Disclaimer: Furor Paxx and VulgateOfEarth do not own the X-Men or any affiliates. All are the property of Marvel Entertainment Group, Inc and its various affiliates and partners. Phoenix Malcolm, Haiden Malcolm and all irregular characters are the sole property of Furor Paxx and are being used with permission.
~~ At the Military Base, Fort Braddock ~~
"I'm telling you, this isn't all of them. You left the two most dangerous ones out there. When they find out they're gonna tear this place apart looking for their friends."
"Look Ms. Malcolm," an elderly man in a uniform drawled. "We're having trouble enough just keeping the one we've got under control. Two mutants isn't that bad, all things considered, and they won't last long by themselves."
"You are seriously underestimating the destructive capabilities of the two of them."
The man nodded. "We're ready for them, but we can't spare any men to search for them. when they get here, they'll get what's coming to them."
Phoenix doubted that last statement, but was willing to admit that Kurt and Pietro were the two people least likely to work together and even less likely to be any trouble. What bothered her was that she had no idea how much they knew or where they were taking their information. Just then Logan gave a shout and ripped his arm free of its bindings. Yes, thought Phoenix as the man tore his way through four soldiers in full armor, Fort Braddock had their hands full with this crowd. But, she toyed with the thought of two small mutants with no offensive attacks wandering around alone. And no one would think twice if they just… disappeared.
Pleased that she had found something to do, Phoenix did an about face and breezed out of the compound, shaking hands and sharing smiles with dozens of soldiers who had heard of her discovery of the mutants.
From a separate plane, Haiden watched and planned how he would lead Kurt and Pietro. Phoenix was too powerful for them, and rescuing the mutants was too dangerous, especially since Kurt was reaching his breaking point. His true mutant ability would show itself soon, and he needed someone he was comfortable with to be there.
Reviewing his options didn't help, so Haiden shrugged and decided to be spontaneous. It wasn't his strong point, but it would get him through. As silent as death, he slid from the separate universe and stood, absorbing the sounds and sights of Fort Braddock. With a thought, he teleported to the holding cells where the mutants were being held prisoner. A part of him said that it was useless, that even if they escaped, they had no where to go, but when Haiden was being spontaneous, he was spontaneous.
Everything stopped when he appeared in the room, even Logan paused for a second to gawp at the stranger. Then he remembered himself and began his assault again. Two seconds more and Lance was free and the fighting began with renewed energy. Haiden dodged past several guards, shorting electric locks, and cutting bonds as he went. In short order, all the mutants were freed. They split into groups to escape, Haiden found himself fleeing with Jean Grey, Wolverine, and Magneto. As they rounded a corner and looked for a direct way out, Toad fairly flew down the hallway to join them.
"Scott, Evan, Xavier and Lance are going straight up and the rest are just plowing their way through the building. You guys are headed further into the base." He stammered when he caught his breath.
"So how do we get out?" Jean asked.
"Dunno, but it ain't this way."
There was rhythmic pounding on the ground that got louder and louder every second.
"We better find out fast, I can't dodge bullets and it takes a lot out of me to heal." Haiden noted.
"Well, y'know, they think we're trying to escape, so they're gonna run to block the exits. If we go deeper in and make our own way out from there… its not like they know we're lost." Toad supplied. Everyone stared at him for a moment, amazed at his thought process.
"Down it is." Conceded Magneto and Logan nodded. With that, they slipped down a side passage and ran as fast as they could.
~~ Charles Xavier, Lance, Scott and Evan ~~
The going had been good until one of the soldiers had dropped a grenade on them. Charles Xavier warned them a second before it went off and Lance dropped about a ton of rock on it. Even though it was dampened, the blast knocked the wind out of them and they lost precious time recovering. Now they were running in the other direction as gunners poured from the ceiling like water. Between breaths, Lance admitted that his head was aching so badly that he couldn't use his power much longer. Scott decided to detour and check how everyone was faring, and led the group into a small room that he had noticed when he first arrived at the compound. He bolted the door and waited as the thunder of booted feet passed.
