Chapter 8: Catacomb Rescue: Part 2: The Search
While searching for Stephan Strange, Remy watched as Essex had his men break down a door and ransack the house to look for the Christian.
"Sometimes I don't understand." Remy said to Fred, who was busy with some chicken he'd grabbed, which equated to talking to himself. "Even if they are different, these Christians don't seem so bad. Still En Sabah Nur is my god, and I do as he commands. Guards, search that house!"
Remy's men entered a house across from where Essex was.
()()()()()
Scott was walking down the street with some bread when he noticed all the soldiers, led by Essex.
"You there!" Essex snapped. "What are you doing?"
"I was just making deliveries." Scott said nervously.
"Deliver this!" Essex called out as he cracked his whip at the cart Scott was pulling as it tumbled over. Avoiding the whip from Essex, Scott ran into Remy, the soldier who had captured Hank last week.
"Hey, watch where you going, kid!" Remy called out.
"Why don't you get your hands off of me?!" Scott shouted as he wrenched himself free.
"And why don't you get off the streets?" Remy retorted calmly.
Scott rushed off.
"One day, you're going to pay for this!" Scott called out. "You're all gonna pay!"
()()()()()
At the mansion, everyone had finished eating, and the children crowded around Stephan.
"Tell us a story!" Jean pleaded.
"Yeah, a story about Jesus!" Alex said as well.
"Stephan will tell another story tonight." Charles said with a smile. "Right now, we have to discuss our plans to get him out of New York."
"Does he have to leave?" Jean asked sadly.
"I'm afraid so, Jean." Stephan said. "There are many people in Latveria who have never heard the stories of Christ, and I have to plant the seeds."
Stephan then left with Charles to talk as Moira sat down.
"He's gonna plant seeds in Latveria?" Alex asked.
"I zought he was a Story Keeper. Not a farmer." Kurt said.
"Well Kurt, telling the stories of Jesus is like planting a seed in someone's heart." Moira explained.
"Moira!" Charles called from the staircase. "Tell them about the sewer!"
"Ah, yes." Moira said with a smile. "One day, Jesus was teaching a crowd by the sea.
"'Listen to this!' Jesus said. 'A farmer went to plant his crop. Now some seeds fell on the path, and the birds ate them. Some seeds fell on rocky ground. These shot up quickly because the soil was thin, but they were scorched by the sun. Some seeds fell among the thorn bushes, and the thorns grew up and choked them, so that they never ripened, but some seeds fell into good soil and made thirty times more grain. Some up to sixty, and others up to a hundred times more grain.'
"And Jesus then said, 'He who has ears, let them hear.'"
"Hear vhat?" Kurt asked. "I don't get it."
"Well, neither did his Disciples." Moira said. "At least, not at first. You see, after the story, Peter turned to Jesus and asked, 'Master, why do you speak in stories. Why not say what you mean, like you do with us?'
"Jesus responded, 'When I'm talking to you, I can talk about God's way plainly, about how God cares for everyone everywhere, but those who see me as I pass through their villages don't know me as well. I put things into stories. That way, those who want to hear me can, but those whose hearts are closed never do. Like the scriptures say, they look, but they don't really see what's there. They listen, but they don't understand.'
"Because if they did understand, they'd change their ways." Moira finished.
Just then, Scott burst in.
"Professor, Professor!" Scott shouted out. "The soldiers are coming! We've gotta hide Stephan!"
"Scott, you and Jean take Stephan to the catacombs and wait for me." Charles said quickly. "I'll keep the guards busy."
There was a knock on the door.
"Open up in the name of En Sabah Nur!" A voice called out.
"Hurry!" Charles asked.
As Scott and Jean took Stephan to the kitchen to get him out by the window, the children and Moira quickly cleaned up.
"I said open this door!" The soldier called out again.
"I'm coming." Charles said. "I'm coming."
Charles opened the door to find Fred.
"Fred!" Charles called out with a smile.
"Oh, Prof." Fred said in shock. "I didn't realize this was your school."
"Come in." Charles said kindly. "Come in."
"I'm afraid I'll have to." Fred said. "En Sabah Nur's orders. We're searching the whole district."
()()()()()
In the kitchen, Scott tried to push Stephan out while Jean pulled.
"Come on, Mr. Strange!" Jean groaned.
()()()()()
"So, are you searching for anyone in particular?" Moira asked.
"Well actually…" Fred began before he turned to some bread Moira had just pulled out of the oven. "Wow, those look good."
"By all means, help yourself." Charles said kindly.
Fred began to eat a loaf of the bread when Essex came in.
"Well Dukes, hoping to find a Christian beneath that crust?!" Essex asked.
"No." Fred said nervously. "Sorry sir. I was just about to-"
Essex shoved the bread into Fred's mouth when he turned to the others.
"Search this place!" Essex called out, and the guards pounded through the whole mansion as Moira held Alex and Kurt close to her.
After their searches turned up nothing, there was a loud thump.
"What was that?" Essex asked as he went into the kitchen to find a portrait of Charles kneeling before Nur.
"En Sabah Nur's teacher, eh?" Essex asked as he turned to Charles. "If I find you've been hiding that Story Keeper, I'll educate you."
()()()()()
Outside of a rundown road, Jean helped Scott and Stephan sneak into the catacombs that ran throughout New York and Bayville.
"Are you sure you know where you're going?" Scott asked.
"I know these tunnels like the back of my hand." Jean said offhandedly. "I had to live down here for a month after the fire."
They then walked on.
()()()()()
Back at the farm, Charles, Moira, Kurt, and Alex cleaned up.
"At least the children are safe." Charles said reassuringly. "And they didn't find Stephan."
"Charles." A voice whispered.
"What was that?" Kurt asked.
"Charles." The voice whispered again as Alex noticed it was coming from the picture in the kitchen.
"The picture's talking." Alex said in awe.
"Alex, it's just Henry." Charles said good naturedly as he lifted the picture as Hank hopped in.
"Charles, you won't believe it!" Hank said excitedly. "We've gathered a whole cartful of food and clothing for Stephan to take to our friends in Latveria!"
"That's wonderful!" Moira said.
"Yeah, and I've got these!" Hank said as he pulled out a piece of paper with Nur's seal on it. "Traveling papers."
"Traveling papers?" Alex asked.
"Nur set up check points all over the city, but with these, once Stephan's out of New York, he can travel anywhere in the empire!"
"Excellent." Charles said. "Hank, tell everyone to bring their gifts to the Latveria Christians to Clint's cave, here. We'll meet you there tonight."
"But zat's outside the city." Kurt said confusedly. "How will you get Stephan there?"
"Catacombs, my boy." Charles said with a laugh. "They don't call us underground Christians for nothing."
Oh, now that was a good stroke of luck for the gang.