Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or X Men.
We're All Family
Chapter 30
In the barn the battle raged as Jack and John rushed out of the opening and dashed for cover, Adam following close behind; all unaware of what had just happened.
Thorne's monitor was focused on one area just beside the cage. It filled his screen and his mind as he shivered in anticipation, his finger poised over a button.
The agent smiled knowing his aim was effective. That girl wouldn't get far. Turning his attention back into the room he saw the inhabitants under his care, trying to escape.
Cyclops and Jubilee fired as they fought to maintain some sort of offensive and gain an upper hand. Arcs of ice shot through the air as Iceman did what he could to aid the effort. Bullets were not as numerous as ammunition diminished and agents fell to various attacks.
Jesse had seen Shalimar bend the bars and help Wolverine to the exit she'd created. Just as they were about to make use of it, he saw Wolverine fall taking Shalimar down with him as he'd been leaning on her for support. Multiple voices crying out in pain caught his attention as he quickly scanned the room for Jack and John. They had fallen out into the open from behind a short wall of crates. Heads in hands and faces displaying the pain, three men were down for as long as the governors were in activation. Jesse saw the agent holding the offensive device and turned to see Bobby moving to his side. "Iceman," he strained to get his frosty friend's attention. "Bob, see that guy," his nod indicated his intention. He saw Iceman's understanding smile and watched as icy fingers were leveled at the agent. A second later a volley of ice darts were flying toward the man's arm. Seeing the governor control fly from the agent's hand and into the air as its bearer was hit and sent reeling from the attack, Jesse followed the device's flight until it landed on the floor in the midst of all the commotion. Checking to see Wolverine then John and Jack relieved from their mechanical attacks, he rushed to the middle of the barn to insure no one else could get their hands on the device.
Jubilee saw Jesse run past her. Looking ahead she saw an agent take aim for him. "JESSE," she screamed as she ran behind him, "DOWN!"
Jesse heard her command and dove for his prize as if he were sliding into home plate. He heard the crackling of the air above his head as her powers were released in his defense. The shot that followed caught his attention and he noticed it was knocked high as the agent with the gun was hit by her attack and thrown, unconscious, to the wall behind him. As Jesse rolled over on his back he saw Jubilee sliding to his side. He opened his arms as he knew her momentum was going to carry her into him.
Jubilee first saw Jesse run past her then the gun aimed at him. No way! Kitty will kill me. She bolted after him calling his name. With both fists extended she fired as she ran and slid to cover his position. What she didn't count on was not being able to stop. She closed her eyes when she knew her motion was out of her control and her mind seemed to fritz on overload. When she again was clearly aware of herself, she realized that she was…first stopped…and second…lying on something…comfortable. Voices vaguely registered as questions hit her mind like lightning when she then felt herself wrapped in tight arms and suddenly rolled to her back. Her eyes popped opened to see Jesse looking into them, smiling. Her breathing still hadn't begun as she realized he was massed and bracing himself to not crush her.
Cyclops aptly dealt with the remaining agent who dared to fire upon his teammates. He cautiously looked around the barn and ran to the opened doors to ensure they were not going to have anymore immediate company. Satisfied he turned to see Jesse roll to his back, releasing his defense and Jubilee. "Ok, I think that's all of them." He moved in and saw his team stand from their positions in various parts of the area.
Jesse turned to Jubilee and offered a hand as he stood to his feet. "Are you ok?"
"Yeah, I'm fine." She smiled at him then turned to see her blue-hued husband rushing toward them with a worried look on his face.
By the time Bobby stopped next to them he had transformed back to his natural self. "Are you ok?" He took his wife by the shoulders and looked into her eyes. "You weren't hit, were you?"
"Relax, Bobby. I'm fine. Jesse was the one rushing into the firestorm." Jubilee looked up; one brow rose accusingly.
"Did you get it?" Bobby ignored the look his wife snapped at him.
"Yeah, right here." Jesse held up the remote and cleared the questions around his actions. With no effort he massed his fist around the small device rendering it a ball of crumbled metal.
"Oh, you think that puts you on top. I don't think so." Thorne smiled evilly as he gave the command his finger so long waited to execute. Without waiting to see the results he grabbed another remote, called for his last agent to follow him and ran out to the barn.