"Anyone hurt?" he whispered.
"I can't feel my arm," returned Evan. "and I think I'm bleeding pretty bad."
"Give me a second to find a light, Wheat about you two?" Scott asked the Professor and Lance.
"I'm cold, sweaty and tired. My head is killing me, a shitload of police with M-16s are chasing me and I'm sitting in the middle of them. I'm fine Summers. Just peachy."
"You smoke, Lance?" Scott asked, still searching for a light switch.
"Actually, no."
"We need light. We can't do anything without a light." Scott said again. Suddenly he turned to the Professor and in the dim light, Lance noted how pale Scott seemed. "Professor?"
"Calm down, Scott. Now listen, do you feel a breeze? Coming from that way. If we follow it, it may lead us out."
Lance inched his foot out and took a step deeper into the room, following the draft. After a minute, he turned back and called to the others. "There are stairs back this way, but it not as dark as over there. If we can get the old man down about, oh eighty to a hundred stairs, we'll be able to at least see each other when the military knocks down the door and kills us."
"Professor? What should we do?" Scott looked at the man who had been a father to him and was surprised to see how old he appeared. Lance had climbed the stairs and gave a short laugh.
"I'll carry the old man if its too much work for ya', Summers. You get the chair." Smirking because he had finally bested his chief rival, Lance carefully lifted Professor Xavier and waited for Scott and Evan to descend the stairs. They were clumsy, bumping the chair against the walls and running into things, Lance was half afraid that they would be heard, but as he followed, a bit more quietly, he heard no sound of pursuit. As he set the Professor back in his wheelchair, he looked up at Evan, who was staring strangely at something behind Lance.
Scott made a small, frightened noise and Lance turned, ready to scare off whatever bug or rodent he had found. Professor Xavier noticed the two of them staring and wheeled himself around.
"Scott…" he whispered. "Oh my God. Scott."
Scott could say nothing though, as he stared dumbfounded at the ragged stump where his left arm should have been.
~~ At the Military Base, Fort Braddock ~~
"I'm telling you, this isn't all of them. You left the two most dangerous ones out there. When they find out they're gonna tear this place apart looking for their friends."
"Look Ms. Malcolm," an elderly man in a uniform drawled. "We're having trouble enough just keeping the one we've got under control. Two mutants isn't that bad, all things considered, and they won't last long by themselves."
"You are seriously underestimating the destructive capabilities of the two of them."
The man nodded. "We're ready for them, but we can't spare any men to search for them. when they get here, they'll get what's coming to them."
Phoenix doubted that last statement, but was willing to admit that Kurt and Pietro were the two people least likely to work together and even less likely to be any trouble. What bothered her was that she had no idea how much they knew or where they were taking their information. Just then Logan gave a shout and ripped his arm free of its bindings. Yes, thought Phoenix as the man tore his way through four soldiers in full armor, Fort Braddock had their hands full with this crowd. But, she toyed with the thought of two small mutants with no offensive attacks wandering around alone. And no one would think twice if they just… disappeared.
Pleased that she had found something to do, Phoenix did an about face and breezed out of the compound, shaking hands and sharing smiles with dozens of soldiers who had heard of her discovery of the mutants.
From a separate plane, Haiden watched and planned how he would lead Kurt and Pietro. Phoenix was too powerful for them, and rescuing the mutants was too dangerous, especially since Kurt was reaching his breaking point. His true mutant ability would show itself soon, and he needed someone he was comfortable with to be there.
Reviewing his options didn't help, so Haiden shrugged and decided to be spontaneous. It wasn't his strong point, but it would get him through. As silent as death, he slid from the separate universe and stood, absorbing the sounds and sights of Fort Braddock. With a thought, he teleported to the holding cells where the mutants were being held prisoner. A part of him said that it was useless, that even if they escaped, they had no where to go, but when Haiden was being spontaneous, he was spontaneous.
