Lick The Pavement
Chapter Eleven: Escape
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//How are you so burned when you're barely on fire?
Cry to the angels
I'm gonna rescue you
I'm gonna set you free tonight //
Malibu– Hole
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Scott sighed and gave Jean a half-hearted smile as he waited for the rest of their tiny group to stop arguing and listen to him.
He'd rinsed through the masses of data on the disk and had printed off the information that would help them in their upcoming rescue mission. There were plans of the prison, guard duty rotas, access codes and short profiles about each of the kids they were going to try and save.
After he had waited ten minutes and the noise STILL hadn't stopped, Scott stood and stared them down.
"Look guys, can we please concentrate here? The lives of these kids are at stake, the longer we take to break them out, the longer they're stuck in there for."
Logan, who was sitting opposite Scott at one end of the oval able, crossed his arms and put his feet on the table, in his classic defensive posture, but agreed to stop arguing. As usual, he hadn't changed much since the battle at the Institute; he was still sullen, gruff and aggressive, but seemed to have grown even more depressed than usual. It wasn't surprising really. Not only had he been absent during the attack which had cost the Institute the lives of practically all who were sleeping there, he had also lost Xavier, his oldest and dearest friend.
He seemed to have no problems in deferring to Scott in matters such as these however, probably because he had since lost a lot of confidence in himself.
The other partner in the arguing was an unlikely face to be seen at the same table as Scott and Logan. Lance had also suffered losses that day. The same group who had attacked and killed the children in the Institute had also taken out the Brotherhood members as well.
Everyone except Lance himself, who had been out on a date at the time, had been killed. He'd come back home to find the place on fire, and had run in, despite the flames, searching frantically for anyone left alive.
But there'd been no one.
As the only survivor, he had put the petty team rivalries behind him and had teamed up with the remaining X-Men members to try and put things back together again with a new generation.
The last person at the table was Jean. Jean was still tall, still red haired and elegant. She'd matured a lot since the attack, and didn't remember who she had escaped, having lost her memory of that part of that night. She still remembered the screams of the others in her head as they had been killed though.
She rationalised that the only thing that stopped her going mad had been Xavier's voice in her head, soothing her and telling her that it wasn't her fault, gentle and kind even as he died.
For all his power, he had still only been a frail old man at the end.
But the past was the past.
Scott sat back down.
"Thanks."
Of the four survivors, Scott had changed the most physically. He'd been hit full in the face by friendly fire- unsure whether it had been his own optic blast or something else. The laser had blinded him for a full month afterwards, and they had all assumed hat his sight was gone for good. As it was, once the injury had healed, Scott had found that the blast had actually helped him, giving him control of his powers.
His eyes now glowed an eerie red all the time, but at least he was able to walk around without glasses, free from fear that they'd slip off and cause him to accidentally incinerate the nearest object.
"Okay guys, we have a grand total of nine prisoners, all of whom we are going to rescue. If we leave one behind, we don't come back here till they're got as well, understood?"
The table nodded.
"Great. Okay. Here's what we do. We have about four prisoners in solitary. You can see who they are on the sheets. I'll give you a second to read through."
The front sheet had a blueprint of the prison, with the prisoners locations highlighted, and the positions of guards plotted.
The second sheet went into short detail about the prisoners.
1.
Name: Liz Blake
Sex: Female
Age: 23
Appearance: Dark green eyes, black hair with blue highlights and a red streaked fringe, down to mid-back, wearing a black tank top and baggy jeans, height- 5'6"
Power: Red ice- highly lethal
Current Position: Communal cell; female wing
2.
Name: Rae Straus
Sex: Female
Age: 18
Appearance: Green eyes, wavy short hair, black, red streaked, wearing old jeans, fingerless gloves, a scarf, and a dark green hoodie with a jacket, height- 5'3"
Power: Can direct noise frequency as force- use caution
Current Position: Communal cell; female wing
3.
Name: Lukka Miller
Sex: Male
Age: 19
Appearance: Light hazel eyes, yellow pupil, fiery red hair, shoulder blade length, wearing loose jeans, tank top and open shirt, height- 5'8"
Power: Hair manipulation- use caution
Current Position: Solitary; male wing
4.
Name: Gabriel Devitt
Sex: Male
Age: 15
Appearance: Left eye is grey, right is amber, matte black hair, long to below his ears, black trousers, short belly top reading Rent Boy, mesh top, height- 5'3"
Power: Can use emotional energy as a force – use caution
Current Position: Solitary; male wing
5.
Name: Mae Lumbargh
Sex: Female
Age: 17
Appearance: Hazel eyes, blonde hair with black streaks, waist length, wearing blue silk moon and star pyjama bottoms with a white thin strap tank top, height- 5'4"
Power: Immobilising dust- incapacitating
Current Position: Communal cell; female wing
6.
