Disclaimer: AU to X3! Not making any money from this. Corrinth owns Stifle and Vixen, Blaze and Shockwave are mine, Marvel retains all rights to all other characters.
Above and Beyond: Scene 16"I want you to take this with you," Forge instructed Shockwave, Vertigo and Matthew as they sat in the back of Forge's bashed-in van/workshop. "Here, hold it like this." He put a device like an extra large flashlight in Vertigo's palm, sliding a strap over the back of her hand. Sam narrowed her eyes at the black object, observing that where the bulb should be it was instead like Forge had put an audio speaker in the orifice. Vertigo asked the question all three of them were thinking, "What is it?"
"It emits high level sonic frequencies," Forge replied, "Too high for the human ear to properly hear, and yet that the brain finds distasteful. It should make people turn away and dismiss you rather than notice and stop you. I'm hoping it will help you get into the courtroom without cause for violence. Actually, I was inspired somewhat by your powers Vertigo."
"Let's see," Vertigo flicked the switch on the top of the box. "Eugh, I see what you mean Forge."
"That's repulsive, even though I can't quite hear anything," Sam moaned, "Like the audio equivalent of smelling dog muck."
"Or eating broccoli," Matthew winced. "Turn it off Ver." The white haired mutant obliged and the feelings of disaster abated inside the van. Forge looked pleased with himself. Matthew fastened up his top shirt button and tightened his tie. As he did, he spoke directly to the two girls. "You're absolutely sure about this? There's no going back once we get out of this van. We could easily be arrested and…"
"We know Matthew," Vertigo cut him off, glancing at Sam who nodded and added, "No going back. We have to get this folder to my dad." Sam stroked the brown paper file she was holding with one hand. Matthew nodded his agreement and went to open the doors at the back of the van. Morning sunlight streamed into the back of the gloomy vehicle, parked around the corner from the courthouse. At the front of the building, the world's press were gathered waiting for any news of the President's fate. Matthew intended to take the girls in the back door.
After offering both teenagers a hand as they stepped down from the van, Matthew took more of a chaperone role. Shockwave crunched the lock on the fire escape door at the rear of the building, opening it from outside. Vertigo went in first, switching on Forge's device and directing it in a sweeping arch down the back corridor. There was no one about, probably due to the court being in session. Carefully all three of the small team came into the building and shut the door behind them.
Matthew took Forge's device then, leaving Vertigo to concentrate on using her powers if they were needed. Sam kept her grip on the documents she carried tenderly. They walked from the quiet back corridor into an atrium that was busier with people from all walks of life. A few military types were around, but didn't seem to notice the wanted 'terrorists' at first. Sam felt the tension growing in her stomach like a tumour as they walked towards the courtroom door, looking neither left nor right. When people around them did notice them, they did it with distain on their faces. Sam kept mentally reciting that it was because of Forge's device. However it occurred to her that if the device wasn't working, the snarls people exhibited as she walked bravely past them might not be much different. She could almost hear the insult reverberating in the air, "Mutie."
The three comrades reached the door to the actual courtroom before the cry for security went out. The GRSO troops that had been loitering on the far side of the atrium suddenly looked up, hands straying to their weapons. Some know-it-all shouted, "Its Samantha Hawley!" whilst another challenged, "Stop them!" The troops stared forwards ferociously as civilians backed away. The three companions turned their backs to the courtroom double door so they could face their aggressors. Matthew looked down briefly and turned a dial on the top of Forge's machine, increasing the intensity of the frequency it emitted. He targeted it at the GRSO men as Vertigo lifted her hands and called on her powers. Welling up from the bottom of her stomach like natural spring water from the earth, Vertigo's power spilled out of her hands in a wave of rainbow coloured light. Her white hair seemed to billow around her as her eyes glazed over.
Affected by chronic nausea and vertigo, frightened and dissuaded, the GRSO troops hesitated just a little bit too long. Sam had the door handle in her grasp behind her and the door open before the GRSO troops had time to regroup. Vertigo shut down her powers as Matthew switched off Forge's machine. The three friends risked a glance at each other, before stepping over the threshold. In the courtroom, sounds of the kafuffle outside had penetrated the chamber. The lawyers had paused in their prognosticating, and silence had fallen over all the members of the public in the rows of seats. The President, Senator Hawley and the others accused of treason twisted in their seats to see who was entering the room. Everyone else followed suit. The door handle turned, and the door opened majestically.
