It's All Relative
Chapter Three
Dusk had fallen, and two vehicles drove through the city: a red convertible and a dark brown jeep. Their headlights switched off as they neared the rocky coast, and they stopped half a mile from their destination.
"It is right up dare, mes amis," Gambit pointed in the direction of the Brotherhood's headquarters.
"The Cajun's right," Wolverine confirmed, jumping out of the jeep. "I can smell 'em."
"Keep your guard up, team," Cyclops ordered, exiting the convertible. "It would surprise me if we weren't expected."
"Strange," Jean mumbled to herself.
Everyone turned to look at her. "What's up, Sugah?" Rogue asked her.
"I can only sense three minds in the caves," she replied. "It is possible that they wanted to move after Rogue discovered them, but..."
"I believe what it is that you are trying to say, Jean, is that the probable cause for distress is originating from a certain metaphorical and yet distinctly unpleasant aquatic scent," Beast filled in for Jean.
"In English, Hank?" Wolverine grumbled as he peered toward the cave.
"Something smells fishy."
"I'll go along with that," Cyclops nodded. "Let's move out. Rogue, Wolverine, you're up."
The two of them crept down the cliff edge to the harbour shore, and carefully eased themselves to the entrance.
"They're close," Wolverine stated.
"Hold on a second, Sugah," Rogue put a hand on Wolverine's chest. She drew her fist back, and then threw her hardest punch through the opening. When it connected only with air, Wolverine raised an eyebrow in her direction. "Hey, a gal could get lucky twice in one day," she shrugged.
"Nobody's stupid enough to stand in the doorway, kid," he replied.
"Y'all would be surprised, Logan."
Avalanche watched from the corner as a fist came through the entrance. What the hell? were his first thoughts, but he decided that a sighting was a sighting, and he still had a job to do.
The young mutant closed his eyes and clenched his fists, concentrating on the feeling of his immense power flowing through his entire body. He gritted his teeth and felt the ground shudder beneath his feet.
"Logan!" Rogue cried as her teammate lost his footing. Wolverine quickly shot his adamantium claws out from the backs of his hands and dug them into the hillside, regaining his balance.
"Avalanche," Wolverine snarled in recognition. "I thought I smelled a rat."
The ground shook harder, and shouts of surprise came from top of the hill as the rest of the X-Men were thrown off-balance.
"Help!" Jubilee cried as she and Gambit plunged into the waters below. Beast managed to clutch the side of the cliff, Storm was able to ride the winds, and Jean used her telekinetic abilities to support her and Cyclops.
The ground continued to shake violently, and large piece of the cliff broke loose and fell straight toward Beast. Luckily, Rogue was paying attention.
"Beast! Look out!" she exclaimed, flying up to punch the boulder and smashing it into a thousand tiny pieces.
"My eternal gratitude, Rogue," the furry blue mutant thanked her.
"I'm goin' in!" Wolverine snarled, and raced into the cave.
"Wolverine, wait up!" Rogue called to him as she scooped Gambit and Jubilee out of the harbour, but he ignored her.
"Avalanche!" Wolverine shouted, "I know you're in here!"
"Damn right I am," Avalanche replied, stepping out of the darkness and using his powers to summon another quake. Rocks went tumbling toward Wolverine, but his adamantium claws sliced them into bits.
"Where's Morph?" he demanded.
"Why're you askin' me?" Avalanche shrugged. "I thought he was on your side again."
"Don't play with me, Bub," Wolverine pointed his claws at him. "I ain't in the mood."
"Have it your way," the Brotherhood member sneered, and sent another barrage of rock barreling toward the X-Man.
Wolverine spun around, splitting as many boulders as he could. With his enemy's back turned, Avalanche rocked the cave once more, shaking loose a boulder that would have flattened the Canadian mutant had it not been for a well-timed ruby-quartz blast that intercepted it.
"Alright, Avalanche," Cyclops stood in the entrance, finger hovering next to his visor, backed by his teammates. "The game is over. Tell us where Morph is, now."
Avalanche stood still, sizing up his eight opponents and mentally listing his limited options. After a brief moment of tension, he dropped his arms to his sides.
"He's in the cell down the corridor, second on the right," he stated. "I'm outta here."
"I don't think so, pal," Cyclops shook his head. "You're coming with us, in case your buddies have a little welcoming party set up for us. Rogue, escort our guide here, would you?"
