The Power of Hope
Chapter Fifteen
By: Lily Handle
Author's Note: Ah, last chapter-y goodness. I hope, (ah hope pun goodness) you all enjoy this! Please, read and review.
"Are we ready to go, Commander?" McKenna asked, strapping himself into the helicopter.
"Yes sir," The commander replied.
"Good," The blades of the helicopter started up along with the ten other helicopters on the air strip, "Let's go collect our prize."
Hope was ripped from sleep at the sound of a high-pitched explosion. She came bolt upright in bed, smoke drifting up from the floor and shadows shaped suspiciously like men surrounding the bed. One reached for her, and lit herself up with her power.
"Touch me and you'll find out why they call me Coma," She tried for bravado, but her voice trembled. The shadows looked at each other, there was the crackle of radio static interrupted by the door to her bedroom crashing in. A man flew through the smoke and hit the wall right above the headboard.
"Mind if I crash this slumber party?" David came charging through the smoke, fist swinging. Hope lunged from the bed towards the nearest shadow, hands outstretched and sparking with bio-electricity. She contacted with a solid wall of muscled chest, but it didn't matter. Her hands wrapped around the man's neck and he crumpled like paper. She threw her hands outwards to the side, sending streams of bio-electricity into the two shadows next to her. She could hear David's fists landing hits on the other men in the room as she shoulder tackled a man to her right. He only stumbled back a couple of steps, but she threw out a bolt of power and watched him fall. Hey, the training was paying off, she thought, dodging a punch. She grabbed the man's arm, wrapping her arm around it in a lock hold, and pressed her hand against his chest.
"Time to say night-night." She smiled and let him go as he fell backwards. She took out two more guards before she stopped, breathing hard. "What happened?"
"They're with the MPD," David said, holding one of the guards up. Emblazoned across the chest of the body armor in bright white block letters was MPD.
"What? The MPD, but I made bail," Hope said confused.
"Look, I've got as many questions as you do, but right now, there are more of these guards breaking in," David strode over to her and wrapped a hand around her arm, "I've got to get you out of here."
"Wait, wait," She said, struggling against him as he pulled her towards the door, "My parents, we've got to get them out first." David pulled her into the hall, and Hope looked towards her parents' room. The door was covered by a solid wall of roots, which meant Michael was inside, protecting her parents. She could hear the sounds of a fight coming up from the second floor. The MPD guards had stumbled onto the students on the second floor. Good, they'd give them a run for their training, but she needed Kurt. She twisted her arm away from David as he pulled her towards the stairs. She darted for the railing and leaned over, yelling down, "Kurt! Teleport up to the third floor now!" Dodging another grab by David she streaked down the hall towards her parents' room.
She pounded her hands against the wall of roots, "Michael! Michael, open these things, I have a way out for our parents!"
"Damn it woman," David snarled, causing Hope to turn around, bracing herself against the roots. "My assignment is to keep you safe, and you're not helping me by not listening when I give you an order."
She glared at David, "Once my parents are safe, I'll go anywhere with you, no questions." BAMF! Kurt appeared between them, the cloud of smoke blocking out David's angry glare. "Michael, now!" She snagged Kurt's hand and fell through the opening in the roots with him.
"What's going on?" Her mother asked, looking panicked, cowering in her father's arms. Thea stood close to her father, also protecting their mother.
"I don't know," Hope admitted, "But Kurt here can get you out and some place safe."
"Wait, what about you?" Her father asked, looking between her and Kurt.
"I can watch out for her," Michael said, then turned to Kurt, "Take my parents as far as you can from here."
"Everyone hold hands," Kurt said to Thea and her parents, offering his own to them.
"Hope, come with us," Thea begged, but Hope shook her head.
"I've got David and Michael to watch out for me," She quickly hugged her parents and Thea, "I'll be fine, I promise."
"Hope no…" BAMF! She sucked in a deep breath of brimstone, then turned towards Michael.
