A Raid Gone Wrong

"You're joking," Todd blinked.

"I swear to god they were together all right," Kurt told him. "I was there! I saw it myself! Half the mansion saw it! And so did Ms. Cooper!"

"You telling me that Boss Lady saw Beast and Dazzler…?" Lance's jaw dropped.

"In flagrante delecto…" Remy smirked.

"Man and I thought we shocked her when she showed up at our place," Todd shook his head. "You X-Men win this one!"

"I'd hardly call that a win Toad," Jean groaned.

"No, I'd say you won this one fair and square Jean," Lance chuckled. "An instructor and his student having sex in the pool definitely tops the mess we made!"

"That's not what happened!" Rogue snapped. "Not exactly…I mean they weren't completely naked or anything."

"But they were pretty close to it huh?" Todd asked.

"Beast had nothing on but his trunks," Remy pointed out.

"Big deal!" Rogue snapped. "I mean half the time that's all he wears anyway! I mean he's covered in fur and all."

"Well so is Nightcrawler but you don't see him running around in his birthday suit," Todd pointed out.

"They were not naked!" Kurt snapped. "Alison had her bathing suit on. Mostly…"

"Mostly?" Lance asked. "Alright! Now we're getting somewhere!"

"That's enough!" General Hawk walked in with Logan and Professor X. "You can gossip later. There's a mission you need to go on first."

"It figures," Todd shook his head. "Just when we were getting to the good stuff."

"Yeah well this is pretty good," Hawk told them. "We got word through our spies that Cobra is planning something big. Big enough to involve Mystique and Sabertooth."

"What?" Kurt gasped. "Are you serious?"

"Is Magneto involved as well?" Peter asked.

"No we think those two are on their own this time," Hawk said. "And they've temporarily joined up with the Dreadnoks. So the Joes are going to pay a little social visit to 'em."

"I figured that," Logan nodded.

"I'd also like a joint team of Misfits and X-Men in on this," Hawk said. "Wavedancer, Gambit, Toad, Nightcrawler, Avalanche, Blob, Colossus and X23. Roadblock's in charge."

"Why not me?" Rogue asked.

"We put that team together because they were the best choice to fight in the swamps," Logan said. "Not to mention with the Dreadnoks and Sabertooth the Joes could use the extra muscle. I'm going on the mission as well."

"But why not me?" Rogue asked again.

"Rogue…" Xavier said carefully. "Your recent experiences with your mother might cause you to take this mission personally."

"What about Kurt? He's going!" Rogue pointed out.

"Yeah but we know Kurt won't tear Mystique to pieces on sight," Althea pointed out. "We kinda need Mystique alive."

"Don't be so sure about that," Kurt grunted.

"Besides we need you and the others for backup," Hawk pointed out. "I have a feeling that the Dreadnoks are only the tip of the proverbial iceberg."

"Yeah no telling what those slimy snakes got planned," Rogue grunted, folding her arms in defeat. "I hear ya."

"I tell you what Cherie," Remy grinned. "Remy will personally send her a message from you."

"All right let's head up and move out," Roadblock shouted. "Those snakes are up to something without any doubt!"

&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&&

"YO JOE!" The Joes cried out as they stormed the Dreadnok lair. What they got was a surprise.

"Cobra Iron Grenadiers!" Roadblock swore as he recognized the troops firing at them. "These guys were waiting for us!"

"No duh!" Remy snapped as he set off several cards at them. "But we be ready for them!"

"Time to rock and roll!" Lance shouted as he and Althea sent off a wave of earth and swamp water at them, scattering several forces.

"X-Men! Misfits go around the back!" Roadblock ordered. "Scarlet, Recondo, Snake Eyes you go with them!"

"Yeah that's where the real action is anyway!" Althea shouted as she kicked one Iron Grenadier.

"We have to secure the west station before anyone escapes!" Scarlet ordered.

"Wolverine stay with me and help us mop up these guys!" Roadblock shouted.

"With pleasure!" Logan grinned as he cut through a few enemy weapons.

The Misfits and X-Men went around the back. "Where's X23?" Scarlet shouted as she fought.

"That girl," Remy kicked an enemy down. "Always going on her own!"

Kurt teleported behind one of the enemy and punched him out. "Who needs her? This is easy!" Kurt grinned. Then he made a face and fell flat on his face.

A tranquilizer dart was sticking out of his back. "It certainly is," Zandar grinned as he shot several of the others instantly. "Remember me? No, nobody ever does…"

"Your tranquilizers do not work on me," Colossus ran up to him in his armored form.

"No but this mace does!" Road Pig swung his mace from behind and hit Colossus in the back of the skull. He fell down flat.

"You can't get all of us!" Althea dodged the darts with Snake Eyes and Todd.

"Yeah you can't…" Todd's foot tripped over a vine. "Whoa!" He crashed right into Snake Eyes and Althea. This was all Zandar needed to shoot them.

"This is not good," Althea grumbled before she passed out.

Out front Roadblock and Logan were easily routing the forces. "This is too easy," Logan grunted.

"I agree," Roadblock nodded. "Something's not right here. Let's see how they're doing at the rear."

"Not good!" Gung Ho pointed. Several huge helicopters appeared. Several small motorized pods appeared from them "Anti Gravity Pods!"

"They've been captured!" Logan pointed to the figures being carried away. "Get them!"

"NOW!" Lillian ordered from the helicopter she was piloting. The pods provided cover fire while the Cobra's retreated. All but one pod left.

"With pleasure," Major Bludd grinned as he flew down in an anti-gravity pod.

"Bludd!" Roadblock shot at him. "What are you planning?"

"Payback," Major Bludd snarled as he pushed the button on a small device. Suddenly there was a blinding light. Bludd grinned as he landed as he saw all the Joes spread out flat on the ground. "This is going to be like shooting fish in a barrel." He cocked his weapon and stepped out of the pod.

"You said that again," Logan snarled. He was still standing.

"Oh bugger…" Major Bludd gulped. He tried to run back to his pod but Logan cut him off.

"Forget about me?" Logan snarled. "I don't know what you did to us bub but…" He choked and fell to his knees.

"Seems like those nano-mites don't agree with you mate," Major Bludd grinned. "Now where was I? Oh yeah? I was gonna blow these Joeys' brains out till…"

He never finished because X23 leapt out of the bushes and knocked him out with a swift kick. She went to Logan's side and helped him stand. "Your healing factor should be dealing with whatever it is right now."

"Kid you really have to learn to follow orders sometime," Logan glared at X23.

"If I did I would be captured like the others," She glared at him. "And we wouldn't have him." She pointed to Bludd.

"Better call for backup," Logan grunted. "Fast."

The Joes soon arrived to pick up their fallen. "Cobra was waiting for us," Hawk snapped. "It was a setup."

"Probably to test whatever new weapon they got and get some mutants," Mainframe said. "How are they Lifeline?"

"Not good," Lifeline shook his head. "What happened to them?"

"Bludd did something to 'em…" Logan spat out. "Some kind of weird bomb."

"They're not shot," Lifeline noticed. "We have to get them back to base. Something is very wrong here."

"No kidding," X23 glared at him. "Bludd said something about nano-mites. Does that mean anything to you?"

"I think I know what it means," Mainframe looked at the fallen Joes. "And I hope I'm wrong."