The Effects of Hope

Chapter Four

By: Lily Handle

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Author's Note: Sigh, I had the best idea for my beta's b-day gift, but I can't start writing it until I finish with this. But I am having fun writing this, don't worry about that. Only one more chapter, I hope, after this one. Please, read and review.

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Hope glanced around the room the soldiers had left her in, it didn't look like what a military recreation room should look like. The walls were painted a soft beige, the furniture, which was comfortable looking couches and arm chairs, were white and the accents were all frosted silver and frosted glass. It looked like something that you would find on the cover of a home decorating magazine, probably her mother had a picture very similar in one of her magazines. Hope was still standing right by the door, a little nervous to take a step. She was just a little confused at everything that was going on. First a Lieutenant in the military was going to ship her off the Area 51, then use her as bait to lure the others into a trap, and now some organization called S.H.I.E.L.D. had put her in a floating airship and a luxurious room. Well standing here isn't going to get you anywhere, she thought to herself, and she took a tentative step forward. When no alarms or claxon started Hope took another step and another until she sat in one of the armchairs. It was soft and comfortable and didn't try to strap her down, so she dropped her head back and sighed loudly. She wanted to talk with Fury again, he'd created more questions than he had answered. She wanted to call Hank too, but the soldiers at the Institute had confiscated her purse and she didn't have her phone. She didn't know the number either. Should have memorized it, Hope thought, probably shouldn't have brought it with me also, now the military can find everyone. Oh lord, how had these things happened? Magneto had blown the lid off the mutant secrete, in a big way, that's how.

"Probably built that robot himself," Hope said out loud, staring at the ceiling.

"Actually, we don't think it was Magneto," Hope jumped to her feet, turning towards the door and where the voice had come from. Fury was standing in the doorway. "We believe it's an anti-mutant militant who use to work for us."

"Is there something you want, Mr. Fury?" Hope asked, taking an instinctive step backwards when he strode into the room.

"I just thought there was something you should see," Fury answered, holding out a remote. He pressed a button, a screen appeared and another reporter appeared as the screen turned on.

"We have just received word of a mutant sighting outside Bayville," Logan's face replaced the reporter's, "As authorities quartered off the area, we take you to Washington," Now the Capitol building appeared on screen, "Where a Congressional nearing is underway on the mutant menace." Hope sat numbly down on a couch behind her.

"Congress is involved?" She couldn't believe it, Congress was involved.

"What else do you expect from our government?" Fury came and sat on the armrest next to Hope.

"And I say to you, these mutants are concealed weapons of a most dangerous sort and as such," A chairman was saying, when the camera swung around where the doors to Congress had opened.

"Oh thank god," Hope said, relieved as Hank and Ororo appeared on screen.

"Your friends are alright, no need to worry."

"What is the meaning of this? Who are you?" The chairman asked, standing up in his seat.

"We are mutants and this witch hunt is going to stop," Ororo paused, looking around the room, "Now." Fury turned the volume down on the television, and Hope turned towards him.

"I have other business to attend to," He said, holding out the remote, "It will be quick and when I come back I'll answer your questions, but I can't right now."

"What's so important about this business?" She asked taking the remote from Fury.

"If I don't make an appearance this business is likely to rip my men to pieces." Hope frowned, watching as Fury left the room. She turned back to the television but it seemed that at the moment the chairman was having an argument with Hank and Ororo. She wanted to go to the Capitol to argue for the mutant cause, she was considered an expert in the small circle interested in her work. There was a lot she could tell the Congress about the threat mutants posed. She didn't think Fury and S.H.I.E.L.D. would be likely to let her go though. They may be treating her well, but it didn't seem likely that they'd be willing to let her go any time soon. At least Hank and Ororo hadn't been arrested yet, the Congressional members seemed to be giving them a chance to speak their mind.

"We mutants have lived among you for years without incident. Why do you persecute us now? We are peaceful," Ororo was saying, gesturing towards Hank and herself.

"Peaceful or just biding your time?" The chairman asked, opening a folder, "From what we've discovered in the Xavier Institute, you seem to have been preparing for war." The chairman held up a photo of the huge buzz saws from the danger room.

"And the robot? That is compelling evidence you are a threat!" The chairman yelled, slamming a fist down on the podium.

"The Sentinel robot attacked us. We had no choice but to defend ourselves," Hank said, gesturing with one hand.

"But how do we know you didn't build that robot yourselves?" Hope snorted at the chairman's words, what a fool.

"What?" Ororo looked shocked, "That's ridiculous."

"You built it yourselves and couldn't control it. Endangering innocent lives!" Hope growled and muted the television. If she wanted to hear paranoid accusations she would turn the volume back up, but right now she wasn't in the mood to be blamed. She didn't like the way the hearing was going, obviously the chairman had made up his mind about mutants and the threat they posed. Hope had lived for a very long time among the students of the Institute without injury, but now that her mutant powers were active, no one would listen to her. The news crews that had caught her probably played their piece on her already, the whole world would know about what she really was. She wondered how the hospital would react to the news, how many of her old friends were going to cross the street if they saw her coming? Well, it's something I'll have to learn to deal with, Hope told herself, it's nothing. The muted chairman started to toss pictures towards Hank and Ororo on the screen and Hope sighed. Okay, maybe it's not nothing. Abruptly there was a loud bang outside the door, then the door to her room opened and Logan was pushed inside. He lunged at the door, but it was closed and he just smashed into it.

