A/N - Just a quick update and a shoutout to Practically An Avenger for the great review! We ADORE them so! Please enjoy!
Chapter 106 - Easy Mark
The whole group had mostly gotten used to the massive time change, but Nate had been having trouble keeping out of everyone's business. It wasn't stress, he was pretty sure about that anyhow. But it could have been.
At any rate, he was taking advantage of all of his hyper awareness at every opportunity. And that particular morning, he was taking advantage of it by making sure that everyone was still sleepy before he ran off to pick up a more professionally made latte for his sweetie. Something that wasn't within Billy and Wanda's tastes. With much more chocolate.
He had plenty to think over, but the more serious things seemed to get, the more he wanted to spoil the daylights out of Kate and just spend time tucked away with her. And that was the plan. As soon as he got her the biggest latte they made. He just hoped she was still half zonked out when he got back.
He avoided his sister - narrowly - but he wasn't overly worried about running into his brother or his dad. Both of them were still pretty low, and that usually meant more time asleep or near enough to it to stay in bed. When he got to Kate's room, though, she wasn't entirely zonked, but not really awake awake, either.
"Hey gorgeous," Nate said quietly. "Had to step out for a second. Stretch my legs. Fetch an offering … you know."
Kate peeked up at him and then broke into a delighted smile when she saw him. "Oh, I do love you so much," she said, waving him over. "Gimme."
Nate grinned. "You got it," he agreed, though he kissed her cheek as he handed her the coffee. "No offense to the royals, of course … but …"
"But this is so much better. It's not their fault. They lived on an island all this time run by a man who thought a helmet was the height of fashion," Kate said, savoring her first sip with a smile.
"He had pretty good hair for one that should have been suffering from permanent helmet head," Nate conceded.
"Fair," Kate said, pulling him closer and still smiling.
Nate wrapped his arms around her, snuggling in. "Good morning, by the way. Sleep okay?"
"Alright. Finally getting closer to the right time zone," she teased.
"And just when you get used to it, we'll be zapped back home," Nate finished. "Good thing you can pick the times for your testing."
"Good thing you can do the same thing," Kate pointed out. "I totally overheard Annie telling your dad she's glad you're going to try the GED route. She's a little protective of you in that public school."
"It might have been getting a little distracting for her while I was redirecting the school."
Kate laughed and stole a kiss. "I love it when you flex."
"Not really much of a flex," Nate said. "Not when it's all the same thing, anyhow. And not compared to how the hell you can keep focused while you're being hilarious with your roomies."
"I am just that amazing," Kate said.
"You really, really are," Nate agreed, kissing her again - just because she was close enough.
Kate laughed when the kiss broke. "I'm totally loving this, but just so we're clear - you didn't break anything of mine and bring me coffee to avoid trouble? Because you're being super sweet."
"Nah, I just know that the Maximoff coffee viewpoint is a different flavor than what you like, and I needed to burn some energy. So … what do you mean 'super sweet'?"
"There it is," Kate said, nodding to herself. "What're you twisted about? You always think you can avoid it if you go walking."
"Just watching out for everyone," Nate replied honestly. "You know I do it every time something goes a little sideways."
"Yeah, well, color me worried for you, seeing as this past little while has been more than a little sideways," she pointed out.
"Dad will be okay," Nate said firmly. "He just needs to get his head on square again."
"That's what Craig's for, right?" Kate said. She laid her head on his shoulder, snuggling in a little tighter.
"We should put that on a t-shirt for him," Nate agreed.
"He needs it on a billboard for Iron Man," she teased.
"James would do it."
"Perfect. Let's get him on it."
"Later," Nate said, once again pulling her a little closer, and Kate wasn't going to argue with that.
Scott was on his way to talk to Craig - actually of his own volition, because he was still so mortified with himself despite all the kids had done - when he heard Wanda yelling at someone, loud enough that he couldn't quite place where she was because of the echoing metals. But then, she turned a corner, and he saw her floating, her cloak billowing along with her hair.
"...and I told you before that if and when there is a discussion, I will be the one to tell you when and where that happens," Wanda snapped. "You're pressing your luck, Hill. Keep pushing and you'll get a much clearer glimpse of what my family is known for." She slammed the phone down and let out a frustrated sound before she turned to leave the room, belatedly remembering to stop floating.
"What does Hill want now?" Scott asked, frowning.
"If I had to guess, she wants me to kill her," Wanda replied shortly.
"Not that you wouldn't be justified, but…"
She waved a hand and shook her head. "I've got it covered, Scott. Don't worry about it, please."
Scott raised an eyebrow at that and crossed his arms. "Wanda, come on."
She crossed her arms and considered him for a long moment. "You're going to worry if I don't tell you anything, aren't you?"
Scott couldn't help but smirk her way. "You've met me, right?"
"Ha ha." She sighed heavily. "Alright, but if I tell you, you have to promise to let me handle this round."
"Trust me; I don't think I'm even cleared to handle anything until Craig signs off," Scott pointed out.
"Alright," she said, nodding slowly. "In that case, since you're following doctor's orders, I don't think it would hurt too much." She tipped her head for a moment. "Probably be worse if I don't," she said under her breath. "Okay! She's pushing for another little chat with James first … and then Billy and Kate if she has her way, I'm sure. But she's at least learned some manners after the last time and she's not stupid enough to pull her little games here or when I'm involved."
Scott narrowed his eyes. "I already chased her off of James."
"Well that didn't work," Wanda said. "I thought Hank at least would have told you when you got back from Westchester, but she and Fury pulled a really rotten one when your back was turned." She gestured with one hand, once again floating. "I had to go get him."
Scott went totally still. "What."
"They did it while my back was turned, too - and when you were out of the building. Everyone was putting out fires and that little weasel came in, abused her privileges with the Avengers and dragged him up to the helicarrier for Fury." She tipped her chin up. "So I put them on notice."
Scott didn't breathe for a long time, then finally let it out. "Won't stand in your way," he said at last.
"Good," Wanda replied with a nod. "Good."
"If it happens again, let me know. Please."
