The next morning was bright and seemed to come all to quickly for me.
Everyone was pleased to find that the jet had been repaired, thanks to
Jean's hard work almost all night long. Breakfast was quick, and packing up
the camp was almost as fast. It seemed like no time before everyone boarded
the X-Jet again and we had taken off for northern Canada.
I stood behind Kurt's seat, trying to remain focused on Nightcrawler, but my attention kept being drawn to the other passengers. The X-Men had just gotten changed into their black leather uniforms, and I heard Rogue and Bobby ask Logan about when they were going to be getting their own uniforms. Logan quickly put an end to that notion.
Magneto and Mystique's laughter at the back of the jet caught my attention. I turned to watch them, my guard up. Rogue turned to see them too. I knew all about the past she had with them, the events at Liberty Island and how they gave Rogue her white streak.
"We love what you've done with your hair," Magneto said, his remark directed to Rogue. Even though I was expecting it, I still drew in a sharp, angry breath.
"How DARE he?" I thought to myself. "It's not her fault her hair is like that!"
Rogue looked at them angrily and took off one of her gloves. She began to move towards them when Bobby stopped her, realizing what she was going to try to do. He led her away from them and Mystique grinned. I frowned and sighed, clenching my teeth.
John looked towards Magneto. "So, they say you're the bad guy," he said, sounding casual, yet interested.
I turned away from the scene and tried to ignore the conversation between John and Magneto, but it was difficult. I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. I don't have those kinds of powers. I sighed again.
Nightcrawler noticed my actions and gave me an "are you okay?" look. I gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's just that..." I looked back at the Brotherhood. Pyro had flames in his palm. "There are some things that you have no control over in life even though you know that if you did have control over them you would make them better, even if that may not be the case." I turned back to Nightcrawler. He was nodding. "I'm sorry," I said. "That must have sounded very confusing to you." But Kurt shook his head. He understood what I was trying to say, but he knew better then to say anything to me aloud.
I sat down in the aisle of the jet, letting people just walk right through me without even noticing I was there. I hugged my knees to my chest and began to chew on my lower lip. Even though I had spent all last night thinking about today I was still worried. I was not looking forward to Alkali Lake, not at all.
I was surprised at just how quickly we arrived at that dreadful place. We landed a few miles away from the base, although just how far away from it we were exactly I'm not sure. The X-Men quickly put together a hologram model of the dam biased on Logan's recant visit and the information that Mystique had stolen.
"All right, this is a topographic map of the dam," Storm explained. "This is the spillway." Suddenly, the image changed. "See these density changes in the terrain? They're tyre tracks." All eyes were focused on the hologram.
"That's the entrance," Logan said, half from observation, half from memory.
"Mm-hmm," Storm confirmed. The image changed again. "And this shows the depth of the ice covering the ground. And this is recent water activity." Suddenly a blue wave spread through the hologram. I gritted my teeth. It was a lot of water.
"If we go in, Stryker could flood the spillway," Jean said. This presented the mutants with a big problem: How to get into the base?
"Can you teleport inside?" Storm asked Kurt.
"No," he said. "I have to be able to see where I'm going, otherwise I could end up inside a wall." I cringed slightly inside. Now THERE'S a happy thought and mental image.
"I'll go," Logan stated, his tone saying that his mind was made up. "I've a hunch he'll want me alive."
"Wolverine," Magneto said, eminently commanding everyone's attention. He strolled through the hologram. "Whoever goes into the dam will need to be able to operate the spillway mechanism. What do you intend to do?" He stopped in front of Logan. "Scratch it with your claws?" This was said in almost a mocking tone.
"I'll take my chances," Wolverine said, stepping up to the challenge.
"But I won't." Magneto turned to the back of the plane. Everyone followed his gaze to the blue-skinned shape shifter standing there. I had to admit, Erik had a point. Mystique was the best one for the job. She knew how to work computers, beat people up who got in her way, and she could become anybody. And so we sent in Mystique.
The wait onboard the jet for her call was agonizing. Logan began to pace up and down the aisle like a caged animal. No one bothered to stop him, and no one even though of getting in his way, including myself. The tip of Nightcrawler's tail was twitching back and forth like a nervous cat's. After a few minutes even I was tempted to get up and start pacing myself, but then we heard a crackle over the intercom. Logan rushed over to where Storm sat at the cockpit. Magneto lingered behind him.
Mystique only said two words: "I'm in."
"She's good," Logan commented with a long exhale.
"You have no idea," Magneto replied. This made me smile involuntarily.
"Let's go," Jean said. The X-Men and Magneto made their final preparations and headed for the exit ramp.
"What about us?" John asked. The teens looked ready to go too. It was obvious they wanted to help.
"You stay here," Storm commanded.
"But..." Rogue began.
"No," Logan said, putting an end to all protests.
"If something...happens to us," Storm continued. "Activate the escape-and- evade sequence that's programmed into the autopilot. The jet will fly you home." Neither Bobby, Rogue or Pyro looked pleased at this answer, but there was nothing they could do about it. The rest of us went down the ramp and marched off through the snow, following Mystique's footprints to the base.
AN/ Some of the stuff in this chapter is from the X2 novelisation. I'm sorry about the delay in the uploading of this chapter. There isn't that many chapters left! Please don't forget to review. It would make a great birthday present for me! (My birthday is on the 24th of April.)