"Are you sure about staying?" She asked as the roots parted again revealing a very pissed off David.
"These people are destroying my childhood home, I'm damn sure."
"Let's go!" David darted forward, and grabbed her hand, pulled her out into the hallway. She could hear Michael behind her, and stopped short. Three MPD guards with guns trained on them blocked the stairs.
"Freeze." The first guard said, stepping forward. Michael and David moved at the same time. David hit the guard on the right, sending him flying backwards and right through one of the huge arc windows across the way from the stairs. Michael threw his hands forward, thick roots whipping out from his wrist and sending the two remaining guards through the window after their buddy.
"Where did you learn that?" Hope asked, staring at her brother incredulously.
"Hey, I've got a lot of time on my hands out there in Nebraska," He explained, then turned towards David, "I can lower you and her down to the first floor."
"That'll work, keep us covered." David scooped her up into his arm, while her brother sent a thick root to wrap around David's waist. The root lifted them from the floor, carried them over the third floor railing and steadily lowered them. As they passed the second floor Hope could see it was a complete mess. Guards were lying on the floor as far as the eye could see, there were glass shards everywhere, and Hope could hear that the fight was still going on. As she watched a guard was thrown backwards as a beam of bright red light slammed into him.
"Doc, you okay?" Scott asked, running to the railing.
"Yeah, fine," She called up as the root continued downwards, "Everyone all right?"
"We're doing fine! We'll follow you out!" He called, then vanished from the railing. When David's feet hit the floor he set her down, and the root shot back up to the third floor and her brother.
"Let's go!" David turned towards the front door. She took two steps to follow him, then was lifted off her feet as the door was blown inwards. When she hit the ground, she kept going, rolling into the sitting room and stopping only when she hit the back of the couch. She quickly pumped herself full of her power to heal any damage then got right back on her feet. She was surprised to see David still standing after the explosion, though he had been blown back a few feet.
"Stay back Doctor," David warned, just as the first MPD guard came through the smoke. She could hear the steady thrum of helicopter blades, as well as the staccato beat of soldiers marching. Suddenly thick roots shot down from above, forming a wall between David and the MPD.
"Doc, you alright?" David asked, turning towards her and running to her side.
"Perfectly alright. We've got to get Michael to move those roots."
"What?"
"The students are trapped now, with the front door blocked by the MPD and now the roots, they'll have to fight their way out. The odds are against them," Hope started for the roots but David grabbed her arm.
"You're forgetting those kids are mutants, they've taken on worse. We'll go out the…" At the sound of a distant crash David swore, "That's the back door. We're going to have to fight our way out now." David pushed her behind him, keeping her shielded. The double oak doors slammed inwards, MPD commandos flooded in and trained hand guns on them.
"I don't like these odds," Hope said softly, counting fifteen plus guards.
"I like them just fine." David rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck, "All right Doc, time to see if all of Logan's training paid off for you. Destra andare!" Before she could start over thinking the situation, Hope darted right while David broke left. Faced with guards with automatic weapons and body armor Hope had never envisioned herself throwing right hooks and executing a round house kick while flinging bolts of bio-electricity. She stopped short when an almost inaudible screech filled the air. Covering her ears she dropped to her knees, her head exploding in pain. She screwed up her face, the pain intensifying as the screech continued.
"Mav...argh…David?" She croaked, trying to open her eyes, but it was just too much for her body to take. She slumped forward, the sound fading as she slipped into unconsciousness.
Hope woke slowly with her ears were ringing and one shoulder was pressing into concrete while something solid was pressing against her back. When she tried to get up, she discovered her hands were tied behind her. Jeeze, people will start to think I've got some sort of bondage fetish if I keep getting tied up like this, Hope thought. A giggle escaped at the thought, what people thought about her was the least of her worries right now.