"I will," Wanda agreed. "Though, Scott, I really thought you knew about this last one. I would have told you sooner otherwise."
"I think Hank's worried I'm going to have, as he put it, the most dramatic of cardiac events just to spite him."
"Yeah, don't do that," Wanda said with a crooked smile. "We like you around. And if things keep going well, we might just have to plan a party, you know?"
Scott chuckled under his breath. "That's not a secret," he said. "Even if James doesn't realize it."
"He's just too used to keeping everything quiet," she said.
Scott shook his head, but the good mood of thinking about their boys wasn't quite enough to outweigh how upset he was about James being hijacked. "Alright, well," he said, nodding to himself. "I'm supposed to talk to Craig, but if you decide to destroy SHIELD while I'm gone…"
"I'll bust you out to document it if I decide to destroy SHIELD," Wanda promised. "You deserve front row seats at minimum."
"Peanut gallery at best," he teased.
"Presidential Box," she called out over her shoulder.
"Sure, sure," he said, smirking as he walked backward with his hands in his pockets - which was an interesting mood for Craig to find him in. "Sorry I'm late," he said as he came to Craig's temporary office on the island. "Wanda may or may not be taking down an international organization."
"Ah, well, I suppose she needs her hobbies, too," Craig said mildly before he gestured for Scott to take a seat.
"Yeah, can't be too busy as queen," Scott said, shaking his head. "Not to mention looking out for the rest of us."
"She had no trouble getting me here," Craig laughed. "So … now that I am here, what's going on, Scott? It seems like it's been a while."
"Oh, well, you were busy with the kids after Viper, so I went ahead and committed murder while you weren't looking."
"Idle hands," Craig shot back, though he was frowning. "I wasn't too busy, you know."
"I was," Scott said simply.
"With idle hands, yes," Craig said. "I know you were keeping close tabs on James. I take it those concerns were well founded?"
Scott gestured openly with both hands. "Found Viper in his room and got myself poisoned and stabbed in the process."
"What is it with you and evil women trying to kill you?"
Scott pulled a terrible face. "You know, she said the same thing and kissed me? So I don't really want to talk about it."
"Well now I think we have to." He gestured with his pen. "I know you're glossing over things, so … maybe start from how you went from watchful to poisoned and fighting for your life in your son's bedroom."
Scott let out a long sigh, shifting the way he was sitting so that he could lean his elbows on his knees. "I knew she wasn't going to leave him alone, so I went walking." He tapped the side of his head. "Best surveillance on two feet," he added with a self-deprecating smile. "So when I saw someone who didn't belong in their house, I decided it was time to stop this before anyone else got hurt."
"So you engaged."
"I meant to down her with the first shot, but she's a faster snake than she looks," Scott said. "The end of her whip had spider venom, so you can imagine how the fight went from there."
"I can't, but I'll pretend like I can," Craig said.
Scott gestured vaguely. "She fights dirty. Doesn't spare the knees to tender spots."
"Sounds like it," he agreed. "I tell you, Scott, every time something like this comes up with your family, it's light years beyond the level of … I don't even know what."
Scott let out a dark chuckle. "I know the feeling," he said.
"So, to summarize, you … put a stop to another supervillain that was after your kids," Craig said. "What can I do?"
Scott stared at his hands for a long time. He'd promised Jean he'd be there for the kids. He'd promised the kids he'd get back on the team. He knew he needed to get better, but he wasn't sure where to start.
"I'd throw a parade for you if I had the clearance," Craig said. "But I will draw the line at having a session like this in whatever passed for her version of a palace."
Scott let out a disbelieving laugh. "I'm not sure if all this work with heroes has warped your sense of humor or just made you more vocal about it."
"Likely both," Craig replied, almost smiling himself. "But seeing as your son isn't nearly as forthcoming as I'd like and I've heard most of his issues from literally everyone but him, please, tell me what's going on with you yourself so I can try to help someone directly for a change."
Scott barely bit back a scoff. "Wow. That - that is very effective. No wonder Annie thinks you're the best therapist in town," he said, half teasing by that point.
"She said you're as good as family, so I see no reason to keep the gloves on," Craig teased.
"Fair." Scott pressed his hands together for a long moment still. "So," he said slowly, "only Ororo knows this - though I wouldn't be surprised if Nate's in on the secret at this point - but, ah…" He swallowed. "So, I'm really only still alive because Logan saw me crossing the line to the other side and yelled at me about it. He shocked me back to Earth, more or less," he said, looking at his hands rather than Craig.
Craig blinked at him for a few moments as he searched for something to say that would break the ice properly. "So … is that the first time you listened to him, then?"
Scott coughed out a laugh. "I listened to the one that made me come to you, didn't I?"
"But that's a different one," Craig teased. "I promise you though, that advice was the opposite of fatal."
Scott nodded, rubbing his thumb on the inside of his palm. "I don't know, Craig," he said after a long silence. "I got close enough to be relieved to be there. Again."
Craig let out a slow breath. "Depending on what your level of faith is, I think - in this case - it's safe to say that's how you should feel when you get that close. There's no shame in it, and the important part is that you're still here with the people you love, and who love you. Is that reasonable to assume?"
"That's the goal," Scott agreed. "I'm not trying to leave, I swear."
"If you were, Viper would still be alive," Craig said. "That's how I understand it, anyhow."
"You've got it, more or less," Scott said.
"So where is your trouble here?" Craig asked. "You know that whenever it finally happens for good, you've got people that love you there to catch you - and until that time, you've got people that love you here to catch you."
"Yeah, I know," Scott said. "I just…" He let the statement hang in the air. He was terrible at this, no matter how hard he was trying.
"I imagine I'd do just about anything to see my mother again," Craig said.
Scott glanced up at Craig and let his expression soften. "It's hard to say goodbye again, though."
"Hard, sure. But would it be harder to say goodbye to everyone here - right now?"
Scott nodded, though it took him a minute. "I couldn't stay on the other side with the kids still here," he agreed. "That's why I'm trying, Craig. I am. I know I'm terrible at this, but I am."
"Then it sounds to me like you're bein' too hard on yourself."
"'Ro may have said something to that effect, yeah," Scott said with a small smile.
