Chapter 20
()()()() In the Acolyte Base ()()()()
Magneto was strolling around a long thin room peering into large glass cylinders filled with liquids. In the liquids he could see the x-men in a suspended state. They were hooked up to oxygen machines because the doctors wanted them alive. Magneto came to stop in front of the Professor.
"I'm sorry Charles but it has to be this way." He murmured softly looking at the x-men leader. He went along the cylinders mentally checking off each one. The doctors had wanted to experiment on mutants and here were the ones they were to use. He hated to give them to the doctors but it had been him or the x-men and he had chosen them. He went along to his study and picked up the phone. It connected to the Acolyte mansion where Colossus picked it up.
"Has Gambit shown up yet?" he asked sharply.
"No comrade." Was the reply.
"When he gets there send him down here immediately, I need to talk to him." He said and he hung up. He's probably out somewhere chasing a bit of skirt, Magneto thought as he moved out of that room and went down the passageway to where the brotherhood were being kept. Pietro had managed to lure them here without needing to drug them and they were now sleeping in a locked room. He studied them one by one. Toad and Fred were asleep on one side of the room with Wanda and a spare bed on the other side. They were one member short but he was sure that Avalanche would turn up sooner or later. He heard someone approach him down the corridor. Mystique walked up to him and looked into the room.
"They are almost ready to start the experiments. They will start with Shadowcat. They want to find out how she phases. They believe that this would be, useful, to them." She stated calmly. Magneto looked at Mystique and then walked back to his office hoping she wouldn't follow. She didn't much to his relief, just as he entered his office the phone rang. He picked it up and Colossus informed him that Remy was coming to see him as requested.
()()()()()()()()
Rogue watched from the jeep as Remy walked into the Acolyte mansion. She sat prepared outside the mansion in the shadows away from prying eyes. She knew that Remy would be called down to wherever Magneto was in the base to explain his absence. She was nervous. Her palms sweating inside her gloves. She called up Jeans power and went in search of Lances and Remys minds. She locked on them and marked their positions on the plans. Lance was ready waiting for her to tell him when to go and Remy was going deeper into the Acolyte underground base. She got out of the car and went round to the backdoor of the mansion. From the memories she had absorbed and from the plans she knew how to get into the mansion and where she was most likely to find the two Acolytes. She went into the kitchen creeping quietly and peeked round the corner to the living room. She could see the back of Pyro's head over the top of the sofa and that he was laughing at some cartoons on the TV. She crept up behind him removing her glove. She was behind the sofa now; she reached over and grabbed hold of Pyro's face. He struggled for a second but then as he was drained he fell still. Rogue broke the contact as quickly as she could and sat down with her back to the sofa. She heard someone come down the stairs and she moved into the kitchen. Colossus had walked down the stairs and come to a halt in the living room. He took in the unconscious figure of Pyro and turned into his metal self. He looked around and saw Rogue walk out of the kitchen. She stood before him and started to advance. Colossus backed off remembering her power and what it had done to Gambit. Rogue froze him with Jeans power and went and touched him lightly. He collapsed on the ground de-metaling. She made sure he would be out before moving up the stairs. She came to the end of the corridor where a large mirror was. She reached round the edge of the frame and pulled it away from the wall. The mirror swung away revealing a small lift. The doors opened and she climbed in sending a message to Lance to get going. She went down in the lift to the underground base and the doors pinged open revealing a long metallic corridor. It lead down to a split with one corridor goin left and one going to the right. She approached it and peered around the corners checking for people. She mentally checked to see where Remy was and she learnt he was in Magnetos office. Along the corridor from the office was a large empty room, which was where they had guessed they would keep the x-men. She went in that direction hoping not to run into everyone. She walked on past a window glancing in and carrying on. She did a double take and went back to the window. In the room she saw Toad, Blob and Wanda in the room. They didn't see her so she guessed that it was a mirror that they saw. She sent a message to Lance to get the Brotherhood out mad she went in search of the x-men. She didn't see a blur retreat back the way she came and as she moved on she remembered that she hadn't seen Pietro. She ignored this and carried on walking.
()()()()()()()()
The doctors drained the liquid out of the cylinder containing a small brunette and quickly snapped a bracelet onto her small wrist. A light flashed from green to red to indicate that the mutant's powers were "switched off" or suppressed. They lifted the oxygen mask off of her face and laid her on a hospital trolley. She opened her eyes to find that the bright light hurt them. They wheeled the trolley to the other end of the long chamber and strapped her onto a metallic table. The young girl now thrashed around after regaining her senses but it as impossible for her to move in the tight bonds. Above her she could see people in surgery outfits with masks on and she was scared. She closed her eyes tight to try and block out the view but nothing could stop her mind from racing and her heart pounding.
()()()()()()()()
Lance snuck into the base from its wooded entrance. He made his way in the direction Rogue had indicated that the Brotherhood was being kept. He made his way as quietly as possible and eventually found the room. He tried the door but found it as locked. He began to break it down and the people on the other side were roused and they looked towards the door. Lance got the door down and went into the room. He smiled as he saw all the members apart from Pietro. He quickly filled them in what was happening and told them to leave. Just then Pietro arrived with a smirk on his face. Behind him was Sabertooth.
