Calandra: Yes, it was short, but necessary. Thank you, and a Happy New Year to you too! To everyone!
Sych: Lol, the reactions are pretty typical aren't they? Although it's not that odd Logan being shocked.. Michael has just died o.o
Chapter 21The air held a tense and sombre sensation to it. The light shined in through the tall glass windows, spilling golden rays over the desk and carpet of Xavier's office. The dust in the rays sparkled like enchanted fireflies that roamed the aura of sunlight endlessly. It scattered like mistily glittered veils across the figures in the room.
Xavier's office now held quite a crowd. Scott and Siren arrived a little later than Storm and Logan, who had also managed to pick up Gambit on their way to Charles. As Scott entered, he saw the expression on the Professor's face, and he needed no further proof that the man had been told. Scott slowed his movements, stopping by the door as Siren entered behind him. The door shut slowly before the room descended into a temporary silence.
"This is nothing like ever before," came the first voice. It was Logan, who looked slowly to the Professor.
"Professor, you know how dangerous this new threat is," said Storm quietly, "For goodness sake, they killed Michael.. in the space of a few minutes." Her head lowered, a hand covering her eyes, "What are we going to do?"
"We're gonna go after them," spoke up Scott as he look upon Charles, "We've got to."
Charles fastened his eyes upon the leader of the X-Men, "Scott," he said softly, "it will be dangerous. These Sentinels are like nothing I have ever seen before. I fear we may have finally met our match."
"No!" cried Scott, "We can't give up. You said we must keep fighting till we secure the future for mutants, and we will keep fighting. We must!"
"I hate to say it.." murmured a voice, "But he's right," it was Logan, who looked solemnly over to Scott before back to the Professor, "I say we find out as much as we can about these Sentinels, find out their weaknesses, find out where they're based and remove them."
In response Scott quickly nodded his head to show he fully supported the idea.
Charles looked over the room gently, "But as I said, it is very dangerous. Are you sure you can handle this?"
"We can try," said Logan determinedly.
Storm looked slowly to Logan, "True. I mean, what else are we going to do? Sit here and wait for their next attack?"
"Not at all," cried Siren as she walked closer into the room, "We go find them, we go attack!"
"So is this an unanimous decision?" asked Charles, now looking slowly over the room to where Gambit was.
Gambit was sat in a chair by the window, relaxed back gently as he twirled a playing card between his digits. Sensing all eyes upon him, his head rose slowly and he glanced over to Charles before his face broke into a sly grin, "Remy wants ta play too.."
"But the danger .."
"Danger is just another flavour to enhance our lives with, mon ami.."
The X-Men had spread their separate ways after the unofficial meeting in the Professor's office. Charles Xavier had promised them that he would use Cerebro to try and track the Sentinels movements. Everybody knew that there were to be perilous times ahead. Michael's death had been the signal of this. They had to find out more about these Sentinels.. and chances were information would not be floating around so freely. It was too dangerous.
Everything was dangerous.
Days passed after the terrible day of Michael's death, the first strike of the Government's Sentinels becoming just a thing of the past. But it was impossible to forgot. It could never be forgotten. The New Year came and went, celebrations were limited, and it was too hard to raise a smile. No party took place; many had resided in the living room or their bedrooms. But as Charles promised, he kept a vigilant eye on any research that cropped up from Cerebro, whilst Storm and Scott spent many a late night browsing the computer files and Internet for any clue about the Sentinels.
As expected, the Internet held no information. The computer files only knew what Charles did. But Cerebro came up with some interesting discoveries. Findings processed into Charles's mind as he sat inside Cerebro, the information storing into his brain, soon making him rather educated on this new subject. But here were gaping holes left in the gatherings. Huge questions left unanswered and only padded with unsure rumours and impromptu suggestions.