"Then listen to your friends here, too," Craig said.
"Annie tell you about the coup the kids ran on me? I think I have no choice but to listen to them," Scott pointed out.
"Might've mentioned it," Craig said.
"They've already managed to get me back on the roster, and Kate's trying to put me on active duty. Says powers don't matter to active status."
"Clearly they don't," Craig agreed. "She's managed this whole time."
"And she thinks it's hilarious when Nate gets called out by his own dad in team practices."
"As I understand it from Nate, she thinks that's hilarious all the time."
"True." Scott smirked. "I need to stick around. Those two are going to get married young like Jean and I did."
"I think most of those kids are on that same plan," Craig said. "They all act like it more often than not."
Scott chuckled. "We'll see."
"Alright, that sounds like you don't believe it. Who do you think isn't going to go young?"
"Well, James would have to believe he's worthy of something that happy," Scott pointed out. "And I think America and Rachel aren't in a hurry to find rings. They're happy, and I doubt they're going anywhere, but neither of them like the pageantry of weddings. I'd know; they keep telling Toby that," he added, smirking.
"America and Rachel might just surprise you," Craig said, though he wasn't arguing over James at all.
"But we're agreed that Nate and Kate are going to make me and Jean look reserved, yes?"
"Absolutely. I'm keepin' an eye on Mia, to be honest. That girl thinks she's three or four years older than she is."
"She's lucky she's so young she's not getting the same jokes."
"Don't be so sure," Craig said with his eyebrows raised. "I've heard a little of it, but that girl leans into it."
Scott couldn't help but laugh. "Oh, she's so much like Kurt sometimes."
"I see a lot of her mother," Craig said.
"'Ro did an amazing job with her," Scott agreed.
"And you did an amazing job on yours," Craig said. "Don't discount that."
"I appreciate it," Scott said. "They're the reason I'm still here."
"So … celebrate it," Craig advised. "Those kids need a reminder pretty much as often as you do when things are going well. All of you gloss over the good stuff and worry too hard about the rest."
"I know. I'm trying," Scott said. "Annie's like a breath of fresh air for all of us."
"You know, Scott, if you've just about said your piece, you don't need to try redirectin' me by tellin' me how wonderful my sister is. I know how wonderful she is."
"Well good. I'll make sure she knows that too," Scott said, smirking as he got to his feet. "Thanks, Craig. Really."
"Anytime. I've been told I'll be here until everyone goes back, too - so if you or anyone else needs some time, I'm around."
The stay in Genosha had run its course. Everyone was feeling more centered, Natasha and Steve had checked out everything in James' house - and removed all of the kids belongings while Tony gave notice to MIT that James would return to campus when they were finished with his paper. He saw no reason to risk sending the kid back after the town itself had proven to be less than lock tight.
Once they were home, the kids - and Scott - were greeted with new uniforms. It was just a little something Jan had been working on for months … a revamp of the looks they'd been wearing since day one, plus Scott. Jan and Scott had sat down once he'd agreed to be more active on the team to figure out what he'd even wear, because he wasn't ready to return to being Cyclops, really. He didn't have those powers anymore, and he was comfortable with the world thinking he was dead. It helped him stay under the radar.
Instead, Jan had managed to design a yellow and black look for him that looked almost like what he'd worn when he was a kid, first starting out - but she had turned the design inward so that the X accents and black lining almost looked like a suit coat. It was subtle, but Scott could see where she was going with it. He wasn't the professor, but he carried that mantle now, in a way.
Of course, they were barely home a day or two before they found occasion to put them on and do something. But not everyone was pleased with the uniforms.
"I feel like an idiot," James said as he looked at himself in the mirror, adjusting his suit and trying to decide how to handle the cowl. Even with it pulled down to where it should be, he felt odd because this … this was the first time going out with the team since he'd gotten rid of the eye patch. Every movement on that side - now that he could see properly- caught his attention and he was jumpy over everything.
"I'm not sure why," Nate said as he stepped up next to his brother. "Jan didn't have to make any adjustments."
"I know. It just … it's weird. Exposed."
"Hate to be the one to break it to you, but as far as the outfit goes, you've always been exposed. All of us are."
"Remind me why I can't just wear a hoodie again," James grumbled, trying to find a way to stand that didn't feel so revealing. He was built up again, his eye was back and functioning perfectly, and the truth of the matter was that he just wanted to stay under the covers away from everyone.
"Because you can only take after so many superheroes and if you pick Logan, Dad, and Tony, that's already more than most everyone else, so adding Luke Cage to the mix is just selfish," Nate teased, then jostled his brother's shoulder. "Come on. You know the number of people ogling you is way lower than the number that would actually try something."
"That's not real helpful."
"True. I know your following is a little more handsy," Nate said, then smiled a little wider. "But … really. I've got your back. I'll keep an ear open for any nefarious intent."
"Perfect. Thanks," James said, though Nate could see this felt totally different for his brother after everything that Viper had done.
"Hey," Nate said, catching his brother's attention again. "In case I didn't say it? It's nice to have you back with us."
"Couldn't come back until the patch was gone," James said.
"Yeah, you could have, but I know why you didn't," Nate replied. "And as much as I hate to say it, if you don't want to come back - you don't have to. No matter what anyone says. Even Dad."
"Ah, but you're wrong," James countered before he stood next to his brother and dropped one hand on his shoulder. "Viper did everything she could to keep me off the team. Even after Natasha made me work with her, I don't know if my reluctance is her or me, so yeah. I gotta come back."
"Alright, but … if you change your mind-"
"I'm still going to do it," James said. "If there's any microscopic chance you can use someone as underpowered as me on the team-"
"You're not-"
"Comparatively, I am. And I'm okay with that." James forced a crooked smile. "Don't try to argue that, little bro. We have reality benders, a part-demon, arguably the world's most powerful telepath … and then Kate and me. But I'm okay with that because I know I have a few uses even if I'm not a Hawkeye." He turned to take in the expression his little brother was wearing. "Don't fret. Takes away from the tone you're going for. And you are getting beefier."