"Don't move, don't open your eyes, stay still, and for the love of God, don't giggle again," David whispered, "I'm cutting your restraints. Once your hands are free, take out as many guards as you can."
"What about you?" She whispered back, not daring to move her head to see behind her.
"Pay attention, my hands are free. Why else am I lying with my back against yours, cutting you free? Once the guards are out, we'll go after McKenna together."
"McKenna?" Hope gasped.
"Quiet!" David scolded in a harsh whisper, "Yes, McKenna. He's here with the guards. They've been loading the students into some helicopters. Once we have McKenna subdued, we'll get the kids and take off."
"Where will we go?"
"S.H.I.E.L.D., Fury will keep us covered." Visions of a helicopter dogfight flashed in her mind. She took a deep breath and steeled herself, "Don't tense up, they'll be looking for that. Relax and play dead," David ordered and Hope tried to relax. Now that she was awake and the fog was lifting from her brain she could tell a lot of activity was going on around her. Footsteps echoed from every direction, radio static crackled through the air and over the buzz of crickets orders were shouted back and forth. She knew the only places where the mansion had concrete where in the garage and the pool deck. Even with her eyes closed she could tell she was on the pool deck, under the noise she heard the gentle lapping of water. So, she drew a map of the outside of the mansion in her head, trying to place guards by the sound of their footsteps. Most of the guards were going in and out of the back door, they would head dangerously close to her and David, then walk back through the back door. The students, they're picking up the students and carrying them out, Hope realized. Dreading the consequences Hope opened one eye just a bit. The light caused her to wince, but just beyond the back of David's shoulder she could see Rogue. She was unconscious, but breathing. Whatever had caused the high-pitched scream had knocked everyone else out as well.
"I'm almost through," David whispered suddenly, "When I'm done, count to three. I'll roll off you, and just start shooting."
"What if I hit you?"
"Try not to. You've got to stop thinking about the what ifs, just act." Hope closed her eyes tighter, and she couldn't help but tense. This time David didn't reprimand her. She felt the snap of her hands coming free. Felt David shift his weight slightly and started her countdown. One-one thousand, two-one thousand, three-one thousand. David's weight was gone, she rolled onto her back, hands already out, throwing a shower of bolts.
"One's awake!" A guard called out. Hope swung her legs underneath her and silenced him with a blast. Now the footsteps were heading towards her and she scrambled to her feet, aiming towards the backdoor. David was also on his feet now, his back pressed against hers. She heard him roar, and glanced over her shoulder at him. He threw a punch towards a pack of guards, a blast of orange-red light shot from his fist, causing a crack snaked through the concrete. When it reached the guards it lift them off their feet and threw them backwards a good ten feet.
"You're a mutant!" Hope asked incredulous.
"We'll talk about it later, Doktor!" He swung around, tucking her behind him as he threw another punch towards the backdoor. The blast hit the stone balcony above the backdoor, it shuddered, then broke apart in large pieces to cover the door.
"FREEZE!" The sudden crack of a gunshot and McKenna's voice boomed out over the chaos, "OR ONE OF THE STUDENTS IS NEXT!" Hope ducked around David, looking towards where McKenna's voice had come from. She noticed for the first time that a helicopter was sitting on the lawn on the other side of the pool. McKenna stood by it, a large handgun pointed towards the open door where Hope could see a blue uniform.
"Ah, Doctor, Lt. North, it usually takes a few more hours for someone to recover from a sonic blast," He said, sneering down his nose at them.
"Might want to check the warranty on that," David adopted a relaxed pose and sounded almost bored. Hope wanted to snarl and lunge, but she stayed by David.
"I made bail, McKenna, what do you think you're doing attacking my parent's house? I'm even wearing the damn tracking bracelet," She called while McKenna motioned to some guards, who turned their automatic weapons on the helicopter.
He had the balls to laugh, "You think this is about you and your case? I would have thought you and your little group of nosy parkers would have figured it out by now."
