Professor. We have a problem here. Scott Summers sounded calm, but there was an undertone of irritation and suspicion.
What is it Scott. Professor Charles Xavier was in the middle of a Physics class. The students of this particular class were the next generation of X- Men. The 'incident', as it was now called, that had happened at Alkali Lake had left wounds that were still healing, despite the fact that it had happened more than three months before.
Some kid called Lightscream says he knows you and he has to talk to you. Lightscream happened to be one of Xavier's best undercover operative. The fact that he was at the institute and demanding to see him was cause for alarm on its own.
Lightscream? Please, send him in. "Class dismissed early. I will see you tomorrow." Xavier was worried. All of his undercover operatives were on explicit orders not to come to the institute under any circumstances. Though he did not that if there was a death, they were to come and report to him immediately. That was what really worried him. That fact that Lightscream was here tolled him that one of his operatives was dead.
There could only be four people who could have died that would make Lightscream come to the institute. They were Sage, who was undercover with the Hellfire Club collecting information about their dealings with the government and with mutants; Madam Drache, who ran an 'exotic' house for mutants were humans could come and 'have fun', also collected information that her women picked up on; Prudence, who was collecting information in the Communist state on how their governments were dealing with the mutant phenomenon and other such information; and Shortpack, Prudence's field handler, who also happened to be Lightscream's best friend.
Xavier was very close to all of them, for they were actually Xavier's onetime students before Scott Summers and Jean Grey came to the institute.
Xavier was shaken out of his reverie with the arrival of Lightscream, followed by Scott Summers, Logan and Ororo Munroe. Though he would usually ask the others to leave, and he was about to, when Lightscream, being true to his name, started screaming at Xavier.
"She's dead Xavier. Dead. On your orders." You could tell that he was not holding his powers in check. In fact they were coming forth all over the place, making spots of blinding light or places were the sound was amplified a thousand fold. His students-turned-teachers were not dealing with the phenomena well: Cyclops was being blinded while Storm and Wolverine were having their eardrums pounded on be the magnitude of Lightscreams screaming and his powers affecting his screaming. Wolverine was having trouble most of all, already having his hearing heightened from his mutation. Xavier knew he had to do something fast, or else the others would do something to cause harm to Lightscream, something that would not turn out well, for either parties.
"Lightscream. Calm down and harness your powers or I will be forced to take over and do it for you."
Lightscream caught the professors meaning: either refrain from the screaming and the power display or be put into a mentally induced coma. He quickly reigned in his powers and sat down wearily, and the attacks on his students were stopped immediately. Xavier got a better look at his condition no that Lightscream was calm, or at least as calm as Xavier could get him. From what Xavier could tell, Lightscream had been crying heavily, and had not slept at all in a number of nights. His disheveled hair and dirty cloths indicated that he had not washed in a few days either. His long brown was greasy from lack of wash, with knots and tangles from lack of brushing. His clothes were torn in various places and were covered in dirt. Xavier felt sympathy for the 20-year-old. The only time he had seen him this bad was when he found him on the street in Aberdeen, Scotland.
"Now that you are settled down, tell me what happened. From the beginning." Xavier added with authority. He wanted to get to the bottom of this, but with all the information, not just part of it.
Lightscream took a few deep breaths before responding. His voice held a slight quiver in it, with sorrow and loss mixed between.
"Prudence, Shortpack and I were in Russia following Steinbeck. We figured out that he was dealing with the Russians two weeks before hand. Steinbeck was going to deal with General Karlevcas, a general in the Russian army, about selling something to someone. The one that was actually handling the transaction was Kristiana Vcornajckik, a higher up in the military, and Karlevcas's right hand woman. Prudence decided to go in, while I looked around in the lab, which turned out to be empty. Shortpack was with me but was linking us together. Somehow, we got disconnected for about an hour. When Shortpack got back in touch with Prudence, she had all the plans on disk that Karlevcas and Steinbeck had made, including some designs. The problem was, Steinbeck caught on that it was Prudence, and not Vcornajckick, and had cornered her. Prudence destroyed all the original files after making the copy. She was in her own body when he cornered her. She tolled Shortpack to scan her for any and all info he could get from her. She..."
Lightscream was now openly crying. Xavier waited for him to settle down before he continued.
"Eight months we were trailing him. Eight months. She...He...It took him 1.35 seconds for him to kill her; to roast her alive." Lightscream was sobbing and rocking in the chair. Cyclopes, Storm and Wolverine were stunned into silence. They knew nothing of who any of the people mentioned were, yet they knew that one of them, a woman named Prudence, had died. The knowledge of this opened the wounds they had received when Jean died. Someone died; and they could do nothing about it. It affected Xavier the most. He knew Prudence. She was a young, beautiful, talented and intelligent woman. Knowing he would never see her again broke his heart. But Xavier needed the rest of the story, so, after allowing Lightscream time to cry a little more, he asked about the information and if it was what the suspected.
"Yes, it is. And worse. But I don't know the full details. Shortpack might though." Lightscream replied.
"And were is Shortpack." Asked Xavier.
Lightscream reached for what looked like a small box attached to his belt. Upon opening the box revealed an unconscious, small man about eight inches tall.
"He was still linked to Pru when she... I think the psychic backlash knocked him out, but he's been out for about a day, and he won't wake up." He sounded tired, and Xavier knew that both Lightscream and Shortpack needed rest to recuperate.
Clearing his throat, Xavier said "Scott, would you please take Lightscream and Shortpack to the Assisi room in the Letras Corridor. I need to make some private phone calls." Xavier picked up the phone and Started dialing, a clear indication for the others to leave.
Upon leaving the room, Cyclopes exchanged looks of confusion and suspicion with Storm and Wolverine, though Storm also looked concerned. Cyclopes left first, followed by Wolverine and then Storm. Lightscream picked up the diminutive man called Shortpack and held him gently, as if he held him too tightly, he would shatter. Most of the kids were congregated outside the doorway and in the hall, wondering who the new person was and how he knew Xavier, for even the oldest students had never seen him before. The children started to whisper when they came, even a few stepped back when the saw what the new man was cradling in his arms. Some, like Jubilation Lee and Piotr Rasputin, were about to question the adults about what was going on when they received a look from Wolverine, a look that clearly said don't even think about it. They quickly turned to their friends to gossip. Storm and Wolverine started to disperse the crowed while Cyclopes led Lightscream (and Shortpack) to the Letras Corridor, the only corridor that was off limits to the Students and Staff, though they all tried to sneak in. Lightscream kept his head down, presumably with his eyes on the either the man in his arms or on his feet. When they reached the Assisi room, Lightscream didn't go in. Instead, he stayed were he stood, which caused silence to make the already awkward situation more awkward. Finally, Lightscream spoke, but his voice was soft and held a tone of gratitude. And what he said, at least part of it was in a completely different language, one that Cyclopes did not know.
"#Go raibh maith agat. Thank you. For not asking questions. I know you, your friends and the students are curious and all, and really want to know what is going on. I'm sure that one day you will know what is happening, but I still thank you for not asking the meaning of what I said in Xavier's office." Lightscream looked at Cyclopes as he said this.
Scott did not say anything for a few seconds. Then he looked at Lightscream in the face and said "Your welcome", and then he left. Lightscream entered the room and shut the door.
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# Go raibh maith agat means Thank you in Irish/Gaelic.I don't own anybody except Lightscream.