Just like the cage that trapped Shalimar and Wolverine, an enclosure rose from the ground. In the initial shock of a new trap, time seemed to move very slowly. Jesse spun in search of…he didn't know what. The walls rose faster than he could think.
Bobby transformed in an instant. Realizing they couldn't jump the walls, he closed frozen hands around his wife's waist and raised her high into the air just as he saw the jagged edges of the walls begin to fold over; no doubt fitting together for a lid of sorts. Solid ice extensions from his arms carried Jubilee just over the edges as they snapped under the pressure of the enclosure. He watched in dismay and sorrow as his wife was dropped from 15 feet in the air. "Jubi…" His scream was cut off as the container solidified around them.
Cyclops rushed to the fallen woman's side and helped her as she struggled on shaky legs. He looked around to see everyone begin their movement to join them but his team froze as they heard the command from the door. Spinning around to see the source of the new voice, he recognized the man from the videoed messages.
"Now why don't you all just move slowly over here where I can see you?" Thorne saw the wild look in Shalimar's eyes and knew exactly what to expect. "Don't do it, Shalimar!" He warned as he held up another remote.
Shalimar was indeed about to attack but even though she couldn't hear his words, she could see what he was holding. She looked quickly at Wolverine then back at Adam. She saw him quietly put up his hand and stilled her movements.
John and Jack had sufficiently recovered from the last attack of the governors and were on their feet and moving slowly and non-threateningly to join the rest of their group.
Wolverine quietly put his hand on Shalimar's arm as they did the same thing.
As Adam moved to the front of his group he saw another guard come to the door and level his gun. "Enough of this, Thorne. You can't possibly think you're going to get anywhere now."
"I don't know how you got out, Adam, but it makes little difference. As long as I have this," he waved the remote, "I'm in charge. Would you like to see? These men seem resistant but I'm not sure how much more the little girl and Mulwray can take."
"No! Fine." Adam stepped back in resign, not yet willing to let on that Brennan and Sissy were both out of danger…he hoped.
"Good, now everyone get into the cage. Shalimar was nice enough to create the opening. Use it!" When he saw no one move he depressed the button on the remote for only a fraction of a second. The results he knew would get their attention.
Wolverine, John and Jack all groaned and bent in pain but it only lasted for a second. Jack and John stood upright immediately, anger shaking away the remnants of the pain. Wolverine wasn't as fortunate. He remained with his hands on his knees panting as his healing again battled with the governor. After a minute he regained his control of the battle within him and he could once again stand straight.
Cyclops nodded then caught Jubilee against him as she tried to move and stumbled finding she couldn't support her weight on her left leg. Once in the cage he lowered her to the floor in a far corner out of direct line of the gunman. He watched as everyone filed warily in.
"That's better. Now what do you think about my traps, Adam?" Thorne walked toward Jesse and Bobby and ran a hand over the clear enclosure. Jesse massed a fist and punched but nothing happened. Thorne laughed. "Keep trying. You won't get out of this."
Shalimar touched Wolverine's shoulder. She looked into his eyes and tried to convey that she had a plan. Slowly she stood and walked toward Cyclops. With slow deliberate movements she guided each man to stand side by side creating a wall between her and the guard at the door. Thorne, too, was partially blocked.
"It took me a while to get it all to work just right." Thorne turned and saw the men standing and watched as Shalimar nonchalantly walked to kneel beside the injured woman. "Mulwray is having his life force slowly drain out of him. Shalimar would have gone crazy in that cage and never gotten out if it weren't for the little surprises of her boyfriend, there." He grinned arrogantly as he heard the man growl. Turning back, "and this…for your molecular. Can you image what it does?"
Shalimar silently made her move.
"I figured out that all I had to do to kill him was take away his oxygen. A little easier said than done but I made it happen. It should work on his friend, Frosty, here, too. The test we did was…well…not a pretty sight."
Adam saw Shalimar slink off into the shadows. "Thorne, don't do this." He tried to buy her some time. "There's got to be something I can do for you. Just…just name it."
Thorne stepped closer to the cage. His face was completely different. Calm control was replaced with red blazing fury. "There's nothing you can do for me…" He gritted, "nothing but die." Seeming to realize that he'd let his control slip; he straightened himself and took a deep breath to regain his composure. As he saw the injured woman hobble to the front he realized…"Where's Shalimar?" Looking around in the sudden panic of lost control he spun at the sound of her voice.