He gently removed the helmet on his most recent Cerebro visit and leant back carefully in his chair. So, his suspicions were correct. The Sentinels were controlled to do the Governments bidding, and he was right to think that they were a lot more waiting for them. More were being made all the time. But how? Where did these bodies appear from to be made into a Sentinel? The current possibilities were sickening to think of. But there was one big question that was left unanswered. How were they so powerful? Was it some drug? Some ridiculous training scheme? But how did they have more strength than the wolverine? It was ridiculous to think skin and bone could beat adamantium and muscle? Charles eyebrows relaxed in realisation, maybe the Sentinels had adamantium in them? His brows quickly furrowed as he went into thought over this new idea.
Scott tapped idly on the keyboard as he browsed through the Internet. Storm was by his side, sat with a laptop taking all notes that Scott mentioned. Logan too was in the room, stood by the door like some sentry. Storm wasn't too happy about being in this room again. This was the same room she was attacked in. The room was deadly silent, the only sound being Scott's taps to the keyboard and clicks of the mouse. He stared at the screen, browsing through information for any lead on the Sentinels.
But the electronic doors whirred upon softly and Logan quickly leant off the wall and spun at the entry. His eyes met thin air and he suddenly became suspicious of the invisible mutant at the mansion, "Rian?" he growled lowly, swiping at the air.
"Afraid not," came a straightforward voice. Logan looked down to see Charles watching him with a slightly amused expression.
Logan cleared his throat gently, moving away from the door and back to his usual position, "Sorry Charles," he quickly said.
"That's quite alright, Logan," said Charles softly as he passed by loan, now moving towards the pair at the computer.
"Nothing has come up.." said Scott softly as he looked around at the Professor, "All I am getting in fictional information from entertainment websites."
Charles nodded his head lightly in response, "Well, try this search. South America and A.M.I."
The flashing cursor sat impatiently blaring its line to the mutants before words were typed out in the search box. The enter key was pressed and the search page distributed lists of results, "Aerial Marriages International??" said Scott in disbelief as he read one of the search deliveries, "Who the hell thinks up these things and then has time to make a crazy website!"
Storm rolled her eyes gently, "Try something else Scott.." she said softly.
"People can get married whilst skydiving, parachuting, or gliding," read Scott before laughing to himself in incredulous amusement.
"Scott," said Storm in a sterner voice, hitting him on the arm, "Get off the website, now."
Scott murmured incoherent apologies as he clicked back onto the originals search page, "Ok, what shall I type in?"
"Try American Government.. and Amazon, Ecuador," said Charles quietly, his voice still solemn as if Scott had never said anything.
Scott obliged with no protest, quickly typing in the words Charles spoke. The enter key was struck and more listings arrived. But Storm and Charles leant in closer to read what was on the screen. Even Logan rose up off the wall and walked over to have a look.
"Bingo," said Scott softly as he scrolled down to pause upon a paragraph of description on what appeared to be an online newspaper article, "A traveller released findings today to an important discovery made in the north of the Amazon jungle. But unlike usual finds in such a wilderness, this is of the modern kind. A Government structure built in the heart of the trees and wild life. The White House was unable to comment and confirmed there was no information to be disclosed. Reporters suggest it could be linked to the latest A.M.I faction released a few weeks ago in a bid to help protect America from the dangers of the mutant population."
"That's it," said Logan suddenly as he stared down at the screen, "They'd want to hide it.. It's not exactly legal for them to come and kill us yet, is it?"
"Yet.." said Storm bitterly, but Scott quickly interrupted.
"Yeah, they'd want to hide it from us too!"
Charles look at the mutants before back to the monitor, "There's certainly something strange down there. We've learnt in the past not to trust secret Government buildings. They're normally for our purpose."
With a small smirk Logan turned his head to Charles, "So, we got some explorin' to do?"
"So it would seem," replied Charles, looking slowly to Logan.
If you didn't laugh at Scott's enthusiasm to the website of A.M.I and getting married in the air.. shame on you. o.o