Disclaimer: Goes without saying but I do not own any of the X-Men characters, nor any other Marvel character herein included. They're the properties of the original creators as dictated by official documents, whom you can find out more about in Wikipedia or something. Stan Lee, Marvel Comics, etc.
Rating: T for a bit of violence. I censor profanity like they would in a comic, if I ever use it.
(This story happens in the same timeline/universe as Spider-Man: Repulse, Bruce Banner: The Abysmal, Avengers: The Galaxy's Mightiest, and The Mighty Thor: Moxy. but it's self contained!)
PART 3: Thanks, Stark.
A drop of sweat crawled down Ororo's forehead, slowly, but she focused on taking a breath instead. She needed to make sure her strength and concentration did not diminish.
"That's all the bombs in the second location. Only one missing," Rachel reported using whispers. "Karma?"
"Ali is talking with the guard, but I am not finding a good opportunity to attack. However, they are friends, it's only a matter of time before I get a chance."
"Okay then. Sooraya, doing okay?" Rachel asked.
No reply came back, so she must have replied with only a nod.
"By the way, how do we stop these guys from knowing we're tampering with the bombs? Even if we can get all of them and leave without being noticed, they'll find out eventually," Rachel pointed out.
"Beast will know if they do," Ororo said, again managing to hide her effort by using a pondering tone. "If they only find out tomorrow, it will be too late to alert the others."
"Actually, I'm afraid it seems Stark's team has failed to keep their attack appropriately covert," Henry cut in. "K.I.A. as a whole is now alerted, or at least, that is what I have to assume since our dear base commander has grown suspicious of the sandstorm, all of a sudden, and is right now sending out a reconnaissance patrol. Unless my Arabic fails me, I do believe he has chosen a route that will lead them to find the Blackbird."
"They will find fire is what they will find," Amara promised, and Ororo unlinked her mind from Nature.
Ororo knew her eyes lost her glow, and resumed a more natural look, but she didn't stop to contemplate it. Stark and his Avengers Earth had failed, as far as stealth was concerned. That meant a necessary change in their plans.
"They will be sending guards to cover for the bombs. Phoenix, Karma, make your moves and try to take them now as soon as possible. Iceman, Magma and Armor, you know what to do."
"We will sing them a song, a song of ice and fire," Bobby joked, and Amara laughed at that.
"Nice reference, Iceman!" she said.
"Thank you, thought of it on the ship," Bobby commented, "been waiting for the right time, you know?"
"And what about you?" Asked Hisako, curious.
Ororo lifted her body higher. "I will go around your confrontation and attack the base from another angle. Stay focused, X-Men, and watch out for each other. Phoenix, I am on the way."
"Storm is coming," Bobby threw in, under a held back chuckle.
Storm didn't feel the need to chastise him because he wasn't actually throwing off communication. Iceman knew what he was doing, as much as people often liked to forget it. Unlike people like spider-man, he knew how to banter without causing interference.
"The Avengers have been successful in clearing the first base," Henry cut in again. "I have been told we should, and I quote, kick our timetable into high gear."
Storm scoffed. She had already left the blackbird, and her eyes were glowing, and the wind was carrying her as fast as it could. "Tell them to rest assured that X-Men Earth shall compensate for their mistake. You can likewise quote that."
Iceman, Amara, and Phoenix snickered at that, but Storm did not mean it as a joke. She was annoyed, because now, her team was in more danger than it needed to be in, and it was through no fault of their own. Phoenix had great combat potential, but that of Dust was dependent on what forces the base had to engage them with. And in fact, within minutes, her communication systems began to fill with combat chatter.
"I managed to knock him out, but he sounded the alarm," Xi'an reported, and Ororo could actually hear the blaring sirens. "I'm going for the bomb with Ali!"
"Dust, watch our blind spots, I'm going to blast through this door," said Rachel, and then Ororo heard metal breaking and crashing, as well as threatening yelling coming from the soldiers.
"Alright, here they come. I'll go first," said Bobby.
"If you insist," Amara said, and Ororo heard vehicles crashing or otherwise capsizing, and panicked yells of the soldiers. Gunshots began to fill the airwaves, coming from a variety of sources, but it was all muffled under the beating of the winds enveloping her.
There had been a time where Ororo had abandoned the garbs that had labeled her a goddess, but for the sake of that mission, and of giving the right impression, she was wearing them again. Though she had kept her hair short, her silver robes and uniquely designed cape were billowing, white and visible to any who would seek to find it.
"I got it!" Xi'An reported. "And we're inside the final room. Dust, hurry."
"Gaaaahh," Rachel yelled, pushing her telekinetic abilities, "what are these weapons?! Why do they hurt so much?"
"I am almost there," Ororo reported. "Finish the mission and then exit. Where are you located?"
"East," said Sooraya, not waiting this time, and Ororo nodded.
Meanwhile, Bobby and Amara were having a good time, while Hisako sounded very distressed. "These are lasers! My armor doesn't work against lasers!" Hisako protested
"Get back to the ship," Ororo commanded. "Protect it if they use any explosives. Those will be projectiles."
