires and started the car. "Now you want to go to Canada, moron. It's north, that way. Anything else you don't know?"
"Bastard!" Duncan snarled.
Gambit skimmed a rock across Duncan's knuckles then watched as the car sped off into the night.
Hey Scott wait up!" Fred yelled as the group dispersed.
"Who's driving the jeep?" Scott asked.
"Forge, he's driving Tabby, Todd and Rahne," Fred reported.
Ray and Evan leapt over the sides of the convertible and into the back seat. "I guess you three are riding with me," Scott said.
"Ah'm running," Rogue said.
"Can I catch a ride, Kurt?" Pietro asked.
"I guess that leaves me you four," Jean said with a glance at Kitty, Amara, Bobby and Sam.
"We'll see you back at the Mansion," Tabby called.
"So you guys wanted to talk to me?" Scott asked as he started the car.
"I want to go with you," Evan said.
"Catch up with us later," Scott said. "Look guys the first year or so isn't gong to be that exciting. I've been sounding out Moira. She says Lance needs some serious down time or else he'll never really heal. We're going underground, I mean seriously gong into hiding. The place we're going it's going to take some time before it's up and running as a base. Forge's powers will be a big help but I've still got to work out how to feed a group, how we're going to come and go without drawing attention, everything. It'll be easier for me to keep us hidden if it's just the three people at first."
"We'll help you figure it out," Ray said. "I know a little about keeping a low profile."
"Building a new base will be better than the hell that's High School," Evan argued.
"We're faking Lance's death. No one's going to come looking for Forge or I. Now maybe Storm would understand enough to not come after you but what about your parents Evan? Are they just going to look the other way when you don't come home for Thanksgiving this year?"
"What about me Scott?" Ray asked. "I'm Xavier's new charity case. My parents didn't look for me when I ran away a couple of years back, they won't come now."
"Graduate from High School first. It's probably the last degree you'll get," Scott said. "If we manage to change the world in ten years you can go to college as an OTA student but you'd be a little out of place finishing up High School at twenty-five. Anyway I want you guys to think about this before you decide anything. We are talking about something that could effect the rest of your life."
"Okay Scott, we'll wait," Ray said. "For now."
Rogue arrived at back at the Mansion a few moments after Kurt and Pietro. "Yah wanna head someplace quite and talk?" she asked her boyfriend.
"Yeah, I've been thinking about the stuff Scott said," Pietro replied. He nodded toward the grounds and they headed outside.
"Ah was thinking about it too," Rogue said. "Scotty's right, it'll look damn suspicious if a bunch of us disappear right now. Still Ah figure yah and Ah can finish up our senior classes home schooling with Mr. McCoy this summer we could catch up in a couple of months if we wanted."
Pietro shook his head. "What I've been thinking is how often have we needed Moira or Mattie this last year?" he said. "You heard Scott, he's thinking about looking for trouble as soon as Lance is up to it. They're going to need someone to play doctor. I figure if I really apply myself I could learn what I need to know in two, maybe three years. I'm smart enough. I mean sure I screwed around this year and took a bunch of easy classes, but my GPA still tops Jean's and I rule on standardized tests."
"So yah want to go on being freaks on parade for another three years?" Rogue objected. "Ah'd rather go with Scott."
"Come on, it'll be fun," Pietro argued. "We sign up for more classes than anyone else, get all the lectures on tape, study in a fraction of the time it takes them to do a normal work load then we goof off and make fun of everyone else for being slowpokes. It'll be great… And maybe we can bring something really necessary along when we team up with Cyke."
"Ah don't make fun of people for entertainment," Rogue said with a frown.
"Sure you do. You and Risty used to do it all the time, you just didn't say it to their faces," Pietro replied. "Trust me, it's much more fun my way. You get to see their reactions."
"Yah're incorrigible," Rogue said with a shake of her head.
Pietro brushed her hair back from her face then kissed her. "And you love me for it," he said.
Rogue stepped into his arms. "In spite of it maybe," she replied. Her lips brushed across his cheek.
"Good enough for me," Pietro said claiming her mouth.
Tabby wrapped herself around Forge's arm. She rested her chin on his shoulder and batted her eyelashes at him. "Can I drive?" she asked.
"Resist, for the love of God resist," Todd begged. "Kitty's a bad driver because she thinks she can phase out stuff. Tabby drives like a lunatic for kicks."
"Relax Frog-boy, I've never been in a wreck, unless you could fender-benders," Tabby said. "Forge?" she purred. He handed over the keys.
Todd shook his head. "You are so whipped."
"Todd, I forgot my bag," Rahne said.
"Sure thing sweetie," Todd replied. "I'll be back in a sec."
Tabby grinned and twirled the keys around her finger. A few moments later Todd hoped into the back of the jeep and passed Rahne her book bag.
Tabby revved the engine and peeled out. "So Forge, where's Scotty headed?" she asked.
"He told me not to talk about it," Forge replied.
"Yo, it's way obvious," Todd said. "It's the base in the desert."
"Neat, so when are you going after him and Lance?" Tabby asked.
"Scott said we shouldn't," Forge replied.
"And you're just going to do what he tells you?" Tabby asked.
"Scott's cool," Todd said with a shrug. "He'll take care of Lance."
"And we need to finish up school," Rahne said.
"So you're a good boy now Froggy?" Tabby said. "Now you follow all the rules? Sell-out."
"How am I supposed to help Lance?" Todd demanded suddenly angry. "You don't see Lance, Tabby. He asks me if he's evil. I don't know how to make him believe that he's not. It was just Dom, who really gives a damn? Dom would have pegged Fred if it weren't for him being Fred."
"That was Neal. Dom was the one shooting at Tabby, Jean and I," Forge said.
"Same diff," Todd replied. "If it's between Lance and one of Matthews' friends. I don't give a damn 'bout what happens to them. It's the truth but it don't make Lance feel better. It's a freaking relief when he sleeps the whole time I'm watching him, 'cause at least I don't have to think of something to say. I want Lance back to being Lance. Scott was the one who figured out how to fix the inside of his head last time. I'm going to trust him this time and he said don't come. 'Sides how can Lance argue when Scott Summers tells him he ain't evil."
At the Mansion Fred held Scott back while the others went ahead. "I don't want excitement, I want to look out for Lance. He's always looked out for us and I finally figured out how you got him to see you as an equal, not someone he's got to protect," Fred said. "No one will look for me. I dropped out of school in the third grade. Mystique stuck me back in as a junior. I don't read so good. Mystique made Pietro try to teach me long division when she got tired of listening to my math teacher complain, you can guess how that turned out. I'm not going to pass a single class this year. Mr. McCoy says I'm not an idiot; I just missed too much. Most of what I've been doing in home school is sixth grade stuff. I'm going to be graduating High School after I turn twenty no matter what I do. Let me come."
Scott thought about it for a minute. "Okay. We're meeting up with Gambit tomorrow night," he said. "I'm going to have a public scene about not staying here to be picked off one by one. Be ready to pitch in."
"Thanks Cyke."