Name: Kegan McDonell
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Appearance: Aqua blue eyes, platinum blond hair with green tips, wearing nothing but trousers, height - 5'9"
Power: Can defect others senses- Incapacitating
Current Position: Communal cell; male wing
7.
Name: Brian Knight
Sex: Male
Age: 17
Appearance: Blue eyes, short brown hair, wearing jeans, grey long sleeved under shirt, blue short sleeved over shirt, height- 5'7"
Power: Superhuman speed and strength- highly dangerous
Current Position: Solitary; male wing
8.
Name: Antonia Anderson
Sex: Female
Age: 16
Appearance: solid black eyes, light brown hair, short, to her ears, wearing jeans, blue Nike T-shirt, black gloves, height- 5'5"
Power: Can bring fears to life- highly distracting, psychologically damaging
Current Position: Solitary; female wing
9.
Name: Bryn Zeitsagen
Sex: Male
Age: 19
Appearance: pastel powder blue eyes, dusky light brown long hair, wearing a black trouser suit, no tie, white shirt, height- 6'0"
Power: Time manipulation and clairvoyance- keep alert
Current Position: Communal cell; male wing
"We have four girls and five guys, with two separate wings for each sex. This means, we have to get four people out of four separate cells, one of which is in the female wing, and then we have two boys in the male wing and thee girls in the female wing. We have to get in there, rescue the kids, and destroy the place before leaving, all before someone finds out.
We have the element of surprise on our side as it is… they aren't expecting an attack from us, or, they shouldn't be if Logan was discreet about stealing those files."
Logan growled.
"Look bub, you told me to get the files, I got the files. No one knew I got the files, and anyone who mighta done has been dealt with. Okay?"
Scott smirked.
"Now Jean… I want you to tell all the kids telepathically what's going on, and prepare them to get out. We need them to move quickly if we're gonna avoid recapture. None of them are going to be able to use their powers cause of those power suppressant cuffs. If they have any natural abilities that'll help us, they can use 'em. If they don't, then I DON'T want them doing anything that'll put them or us in danger, okay? I don't want heroes in this mission, I want a result.
What I wanna do is give three of us a group of prisoners each. Lance, you're not going to have a group, I want you doing destruction on this one, okay?"
Lance nodded laconically.
"Logan, you're going to take the three guys in solitary. You can cut the door apart; it's not made of anything stronger than cement. As soon as they're free, I want you to fight your way through and get the hell outta there. No stalling okay? Jean, I want you to unlock the door of the girl in solitary, and get her out. Then, I want you to bust out the girls in the communal cell and meet me in this corridor. I'll be breaking the boys in the communal cell out and then making my way to the meeting point. Then, I'll take the two guys from that cell, you'll take the girls, and we'll break out through the roof. You think you can levitate us long enough to get out of range of their guards and to the jet?"
Jean nodded. "Sure Scott." Her powers had become almost stronger than Xavier's in the few years they had been without him. She'd been practising in case a tragedy like the Institute ever happened again.
"Alright. Lance, we're gonna leave you outside the walls. As soon as I give you the signal, start with the quaking and bring the place down. Logan, you're gonna leave your group with me and Jean and pick off anyone who looks like causing trouble. We'll wait for you above the prison in the jet, and Jean'll lift you up once the place starts coming down. Is everyone okay with that?"
There was a collective agreement, and Scott sighed.
"Great. We move out in two hours, everyone get ready."
The room emptied except for Lance. Scott looked at him suspiciously.
"What?"
Lance shook his head.
"Nothing. I'm just wondering how much you've put into this mission. You know we might lose everyone if it doesn't go well. You sure you can deal with it?"
Scott sank down into his chair and rubbed the bridge of his nose.
"We have to try Lance. If we might be able to save those nine kids, we have to try. It's what Xavier would have wanted."
Lance just watched him for a minute, then walked over and stood behind him, rubbing his shoulders.
I just don't wanna see you break down again." He confessed, and Scott grabbed his hands and pulled him down so that his arms were looping Scott's neck.
"I know, thanks babe." Scott grinned, and kissed his boyfriend on the cheek.
Lance sighed and buried his head in Scott's hair, now almost as long as his own shoulder length tresses.
"I guess we'd better get ready then?" He said, not making a move.
Scott laughed. "As soon as you let me up, yea, we will."
Lance snorted and did so, following Scott out of the room to get ready for the mission.
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The four girls had finally settled down, with Liz overcoming her shock later that night.
She'd been shaky for a while, but was now fine and even beginning to take on a protective older-sister role with the three younger mutants in her cell.