"Yeah, well …. I still have a way to catch up to your normal," Nate said, then bumped shoulders with James as the two brothers headed for the rest of the group waiting by the jet.
Something else that was new to James was Scott meeting the team at the jet - to give them a solid briefing before they headed out, before they stepped foot onto the jet. But when James and Scott held each other's gaze for a moment, it was clear they were building up to a minor clashing of horns.
Scott hadn't actually been ready to step in, even to this capacity, but in a fit of anger, he'd decided to re-join, and he wasn't about to back down now. He couldn't. If Scott backed out, he'd have no footing if and when James backed down. And he did not want James to give up on something he'd felt so strongly on not that long ago. He did not want to let Viper have won anything with his son. So at this point, both of them were there simply to prove the other wrong - or right. Even they were a little foggy on why other than just being stubborn about it. Not that the team was complaining.
Scott's intel was far more concise and to the point than what the kids were used to- he didn't leave out things that the Avengers had a tendency to hold back, and he even went so far now to suggest who should team up with who according to the most pertinent data coming in in real time. It was very much like stepping into the information age after having lived through the cold war. But with someone to translate everything they needed without being distracted by anything. This … this was Scott's realm and it showed.
And as was the case more and more often, small groupings of mutants were being targeted within the city of New York. Hydra and others like them were trying to draw the X-Men out and they weren't even being shy about admitting it. They were using tiny groups that were trying to emulate what Ororo and the older X-Men were doing in Westchester, but in the city where the boroughs had to learn to deal with it. And for the most part, they were. But occasionally, it was a problem.
Over the past month or so, several of these tiny schools had been opened and consequently attacked, and every time this happened, Tony had come in to cover repairs and fund rebuilding their school with much needed necessities and security. But that did little to reassure those that had been there. It was still a danger. But, the X-Men had been responding to active attacks as they came up, both attacks to these little schools and other, more open attacks.
So, Scott gave them all that he had, information wise before they headed out - and James was half torn between ready and waiting to tear into them and apprehensive at what might happen the next time he faced Hydra. Regardless of the blank possibility out there, James was pretty sure this was Hydra. Even if Scott couldn't say for sure one way or the other.
Just before they loaded up, James compulsively smoothed out his uniform and adjusted his cowl, then took the copilot chair next to Nate - preferring to see where he was going than to have some small talk in the last few minutes before they intervened.
When they got to the site, there was a pretty large crowd of protesters on both sides of the fence. Many of them were protesting the little mutant school in that neighborhood, though they didn't have the same accent that most of the locals did … while those protesting for the school matched up with the accent a lot better, suggesting that the dissidents were shipped in.
But the kids were still stuck in the middle, and the pro-mutant protesters were catching flack as they tried to block the black panel vans from leaving.
"We knew this was a possibility," Nate said to James as he found a place to land.
"Yeah, I know," James replied. "Just really sick of hearing about kids being the target, you know?"
"Yeah. I know," Nate agreed. "But just … go easy if you can, okay? We still don't know for sure who this is."
"Alright, Dad- I mean … no, you're definitely on track. I stand by that."
"Shut up," Nate laughed, unable to shove his brother like he usually would while he was mid-landing. "Could be worse."
"True."
"I could be like Tony."
"You wound me," James shot back, though he was frowning deeper when he saw how young some of the kids were. "I thought this was all mutant kids."
"It is," Nate said. "While you were recovering, you probably missed that some of the public schools have implemented scanners at the doors, courtesy of Baintronics and Oscorp - so … you know. They're finding the mutant genes before they activate and some places are kicking kids out based on just that. There's all kinds of litigation going on. How did you miss it?"
James swore under his breath because Nate was right, he'd been ignoring as much about the news as he could - and this was a pretty big development to miss. "I guess I need to spend a little more time at the office. What are they going to do when they realize most of the schools are filled with mutants?"
"Um … adapt to their own stupidity?" Nate said with one eye open as he checked his own mask one last time.
By the time the brothers got up to head out, the rest of the team was already at the door, ready to roll - and with their assigned partners waiting for them. Scott had been careful to try and keep the couples from teaming up where he could since that pairing on its own had been known over the years to be distracting and problematic. As was that of being with siblings - though with almost half of the team being from one family, that was a lot harder prospect to handle.
But still … some things couldn't be avoided, and Scott knew first hand how substantial working with a sibling could be - and considering the powerhouse combination Nate and James had turned out to be together … he didn't want to break up that pairing.
Kate was working with Tommy and Mia was paired up with Rachel. Billy was with America - all and all solid groups across the board, and none of the kids Viper had gotten a hold of were with each other, either. It was a small safeguard against someone freezing up should a previously missed trigger be tripped or they were inadvertently reminded of something awful that hadn't been addressed.
Because of the pairings though, the team was making quick work of breaking up the crowds and stopping the vans. Only one van got loose before they could get there, but SHIELD had already caught up with them before they could breach the perimeter a few blocks out.
The team was working through the schoolhouse and the surrounding areas trying to find any lost kids that were hiding - as often was the case - when Nate ripped the doors off of the last van that was hidden in the back of the schools' garage.
Inside, he found a little girl no older than five or six. Her clothes were dirty, her blonde hair was tangled, and she turned fast with wide, brown eyes. She took one look at Nate and scrambled backward, shaking her head.
"Hey, it's okay," Nate said, smiling at her even as he looked over his shoulder for his brother. He was good with kids, but terrified little girls was absolutely his brother's specialty. "Are you hurt?"
"No!" she all but shouted, little fists at chest level and still scrambling to hide. "Go away!"
"I'm just trying to get you to safety," Nate said, holding one hand out. "Come on - I'll get you out of here. Get you somewhere with cookies and nice people until we find your family."
But that seemed to set her off, and she started crying hard.
"Crap." Nate started to climb in, but the little girl started wailing, screaming for him to stay away, and Nate found himself in a tough spot. He knew the kid needed help, but the closer he got, the more upset she was. And with the angry crowd just outside, shouting on the other side of the street, he knew he couldn't get away with doing anything telepathically to force a kid to go with him. "Hold on." Nate held up both hands and stepped back, looking for help. Mia was busy … America and Billy were working wonders on the pro-mutant crowd, Kate was about ten seconds from decking an anti-mutant protester … which had Nate doing a double take … he wanted to see that go down, and …
"There you are," James said with one hand over his ear the closer he got to the van. "Making little girls cry?"