"What are you talking about?" Hope blinked and look at David, whose face had hardened suddenly.
"You've been having us watched," David growled.
"Yes, Lieutenant, and I bet it just eats at you that you missed it."
"We didn't miss everything, McKenna," David shot back, "Whatever you've got planned here will be stopped. Fury will make sure of it."
McKenna gave a sad shake of his head from where he stood, with the safety of the pool and the student's lives as a shield, "But, you see, all of this is perfectly legal. Fury can't do a thing about it."
"I highly doubt that," Hope snorted.
McKenna chuckled, taking a step closer to the edge of the pool, "You've just attacked MPD guards when we're just acting on a tip that you've fled the country, Dr. Chandler. Because of that you and the other X-men are in violation of the Mutant Restriction Act and can now be sent directly to jail."
"Bastard, you knew I was here the whole time. The tip was bad, it'll never hold up in court," Hope did snarl now.
"It doesn't have to, Doctor. I can send you and your students straight to jail for this. You really should read the Mutant Restriction Act, it's a fascinating piece of law. You see, this whole time, you were just a stepping stone, Doctor."
"Yeah, well has anyone ever told you to watch your step?" Hope snapped, but a sick ball of fear was curling in her gut, "I won't go down without a fight, and neither will the X-men."
"Which was what I was counting on." Hope stopped being angry and blinked in confusion at McKenna.
"You set us up," David growled and McKenna laughed.
"And you fell for it, hook, line and sinker."
"Well, what does it matter that we're in jail? You can't get every mutant and they'll always have a place with the Professor," Hope raised her chin defiantly, but she knew they were cornered.
McKenna chuckled, "You see, that's the beauty of this, Doctor. You've been convicted and tomorrow, with what happened here, you'll certainly be sentenced to death. Then a few hours before your execution, which will be at the earliest possible date, by the way, I'll be there with a lovely little truth serum and you'll give me all the information I need to get inside the Institute. And since you won't be alive long enough to tell anyone, I can get my hands on Cerebro and then there will be no place any of your kind can hide. Within months the MPD will have the mutant problem in America under control."
"The Professor will never allow it. He'll destroy Cerebro before he lets you have it."
"But, Doctor, you can never destroy something completely. My engineers are positive that even if they just get remains, they can rebuild it."
"Problem," David raised a finger and pointed to himself, "Me."
"I'm sure the armed forced will be all too willing to turn you over to me once they find out you're a mutant, and don't count of the German government coming to your rescue either. I always plan for everything, Lieutenant."
"Sir, we have an unknown subject approaching on a motorcycle, ETA is at two minutes!" A voice crackled over the radio.
"It's Logan!" Hope couldn't believe she had forgotten he'd gone. A slow smile crept across her face, and she noticed David had much the same look on his face, while McKenna was scowling.
"Plan for everything, huh? Your guards won't last ten seconds against Wolverine, and you know it. Shooting him will just make him angry, shooting the students will really make him angry, and you shoot us and you're asking for it. So, McKenna, it seems we're at an impasse."
"Finish loading the helicopter, get them on it and get out of here," McKenna barked. "No matter how good your friend is, even he can't fly."
David moved suddenly, swinging a punch towards the helicopter. The blast caused it to rock up onto one skid, and everyone held their breath. It groaned as gravity grabbed it and it crashed onto its side. "And now, neither can you! Take them out!" Hope didn't think, she lashed out with her power. A little more, just a little more, she chanted to herself, trying to take out all the guards surrounding her. Then the gun fire started and startled her. She knew they were shooting at Logan and she pushed herself harder and harder. All she had to do was trigger that switch where she lost control of her power, that would keep the guards in the back subdued, making it easier for Logan to get to her and the students.