Shockwave led the way, flanked a few paces back by Vertigo and Matthew. Chins up, shoulders back and pace a determined walk, they refused to be flustered by walking into the lion's den. Both girls wore fitted skirt suits with white blouses. Vertigo's was grey, as were her heeled shoes that clipped on the solid stone floor. Sam had chosen to wear red, hoping that the colour would help her stop proceedings dead. The file she held across her chest like a shield, whilst her other hand hung by her side. She would not give in to the butterflies in her stomach as she walked down the aisle to the front of the room, ignoring that every pair of eyes in the room was on her. They wouldn't stop her getting to her dad, not so long as there was a breath in her body.
"What is the meaning of this?" demanded the judge. Sam halted by the benches where the accused and the accusers sat, and looked up at the judge.
"Your Honour," she addressed him, flashing a winning smile and inclining her head respectfully. Turning to her left hand side she pretended not to see the President's confused glance, or the questions in the lawyers' eyes. Instead she looked straight to her dad and held out the file for him to take. Michael Hawley frowned, his brow crinkling deeply. Without saying anything to disturb the tense apprehension in the air, he took the file and opened it flat on the desk in front of him. Sam sighed under her breath. Everything would be better now.
"Arrest them!" someone on the team of accusing lawyers cried out. "They are in breach of curfew, no mutants are to enter government buildings!"
Sam frantically searched out Matthew behind her, looking for guidance. He raised a hand to tell her to stay calm, do nothing. They had known it would come to this. GRSO troops dived on them like gannets looking for fish. All three had their hands grabbed and pulled tight behind them. Sam couldn't help it, her mutation kicked in and her finger bones started to vibrate. A GRSO man called out wordlessly as he caught a painful taste of her power, letting go of her instantly. In retaliation another raised the butt of his gun and struck Sam across the head with it, knocking her to the floor.
"For pity's sake," cried the President, "They are just children!"
"Sir," Senator Hawley addressed the judge, looking up from the documents Sam had given him. "I think you'll be very interested in this new evidence."
"New evidence?" one of Kincaid's team of lawyers scoffed, "What new evidence? Whatever they've brought you Hawley, it's not admissible."
"I'll be the judge of that," cracked the judge, nodding to an aide to get the folder from Hawley and bring it to him. In the meantime, Matthew addressed the GRSO men holding him unambiguously.
"I'm not a mutant, so if that's all you're holding me on, you can let go." The GRSO men looked at each other, obviously hesitant. Matthew took advantage of a slightly slackened grip and wrestled himself free. Going to his knees he half-dragged, half-lifted Sam into his arms. She was coming to after briefly being knocked unconscious. He checked her pupils to make sure she wasn't concussed. Satisfied she wasn't, he poked at the skin on her forehead where the blow had struck. Sam hissed in pain and waved him away, already well aware she would probably have a huge lump on her head by tomorrow morning. Matthew offered her a reassuring smile, and then helped her back to her feet as the judge addressed them.
"Where did you get this information?"
"I'm sorry, I can't reveal our sources," Matthew replied sensibly. "All I can vouch for is its authenticity, your Honour."
"This is indeed enlightening information, opening a proverbial can of worms if you will…" the judge tailed off, flicking through the pages of information. Kincaid most certainly would not have bought his services if he had known all of this before the trial began. After what seemed like the longest silence in the courtroom, he concluded his statement. "In light of this new evidence, pending its further investigation and establishment of authenticity, as well as last night's drama in Seattle, I am hereby suspending this trial indefinitely. Mr President, Senators of the United States, elected representatives of the people, you are all free to go."
The judge's hammer clattered down with an air of absolute finality. It would have been a sombre moment, had not Shockwave and Vertigo whooped aloud and high-fived each other. The President and Senator Hawley stood together and embraced manfully, whilst Matthew just grinned through the chaos. It was over, truly over. With the President back in charge the curfews could end and wrongfully imprisoned mutants be released.