"You're hilarious," Nate said dryly, then gestured with one hand toward the van. "She's freaking out whenever I try anything."
"What did you do?" James teased, even as he pulled his cowl off and stepped up to the open door of the van.
Nate shook his head and turned to watch Kate give the bigoted creep a lesson in humility. "I don't know," Nate said. "But she's still screaming and it's you, so … maybe she doesn't trust guys."
"Maybe," James agreed, then sat down in the open door of the van while the little girl stared at him with wide eyes, terrified. His shoulders dropped slightly and he tried for a smile. "Hi. I'm James - this guy is my little brother. Are you hurt?" When she just stared back at him, he held one hand open toward her, offering it to her. "Hey, it's alright. I won't hurt you." The girl sniffled and looked somehow more scared, so James settled in to try and give her a chance to calm down in her own time. "It's okay. I'm not in a rush. I know it's scary out there, but no one will bother you. I won't let them." He turned his head to watch the crowd himself. "When you're ready, I'll be right here - and if you don't want one of us, I can ask one of the older Avengers to come instead, but you can't stay in this smelly old van, sweetheart."
She made a sound of protest, but James didn't push, keeping to his word to let her decide on the timing herself as the rest of the team worked outside. But, after a little while, she quit crying so hard, still whimpering as she started toward him. James waited until she was close before he turned toward her with a smile, though he still didn't reach for her. "Are you ready to get out of this van?" She nodded her head, and James carefully offered her his hand again- palm up and still looking perfectly relaxed. She stared at his hand for a moment and he frowned slightly … something about her scent was just … it was off, but he didn't know what it was.
The ammonia from pure terror was thick in the small space, and James found himself trying to sort out the scents even as the little girl went around his hand to climb up into his lap, going from avoiding him entirely to crowding him with both arms around his neck. "Oh, okay," James said as he gently shifted to wrap her up. His intention was to pick her up and carry her out but when his arms were around her, she squeezed his neck tighter and let out a noise that easily conveyed how terrified she was. "Easy, little friend," James told her in a low, gentle rumble. "I promise I won't hurt you."
"Pease don't be mad," she whispered.
"Why would I be mad?" James asked as the little girl doubled down on her hug, crying. He readjusted how he was sitting, once again sliding slightly deeper into the van so she could feel more protected as he tried to reassure her. "Hey. You're alright. I'm not gonna be mad."
She shifted, and he could tell she was changing her grip on him. But what was concerning was the speed at which Nate turned away from Kate and back toward his brother. James looked toward Nate just as the little girl picked up one arm and jammed him in the neck with something sharp - then immediately broke down in tears bawling when James let out a reactionary sound of pain.
James swore when he felt the needle in his neck, and though one hand went right for the device sticking out of his neck, his other arm kept a gentle grip on the girl. He wasn't going to let her go. Not after she injected him with something. "What was that for?" James asked, though when he was speaking to her, he kept the more gentle tone in place. Even as he felt the drugs burning a path of numbness as they sped through his veins.
"Let me go! I'm sowwy! I didn' mean to!" the girl screeched with tear trails down her cheeks, though she wasn't really pushing to get away from him.
James pulled the injector out of his neck with his free hand, then dropped it in the back of the van. His limbs were getting heavy already and he couldn't feel his extremities, even as Nate got to them and scooped the girl up telepathically. "'s not 'er fault," James said, though by the end of the sentence, James was already starting to slur his words and his eyes were unfocused. He was panicking, but it was doing him no good. "Can't ..."
Before Nate could pull the terrified girl away entirely though, James reached out to her as she screamed and pulled out her front tooth - one that looked too white and a little outsized to fit her face. It fell from his hand next to the injector as Nate caught up to what was happening and the little girl started truly hyperventilating and fighting to get away.
There was a muted crack that caught Nate's attention just a few seconds after James slipped down flat - halfway into the van - and he realized this had been the trap they'd been banking on, so before he even considered anything else, Nate lifted his brother, then planned on picking up the injector and broken tooth that was now leaking a smoking fluid that smelled even to Nate like almonds.
Nate stared for a few seconds, putting it together … then he drew in a sharp breath and telekinetically picked that up too as he reached out to Rachel. Our little victim just drugged James, Nate projected sounding furious.
What? Rachel asked, spinning on the spot to come and help. The crowd was dispersing anyhow - and this was much more important at the moment.
Nate quickly relayed what he knew as he tried to get James to rouse - and Rachel reached out telepathically to quiet the screaming girl and look through her mind to see what had happened - even more furious when she saw that the same telepath that had been tampering with Kate and Billy had worked on this little girl … to weaponize her against James specifically.
"Check her mouth," Rachel said as she backed out of the girl's mind.
"James already got the cyanide tooth," Nate said as they maneuvered everything and everyone to get back to the jet. "Keep an eye open for the recovery team. I doubt Hydra or anyone else would go to this much trouble and not have someone horrible lined up to reinforce it."
And though Rachel was furious, it was Nate that was levitating and looking as if he was ready to murder someone with his bare hands.
Unfortunately for the fresh wave of soldiers melting out of the crowd, Nate was waiting for them - and he was not feeling the slightest bit generous.
"That's enough of that," Nate said half under his breath - furious and not about to temper his reaction for anyone when his brother had been attacked … again. With his eyes glowing, and barely a thought, Nate separated the crowd from the enemy agents with little regard to who was a civilian, a hydra agent, a hired creep, or SHIELD agent from those who held no ill intent toward the X-Men. It was plain to see who the trouble was. He forced them to surrender their weapons, cuff themselves and their allies where applicable, and wait for the good SHIELD agents to step in.
"That's exactly the kind of thing that makes people scared of mutants," Rachel told Nate over his shoulder. "But … nice work."
"Not sure Dad will agree."
