"These are the coordinates." Jean told her fellow companions, as they stood outside a run down home in a bad part of town.
"What sort of mutant does the professor expect us to find here?" Ro (Storm) asked.
"I don't know but can we go inside please?" Marie asked, "Out here is giving me the creeps." Marie was right, all around the neighborhood men and women were drinking, smoking and doing illegal drugs.
Instead of answering the appointed leader of this small team, Jean, proceeded into the house. She was expecting to have to kick the door down but to her surprise the door just opened. Inside the house was not much better then the outside, the place was a dump. It looked like someone had collected and kept everything over the years. There was trash everywhere where trash didn't litter the floor dirt did. The three women pondered on how they were going to get around. They soon found that a "footpath" had been made with magazines and old newspaper. The house stunk of not being cleaned since it was built. Jean frowned, "Lets spread out hurry and find this mutant."
"The collector?" Marie joked dryly. She took another look around, "I think I prefer staying outside actually."
But Jean wasn't in the mood for jokes, "Come on spread out and holler if you find anything or anyone." She couldn't imagine what sort of mutant they'd expect to find in this dump.
While they all looked around all their minds went back to where they parted from their lovers. Jean had parted from her husband of 2 years; Scott, Marie from her finance of a few months and Ro with her boyfriend Tom, they have only gone out for a few months. All of their departing had been bitter sweet for there was always a chance that one or all of them would not come back from their mission.
Ro had made her way upstairs where she found a bedroom, if one could call it that. There was a mattress on the floor that was in bad need of replacing. Some of the metal springs in it where exposed and would probably be painful if they poked its occupants. Looking closer at the metal springs, Ro could see a bit of dried blood. On the mattress were a few blankets but Ro suspected they weren't enough to keep the person warm against the coldness of the room. On the other side of the room there was a computer, surprisingly enough it was a new computer. Ro looked closer and saw that the computer was on and just waiting for someone to use it. She frowned and before she could call for Jean to come take a look the women was standing behind her.
Jean looked at the computer, "Try to download what you can onto your memory stick." She told Ro, "I've got a bad feeling about this place." Ro nodded as she took out her memory stick and plugged it in to the computers tower. It didn't take her long to access files and download them.
Suddenly they heard Marie cry, "Down here!"
Jean frowned as she told Ro, "Finish this and come down please." Ro nodded so Jean left the room. She shivered, it was cool in the house. She didn't know how anyone could live in here but she was just about to get the shock of her life.
She descended down the stairs, hoping they wouldn't collapse on her. Once she reached the bottom she had to climb over stuff to get to where Marie was in front of a basement door the had been locked with a chain. Marie said, "I felt something in here."
Jean used her telekinesis to feel inside the basement, "I feel it too." She looked at Marie, "We need to get in there."
"Can you use your telekinesis to blast the door open?"
Jean felt the door, "If I wanted to kill whatever is in there yes I could." She looked to the side where she saw a chain cutter. She moved it to them with her powers. Picking it up she began to cut on one of the chains. It didn't take long before they were able to enter the basement. The smell was overwhelming for both of the women. Neither one of them wanted to proceed forward. In fact Jean was about to say that there was no way something human could be alive down here when she noticed a figure on the floor. It was a small figure and she was about to dismiss it as some sort of animal when she noticed a bit of exposed flesh. She walked over to the figure at first she thought it was dead but she saw it move, try to scramble away. Only a slight movement and then nothing.
Jean knelt down to where this tiny figure lay on the ground in its own blood, feces and urine. She touched it, it flinched only for a second. She brushed away some of the dirt on its back to reveal some of the horrors that she had only heard about on the news or in books. The back was covered in crusted blood and the shirt that it had been wearing was torn apart. Jean could bearly speak as she tried to comfort it, "Its alright we're here now." She then saw what it was, what she dreaded. She looked up at Marie pain, sadness and anger written in her face, "It's a child. A little child, no more then 5 if I'm correct."
"What?" Marie asked as she went over to the child to take a look. She saw the child's back, all covered in crusted over scabs and cuts, "Is it…alive?"
Jean gently moved her fingers across the child's neck to feel for a pulse. She nodded, indeed the child was alive. Part of her wished that the child wasn't alive so it wouldn't have to suffer anymore. But now Jean had to put aside her personal believes and work because she is above all else a doctor. She looked over at the speechless Marie. Jean knew how Marie felt out on this mission they never expected to find anything like this. It was supposed to be a routine thing but then again with the X-men nothing was ever routine. Jean needed to focus if they wasted any more time the child's deadly fate might be sealed although Jean wasn't sure if that fate had already been sealed.
"Oh my God." Came a voice from besides them. Both the ladies looked up to see that Ro had joined them. Jean offered her friend a small smile. Ro asked, "Is she dead?"
Jean shock her head, "She's alive by how much I do not know."
Marie asked, "How do you know it's a girl?"
Jean sighed, "I don't just saying she. It may be a he, whatever sex it is we need to get him or her out of here."
Ro was still in shock, "That's a kid right? A human kid?"
Jean nodded, "Marie would you please go into Blackbird and get a few blankets and the First Aid kit?" Marie nodded, thankful to be getting out of the basement.
Once she was gone Ro sat down next to Jean, "Do you think you can help her?"
Jean had to ponder on that question. She didn't know the extent of the child's injuries and saying no would be like signing a death certificate. She answered after a few moments of silence, "I don't know."
Soon after Marie returned with some blankets and the First Aid kit. Quickly with the help of the other two, Jean cleaned off all the dirt and everything carefully from the child's body. Marie asked Jean, "We're not going to leave the kid here are we?"
Jean shock her head, "No by the time anyone else can get to her, it would be to late. At least with us the kid will have a chance." She prayed that her prediction was right. Once the kid was cleaner and wrapped up in blankets, Storm volunteered to carry her back to the jet. While cleaning her up they indeed found she was a girl. Ro carefully picked up the girl and held her close to her own body. All three of them made their way back out of the house and back to the jet in silence. They were all very much in shock from what they had found. Among everything that was in there a child, a human girl that was just nearly alive.