I stood behind Kurt's seat, trying to remain focused on Nightcrawler, but my attention kept being drawn to the other passengers. The X-Men had just gotten changed into their black leather uniforms, and I heard Rogue and Bobby ask Logan about when they were going to be getting their own uniforms. Logan quickly put an end to that notion.
Magneto and Mystique's laughter at the back of the jet caught my attention. I turned to watch them, my guard up. Rogue turned to see them too. I knew all about the past she had with them, the events at Liberty Island and how they gave Rogue her white streak.
"We love what you've done with your hair," Magneto said, his remark directed to Rogue. Even though I was expecting it, I still drew in a sharp, angry breath.
"How DARE he?" I thought to myself. "It's not her fault her hair is like that!"
Rogue looked at them angrily and took off one of her gloves. She began to move towards them when Bobby stopped her, realizing what she was going to try to do. He led her away from them and Mystique grinned. I frowned and sighed, clenching my teeth.
John looked towards Magneto. "So, they say you're the bad guy," he said, sounding casual, yet interested.
I turned away from the scene and tried to ignore the conversation between John and Magneto, but it was difficult. I knew there was nothing I could do to stop it from happening. I don't have those kinds of powers. I sighed again.
Nightcrawler noticed my actions and gave me an "are you okay?" look. I gave him a reassuring smile.
"Don't worry about me. I'm fine. It's just that..." I looked back at the Brotherhood. Pyro had flames in his palm. "There are some things that you have no control over in life even though you know that if you did have control over them you would make them better, even if that may not be the case." I turned back to Nightcrawler. He was nodding. "I'm sorry," I said. "That must have sounded very confusing to you." But Kurt shook his head. He understood what I was trying to say, but he knew better then to say anything to me aloud.
I sat down in the aisle of the jet, letting people just walk right through me without even noticing I was there. I hugged my knees to my chest and began to chew on my lower lip. Even though I had spent all last night thinking about today I was still worried. I was not looking forward to Alkali Lake, not at all.
I was surprised at just how quickly we arrived at that dreadful place. We landed a few miles away from the base, although just how far away from it we were exactly I'm not sure. The X-Men quickly put together a hologram model of the dam biased on Logan's recant visit and the information that Mystique had stolen.
"All right, this is a topographic map of the dam," Storm explained. "This is the spillway." Suddenly, the image changed. "See these density changes in the terrain? They're tyre tracks." All eyes were focused on the hologram.
"That's the entrance," Logan said, half from observation, half from memory.
"Mm-hmm," Storm confirmed. The image changed again. "And this shows the depth of the ice covering the ground. And this is recent water activity." Suddenly a blue wave spread through the hologram. I gritted my teeth. It was a lot of water.
"If we go in, Stryker could flood the spillway," Jean said. This presented the mutants with a big problem: How to get into the base?
"Can you teleport inside?" Storm asked Kurt.
"No," he said. "I have to be able to see where I'm going, otherwise I could end up inside a wall." I cringed slightly inside. Now THERE'S a happy thought and mental image.
"I'll go," Logan stated, his tone saying that his mind was made up. "I've a hunch he'll want me alive."
"Wolverine," Magneto said, eminently commanding everyone's attention. He strolled through the hologram. "Whoever goes into the dam will need to be able to operate the spillway mechanism. What do you intend to do?" He stopped in front of Logan. "Scratch it with your claws?" This was said in almost a mocking tone.
"I'll take my chances," Wolverine said, stepping up to the challenge.
"But I won't." Magneto turned to the back of the plane. Everyone followed his gaze to the blue-skinned shape shifter standing there. I had to admit, Erik had a point. Mystique was the best one for the job. She knew how to work computers, beat people up who got in her way, and she could become anybody. And so we sent in Mystique.
The wait onboard the jet for her call was agonizing. Logan began to pace up and down the aisle like a caged animal. No one bothered to stop him, and no one even though of getting in his way, including myself. The tip of Nightcrawler's tail was twitching back and forth like a nervous cat's. After a few minutes even I was tempted to get up and start pacing myself, but then we heard a crackle over the intercom. Logan rushed over to where Storm sat at the cockpit. Magneto lingered behind him.
Mystique only said two words: "I'm in."
"She's good," Logan commented with a long exhale.
"You have no idea," Magneto replied. This made me smile involuntarily.
"Let's go," Jean said. The X-Men and Magneto made their final preparations and headed for the exit ramp.
"What about us?" John asked. The teens looked ready to go too. It was obvious they wanted to help.
"You stay here," Storm commanded.
"But..." Rogue began.
"No," Logan said, putting an end to all protests.
"If something...happens to us," Storm continued. "Activate the escape-and- evade sequence that's programmed into the autopilot. The jet will fly you home." Neither Bobby, Rogue or Pyro looked pleased at this answer, but there was nothing they could do about it. The rest of us went down the ramp and marched off through the snow, following Mystique's footprints to the base.
AN/ Some of the stuff in this chapter is from the X2 novelisation. I'm sorry about the delay in the uploading of this chapter. There isn't that many chapters left! Please don't forget to review. It would make a great birthday present for me! (My birthday is on the 24th of April.)