Thanks to:
Oceanbang – The Pow-R-8 discovery's gonna cause them some problems too, but Jean and Lance will continue checking each other out (I'm getting quite fond of this pairing!)
Furygrrl – Jean is so lucky, semi-naked Lance running around her place ::goes into X-rated dream world:: Hope this latest instalment gets you squeeing too!
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the good characters.
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Jean was out of the car as soon as it stopped, running up the steps to the Institute and bumping into Kurt as he 'ported into her way. She gave him a big hug and Lance had the sudden novel sensation of being jealous of Nightcrawler.
"What was that for?" asked Kurt, laughing.
"We did it! We got Pow-R-8 banned!"
"Well done fraulein!" Kurt returned the hug briefly, then glanced over to where Lance was slamming the car door shut, giving the pair evil looks. "And how's, uh, everything else going?"
"Great!" replied Jean, a little too quickly. "Lance and the others are following up some leads on the guys who attacked the church and the café."
"I know," said Kurt. "I got the third degree about it already."
"So where are they?" asked Lance as he joined them.
"Control room," said Kurt. "I'll show you the way."
"No problem, I remember." Lance brushed past him and into the mansion, leaving Kurt staring after him.
"He hasn't changed much," said Kurt.
"You'd be surprised," said Jean. "He's not the same person he used to be. He's quite sweet."
"Sweet?" Kurt raised an eyebrow. "Jean, you're not…"
"I have to go tell the Professor!" said Jean before Kurt could finish. "I'll see you later."
She hurried into the building, leaving Kurt on the steps brooding over his suspicions. He just hoped for Jean's sake that she wasn't planning on doing anything reckless.
Lance went down to the control room; ignoring the curious looks the new students gave him as he passed. Pietro and Wanda were still working on the computer, Fred and Todd were studying a pile of papers and St John was sat in the corner, idly flicking a lighter.
"What's new?"
Wanda turned to look at him. "Graydon Creed was brought up in a series of boarding schools. Fees were paid by an Irene Adler."
"Destiny?"
"Yeah. Who do we know who could take on the identity of a dead woman without anyone realising?"
"Oh shit."
"There's no way him being here is a coincidence."
"Agreed, but why is he after Jean?"
"I don't know." Wanda turned back to the computer screen in disgust.
"If you're thirsty, there's about twenty gallons of Pow-R-8 stored over there," said Pietro.
"You're so funny." Lance crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. "Any backlash from that yet?"
"The first news report about it was on a few minutes ago." Pietro hit a button so that Lance could see the footage.
The reporter was a woman in her mid-thirties with blonde hair pulled back from her head so tightly it pulled her skin taught. "This just in; the controversial Pow-R-8 drink has been withdrawn from sale after a research company in Bayville discovered that the toxic eliminators that allegedly caused adverse reactions in mutants reacted in a similar way in non-mutants. The reaction in normal humans is slower, apparently caused by a build-up in the bloodstream. We'll have more on this as soon as more information becomes available."
"How long before they link the discovery with Jean?" asked Lance.
"Not long," replied Wanda. "And you can bet her whole history with the X-Men and her role with the company will be all over the news. And just her if we're lucky. Angel's father pays for the research and if that becomes public knowledge, some one's bound to accuse her of doctoring the results of the tests to suit the mutant agenda."
"Or worse. I installed the cameras in the lab today, can you pull up a visual on them?"
"No problem!" Pietro changed the screen picture to show the lab. Only a few of the scientists remained, most having left early to celebrate their findings. Once their results had been double checked and the samples sent to the relevant authorities, there had been little reason for them not to. There had been plans made to meet up that evening in a local bar, which Jean had promised to attend in spite of Lance's pointed look that suggested she should decline.
As they watched the screen, Dr Schwartz hung up her lab jacket and grabbed her coat from the rack, waving goodbye to Dr Johnson and another man who Lance remembered was Dr King. There seemed to be nothing out of order.
"I've got a feeling that if the Friends of Humanity want to do something about the samples, they might just be reckless enough to attack the lab," said Lance. "I'm gonna ask Worthington to close down the lab for a couple of days, if it's possible, or at least relocate the staff. If the location makes it onto the news, it's an obvious target."