"He will," Rachel promised. "Billy is helping me get James to the jet. Just …. Don't get carried away."
"If I was getting carried away, these idiots would be dead," Nate replied with his back to any possible camera angle.
"I know. Still." She gave Nate's arm a squeeze as she headed off. The rest of the team was still getting things settled while SHIELD moved in, though that wasn't going to take long at all the way Nate was handling them.
What the team didn't know, and what James couldn't tell them, was that he wasn't unconscious as Billy and Rachel got him back to the jet on the way to the tower. He could hear everything going on around him, and for as much as his eyes were open, he could see plenty. He just couldn't move - not even his eyes, and he couldn't talk. And to top it off, he couldn't push down the panic far enough to reach out to Rachel to tell her as much. He wanted to scream, but he just … wasn't able to. He could feel the pressure at the back of his throat, but nothing would come out, and it wasn't helpful at all to feel his body being moved for him - secured in the jet, then unloaded at the tower.
He was fully aware of how badly their dad was freaking out when they returned to the tower, though. He also recognized the scents clinging to the little girl now that the cyanide tooth was well away from her. She was unconscious and no longer reeking of fear since her telepathic suggestion was for deep dreamless sleep - and the scents that stuck to her had James wanting to run. But he couldn't. Not as long as the drug coursing through his veins was working. And it was working very well.
He felt the prick of a needle and his heart rate spiked when Hank drew some blood to find out what compounds were in play - and if he could reverse them before James could burn them out of his system - or if he could make an antidote. But that little jump in his pulse had Hank watching him more closely.
Hank set the vial of blood aside for the time being and turned the lights over James down before he checked his pupils and tried to get a response from him. "Can you hear me, James?" Hank asked at a normal speaking tone, though of course, James couldn't respond. He wanted to - he tried, but nothing would come out. And there was nothing he could do to convey to Hank that yes, he'd heard him. But to James' absolute relief, after staring down at James for a long moment, it seemed as if Hank realized what was going on. But it was also plainly apparent to James that Hank had no idea how to handle it. He paused for a long moment, then rested both hands on James' arm, trying to help James see he didn't want to hurt him.
"Hank?" Scott said, looking on in alarm at the scene before him.
"I .. don't think that he's unconscious," Hank said slowly. "But if he is awake, then he can't move enough to communicate either." He frowned, then bounded over to his desk only to return with eye drops and surgical tape that he was prepared to use to keep James' eyes closed. "In fact," Hank said as he tried to help James settle in and James involuntarily panicked. He watched the monitors for a moment longer. "His heart rate and respiration are stabilizing, even as his scent is indicating otherwise. I wouldn't be surprised if Viper had concocted some horrible concentration of a tetrodotoxin for exactly this kind of state. I'll need to monitor him to be sure - though for all the trouble this group went through to target him, I highly doubt that the dosage would be enough to kill him. However, it may be kinder, considering the paralysis, to put him to sleep until this wears off."
Scott's jaw tightened and he pulled out a seat next to James. "That might be how to handle it. For now. But I don't want him on anything else if there's a chance it might interact badly."
"Of course not," Hank said, blustering slightly. "Just try to talk to him for now. See if there's any change in his vitals and perhaps reach out to our telepaths to see if they can help."
James was panicking, but the drugs that had been loaded up in that syringe apparently hadn't met full strength yet because this time, when he knew he faced upcoming paralysis and forced sleep, James' pulse didn't change one beat. Which had him even more freaked out than before, but it absolutely matched up with what Hank had hypothesized. No one knew how terrifying that was for him in a laboratory setting. But the two elder X-Men continued to discuss matters even as James was internally having a meltdown.
James could feel it when Scott rested his hand on his forearm, and even though Scott started talking slow and easy to him, James's ears were ringing to the point that he couldn't hear him properly. Not over his internal panic, anyhow.
He could hear it when Kate came in with Billy, and when Hank checked his blood to see what was in use to avoid giving him anything that would make it worse. All things considered, James had no idea what he could use to knock him out, and he was having a fresh wave of terror as he realized he couldn't relax enough to drop his psychic shields for his siblings.
Rachel and Nate had done what they could to debrief with Steve - filling him in on the thought processes of those they were fighting before they came to see how James was faring. Both of them were sure he'd be up and about, so to find him paralyzed still …
Rachel was barely holding back flames of rage before she pressed to try and communicate with James. When she saw that he couldn't let his shields down, she only got more angry - though reluctant to share the why with her father. Yet. "Nate, I need you to help me out for a second," Rachel said.
The two of them shared a look, and Nate shook his head. "I've got it. I'll go easy. You … take a minute to breathe."
"Are you sure?"
"I'm sure," Nate said. "I can get through without hurting him if I have to, even with the shields up. I just … have tried to respect his privacy."
Rachel took a centering breath and nodded as she stepped back. It made sense, after all. The little bit of effort he'd put into dealing with his school, and the Hydra unit that had come with a plan to catch James … with the right care, she knew Nate could do what he needed to. So instead of trying to run the show, Rachel stepped back and watched James' monitors as Nate carefully did what he could to jailbreak into James' mind.
It took a lot of finesse, but once Nate controlled his own panic and concern for his brother enough to focus his efforts, he got in. And immediately had to push hard to calm James down from what felt like a full blown panic attack. The landscape around him was accented by shifting memories and an overbearing sensation of helplessness and despair at being paralyzed and silenced. And all Nate could think of as he telepathically eased his brother to sleep was that he was glad he'd gone without Rachel because that … that whole knot of emotions would have been more than enough to feed the Phoenix to a level that Rachel might not control.
But, once he got James calm enough to rest dreamlessly, he took a quick look around himself to see how James' mindscape had shifted from the traumas, then, he carefully stepped back to report back to their father. "He's asleep," Nate told Scott carefully as he watched his brother. "Deep, dreamless sleep. It'll fade on its own … my best guess would be at least a few hours."
Scott nodded, and then, even without telepathy, the rest of the team could actually see the switch he made from a concerned father to a furious team leader. He turned on his heel away from James to look at everyone else, and everything about the way he held himself had shifted.