"SHOOT THEM BOTH!" McKenna roared, and the guards that were still standing opened fire. Hope contained her power when David grabbed her around the middle and jumped into the pool with her. She could see the bullets zinging through the water, but miraculously neither David nor she were hit. David dragged her down to the bottom, and holding her as tight as he could, released his power. Hope was almost jerked from his grasp as all the water around them went rushing away from them. Whatever David's powers were, Hope was impressed with them. With the water gone David dragged her towards the shallow end, and then hauled her up the stairs.
"If they get up, knock them down!" He ordered while dragging her towards the helicopter he had knocked over. So, Hope kept her eyes scanning the area, looking for any guard that moved. As soon as they did, Hope sent a stream of power towards them, and kept them down. Once they reached the side of the helicopter, David grabbed her waist in his hands and tossed her into it.
"Make sure they're okay and then help me cut them free." David jumped in after her.
"What about the others out there? We can't just leave them," Hope tried to peak over the open door, but David hauled her back down.
"You got the majority of guards, the rest were knocked down by the water, and hopefully they'll be a little occupied with Logan to care about the students. Now, shut up and get to work!"
Logan smelled the helicopter fuel first, then the stink of government flunkies. He revved the motorcycle engine and sped towards the Chandler mansion. He came around the bend and the mansion came into view, along with the blades of a pair of black hawk helicopters. Logan cursed. Those were not S.H.I.E.L.D. helicopters. MPD. Shit. He barreled down the twisting driveway and when he was twenty feet from the house the gunfire started. Bullets ripped into him and the motorcycle, but he kept going. When the back tire was shot out he rolled off the bike and let it slide into two guards. Quickly he got to his feet, drew his claws and charged the nearest guard. The guard raised the gun to block, but his claws cut through it and into the guard's body armor. He threw the guard into one of his companions, grabbed another and pinned him to a near by tree.
"McKenna," He snarled, "Where is he?" The guard chose to press the barrel of his gun to the side of Logan's head and pull the trigger. Logan staggered back from the impact, then swung his fist around and buried one set of claws into the guard's side. The guard slid down the tree as Logan turned around, ready for the others. There were five of them, all armed with automatic weapons. Then the sound of gunfire came from the back of the house. Logan didn't hesitate. He charged, the bullets that ripped through him only slowing him slightly. He grabbed the barrel of the closet guard, sliced the gun in two pieces and released the barrel to stab the guard in the chest. He rocked back on his heels when the guard to the right jammed the butt of his gun into Logan's chin. Logan sliced his claws through the man's arm. He grabbed the man's injured arm, twisted it behind his back, and shielded himself.
"Now, someone, tell me where McKenna is!" He roared, a red haze edging around his eyes.
"In, in the house…" The man he held gargled, "He has the kids, too." With a feral, inhuman sound Logan shoved the man away from him and started for the house. If bullets hit him, he didn't notice, his whole focus on the house. Kids, McKenna had the kids. Hope, McKenna had HIS Hope. Bastard, setting everything up. Bastard, manipulating the system and taking advantage of Hope. HIS HOPE! The red haze gaze grew stronger, his humanity slipped away, leaving only anger and the teasing scent of blood. He couldn't clearly see the guards he ripped through like tissue paper. Their screams, their blood, nothing reached him in the savage world he had fallen into.
"Well, you'd be the one they call Wolverine," The taunting voice dragged some part of him back. That was what he was after, that voice. He started forward, the voice leading him, "Now that you're here, I guess the gah!" He heard the sound of bones shattering. There was more blood, the voice pleading, and more red.
"Where is Hope?" He managed to say, holding McKenna against a wall.
"The good doctor is a little busy," McKenna gargled, blood splattering from his split lip.
"WHERE!" He demanded and McKenna made a torn sound that might count as a laugh.
"You're too late," McKenna glared at him through his good eye, the other was swollen shut, "She's already dead."
"NO!" Logan roared.
"Always a day late and a dollar short, huh Weapon X?" McKenna went rigid as Logan's claws pierced his heart then cried out when he twisted them.