"And we might be able to get some of them on tape," said Todd happily. "Suits me fine. This town gives me the creeps. Sooner we're gone, the better."
Lance didn't reply. He was beginning to wonder if he still wanted to leave Bayville as badly as he had.
The group spent another hour or so checking leads on the various Friends of Humanity members, but they were no closer to any answers at the end of their task then they were at the beginning. By the time they decided to call it quits, the news reports about Por-R-8 were rolling in. As Lance had predicted, Jean's role in the discovery were prominently shown in the footage, as well as her role in the Apocalypse situation and the Sentinel disaster.
"Check this out," said Wanda suddenly. "I'm getting movement from the lab."
Pietro shrugged. "So?"
"So, brain dead, the last scientist left a half hour ago."
Wanda punched up the pictures from the lab as the rest of the Brotherhood crowded around. They could all see the people file into the lab, their faces covered by balaclavas and bandanas.
"They think even if they get spotted, no one could get there in time," said Lance.
"They think wrong." Pietro grabbed his sister and prepared to leave.
"I'll be there in two." Lance spied the intercom and used it to call for Nightcrawler. "The rest of you, take the car. Now!"
Kurt 'ported into the room as the other three hurried away. "Vas?"
"I need to get to the lab now." Lance grabbed Kurt's arm and waited to be teleported away. Kurt immediately removed them both to the outside of Jean's lab.
"Do you need anything else, Avalanche?"
"No," said Lance as he saw the white streak enter the building. "Wait, yes, Make sure Jean doesn't leave the Institute. She's not to come in a mile of here, understood?"
"Ja, but…" Kurt trailed off as Lance ran toward the building. Knowing that the cameras trained on the lab would still be working at the Institute, he teleported back to watch the progress from there. And if the X-Men were needed, they would be there.
"What's going on?" said Jean as soon as he arrived back in the control room, having been attracted there by Lance's request for Kurt.
"Something at the lab," replied Kurt. "How do we get the camera up?"
"Easy." Bobby Drake hurried into the room and hacked into the computer, bringing up the pictures of what was happening in the lab in a matter of seconds.
As various members of the X-Men arrived in the control room, they all leaned into the computer in order to better see what was going on.
There were at least ten figures that shouldn't be there, all of them trying to hide their facial features. It was obvious that they'd already been at work, smashing up workstations and using baseball bats to destroy the carefully labelled samples in the cabinets.
"Those assholes!" Jean gasped as she saw the wholesale destruction of her lab.
The camera showed what was apparently a streak of movement and suddenly Pietro and Wanda had the group cornered. As the X-Men watched, Wanda hexed two of the figures, who flew over the workstations and landed in a heap in a corner.
There was another movement in the doorway – Lance. He didn't slow for a moment, tackling the nearest figure and bringing him to the floor.
"And he never played football," said Emma admiringly, earning herself a black look from Scott.
Lance got back to his feet and grabbed a figure making its way to the door, throwing him against a wall. Wanda hexed two more and Pietro caught the remainder too quickly for them to realise what had hit them.
"They got 'em all," said Bobby excitedly.
Jean was the only one who saw the bottle trail into the room as Lance, Pietro and Wanda talked among themselves. It's end was alight, apparently a Molotov cocktail…
"Lance, LOOK OUT!"
The other X-Men turned to her, missing what happened next. The bottle exploded, the glass bursting outward – but the flames contained, dying down quickly. As they turned back to the screen, Pyro, Toad and Blob hurried into the room, Blob carrying a squirming man by the scruff of his neck. There was no sound on the camera, but the smug expression on St Johns face said it all.
"We should go out there and help them," she said.
"Forget it Red," replied Logan. "They don't want our help, and it's too late."
Jean nodded and focused her attention on the screen. They could all see the Brotherhood restrain the gang, Pietro using his mobile phone to call on the police force. They arrived in minutes, although they weren't clad in the garments that the Bayville police usually wore, suggesting a SHIELD strike force.
Toad looked up at the camera and gave it a cheesy thumbs-up, eliciting a cheer from the younger X-Men. Jean grinned. If the vandals were the same people behind the recent attacks, her problems were over.
And the Brotherhood would be leaving town.