Everything stopped when he appeared in the room, even Logan paused for a second to gawp at the stranger. Then he remembered himself and began his assault again. Two seconds more and Lance was free and the fighting began with renewed energy. Haiden dodged past several guards, shorting electric locks, and cutting bonds as he went. In short order, all the mutants were freed. They split into groups to escape, Haiden found himself fleeing with Jean Grey, Wolverine, and Magneto. As they rounded a corner and looked for a direct way out, Toad fairly flew down the hallway to join them.
"Scott, Evan, Xavier and Lance are going straight up and the rest are just plowing their way through the building. You guys are headed further into the base." He stammered when he caught his breath.
"So how do we get out?" Jean asked.
"Dunno, but it ain't this way."
There was rhythmic pounding on the ground that got louder and louder every second.
"We better find out fast, I can't dodge bullets and it takes a lot out of me to heal." Haiden noted.
"Well, y'know, they think we're trying to escape, so they're gonna run to block the exits. If we go deeper in and make our own way out from there… its not like they know we're lost." Toad supplied. Everyone stared at him for a moment, amazed at his thought process.
"Down it is." Conceded Magneto and Logan nodded. With that, they slipped down a side passage and ran as fast as they could.
~~ Charles Xavier, Lance, Scott and Evan ~~
The going had been good until one of the soldiers had dropped a grenade on them. Charles Xavier warned them a second before it went off and Lance dropped about a ton of rock on it. Even though it was dampened, the blast knocked the wind out of them and they lost precious time recovering. Now they were running in the other direction as gunners poured from the ceiling like water. Between breaths, Lance admitted that his head was aching so badly that he couldn't use his power much longer. Scott decided to detour and check how everyone was faring, and led the group into a small room that he had noticed when he first arrived at the compound. He bolted the door and waited as the thunder of booted feet passed.
"Anyone hurt?" he whispered.
"I can't feel my arm," returned Evan. "and I think I'm bleeding pretty bad."
"Give me a second to find a light, Wheat about you two?" Scott asked the Professor and Lance.
"I'm cold, sweaty and tired. My head is killing me, a shitload of police with M-16s are chasing me and I'm sitting in the middle of them. I'm fine Summers. Just peachy."
"You smoke, Lance?" Scott asked, still searching for a light switch.
"Actually, no."
"We need light. We can't do anything without a light." Scott said again. Suddenly he turned to the Professor and in the dim light, Lance noted how pale Scott seemed. "Professor?"
"Calm down, Scott. Now listen, do you feel a breeze? Coming from that way. If we follow it, it may lead us out."
Lance inched his foot out and took a step deeper into the room, following the draft. After a minute, he turned back and called to the others. "There are stairs back this way, but it not as dark as over there. If we can get the old man down about, oh eighty to a hundred stairs, we'll be able to at least see each other when the military knocks down the door and kills us."
"Professor? What should we do?" Scott looked at the man who had been a father to him and was surprised to see how old he appeared. Lance had climbed the stairs and gave a short laugh.
"I'll carry the old man if its too much work for ya', Summers. You get the chair." Smirking because he had finally bested his chief rival, Lance carefully lifted Professor Xavier and waited for Scott and Evan to descend the stairs. They were clumsy, bumping the chair against the walls and running into things, Lance was half afraid that they would be heard, but as he followed, a bit more quietly, he heard no sound of pursuit. As he set the Professor back in his wheelchair, he looked up at Evan, who was staring strangely at something behind Lance.
Scott made a small, frightened noise and Lance turned, ready to scare off whatever bug or rodent he had found. Professor Xavier noticed the two of them staring and wheeled himself around.
"Scott…" he whispered. "Oh my God. Scott."
Scott could say nothing though, as he stared dumbfounded at the ragged stump where his left arm should have been.