Tone had told them all about the solitary cells, with their tiny triangular shaped spaces and their total lack of anything, and they all agreed that they should try to get out of this place as soon as possible.
It didn't help that they couldn't use their powers. Each of them had tried to deactivate the cuffs somehow, with no luck whatsoever.
Their thoughts had no turned to breaking out of the cell itself, a difficult problem considering they had no powers to help them and that guards patrolled the corridor every half an hour.
They were sitting around miserably re-accounting the lack of success they had each had in trying to remove the cuffs, when Lia gave a little yelp and jumped up.
"What was that?"
Liz, confused as the others were, asked the question.
"What was what?"
Lia turned to the others, looking slightly worried.
"You didn't hear that voice?"
Liz and Tone shook their heads, but Rae squeaked and nearly fell over.
"I-I heard it too!"
Liz and Tone were just starting to get worried when they also heard the smooth female voice in their heads.
*I'm sorry about startling you, but I thought it would be better to talk to you all gradually. Don't be afraid, I'm not going to hurt you, I want to help you. My name is Jean Grey and I'm a telepath, a mutant just like you.*
Liz felt surprise.
"Jean Grey?" She said, out loud for the benefit of the others. "The Bayville Jean Grey?"
*That's me.* The voice came back. *I've got good news for you. Some friends and I are going to try and break you out.*
Tone punched the air whooping, Liz looked stunned and Rae and Lia hugged each other.
"We're finally getting out of this hell hole!"
Jean had to calm them down before a guard noticed something.
*Guys sit down and keep calm for a minute, this is important.*
They did as she told them and waited for her to continue.
*Now, I thought there was only supposed to be three of you in here. Who's in solitary?*
"That was me." Tone spoke up. "I was let out yesterday evening."
*Okay. Give me a second.*
Jean's presence disappeared, but came back just as quickly as it had gone.
*Okay, there's no problem. Now, you guys sit tight. I'm gonna come down there and unlock the door, and we're gonna walk as quietly as we can to meet my friend Scott, who's helping us. Okay?*
"What do you look like, so we know who you are?" Rae asked timidly.
Jean mentally laughed. *Sorry. I've got red hair and I'm quite tall. I'll be wearing all black except for a jade 'X' on my shoulder okay? You'll know it's me anyway. There's Scott, you'll be able to tell him by the glowing red eyes, and Logan. He's kinda short but gruff and he might have his claws out, but don't be afraid okay. He's on our side. Here's also Lance, he's got long dark brown hair, but you probably won't be seeing him.* With each verbal description, she sent the girls a mental picture as well, so they'd know who to trust if things got hectic.
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*Scot, we already have a glitch. One of the girls you said was in solitary isn't. She's in the communal with the others, I'm headed down there now.*
*That's okay Jean, as long as you've got it handled.* Scott thought back.
He made his way to the boys' communal area and saw the two guys seated in there. He guessed that this was Bryn and Kegan, from their descriptions, and tapped on the glass.
"Hey. Bryn, Kegan."
Kegan looked round and Bryn lifted an eyebrow.
"Do we know you?" He asked.
"Don't bother with him Bryn." Kegan argued. "You know he's just another guard trying to mess with us 'muties'."
Scott shook his head.
"I'm not I promise." With no forthcoming agreement from the boys, Scott tried again. "Look, would a mutant hater have eyes like mine?"
Bryn came up to the glass front and looked closer.
"He's right Kegan. He must be a mutant with those eyes. I think he's telling the truth."
Kegan also came nearer the glass, and inspected Scott carefully.
"I guess." He said. "What are you doing here anyway? You're gonna get captured if the guards see you."
Scott grinned.
"I don't think so. Stand back."
The boy's had a split second to jump back away from the glass as Scott hit it with his powers and watched as it slowly melted away under the force of his lasers.
When a large enough hole had been burnt through, Scott beckoned the boys on.
"Come on, we gotta go quick."
Without another option, Kegan and Bryn did as they were told.
They turned a corner and came face to face with a guard, who stood, mouth open.
Before anyone could speak, Kegan held his hands together and clocked the guy across the face, cuffed wrist first. The guard dropped like a sack of cement.
"Ouch." Kegan yelped, rubbing his hand, but grinning. "That'll teach you to turn off the lights, after I asked you NICELY to leave 'em on."
Scott gave Bryn a questioning look.
Bryn shook his head. "I wouldn't ask."
Scott shrugged, then started forward.
"Come on guys."
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Wolverine growled as he cut through yet another empty solitary cell.
He spoke into the communicator.
Red, where the hell are these kids? I've been looking forever, and I can't smell them through the walls.
Jean responded telepathically.
