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Shattered Like Glass: Scene 05They left Juggernaut where he lay, snoring on the train tracks for the authorities to find. Without a word about her squeak of protest, the X-Men surrounded Shockwave and marched her back up to the platform. They climbed the halted escalator to street level, Blaze still holding her bruised stomach but not asking for any quarter from her teammates. Nevertheless Gambit hovered besides her just in case. For a moment, the fresh air was a sigh of peace to them all as the battle was over.
It didn't last. There was one luminous flash of a stills camera, and then all manner of noise and kafuffle broke out as film crews, reporters and police all tried to see what was going on. The X-Men had walked straight into the melee, stopping dead as they realised what was going on. They'd ambled into a trap, maybe not one that had been deliberately set, but a trap nonetheless.
"Shit…" Blaze breathed, thief's instincts running wild at all these people looking at her. At her right hand Gambit was no less unnerved, red-on-black eyes narrowing with suspicion as he stood straighter and dared the reporters to pick a fight.
"Keep together." Scott took the lead, voice in neutral and carrying well despite the hubbub. "We're just going to walk through them. Ilehana I know you'll do what you can. Storm maybe this rain could get a little worse?"
Naked in the torrential rain, the secret of the X-Men was left tattered and in flames. Shoulder to shoulder and dressed in black Cyclops, Storm, Wolverine and Vixen lead the way. Shockwave heard gasps as she knew she was recognised, a prominent pro-mutant senator's mutant daughter. In his heart Nightcrawler felt only pity for the shallow-minded fools who cried out at his unusual appearance. Shadowcat felt colour rising in her cheeks, longed for the opportunity to let the earth swallow her up with all these eyes on her.
They were helpless. Despite Ilehana's telepathic suggestions, despite Storm's pelting weather, despite Jubilee, Shadowcat and Gambit trying to slyly disable as much equipment as they could with a secretive touch. The world watched over and over during the next few hours and even days as these strange mutants walked out from the shadows. On TV sets in homes across the nation and the world, the huge Juggernaut was pulled out of the ground fast asleep. Witnesses came forward, not just passengers on the train, but men and women who'd recognised the uniforms of the mutants they'd seen on the TV.
Liberty Island was mentioned, and attacks on the White House on two separate occasions. A war once declared on the same very streets of New York between mutants and the Friends of Humanity… Those uniforms, those same mutants, and now this. A country in turmoil and most worrying of all, a conspiracy of cover-ups and lame excuses that stretched to the highest levels of government, to the President himself.
Yet as of now the X-Men knew nothing of what would come to pass after their brave walk through the media circus. The X-Jet was concealed on a rooftop across the street. As soon as they cleared the crowds the X-Men made a hasty retreat to their craft. Cyclops buckled himself into the pilot's seat and started the protocols for launch. At his side Storm's eyes were white as she called down even heavier rain and dense fog to mask their disappearance. Sam stood hesitantly, unsure of what to do as the X-Men took their places.
"Kid, sit down." Logan growled, practically pushing her into a seat across the way from his. Sam did as she was told, her wet clothing causing her to shiver profusely. The take-off was rapid, the acceleration pinned her back into her seat as she gripped the edges of the chair instinctively. Only when the jet was level did she open her eyes again.
"Let me see." Dr Xavier, Vixen, was helping Blaze out of her seat and to a section at the rear of the plane equipped with benches rather than seats. Blaze lay back on the cushioned bench and peeled her top back from the sticky blood-covered wound underneath.
"I think part of his armour caught me when he punched me…" Blaze's voice was short with pain, her breathing uneven.
"Don't help her!" Shockwave cried out, turning in her seat and undoing her harness. Clambering to her feet she tried to explain herself. "She's a traitor! She was out with Pyro!"
"Jeez…" Jubilee rolled her eyes as she looked up at Shockwave. Gambit didn't respond to the accusation, pushing past Shockwave bluntly and going to the back of the jet with Ilehana and Blaze. Sam glared after him, but Jubilee was still talking. "Don't humiliate her much, will you Shockwave? Like she hasn't done enough for you tonight stopping Juggernaut from pulverising you."
"You knew?" Shockwave couldn't believe it.
"Kid I'm not gonna tell you again." Wolverine growled, pointing at the seat Shockwave had vacated. "Sit, or I'll make you sit."
Unsurprisingly, Shockwave sat.