"Rachel," he said with his eyes narrowed, pointing her way for emphasis, "get Betsy. Work with the girl Hydra coerced into this and find that telepath." He didn't wait for Rachel to acknowledge him before he pointed at Nate. "You. Get Ororo and Jan then go talk to Vojteck. He'd know who was slated to run things with Viper's Madripoor leadership out of the running. And make doubly sure he's not getting any messages off to Hydra in the first place. Kate, grab your parents and make sure those damn SHIELD agents share whatever they found at the scene." Once again, he just assumed that the kids were going to do what he'd asked as he turned toward Tommy. "I know Nate was on camera for most of that. I need to know what the damage is and who's reacting," he said - and Tommy immediately zipped away. "Billy, make sure he doesn't get himself caught," he added - not quite as sharply as he'd been talking up until that point, purely because he hadn't even gotten to finish with Tommy. Not that he was surprised.
"Kinda fun getting the Big, Bad, and In Charge Cyclops," America teased Mia, who smirked and nodded.
"Mom says we really should have roped him in sooner."
"Glad to hear you think that, since I need you two to run a mutant pickup," Scott said.
Mia laughed and saluted Scott crookedly. "No rest for the wicked."
Scott shook his head, but it wasn't until all the members of the team had split to their individual tasks that he let himself show how truly mad he was, even if it was just in the form of a frustrated shout that only Hank was around to hear.
"No marching orders for your old friend?" Hank teased once Scott got a hold of himself.
Scott shook his head at him as he sat down close by James. "What, keeping an eye on my son isn't a trusted enough position for you?" he asked with almost a smirk.
"I simply thought you were in a groove," Hank answered with a sly smile.
Scott waved one hand Hank's way. "Yeah, well, half the reason James was hesitant to join the team is because he was worried about exactly this. I was too," he added for emphasis. "But now that the team is out there, I can't let him back away, either."
"Then you may just have your work cut out for you," Hank said.
"I know. But now that the world has seen him, he'll get hounded for the rest of his life no matter what team he is or isn't on. He's already set those wheels in motion. This is about what he can do with the spotlight he's given himself."
"It should be interesting," Hank said. "I have full faith in the boy, though."
"I do too, or I wouldn't have agreed to this position to keep him from quitting. Obviously," Scott said, then leaned back with his head touching the wall and his fingers pinching his nose. "This isn't exactly what I figured I'd be doing when my kids were done with school."
"That's what you get for making plans for them," Hank chuckled.
"You'd think I'd learn, and yet…" Scott took a deep breath and let it out. "Feels like we picked up the rock and all the bugs hiding under it have come out."
"That is what they do best," Hank agreed. "So, what can I do for you to ease your blood pressure while we wait?"
Scott scoffed, though he was smirking hard. "Well, what have you got that skips ahead ten years to when the growing pains of a public-facing X-Men are over?"
"You think ten years will do it?"
"It was about that long for us before Graydon Creed - well, a little longer, but still."
"Yes, let's not ruminate over that too much right now."
"I don't think it'll go that way for them, though," Scott said. "They have so much more backing than we did." He paused. "They're just finding new ways to scare me out of my mind instead."
"They are a creative group."
Scott nodded, letting out his breath. "Pretty sure between 'Ro, Jan, and Nate, our Hydra prisoner is about to get the interrogation of his life, too." He sat up straighter. "Alright. I need to make a few calls - the school administrators are checking in on some of the students that caught up in it. I'll just be in the hall - let me know the second he's awake, okay?" With that, he pulled out his cell phone and headed out - though not before he saw Annie's text:
Saw the news. I knew Nate was powerful enough to hide from an entire school population in plain sight, but wow. You should be proud. I know you are.
PS: I called Ororo; I'll be there with something to eat soon.
He couldn't help but smile at the text, shaking his head. James is still unconscious. He was drugged.
All the more reason for me to bring food for his recovery, Annie responded. Or is it that you just don't want me over?
He chuckled to himself. Like I'd ever say no to spending time with you.
That's what I thought, Annie replied, and he could practically hear it in her sharp accent - which only made him smile more. See you soon.
James woke up a little ahead of Nate's estimation, though the drugs had worn off, and he wasn't exactly expecting … well he wasn't sure what to expect as he slowly started to stir. As soon as he was half-upright, he woke up fast and slid his legs over the edge of the bed he was on, announcing to Hank he was up with one thing on his mind. "Where's that little girl?" James asked, his voice a little raspy with sleep.
"She's safe," Hank said, coming over as James was pulling off the leads.
"Great. Where?"
"Don't fret over that right now," Hank said, then let out a little scoff when James pushed him back.
"If you don't want to tell me, I'll just figure it out myself," he said, sounding a lot more snarly than he meant to.
"Wait for your father," Hank said, stepping in front of him to slow him down. "And let me make sure you're back to yourself."
"I'm fine."
"Oh, come on, Doctor Blue," said a new voice from the doorway, and both of them turned to see Lexi Barton. It looked like she had come down to get a butterfly bandage for a bad cut from her ear to her chin, but now, she was standing there with her arms crossed. "He's worried about her."
Hank gave her a dry look. "Wait for Scott."
"Lexi, where is she?" James asked, neatly stepping around Hank.
"Rachel and Betsy cleared out the rec room with the pool table so they could fix up the telepathic damage," Lexi said, thumbing over her shoulder. "Warren was on his way to join them and we sort of had a small collision because I wasn't looking where I was going…"
James started toward her, slowing just long enough to kiss the top of her head. "Thanks." With that, he broke into a jog to get there just a bit quicker, leaving Lexi rolling her eyes at Hank as he made a point of calling Scott.
When James got to the rec room, it was more or less like he'd expected with Rachel and Betsy trying to make friends after the fact and Warren protectively hovering nearby. He knocked on the doorframe and waited for them to look his way before he stepped in. "Everyone in one piece?" James asked, looking toward Rachel first before he shifted his attention to the little girl, relaxed his shoulders and managed half a smile.
"Yeah, everyone's doing well, so far," Rachel said. "We were just getting to know your little friend."