"Looking for me?" Shalimar seamed to appear just behind him.
He raised the remote as if showing he had the Ace up his sleeve. Smiling slyly as she took a half step back he pushed the button for the governors. In the ensuing motion around him he took advantage of Shalimar's glance at her friends as they fell in pain and pulled the remote for the chamber from his pocket. As he raised it and aimed, he felt her grab his arm and pull him off balance in attack…Too late he smiled to himself as he crashed into the cage; both remotes scattering away.
Unseen machinery revved as gears engaged. Jesse and Iceman looked around in panic as they began to feel the air move around them.
The guard at the door moved in as he realized his boss was attacked. Already poised to shoot he pulled the trigger and watched as the wild blonde fell to the floor. Before he could take aim at anyone else, Cyclops' blast ensured he was no longer a threat.
"Shalimar!" Adam yelled. He raced out of the cage to her side. Everyone seemed to be in motion. John was also there in an instant. Realizing he had her Adam moved to where the remote had fallen. He picked it up and searched in vain for…
"There is no, 'off'." Thorne huffed from where he fell. Jack's arm was solidly around his neck holding him painfully immobile against the bars. "It won't stop now until" he choked as Jack tightened his grip. "it's…done," he squeaked out.
"No," Jubilee cried as she fought to ignore the pain trying to get to her husband.
Cyclops sent a glowing blast into the chamber but it ineffectually dissipated. He turned as he heard Thorne laugh.
"That material will withstand lightning. You don't stand a chance." His arrogance carried even as his voice was being strangled out.
A box flew from against the wall and crashed into Cyclops and Wolverine as they moved away from the cage and into Thorne's view. Refusing to succumb to the pressure being applied to his neck he continued. He smiled as he telekinetically forced Jack's arm to loosen and move…and break.
"Aaahhh!" Jack screamed as bone broke and pain shot through him. He could do nothing but fall where he knelt tangled in the bars with little ability to even pull his broken arm back through the bars.
Jubilee wildly looked around her. Shalimar was shot, John unable to move, holding a cloth and applying pressure to the wound. Cyclops trying to shake the daze and rise from being struck by a heavy box. Wolverine in the same condition and worse because as he was healing the governor was punishing. Jesse and Bobby had just fallen to their knees trying to sustain against the thinning oxygen. Adam was frantically feeling for a break or some way of trying to get into the enclosure. Jack's scream pulled and focused her attention. She saw him crumple as their adversary moved to stand. Noticing the way he stared she followed his gaze and saw the large crate from across the room begin to shake and lift from the floor by his powers. As it moved further and faster she could see what he'd intended to do with it. Bracing herself with her back against the enclosure she raised her hands and released her powers in quick successive bursts. The first pushed back the crate causing it to shatter under the extremes of opposite pressures. Its pieces fell just to the side of Wolverine and Cyclops. The second shot blasted into Thorne. He was thrown heavily up into the air and crashed into the far wall, falling harmlessly to the floor. Turning back to the men still under invisible attack in the chamber, she screamed as she saw them now lying on the floor. Bobby's eyes seemed to lock with hers the moment she turned and fell to the ground, all strength lost to her. Tears of helpless grief flowed freely as she watched her husband dying before her eyes.
Wolverine regained enough control to stand again though the governor's attack was more intense than before. Focusing his rage he pulled himself upright and walked toward the chamber. "Adam," he gritted as he forced a hand out to signal the man to back away. "Cyke, get her away." He waited just long enough for Cyclops to pull the grieving girl back. With a growl he released his claws and howled as the pain increased. Refusing to succumb he quickly sliced the enclosure, making as many passes as he could before his strength gave out. With a final roar he retracted his claws and fell to the ground. The last thing he saw was Adam hovering over him as he passed out from the blinding pain.
Adam checked him but as the man fell unconscious he knew there was nothing for him to do at the moment. Jesse and Bobby were still his priority. He stood and pounded the section where Wolverine had sliced. It was still too resistant to his desperate pounding.
"Adam, let me try again." Cyclops shot almost point blank at the focus of the section Wolverine weakened. He applied a constant beam as he heard the chamber wall begin to creak under the strain. Inside he could see the little air left around the men begin to glow red. He knew he was heating the remaining air but he had to get through. A few more seconds of sustained blasting and the chamber wall shattered.
