P.S. You'll just have to wait and see whom the spirit will be guiding next. Some people already know who it will be. Here's a hint: he's one of my favorite characters according to the list on my bio. Now, on with the chapter!
It was crazy. We ran as though our lives depended on it. They did. I was terrified, fueled by adrenaline and the energy coming off of the frightened mutants around me.
"We have to get out through the spillway!" Storm shouted. We rounded a corner and came to the area where we had entered the base. In my mind's eye, I saw the wall of water coming down the spillway towards us. I prayed that Logan would reach us in time to stop us before we all drowned. I made a mental decision to warn Kurt so that he could stop us if Logan didn't come in time.
We made our way up some stairs and towards the large, round opening of the spillway. Suddenly, thick metal doors slammed together with a clang, blocking our path and stopping us in our tracks. I smiled a bit, feeling relieved as I looked over to the right. Logan was there, his claws stuck in the box that controlled the doors. I noticed that his uniform was covered in slash marks from his encounter from Lady Deathstrike. He coughed and gasped as smoke from the ruined controls blew up into his face.
"You don't wanna go that way. Trust me," he said.
Just then, the wall of water hit the doors, spraying through the crack in the middle. Those who had been standing close to the doors jumped back to avoid getting wet. Logan pulled his claws out of the controls in a shower of sparks as the rest of the doors to the spillway closed, providing a near- waterproof seal.
"Come on! There's another way out of here," Wolverine shouted. He ran back down the way he came. We all hurried after him.
A few quick minutes later we found the exit out of the base. It was the same exit that both Stryker and Logan had used earlier. Undoubtedly Magneto and Mystique had used it as well. Everyone ran out onto the snow. Kurt and Storm were still supporting the professor and Cyclops was helping Jean. I suddenly felt very sorry for the kids. They were still in their pajamas and were barefoot. I had to assure myself that they would be all right.
We ran over to the spot where Logan had told us the helicopter was parked. I saw Artie stumble and fall but Logan scooped him up and carried him. We reached the small ridge that over-looked the snowy helipad, only to discover that the helicopter was gone.
Nightcrawler shot me a quick look. It was the same expression everyone else had except for myself: "What are we going to do now?"
I just shrugged and wait for my cue from Logan.
"The helicopter was right here!" he shouted, frustrated. I smiled faintly and began my countdown.
"Ten...nine...eight...seven...six..."
Kurt shot me another quick look. This one said, "What are you doing?"
"Just trust me Kurt, okay?" I reassured him and continued counting down. "Five...four...three...two...one."
There was the humming of a jet engine, and suddenly the X-Jet zoomed up over the trees. Rogue was piloting it. I knew she had the controls in a terrified death grip. The jet crashed into the snow near-by. It was a less then prefect or graceful landing, but considering Rogue's flying experience, it wasn't too bad.
"Go. Take the professor. I'll be right there," I said to Kurt as some of the kids began to run towards the jet.
Kurt turned to Storm. "I will take him," he said as he scooped Charles up in a bear hug. Storm nodded and Kurt Bamfed away with the professor. Everyone ran as fast as they could to the jet. Everyone that is, except for Wolverine, and me. Wolverine still had Artie in his arms.
He looked towards the trees, to where I knew he could smell Stryker. He glanced back towards the jet, and then headed towards Stryker's scent. I was tempted to follow him, but I remembered that Nightcrawler still needed me. I turned and ran to the jet as fast as I could.
I came up the ramp just in time to see Scott leave Jean's side for the last time and go to the cockpit to help Storm with the take off. I sighed quietly and moved to Nightcrawler's side. The children sat down in their seats and Rogue and Bobby made sure they all fastened their seatbelts.
"Scott," I heard Xavier say. "We've got to get to Washington. I fear this has gone beyond Alkali Lake." Kurt and I shared a look. We both knew that was the truth.
"Ready to meet the president again?" I asked Kurt. A small smirk crossed his lips.
"Perhaps this time I'll make a better impression of myself," he whispered to me. I offered him a small smile.
Logan ran up the ramp with Artie still in his arms. He handed him off to Bobby and walked up to Jean. "You okay?" she asked.
"I am now," he replied. I noticed that Logan's dog tag was missing and sighed again.
"Well, at least he got what he came here for," I thought to myself. Rogue and Bobby moved to sit down and strap themselves in. Logan was up at the cockpit, and so was Kurt. I stood slightly behind him. Scott and Storm were having trouble with the jet.
"What's wrong?" Logan demanded.
"Vertical thrusters are off line," Cyclops said. There was a very high amount of tension in the air.
"So fix it!" Logan ordered.
"I'm trying!" Scott insisted.
Rogue spoke up. "Hey, has anyone seen John?" Everyone looked around. It was the first time they had noticed he wasn't there.
"Pyro? Where the hell is he?" Wolverine wondered aloud.