James started toward her with the same kind of pace he'd used when they'd met, then crouched down to her level, though he didn't reach for her at first. "Are you okay?"
She nodded, then shrunk in on herself a little bit, obviously feeling badly over what had happened earlier, though when James held out his arms for her, she barely hesitated before curling up with him in the bear hug he'd wanted to give her. "See? I told you I wouldn't be mad," James told her quietly. "Not at you."
"Her name is Angela," Rachel said quietly, crouching down next to her brother while he soothed the little girl. She'd been half-terrified up until that point, and it seemed that she almost needed to be shown that James actually wasn't mad at her.
"Angela," James said softly. "Do you remember my name?"
She nodded into his shoulder. "Are you sure you're not mad?"
"Not at you," James promised, then snuggled her in when she tightened her grip on him again. "You're safe here. Prestige and Psylocke will keep you safe. They'll stop whoever was scaring you from getting into your thoughts again." He looked over to Rachel, who nodded her agreement, then held his position as Scott and Annie came in to see how things had gone.
"Making friends?" Scott asked, relaxing slightly when he saw that James was taking care of the little girl.
"Kinda," James agreed, then loosened his grip as soon as Angela let go. "What do you think?" he asked her. "Are we going to be friends?"
She shyly smiled, shrugging one shoulder up. "Uh-huh."
"Are you going to be okay with Prestige and Psylocke?"
Angela glanced over at the two telepaths, then stole a peek at Warren with wide eyes. "Hi."
Scott smiled in spite of himself and James shifted to direct her more clearly toward Warren - one arm around her back as she leaned on him. "Did you meet Angel yet?" James asked. "He's a pretty nice guy."
She leaned in on James and scrunched closer, trying to find a way to hide with him as she waved shyly. "Uh-huh."
"Did you know he loves to play with kids? Especially kids that think he's pretty," James said, his tone much quieter as if he was telling Angela a secret, though the other adults heard it perfectly clearly and both Rachel and Scott had to stop from laughing outright. Especially at the dry look Warren gave James for that. Thankfully, Angela didn't see it as she'd turned to hide in James' shoulder, giggling.
It only took James another few minutes to get Angela to go to Warren readily, and then, he slowly started to back off when it was clear she was absolutely enchanted with Warren - and vice versa.
James gave Rachel a pointed look, and before long, Scott, his kids, and Annie left to let nature take its course with the Worthingtons and little Angela. Scott closed the door quietly behind himself once they were all out into the hall.
James took just enough time to take a deep, centering breath and blow it out in a woosh before he turned to his father looking serious. "Okay, Dad. Just tell me where I'm going and whose ass I'm kicking."
Scott's mouth tightened up, but he managed to run down where the other team members were and what they were up to, except he didn't say a word about Vojteck. That was a point of contention, and he didn't need James losing his temper. Even if it was clear James seemed to know Scott was skipping a few points. "We're not sure who's trying to take charge at this point," Scott admitted. "So you can help who you like, but you should probably take a minute to recharge. Annie brought you some home-cooked food, too."
"No thank you, Miss Hale," James said gently before he turned back to Scott with the fire freshly renewed. "Pretty sure I can take a minute anywhere if we're all just talking to everyone. Who's digging into SHIELD?"
"Kate and her parents-"
"Are going over the field ops," James finished, cutting Scott off and looking like he was ready to just start beating on someone. "Yeah. That's not what I'm asking. Who's tearing into SHIELD itself?"
"James," Scott started to say, but James' attention was drawn as he turned toward the hall that led to the elevators, then simply started toward whatever he'd heard.
The moment a SHIELD agent turned the corner, it was plain that they were in trouble. James moved before Rachel could even reach out to warn him to stop, and a second later after a sickening crack, the first agent was on the ground.
"James, don't," Rachel shouted, rushing to stop him. "I'll find the telepath. You don't have to beat your way through SHIELD."
"Don't have to, but I want to," James growled back.
"Save it," Scott said, drawing James' attention away from the SHIELD agent as Rachel telekinetically picked him up and away from the stunned Agent that had stepped around the corner after the first- narrowly missing ending up on the floor like his partner. "You'll end up in a cell if you start beating your way through SHIELD. Wait and hit the ones that deserve it."
"Where is Natasha? I'm sure I can help her a little," James said.
"I'd rather you stuck around to help with Angela if Betsy and Warren need the back up," Scott said. "Come on. Annie brought up food. You need it to cover your healing."
"Dad."
"Angela trusts you," Rachel agreed quickly - especially since her next stop was to go looking for a telepath on cerebro. "Back me up, Annie. Tell him how good he was with that little girl in there."
"You really were good with them," Annie said. "Besides, the twins will be back soon. I'm sure Billy was worried."
"You're all just trying to put off the inevitable," James said.
"Good. that's the point. Put it off a little longer so we can point you at the right people," Rachel agreed. "And let your sweetheart distract you in the meantime. Come on. I'll help you get some food before you change out of that uniform." She took a hold of his arm and started pulling him away from the still flattened SHIELD agent, leaving Scott with Annie.
"Well that was different," Annie said once the kids were around the corner.
Scott made a visible effort to calm down, take a deep breath, and turn Annie's way. "Not really," he said softly. "Anyone who knows James knows if they push that particular button, they'll get the reaction they're looking for."
"Takes after you," Annie said, trying to coax a smile out of him.
"Came that way," Scott replied without missing a beat. "His parents were the same way."
"Oh, like he didn't also learn from watching you that no one is allowed to mess with children in his presence," Annie said. "Once a hero…" She grinned up at him and stole a kiss. "It's part of what I like about you."
"I'm very lucky about that much," Scott agreed. He stole a kiss, but his thoughts were obviously on James, and he kept looking over his shoulder until Annie reached up to catch his cheek with her hand and steal a more impolite kiss.
"Let him cool off," she suggested. "No one is happy about how that happened. Give him some time to stop being angry."
"Yeah." Scott stole one last look over his shoulder, took a deep breath, and then turned his attention back to Annie. "In the meantime…"
Annie grinned and stole another kiss. "Yes. In the meantime," she agreed, already wrapping her arms around his shoulders.