"Okay!" Hisako yelled, a bit too excited, and hopefully ran off to do just that.
"I am done," said Sooraya.
"Time to go!" Xi'An demanded.
Rachel offered no complaints whatsoever. "Is there another exit?"
"No!" Xi'An said.
"I will go and flank them. Give me a few seconds," Sooraya proposed.
"What?" Rachel reacted, worried. "No, wait!"
But Sooraya had clearly taken action already. Ororo frowned and managed to speed up. Above her, the skies darkened with clouds. They were moody and belligerent clouds that were already fighting each other.
"We took care of all these guys. Do we go and assist?" Bobby asked, and Ororo thought about it, but neither of them could move particularly fast. On the other hand, they were right next to the Blackbird.
"Go back to the blackbird and come extract us," Ororo ordered.
"Okay!" Said Amara, just as Rachel was voicing a surprised gasp.
"Whoah, alright!" Rachel added, impressed.
Ororo heard rumbling and things breaking, and could only guess that Rachel had unleashed a telekinetic attack. By that time, Ororo could see the base already.
"You're a badass, Dust," Rachel conceded. "Alright, I'll blast us a hole out of here, follow me."
I will call the attention of the soldiers, Ororo thought as she finally arrived within striking distance. The base consisted of three large buildings connected together by surface tunnels made of glass and steel. It had gates surrounding it, covered with lights, and they were all on. Ororo stopped in mid-air, and at least four spotlights turned to find her.
Yes, focus on me, she thought.
The skies rumbled, and lightning struck at all the spotlights, shattering them and causing everyone nearby to scream. Laser fire came after her, but the wind was already carrying her aside. A couple of rockets came flying to catch her, but the winds made them lose their heading and then their power, and meanwhile, rain started to violently pour over that side of the base.
"The blackbird will be there in a few seconds!" Henry reported in her ear. Ororo felt her short hair lifting with the static, and at the same time, dancing to the winds around her, much like her cape was doing. A particularly large projectile was fired from one of the buildings, and it almost hit her. The winds diverted it enough that it crossed by her hip just a couple of feet away.
Goddess, Ororo thought, wincing with relief. Then she frowned with wrath and the source of that weapon received a shower of lightning for the trouble. Something exploded, and flames burst out, and she was content to then see Rachel flying out with Sooraya and Xi'An well held in her telekinetic aura. Carrying them slowed her down somewhat, but not too much.
Storm waved her arms, commanding the winds to battle each other and form a whirlwind. That lifted a screen of sand that blocked all vision of the three. More laser fire and projectiles came to get them, but the strong winds, and the lack of visibility from the lifted sand, made it almost impossible to hit them.
It was at that point that Ororo heard the Blackbird's engines, and a few seconds later, they were all getting on board. Between the shields and the targeting system, it was a pretty safe boarding.
"Nice flying," Ororo said.
"Well, it is easier when I can control it like a video game," Henry said. "Mission accomplished, then?"
Ororo glanced over at Rachel and Xi'An, and they both nodded at her. She noticed they had experienced some close calls with the laser fire - Sooraya and Rachel had some portions of their uniforms charred - and Rachel had a bruise on her neck. Still, they didn't look that shaken or otherwise intimidated by the ordeal.
That was to be expected, they had all been through so much worse.
"Yes. Take us to our next target, and have the other Blackbird meet us there." Ororo faced them grimly, and yet confidently. "After we take care of the second base, we will be splitting up. It is a race against time, now, X-Men, and the trigger finger of psychopaths. We must outrun them all, and we will do so using overwhelming force. How deep are you in their systems, Beast?"
"Not at all. I can track their frequencies, and consequentially, I am able catch their radio communications, but I fear that is about all that I can achieve. I can tell you that every base is enhancing its defenses, and something is to be said about them sending out a call for "contractors". Every base commander is calling for these such individuals, and in my humbles opinion, that can only really mean one thing."
Ororo scowled hard. Super powered, she realized, and faced her team seriously. Yes, this was by far the easiest part of this mission, but I will not let it turn into a debacle.
"You think we'll see anyone we know?" Bobby asked, having also figured it out. "I'm willing to bet Mystique will show up. She likes being a mercenary. Of course, she'll just as likely steal one of the nukes from under everyone's noses."
Ororo crossed her arms and faced her team. "This is good. If they have something to rely on, then they will be less keen to trigger the bombs before we can get to them. Still, be ready for anything, X-Men. I know this is often the case, but let's not underestimate how many lives depend on us to succeed."
Ororo scanned the faces of her team and, all and all, liked the look of them. They were accustomed to the pressure, and at the same time, did not take it lightly. Again, she got a good feeling about them.
Regardless of that, Ororo was undoubtedly tense.
Part End: Thank you for reading, please consider leaving a review if you have the time.
Noo, those dang avengers blew it! Now, with K.I.A. preparing against Storm's X-Men, what dangers will come their way!
Maybe a pretty big green dragon from the silver age? Maybe a five guys who can become one? Who knows! Check back next part as our team strikes at a base in China.