"He's with Magneto," Jean stated. No one questioned her. She sounded a bit sad and almost disappointed. I didn't blame her. However, Pyro was the least of our worries at the moment. Ororo and Cyclops still weren't having any luck with the jet.
"Come on!" Cyclops said in frustration. Suddenly, there was a low electrical buzz and all the lights in the jet went out.
"Oh, no. We've lost the power," Storm said. She sounded understandably frightened.
I received a sudden flash of an image in my mind. My heart plummeted. The dam had broken apart and the water was coming right for us. I looked back at Jean, who was still standing in the aisle where Scott had left her. She blinked her eyes and looked around as if she too was seeing something that none of the others could see. She whipped her head around and looked back down the ramp, and I knew that she knew too. Jean looked back at the cockpit where the X-Men were trying furiously to get the jet working again oblivious to the wall of water coming towards us. I saw a tear in her eye as she realized what she had to do.
"Goodbye, Jean," I said to her, my voice only just above a whisper. Kurt didn't hear me. He was too distracted trying to help Cyclops and Storm. Jean turned and limped down the ramp. I made no move to stop her. As much as I wanted to, as much as my heart ached to, I could do nothing. I sighed sadly. This was the other main reason I had dreaded coming to Alkali Lake.
After a few seconds, the professor frowned, sensing something was amiss. "Jean?"
That made everyone stop what they were doing. "Wait, where's Jean?' Logan asked.
"She's outside," Charles realized. In an instant, Scott was up out of his seat. He pushed past Logan and Kurt and ran to the ramp, desperate to reach her. He was too late. The ramp closed up just before her reached it. I bit my lip. My chest was feeling tense.
Just then, the jet seemed to come to life on its own. The lights came back on the switches began flipping by themselves. Jean had put the engines back on line. "No! We're not leaving! Lower the ramp," Cyclops shouted. "Storm! Lower it!"
"I can't," Storm cried. Indeed, she was no longer in control of the jet, Jean was. There was a deep rumbling sound as Alkali Lake came rushing towards us. The X-Jet shuddered as Jean fought to hole back the giant wave of freezing cold water.
"She's controlling the jet," Storm reported. Logan ran up to look over her shoulder out the cockpit window. Cyclops also ran up to the window. Kurt and I peeked out over their shoulders. There she was. One arm stretched out holding back the inland tsunami, the other reaching out towards the jet. I could feel intense waves of power coming from her body. I gasped at the sheer sight of it all.
"You, get her, now!" Logan commanded Kurt, who tried unsuccessfully to teleport away.
"She's not letting me,' Kurt said to him.
"Dammit!" Cyclops hissed through his teeth. Suddenly the professor spoke up.
"I know what I'm doing," he said in a calm voice. "This is the only way." Realizing that Jean was speaking through the telepathic, Cyclops rushed to Charles' side.
"Jean, listen to me," he pleaded. "Don't do this."
"Goodbye," Charles responded.
"No, no, no," Logan said, now that everyone realized what I knew all anong. There was nothing we could do. Jean's choice had been made and her mind was made up.
The X-Jet slowly began to rise up out of the snow. I could feel an even stronger amount of power radiate out from jean. It was similar to when she stopped the missile yesterday and Cyclops' blasts earlier on today. Jean's power reached a crescendo and I felt a sudden calm wash over me. I cannot explain the feeling, but I think the professor felt it too. It was almost like the feeling you get when you see the sun rise up over the horizon in the very early morning.
Jean closed her eyes and dropped her arms as well as her control on the jet and the water. I turned my head away and closed my eyes as Jean Grey disappeared.
There was a sudden silence, with only the hum of the jet's engines in the background. Everyone had his or her eyes turned to the place where Jean became engulfed in the icy water. "She's gone," Logan said, sounding as if half his soul was being torn away. I'm sure that's how he really felt. "She's gone."
Scott pushed Nightcrawler out of the way and grabbed Logan's shoulders. "DON'T! DON'T YOU SAY THAT! We gotta go back."
"She's gone," Logan said again. He didn't want to believe it anymore then Scott did.
"No!" Cyclops insisted. "No." But it wasn't any use. Scott wailed and half collapsed onto Logan, who was doing his best to hold him up. Tears came to everyone's eyes, and I noticed that Logan was starting to tremble a bit.
"She's gone. She's gone," he gasped. "She's gone." Kurt and Storm peered sadly down at the water below, looking for any sign of their friend. There was none. Kurt looked away.
"The Lord is my shepherd I shall not want," he recited. I recognized it as the Bible verse Psalm 23. I had sung it in a choir once, a long, long time ago. "He maketh me to lie down in green pastures. Yea, though I walk through the valley of the shadow of the death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me."
"Amen," I said. I swallowed hard and lay my hand on Kurt's. He was fingering his rosary. Nightcrawler raised his golden eyes to meet mine. Nothing more was said as a tearful Storm piloted the jet up and away into the sky.