"With pleasure, Sugah," Rogue smirked, and took a tight grip on Avalanche's shoulder.
"Over there," Cyclops pointed in the direction of the cell as it came into view. "I see him."
"Morph?" Rogue called his name, maintaining her grip on Avalanche's shoulder. "Y'all okay l'il buddy?"
"Rogue?" Morph looked up at her and grinned. "How did you guys find me?"
"A l'il espionage mission an' some help from our unknowin' source here," she smirked and mussed Avalanche's hair. He scowled and knocked her hand away. "Careful, Rock Tumbler, or Ah'll have ta take y'all outside ta cool off in the drink."
"Did you look around the caves?" Morph asked. "There's others besides him."
"We were unable to locate his co-conspirators," Beast replied, as Rogue pulled the door off the cell.
"Well, you better check," Morph sounded nervous. "They've gotta be close."
"Close than you think, eh Mystique?" Wolverine snarled as he entered the room, having been bringing up the rear and making sure that they weren't being followed. "You can cut out this little game real quick."
"Sooner than I would have liked to, you lousy bloodhound," she spat, changing back to her blue-skinned form.
"Can't fool this nose, Sweetheart," he growled at her. "Now spit it out: where's Morph?"
"Further than even your senses can track him," she sneered. "You might as well give up, X-Men. We've won this round."
"In your dreams," Wolverine charged at her. The ground shook as an enormous shape stepped between him and his target, and Wolverine bounced off of the Blob's huge bulk.
"You X-Men never learn," he laughed. "Nothing can move the Blob!"
"Sabretooth was right about you, Wolverine," Mystique smiled deviously. "You are getting old. You should have smelled Blob hiding there."
"Guess I was a little distracted," Wolverine rubbed his head, getting to his feet. "So sue me." Avalanche began to creep over to his partners.
"Hey!" Jubilee exclaimed. "He's gettin' away!"
"You should learn to keep your mouth shut, kid!" Avalanche angrily warned her.
"An' y'all should learn how ta talk to a lady!" Rogue shot back at him. "Or do Ah have to come over there an' beat some manners into yah?"
"I wouldn't, Rogue," Avalanche's dark eyes were locked with hers. "Our relationship is already on the rocks!" He slammed his foot into the ground, sending a tremor straight toward the X-Men.
Jubilee slipped as the ground shifted and shook beneath her, and she flew back into Rogue's arms as the Southern mutant went airborne. The walls and ceiling began to collapse, barricading the three Brotherhood members inside the cell and burying Storm and Wolverine.
"Storm!" Rogue cried. "We gotta get her outta there!"
Logan, can you hear me? Jean called telepathically, using her telekinesis to move the rocks from the pile.
I hear ya, Jeanny, was his reply. But you better get us out of here quick. I took most of the punishment, but 'Ro took a hard knock.
Rogue put Jubilee on the ground and she and Beast began digging out their friends.
"Stand back, mes amis. Gambit will take care o' dis," the Cajun declared, using his mutant powers to kinetically charge the pile of rubble.
"Be careful, Gambit," Cyclops told him. "Too big of an explosion could hurt them."
"You leave dat to Gambit," he nodded. "He say it be no problem." The rocks glowed and exploded in a ball of light. Wolverine, now uncovered, pushed himself to his feet and carefully picked up an unconscious Storm.
"Is she-?" Jubilee gasped.
"She'll be okay," Wolverine assured her.
The cave shook again and the team whirled around to the pile of boulders separating them from their enemies.
"Don' let 'em get away!" Wolverine howled, gently setting Storm on the ground and lunging at the barricade, hacking at the stone with his adamantium claws.
Rogue followed his example, pounding her way through, and Cyclops sent blast after blast into the slowly crumbling blockade.
They finally managed to tunnel through, and Wolverine bolted inside, claws ready to impale the first thing that came at him. When he saw the clear night sky through the hole smashed out of the wall, however, he relaxed.
"Any sign of them?" Cyclops asked, rushing into view.
"They high-tailed it," Wolverine shook his head. "Can't even track 'em cuz they jumped in the water."
"What about the others?" Rogue demanded. "Where's Nadia? And Pyro, Toad, and Sabretooth?"
"My guess is they're long gone," Wolverine speculated. "Must've taken Morph with 'em too. We walked right into their little decoy."
"Then I'm afraid we're back to square one," Cyclops unhappily admitted.