"Well, well, Lancy I never thought you would be the rescuing type." Pietro said with a smirk. He moved away to let Sabertooth in. The large man moved toward Lance and grabbed him by the collar. He was surprised to see a blue glow surround him and he quickly dropped the teenage boy. He whirled round to find Wanda hexing him. He moved towards her with Lance still in one large hand but then found himself soaking into the ground he quickly dropped Lance who scrambled away from the spot where Wanda had made the ground soft. Sabertooth sunk lower and lower, the more he struggle the faster he sank. He eventually stopped struggling when it got up to his chest. Wanda returned the ground back to its normal solid state and Sabertooth was stuck fast with no way to get out. Lance turned to Pietro and swung at him. Pietro who had been watching Wanda and the Sabertooth sinking hadn't been expecting it and he got caught in the middle of the face. Lance then jumped on him and held him down so he was unable to escape.
"Where are the x-men?" Lance growled.
"There around." Pietro said vaguely.
"What are you doing to them?" Lance asked.
"Only a few experiments. In fact they're due to start one any minuet and you know what I think they're starting with your little Kitty Kat." He said with a smile. Lance punched him again, knocking him out and bolted out of the door. The rest of the Brotherhood were quick to follow.
()()()()()()()()
Rogue found herself walking down a corridor, which widened out at the end. There were large sliding doors each with a small round window. She went up on tiptoes and looked in the door. What she saw shocked her. In the room were large cylinders and in them Rogue could see her teammates floating seemingly asleep. She scanned the room and saw everyone who had been taken were there apart from Kitty. She saw numerous individuals walking about in what seemed like doctors coats with clipboards. They would stop every now and again in one of the tanks and make a note or two and then move on. Rogue looked further into the room and saw a curtained off area at the end. Someone was coming towards the door so she ducked down and stood behind the door. The person tapped a code in and the door swung open leaving just enough space for Rogue. The man walked on without looking back and as the door closed Rogue ducked in. she realized that there was no way she could hide in here. She looked around swiftly and saw a lab coat hanging up. She scooped it up and put it on. She then began to walk to the nearest cylinder. She picked up a clipboard and pretended to study the notes and then glanced at the individual. She saw it was Kurt and she gasped. She looked down at the controls in front of her. She reached out to touch them and see what the buttons would do when a voice shouted.
()()()() In the Acolyte Base ()()()()
Magneto was strolling around a long thin room peering into large glass cylinders filled with liquids. In the liquids he could see the x-men in a suspended state. They were hooked up to oxygen machines because the doctors wanted them alive. Magneto came to stop in front of the Professor.
"I'm sorry Charles but it has to be this way." He murmured softly looking at the x-men leader. He went along the cylinders mentally checking off each one. The doctors had wanted to experiment on mutants and here were the ones they were to use. He hated to give them to the doctors but it had been him or the x-men and he had chosen them. He went along to his study and picked up the phone. It connected to the Acolyte mansion where Colossus picked it up.
"Has Gambit shown up yet?" he asked sharply.
"No comrade." Was the reply.
"When he gets there send him down here immediately, I need to talk to him." He said and he hung up. He's probably out somewhere chasing a bit of skirt, Magneto thought as he moved out of that room and went down the passageway to where the brotherhood were being kept. Pietro had managed to lure them here without needing to drug them and they were now sleeping in a locked room. He studied them one by one. Toad and Fred were asleep on one side of the room with Wanda and a spare bed on the other side. They were one member short but he was sure that Avalanche would turn up sooner or later. He heard someone approach him down the corridor. Mystique walked up to him and looked into the room.
"They are almost ready to start the experiments. They will start with Shadowcat. They want to find out how she phases. They believe that this would be, useful, to them." She stated calmly. Magneto looked at Mystique and then walked back to his office hoping she wouldn't follow. She didn't much to his relief, just as he entered his office the phone rang. He picked it up and Colossus informed him that Remy was coming to see him as requested.