"Logan!" Hope got to her feet and Logan whirled towards her.

"Doc?" He looked surprised, "What are you doing here?"

"Well, I think I'm under military arrest," She said, crossing over to him, "What about you?"

"Got caught," He growled, running a hand through his hair, "You have any idea what's going on?"

"No, a man named Fury said he's going to explain everything once he finished with some business." Hope frowned at Logan, "You fell off your bike."

Logan snorted, "Fury's behind this, should have guessed."

"You know him?" Hope asked, stepping around the couch.

"You could say were old pals," Logan drawled, "How'd you get caught, doc?"

"I saw what happened to the Institute on the news, I came back to see if everyone was alright," Hope sighed, "It was a mistake obviously, but when I tried to get in touch with someone, no one answered."

"We were a little busy," Logan glanced over Hope's shoulder, then jerked his chin towards the screen behind her, "What's going on?"

"Televised hearing," Hope turned back towards the screen, "So far all they've managed to do is argue about how dangerous mutants are."

"Huh," Logan snorted and walked towards the large window, "Good luck."

"Where are the students?" Hope asked, turning to watch Logan looking out the window.

"Fighting off a pack of military copters."

"Was anyone else caught?"

"We went our separate ways," Logan growled again.

"You left them!" Hope gasped, "How could you leave them at the time like this?"

"Hey, they can take care of themselves," Logan said turning back around, and storming past Hope to the other side of the room, "Not like they wanted my help anyway."

"What happened?" She asked, fully believing he wouldn't tell her.

"Nothing," Logan shrugged, "Kid's got to learn to lead on his own. Enough of what would Xavier do?" Hope bit her lower lip, she wanted to walk over and comfort Logan, but by the stiff way he held his shoulders he didn't want comfort. Oh, I'm going to regret this, Hope though, crossing the room and placing a hand on his shoulder.

"You did what you thought was right, Logan," she said softly, looking out the window and meeting Logan's eyes in the reflection, "If they get into any trouble, they can call Hank and Ororo." Logan turned slightly towards her, meeting her eyes for real, and Hope held her breath. He started to reach for her when the door hissed open.

"Doctor," Fury said as he walked into the room, causing Hope and Logan jerked apart. Hope looked down and away from Logan, trying to ignore the blush that was creeping into her cheeks. "Sorry to interrupt."

"What do you want, Fury?" Logan snapped at the man.

"Juggernaut has escaped, you might want to un-mute the television," He said, pointing towards the screen. Hope looked up from the ground, and gasped at what she saw. Logan beat her to the remote and the noises of the battle came screaming to life.

"It appears that the military had come up against a mutant even they can't handle," The reporter said, behind them a dam and Juggernaut standing on the top. "It seems nothing short of a catastrophe will satisfy this mutant."

"Fury, what is he doing loose?" Logan yelled, turning away from the screen.

"S.H.I.E.L.D. isn't responsible for his keep," Fury glared at Logan, "Xavier hired a private company to watch over him."

"Your little troop is suppose to keep an eye on mutants, or did your job description change?" Logan growled taking a step towards Fury.

"Boys," Hope said, glaring over her shoulder at them, "Can you be quiet, please? I'm trying to watch and see if the students can stop him." Both men growled, but Logan stalked away and sat grumpily down in an armchair. Hope rolled her eyes and Fury did the same thing, only sitting across the room from Logan. Men, Hope thought, would rather butt horns or watch sports than anything else.

"More mutants have arrived on scene," The reporter said, as the X-jet landed near the dam and the students flooded out.

"Where are the rest of them?" Hope asked, noticing that not every student from the Institute was there.

"Hiding," Logan said, "They managed to escape capture and went somewhere. Don't know where though."

"Do you know if they are alright?" Hope asked, watching as Juggernaut picked up a fallen helicopter and toss it into another one. Kurt disappeared from where he was standing and then reappeared with the pilots. He popped up right in front of the camera, waved and disappeared to join the other students by the X-jet.

"Ha! Mutant kids now," Juggernaut laughed, "Ha, too bad you don't have your papa to help this time."

Logan growled, "We've got to get to that dam."

"You can't leave," Fury said, "Nor can I give you transport to take you there."

"What do you mean we can't leave?" Logan rose slowly to his feet, "What's going on Fury?"

"You're here for your own protection. The army, navy and air force have been giver orders to kill mutants on sight if they run or attack. You could get killed Logan." Logan snorted and Fury fixed him with a look, "Then think about it this way, the Doctor could get killed, she doesn't have the training you do."

"I'm perfectly able to take care of myself," Hope said indignantly.

"No, Doc, he's right," Logan sat back down, "You don't have the training to deal with Juggernaut."

"I still want to be there." Hope pouted turned back to watch the television.

"So do I, Doc, so do I."

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Author's Note: Next up, the little bit left of The Stuff of Heroes, and a little bit of Mainstream. Thank for reading, and please review.