Disclaimer: I don't own anything X-men
Authors Note: For those of you who have not given up on my story you have my eternal thanks. I am terribly sorry it took as long as it did for me to get this chapter out. It is my hope that the next one will be on its way sooner, much sooner. Remember reviews, especially story and plot points q's help motivate my creative brain.
Chapter 7: Search and Rescue
It took Sadie almost two hours to get back to the manor, or what was left of it. Before her eyes lay the smoldering carcass of the home she grew up in. The home where she had some of her fondest memories and the only thing she had had left of her parents was now gone, destroyed.
At the terrible sight before her Sadie fell to her knees and wept silent tears, and as the pain she felt in her chest grew she threw her head back and screamed. It was a scream filled with all her pain, sadness, and anger. She was so immersed in her pain that she took no notice of the energy flying around her. Ash and debris swirled around her as if caught in a windstorm and the air had become electric from the uncontrolled energy she had unleashed. As the storm raged around her, it continued the destruction the flames had started on her home.
This enormous energy storm was the sight that greeted the X-men as Storm landed the jet a safe distance away. It was a sight that inspired both awe and terror, and for a few moments all any of them could do was stare. Then quite suddenly it ended and they were brought back to the reason they were there, they needed to find Sadie. Quickly exiting the jet they cautiously made their way towards the ruined manor.
'What the hell just happened,' thought Logan as he made his way off the jet with the others. He had guessed that Sadie was powerful, why else would Magneto be after her, but until seeing that uncontrolled show of power he realized her power was greater then anything he had ever seen. Turning his head from side to side he could see the others spreading out to search through the ruins for Sadie. There was nothing but rubble left of the house, if she was buried under some of it somewhere it would be very difficult for any of them to find her. Logan stopped searching and closed his eyes. If she was somewhere they couldn't see, then maybe he could find her with his nose. Slowing he started to pick up a familiar smell, the same smell he first encountered in the alleyway. It was faint, but as he effortlessly moved through the debris the scent grew stronger. Finally when he was sure he was close enough he stopped to dig around in the fallen ruins. After a few minutes, and moving some very large pieces rubble, he saw a pale hand resting on a strange metal box.
"Hey guys, over here! I think I've found her!" he yelled getting the other X-men's immediate attention as the rushed to the spot he was at. As a team they worked on uncovering the rest of Sadie. She was completely covered in dust and grim, and had blood on her nightgown in a few places, but when they checked they could not find any injuries.
"We need to get her back to the mansion," stated Storm once the quick medical check was done. They quickly loaded her onto a portable stretcher, which took both Bobby and Logan to do as she weighed more than she looked, and carried her back to the jet. As the boys were doing all this, Rouge had picked up the unique box that had been pushed to the side when they were checking her vitals.
'What a strange box' she thought to herself as she turned it over in her hands. 'There isn't even a way to open from what I can see. No lock, no hinges. Well whatever is in here must be pretty important. Maybe the Professor will know how to open it,' with that final though Rouge looked up to see that the rest of the team was already boarding the jet. Shoving the box under her arm she dashed back to the jet and was getting on just as storm started up the engine.
"What took you babe?" asked Bobby as she buckled in next to her boyfriend.
"I thought this might be important," she answered as she placed the box in her lap where Bobby could see. "I couldn't figure out how it opened and thought the Professor could probably figure it out."
"I'm sure he'll be able to figure it out," he said, reaching over and grasping her gloved hand in his. They were already halfway to the mansion, and hopefully they would get some of their questions about the new mutant and this box answered.
The displeasure Magneto felt at discovering that Sadie had escaped was nothing compared to the anger he felt upon returning to his office to find one of his favorite and most trusted mutants unconscious and the strange box gone. 'That damn girl must have taken it with her,' he thought to himself. 'No matter, she'll have run back home, I'm sure of it.' Turning towards Pyro, who was busy reviving Mystique, he began to formulate a plan.
"We need to send out a team to recover the box and the girl," he said to the small group that had gathered in the room, "the information they contain is the key to our success, and be careful. You can see what will happen to you if you underestimate her," he stated as he gestured to Mystiques still unconscious form. "You'd do best to check the manor house we took her from first, then move on to her apartment. Once you have recovered them we will move on to stage two of the plan."
With nods and grunts the group dispersed, some went off to prepare to move to the next location while the others were going on a hunting mission. Unfortunately for them they arrived too late.
The Professor was on his way down to the sub level of the school and the medical lab. Not long ago the team had returned with Sadie but she had remained unconscious the entire time. Hopeful that he might get some answers, Xavier rolled through the doorway to see a young woman lying on a medical table being examined by a large, blue, furry man.
"Ah, Hank, I'm so glad you could make it. I see you're already putting your skills to use in checking on our guest," the professor said greeting the mutant and friend known as Dr. Hank McCoy, or also referred to as Beast, who recently had been working with the government on creating fair policies regarding mutants.
"Charles, it's good to see you again," greeted Hank pleasantly. "I wish my visit only had to do with helping out in the medical lab, but just this morning I received some very important news. News regarding a development at Worthington Inc.," he stated while giving the Professor a meaningful look.
"Alright Hank, but why don't you tell me how our guest is doing before we move up to my office and you can give me your news then."
"That sounds fine Charles, but all I can really tell you right now that she is unconscious due to exhaustion. All of her vitals are fine, in fact she is in perfect health, but I won't know any details until her blood work finishes," said Hank with a motion towards a machine in the corner. "It still has some time to run, so we have time to head upstairs now."
Once they were both settled, or as settled as one can be with the information about to be relayed, Hank began, "I'm sure you were already aware of the current studies occurring at Worthington Inc., and the news I received this morning may not come as a surprise for you," he paused, running a hand over his blue fur beard. "They believe they have created what they are calling a "cure" for the mutant gene. Apparently they based their research on some work previously done by the late Dr. Phillips. I was only informed of this as I'm seen as a government representative of the mutant community. They've invited me to visit their facilities before they begin to open their free clinics to the populace. Once I heard I felt it necessary to come and inform you."
"Thank you Hank. You're right, I did know that they were in the process of finding a suitable cure, but I had hoped that the answer might elude them. It's not that I fear it being available to those who truly wish to be normal, but rather how mutants like Eric might react. In fact if the pieces fit together the way I think they do, then he more than likely knows as well." After a questioning look from Hank he continued, "You see, the woman downstairs that you were examining is in fact a mutant, a very powerful and special one at that. She is also the adopted daughter of Dr. Phillips and was continuing his study of the mutant gene. We have reason to believe that Eric is after her for the same kind of information that Worthington Inc. used to create their "cure", but his purpose, to create mutants, would be just as terrible as if the government were to force this cure on all mutants." With a heavy sigh he added, "Sadie may hold the answers, but we won't know until she wakes."