()()()()()()()()
Rogue watched from the jeep as Remy walked into the Acolyte mansion. She sat prepared outside the mansion in the shadows away from prying eyes. She knew that Remy would be called down to wherever Magneto was in the base to explain his absence. She was nervous. Her palms sweating inside her gloves. She called up Jeans power and went in search of Lances and Remys minds. She locked on them and marked their positions on the plans. Lance was ready waiting for her to tell him when to go and Remy was going deeper into the Acolyte underground base. She got out of the car and went round to the backdoor of the mansion. From the memories she had absorbed and from the plans she knew how to get into the mansion and where she was most likely to find the two Acolytes. She went into the kitchen creeping quietly and peeked round the corner to the living room. She could see the back of Pyro's head over the top of the sofa and that he was laughing at some cartoons on the TV. She crept up behind him removing her glove. She was behind the sofa now; she reached over and grabbed hold of Pyro's face. He struggled for a second but then as he was drained he fell still. Rogue broke the contact as quickly as she could and sat down with her back to the sofa. She heard someone come down the stairs and she moved into the kitchen. Colossus had walked down the stairs and come to a halt in the living room. He took in the unconscious figure of Pyro and turned into his metal self. He looked around and saw Rogue walk out of the kitchen. She stood before him and started to advance. Colossus backed off remembering her power and what it had done to Gambit. Rogue froze him with Jeans power and went and touched him lightly. He collapsed on the ground de-metaling. She made sure he would be out before moving up the stairs. She came to the end of the corridor where a large mirror was. She reached round the edge of the frame and pulled it away from the wall. The mirror swung away revealing a small lift. The doors opened and she climbed in sending a message to Lance to get going. She went down in the lift to the underground base and the doors pinged open revealing a long metallic corridor. It lead down to a split with one corridor goin left and one going to the right. She approached it and peered around the corners checking for people. She mentally checked to see where Remy was and she learnt he was in Magnetos office. Along the corridor from the office was a large empty room, which was where they had guessed they would keep the x-men. She went in that direction hoping not to run into everyone. She walked on past a window glancing in and carrying on. She did a double take and went back to the window. In the room she saw Toad, Blob and Wanda in the room. They didn't see her so she guessed that it was a mirror that they saw. She sent a message to Lance to get the Brotherhood out mad she went in search of the x-men. She didn't see a blur retreat back the way she came and as she moved on she remembered that she hadn't seen Pietro. She ignored this and carried on walking.
()()()()()()()()
The doctors drained the liquid out of the cylinder containing a small brunette and quickly snapped a bracelet onto her small wrist. A light flashed from green to red to indicate that the mutant's powers were "switched off" or suppressed. They lifted the oxygen mask off of her face and laid her on a hospital trolley. She opened her eyes to find that the bright light hurt them. They wheeled the trolley to the other end of the long chamber and strapped her onto a metallic table. The young girl now thrashed around after regaining her senses but it as impossible for her to move in the tight bonds. Above her she could see people in surgery outfits with masks on and she was scared. She closed her eyes tight to try and block out the view but nothing could stop her mind from racing and her heart pounding.
()()()()()()()()
Lance snuck into the base from its wooded entrance. He made his way in the direction Rogue had indicated that the Brotherhood was being kept. He made his way as quietly as possible and eventually found the room. He tried the door but found it as locked. He began to break it down and the people on the other side were roused and they looked towards the door. Lance got the door down and went into the room. He smiled as he saw all the members apart from Pietro. He quickly filled them in what was happening and told them to leave. Just then Pietro arrived with a smirk on his face. Behind him was Sabertooth.
"Well, well, Lancy I never thought you would be the rescuing type." Pietro said with a smirk. He moved away to let Sabertooth in. The large man moved toward Lance and grabbed him by the collar. He was surprised to see a blue glow surround him and he quickly dropped the teenage boy. He whirled round to find Wanda hexing him. He moved towards her with Lance still in one large hand but then found himself soaking into the ground he quickly dropped Lance who scrambled away from the spot where Wanda had made the ground soft. Sabertooth sunk lower and lower, the more he struggle the faster he sank. He eventually stopped struggling when it got up to his chest. Wanda returned the ground back to its normal solid state and Sabertooth was stuck fast with no way to get out. Lance turned to Pietro and swung at him. Pietro who had been watching Wanda and the Sabertooth sinking hadn't been expecting it and he got caught in the middle of the face. Lance then jumped on him and held him down so he was unable to escape.
"Where are the x-men?" Lance growled.
"There around." Pietro said vaguely.
"What are you doing to them?" Lance asked.
"Only a few experiments. In fact they're due to start one any minuet and you know what I think they're starting with your little Kitty Kat." He said with a smile. Lance punched him again, knocking him out and bolted out of the door. The rest of the Brotherhood were quick to follow.
()()()()()()()()
Rogue found herself walking down a corridor, which widened out at the end. There were large sliding doors each with a small round window. She went up on tiptoes and looked in the door. What she saw shocked her. In the room were large cylinders and in them Rogue could see her teammates floating seemingly asleep. She scanned the room and saw everyone who had been taken were there apart from Kitty. She saw numerous individuals walking about in what seemed like doctors coats with clipboards. They would stop every now and again in one of the tanks and make a note or two and then move on. Rogue looked further into the room and saw a curtained off area at the end. Someone was coming towards the door so she ducked down and stood behind the door. The person tapped a code in and the door swung open leaving just enough space for Rogue. The man walked on without looking back and as the door closed Rogue ducked in. she realized that there was no way she could hide in here. She looked around swiftly and saw a lab coat hanging up. She scooped it up and put it on. She then began to walk to the nearest cylinder. She picked up a clipboard and pretended to study the notes and then glanced at the individual. She saw it was Kurt and she gasped. She looked down at the controls in front of her. She reached out to touch them and see what the buttons would do when a voice shouted.