Jesse and Bobby were lying on the floor air all but spent from the chamber and their bodies. As Cyclops tried to blast through, they could feel the heated air left to them slowly begin to burn their already aching lungs. In the few seconds before the rush of cooler air into the chamber Jesse had begun to phase in and out of sight; his body involuntarily reacting to the lack of oxygen in his system. He knew the danger. If he was out too long…
Once the enclosure shattered, air, coolness and Adam rushed in followed immediately by Cyclops. Adam began calling out to a still intangible Jesse. "Come on, Jesse. Breathe. Breathe!" He watched as his son phased in and out; his eyes moving to meet his as he acknowledge his presence by his side. "Focus, Jess. You have to focus. Take a breath." He could tell, though Jesse was still phasing he was holding the in more than the out. Then an idea struck him. "Jess, listen. Try massing. Try holding the breath you have. Like Bryan's temper. Try, Jess! Fight this!" Adam commanded.
Jesse's mind was beginning to blur. He closed his eyes yet could hear Adam's voice even as it was becoming more distant. I'm phasing too long…Can't hold on…Kitty…Kitty…Then he heard…or thought he heard…mass…Bryan…a picture immediately filled his mind's eye. Bryan wanted something Nadene had taken away. He stubbornly grabbed and held onto the toy. In a fit of temper he massed himself, the toy and Nadene. Bryan…Kitty…That did it. Jesse massed, though not as fully as usual, it was enough to get him to solidify long enough to avoid dissipation. As his lungs released the little air he tried to hold he found he could fill them with a little more. Massing each time and each time holding more and more air until he felt his lungs begin to contract and expand on their own again. When he opened his eyes, the relief on Adam's face confirmed that his brush with death had passed. With the relief came the darkness.
Adam fell back on his haunches as he breathed out the breath he was trying to hold for Jesse. Relief washed over him as he smiled and could finally touch Jesse's shoulder. Knowing the danger had passed and the unconsciousness was natural for a body to fight the affects of the extreme trauma, he turned to Cyclops who had been by his side waiting and watching. "Bobby?"
"Unconscious, but breathing." Cyclops stood and looked around at his fallen team and all the bodies around. Jubilee was by his feet as she had pulled herself across the floor to her husband's side. He, Adam and John were the only ones left able to move unhampered by injury. "I'm going to secure the area." He stepped around Jubilee in the tight space and ran out the door not wanting to waist time or give any other guards the chance to get at them. Less than 5 minutes later he returned. "There isn't anyone else around." As he moved in, he checked all the bodies.
"Hennessy?" Adam asked as he stood from helping Jack get untangle from the cage.
"The house is deserted. All the guards are dead. Thorne, too."
Adam nodded. Grief filled his heart at the terrible waste of life around him. "Everyone is stable enough to move. How far away is the Blackbird?"
"Not far. I'll go and bring her here. She should fit in the field to the side."
"We're missing one." Adam looked around. "Where's Hank?"
"He's with her but…Thorne used high frequency sound waves to incapacitate Shalimar. Beast is deaf at the moment." Cyclops saw Adam turn to look at the unconscious Shalimar. "I figure her, too. Wolverine's healing would've taken care of his ears. I'll be right back."
Adam moved around the room once more. Jesse and Bobby were unconscious. Jubilee's leg was probably broken but she refused to move from Bobby's side long enough to let him check her. He didn't force her. Scott would be back with the Blackbird and Hank. She'd be ok till then. Jack's arm was immobile enough to get him home. John seemed ok and had the bleeding from Shalimar's chest under control. A deep moan brought his attention around and he helped Logan to sit. "Careful, Logan."
"Danger?" Wolverine panted; pain still ever present.
"It's over." Adam confirmed for him.
"Sissy…"
"I know…that was the plan. She took Brennan. We'll find her." Adam frowned as he saw them man shake his head, still too weak to sustain a fluid conversation.
"No…shot…"
"What? She was shot?" Adam fought the panic with everything he had left. Did she make it like he thought? Or did she not get away and they were finished off by an over zealous guard trying to prevent an escape? No. Scott would have found them.
Jack and John looked up at each other then to Adam. John couldn't move. He had to stay with Shalimar but his heart began to break at the thought that all this time…she's hurt and all alone.
TBC