Jean's smile faded as she realised she didn't want her life to go back to normal. She'd been rather enjoying having Lance around to look after her, and it didn't hurt that he was damn good to look at too.
Her phone rang and she scrambled for it. "Hello?"
"It's me." Lance's voice came over the line and she glanced up at the screen, seeing the vandals being led away and Lance stood by the window, looking out. "We bagged some guys at the lab. We're gonna see if they know anything about the attacks on Bayville. Stay at the Institute."
Jean bristled at the order. "In case you forgot, I arranged to meet the others for drinks."
"Cancel."
"No! I'm not putting my life on hold."
"But I should question these guys, see what they know. I can't do that and keep an eye on you too."
"You don't need to keep an eye on me. I can look after myself. No one's going to come after me in a crowded bar."
"The café was pretty crowded too."
Jean sighed in exasperation. "Fine. I'll take some one with me."
On the screen, Lance was looking annoyed. "Can't you just stay at the mansion?"
"No."
"Hold on." Lance took the phone away from his ear and shouted over to Pietro. The pair exchanged words for a moment, then Lance spoke into the phone. "Fine. Pyro and Toad will be back at the Institute in a while. Wanda, Fred and Pietro are gonna question these guys and I'll be keeping an eye on you. This is a really bad idea Jean."
"You want to pass up a date with me to bully some thugs? Typical guy."
Lance glared at the camera, not amused by Jean's teasing. "I'll pick you up in twenty minutes. Can you at least stay at the Institute tonight?"
"Nope."
"That's just great." Lance cut off the call and shoved the phone back in his pocket, giving the camera a final scowl before leaving the room. Jean grinned at the screen, realising that most of the X-Men had left the room now that the action was finished. Kurt had remained and was giving her an odd look.
"What?"
"Are you sure you shouldn't stay here? I assume that's what Lance was calling about."
"I have plans. I don't want to go into hiding just because of some crazed anti-mutant protesters."
"But you're making yourself an easy target."
"Maybe those guys are the same ones behind the attacks, or maybe not. Either way, we had a victory today and I want to celebrate it like everyone else! Is that so bad?"
"No, but if you'd stay here it'd be easier for Lance to do his job and catch these guys. Father McCarthy was a good friend of mine, and he died because some one torched his church. I want them caught, before anyone else gets hurt."
Jean sighed. "I want them caught too, but I can't hide in the Institute either. Besides, if some one does something tonight then Lance can catch them and all this will be over."
"Assuming you don't get hurt."
"I won't! You can't talk me into staying here Kurt. I'm sorry, but I'm not going to hide."
Kitty phased through the wall and smiled at the pair. "Lance just got here. He looks really mad."
"Everyone's mad at me at the moment," muttered Jean, heading for the door. She said her goodbyes and met Lance at the car, where he was talking quietly to Todd and St John.
"Ready to go?" she asked with a bright smile.
"You get to have all the fun," muttered St John sulkily, surreptitiously checking out Jean's legs.
"Great fun," replied Lance. "Sitting with a bunch of scientists in a bar, talking about DNA and blood samples instead of getting answers out of those creeps."
"It'll be fun," said Jean, getting into the car. "Stop sulking!"
Lance growled and got in. Jean gave him a smile. "I want to go home and get changed first, maybe take a shower."
Now there was an image he hadn't needed. "Fine."
Jean fidgeted with her skirt. "Lance, I just wanted to say thanks for catching those guys at the lab. I guess we should have expected something like that."
"No problem," replied Lance casually. "But I shouldn't think they're the same guys behind the other attacks. It was too different."
"Figures," said Jean with a sigh. "Do you think they'll try again?"
"Oh yeah."
"Why do they hate us so much? Mutants I mean."
"Some people don't need a reason." But maybe this Creed character has one thought Lance. He doubted that Sabretooth was father of the year material and Rogue had no idea who he was, meaning that he hadn't spent any time with Irene over the years. Perhaps he was feeling abandoned.
Jean gazed out of the window, watching the world go by and contemplating the scenery. Lance seemed determined not to have a good time and she knew he'd be tense, trying to check that none of the other customers were secretly trying to kill her – but she was nothing if not stubborn. She was going to make sure he loosened up that night.