"Send my regards to the devil, bastard." He tore a gaping wound in McKenna's chest as he drew his claws back. McKenna slid down the wall, staring at him even in death. Slowly, the red faded, leaving him feeling weak and drained. The horror of what he'd done was there, eating at him as it always did. He was too late for Hope and it crippled him to think of it. He couldn't dwell on that now. Even with the scent of blood thick in the air he could smell the students, David and Hope. Her scent was strong, incredibly strong, like she was still alive. Could McKenna have lied? Logan wished he could kick himself. Of course McKenna had lied and he had fallen for it. Damn it. He turned, ready to follow the scents and froze. Her eyes wide and her skin deathly pale Hope stood staring at McKenna. Relief, joy and shame washed through him at the sight of her and at the realization that she'd seen what had happened. David stood next to her, looking apologetic.
"Doc?" He said carefully, taking a step towards her. Her eyes jumped to him, and he froze at the horror he saw there. He didn't know what to say to her, but the silence between them didn't last long.
"How could you do that to him? Murder him like that?" She whispered, her voice harsh and cold.
"Doc…Hope, I was just trying…" He couldn't think of any sort of explanation that would get rid of that horrified look on her face.
Her face turned resolute, and her eyes hard, "No one, even someone like him, should die like that." She turned on her heel and marched out.
"I'm sorry, Colonel, she only wanted to help. I couldn't keep her away."
"Keep an eye on her," Logan said gruffly. David gave a curt nodded then walked out. Logan stood there, the blood that coated him slowly drying until Fury arrived with backup.
Remarkable how the room she was in now looked just like the one she had been in the last time she'd been on a S.H.I.E.L.D. airship. She sat on the couch, her family gathered around her while Fury solemnly told them everything that had been going on behind the scenes at the MPD.
"It was pretty easy to get a secret warrant after we found the orders McKenna had thought he had hidden for the attack on your home, and with what information Ms. Pryde had already discovered. McKenna was gone when we arrived at the air strip. We got here as quickly as we could, Mr. Chandler, I'm sorry it wasn't in time to protect your home."
"It's quite alright, Colonel, you protected my son and daughter that's all that matters," Her father squeezed Michael's shoulder while her mother hugged her. Hope looked at her hands. She could feel the weight of her family's eyes on her, but couldn't face them. She just wanted them gone, all of them gone. She wanted a shower, a long hot shower to wash away dirt only she could feel. She wanted a drink and she wanted to keep drinking to wash her mind clean of the images that were left in it. So much blood, everywhere. Splashed on the walls of her childhood home, coating the highly glossed floors and splashed across Logan's face. Logan. She shuddered at the thought of what she had seen. The yawning hole left in McKenna's chest and the pain that had flashed across his eyes just before death had taken him. She felt sick at the mere memory of it. She didn't know how she had managed not to give in to the nausea that had rocked her when she had watched it happen.
"Since there were over one hundred shell casings found at the scene, and from the testimony we've gotten, it's over," Fury was saying, "Dr. Chandler, you'll be cleared and your records sealed. S.H.I.E.L.D. is taking over the MPD and both the Restriction and Registration acts will be gone over with a fine toothcomb."
"How are the students?" Hope asked numbly, it was the first time she'd spoken since she'd walked out on Logan. She had gone to each student, checking them over automatically, but she had no idea if any of them were injured. David had said she was in shock when he had passed her to a S.H.I.E.L.D. agent. Maybe it was shock that was making her numb, she thought it was horror.
"Professor Xavier is making sure they're okay." She almost flinched under the intensity of Fury's gaze, "We can take you back to the Institute,"
"No!" Hope said a little too sharply and a little too quickly. "No, I can't go back."
Author's Note: Well, McKenna's dead, and there's a nice big rift in Logan and Hope's relationship. God, I love being evil. Of course killing McKenna isn't evil, but the rift is, but worry not, there is an epilogue coming!