*Go past three more doors, and then you have them. All three of them are in consecutive cells. Good luck.*
Wolverine grumbled as he stormed past three more doors, as Jean had told him too, then broke through the fourth one.
"Kid?" He looked round and saw one of the boys lying on his bunk. He wasn't moving, so Logan went over to him and checked his life signs.
He clicked on his comm.
Scott. One of these kids, it's the red haired one, he's unconscious but breathing.
Can you manage to carry him over your shoulder? I wanna get all of them out. If it's a problem we can…
Logan cut him off.
No, no, I can manage it. Logan out.
He gingerly lifted the boy, who made no sound, and gently hefted him across his shoulder, where he lay passively.
He went to the next cell, quickly and efficiently, and did the same to this cell as he did to the last.
"Hey, are you Brian or Gabriel?" He was pretty sure the boy over his shoulder was Lukka with the hair.
Brian sat up, confused.
"I'm Brian. What's going on?"
"It's a bust-out kid, come on." Logan said, already moving off.
Brian picked himself up and followed, grateful to be out of there, but giving this strange man with a boy over his shoulder some space. Who knew who he was?
Logan seemed to sense this and turned round.
"I picked this kid up from next door, you know him?"
Brian shook his head.
"Yea, well, just keep up okay. We have to meet with some other guys and get the hell outta here."
Logan stopped to cut through the next cell, and almost dropped Lukka as the inhabitant jumped on him.
He lifted an arm and blocked, sending the boy bouncing harmlessly off.
"Gabriel, right?" He said dryly.
Gabriel snarled at him. "Fuck off."
Logan stepped back, already deciding to get a move on to the meeting spot.
"Hey kid, stay here or leave with us, your choice."
Gabriel watched him leave warily, and saw Brian pass by a few minutes later.
He looked round, unsure of himself, and then followed them.
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Jean and Scott met in the proposed corridor with their separate groups, the prisoners standing together, the girls and the boys eyeing each other warily.
"Jean?"
Jean concentrated, hands at her temples, and the group gave a collective little scream as they were suddenly lifted up and towards the roof. The roof opened out like an exploding chrysanthemum above them and they lifted out to stand on top of it.
"Wait here guys." Jean told her group and then used her powers to fly towards where they had left the new jet, christened the 'Phoenix'.
Eventually, the group were settled and buckled in, with Scott at the controls. The poor kids were all confused and silent, half due to necessity, because Jean had told them to ask questions later, and half because they were seated in an above top-of-the-range fighter jet.
Jean stood near the hole in the ceiling, waiting for Wolverine to show.
"Come on Logan." She said to herself.
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Sirens were blaring now, and Logan ran as fast as he could without dropping his passenger or losing his other two charges.
He made it to the meeting point and turned, waiting for them.
"Logan!"
He looked up and saw Jean, and lifted the boy towards her.
"Red, take this one up first, he's badly injured and still unconscious."
She did so, lifting him up and leaving him with Liz, who, as the oldest, was asked to settle him into one of the stretchers at the back.
Logan turned to see guards coming towards the three from the corridor, firing bullets at them.
"Jean, we need a shield here."
"I'm doing my best Logan." She retorted. After Lukka was safe, she turned her attention to the other three, coming down tot heir level and erecting a shield.
As she prepared to levitate them, three soldiers managed to break through.
Logan dispatched of two easily, and the other faced down Gabriel and Brian.
Brian punched out for the guards head, hitting his arm and flinging the gun from his grasp. The guard kicked Brian in the ribs, and pain blossomed in them, sending the boy to his knees.
The guard laughed, and raised a foot to kick him again, when he was suddenly pushed over on top of Brian, who quickly pushed him off, ending up covered in the man's blood.
Gabriel stood behind the guy, shaking slightly, white as a sheet but grinning.
"Teach you to go round raping little boys." He laughed.
Logan reached them and helped Brian, who had now also passed out from the pure agony from his ribs. Gabriel dropped the smoking gun and helped, pulling an arm over his shoulders.
"Jean, now."
Jean levitated the small group above the guards, who still shot futilely at them, and managed to deposit them in the jet.
Scott used the Phoenix's communicator.
You know what to do baby.
Lance received the message and, laughing, dug his heels into the ground and shook the foundations of the building.
The teens heard the guards still inside the building screaming as the walls and ceilings collapsed in on them... but not one of them found any sympathy for any of them.
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Crap as usual. Yea… so, did anyone else know that Scott and Lance were gonna be a couple? The next chapter will be slower. I might concentrate on only a few characters and then do the other few in the next chapter, but I might not. Depends on how much time I have.
But yea, see you soon…
If I haven't DIED of this dumb VIRAL infection by then.
Love, peace, empathy, DCJ.