Trapped In A Bottle
Chapter Eleven
Enjoy
X-_X-_X
"Still no word from Charles?" Hank asked quietly. When he received no immediate answer he swung his body up from his crouching position and moved out into the middle of the medlab, approaching the man who stood there, wreathed in half shadows.
There were only a few lights on in the lab, as Wolverine had surprised him as he was making ready to leave for the night. The man had been bristling with frustration, and what Hank suspected as worry, and had only spoken a few terse statements before they lapsed into their current silence.
Dr. McCoy believed that Wolverine didn't enjoy living in the underground belly of the mansion, his more animalistic nature and natural psyche leading him to crave the openness of the above world. However it wasn't snide complaints about their current situation that greeted Hank that night, it was something far worse.
"Ororo's missed the last three check in points," he'd said "Not a damn word from Chuck either."
Hank swallowed, loudly, and tried speaking once more, his mind scurrying with this new information "You suspect some malicious plot?"
"No need for fancy wording," grunted Wolverine "Something's gone bad, real bad."
Hank felt his chest seize up, a caustic Shakespearean sonnet brimming to the surface. In all his usual calm, he felt abandoned. "What are we going to do?" he exclaimed.
"We only have a few options," Logan replied, he looked around at the medical instruments on the lab tables, dismissing them and turning to look at Beast. "But only one I'm willing to take."
"My friend, it seems that our only option is to produce whatever means of rescue we can," Hank replied, he cast a quick glance at the clock, his fur was crawling with an unprecedented need to make a quick deduction.
"We're taking the kids, Hank," Wolverine replied "We're going to D.C., and we're going to get the Professor and Storm back."
"I will make immediate preparations," Dr. McCoy looked around at his dimly lit lab, already mentally planning what he would need to bring with them.
"We're not going to leave until morning," the Wolverine replied "The Brotherhood'll be fighting with us, and after what went on today all the kids need a few moments to catch their breath, they need to land on their feet running."
"You're not concerned about what could be happening to Storm or the Professor?"
"Furball," began Wolverine, his eyes flashing "You and me both know that if someone's taken the Professor they'll need him, they won't risk doing anything heady with him, and that'll protect Storm too."
Hank nodded, still not liking the conclusion. He was willing to step up in moments that required guidance and medical needs, but when plotting a veritable war Beast knew enough to step back and watch the more experienced man work.
X-_X-_X
Wolverine surveyed the group, and ended up crossing his arms out of a sense of frustrated anxiety. They were sitting before him in two distinct groups, they had trained in the DR together just once the night previously and it was very obvious not enough time for the two groups to have meshed as much as needed. These kids needed to be able to read each other's movements, to know what decisions they were going to make.
They needed to be able to face combat together.
He felt Hank approach him from behind, finally joining the assembly, and was grateful when he didn't try to say anything to alleviate the situation to him.
Wolverine drew in a breath, threw one last glance at the students, and then stood up and approached them.
"The Professor and Storm have dropped out of contact," he said simply, his predatory gaze sweeping across the group. After a moment of comprehension, voices sprung out in a chorus.
"What do you mean-?"
"Out of contact?"
"What're we—,"
"—we have to do something!"
The majority of the voices and exclamations came from the institution children, but there was a definitive feeling of unease among the teens of the brotherhood, and it was obvious that even though they had opposed the Professor they had come to rely on the fortress of an image that he presented for mutants. Members like Lance were voicing their opinions loudly.
"How can your leader have just dropped out of contact?" he said standing, his arms spread wide. Toad shouted out agreement from behind him "What does it mean the humans have done to him?"
At this Beast took a quick step forward before the latter statement could be misconstrued. "Please, children, calm down." He waved his massive arms in the air but still some students attempted to get their thoughts heard.
"Shut it!" Logan snapped, his voice ripping into a slight growl.
"Logan," Beast's voice was slightly reproachful, but he took advantage of the given silence.
"We must remember," Beast said, leveling a gaze to the once again seated Avalanche "Above all else, that it is not humans that are doing the atrocities that we have seen witnessed, it is terrorists that seek to do these things."
"They'd like you to think that," Pietro's brooding visage became noticeable in the crowd "But the government's probably behind it."
"As if," Kitty snorted in response, rolling her eyes.
"Look," Wolverine said "I believe in a good conspiracy as much as the next person, but all of you are missing the objective."
"You Brotherhood members," he pointed a finger at them, a long adamantium claw peeking out "Are X-Men now, however temporary you may view it, and X-Men are being relied upon to do what's right."
Rogue drew in a breath, studying the man that she had always seen as a mentor. He was on edge, more so than she had seen him in quite a while. He was seemingly firm on what action he was explaining, but his eyes were off. His eyes were acting as if he were seeing another time entirely, something before the X-Men.
"Remy knew th' merde be hittin' the fan soon," Gambit mumbled in her ear, slipping an arm around her waist.
"The Professor means everything to our cause," Rogue said, just able to keep the slight tremble from her voice "It's our duty to get him and Storm back!"
"We will, Cherie," Gambit said, his voice hard. He swiveled his red on black gaze back front and center "We had best."
"We, all of us, are going as a team to Washington, D.C." Wolverine started to explain. "We need to rescue out teammates, but that's not the only thing we need to do."
Beast nodded along with his statement, already surmising much of the next explanation.
"Whoever had the Professor and Storm, or whatever is delaying them is an enemy to peace," Wolverine waved a hand through the air "And not just to the peace between humans and mutants, but to the peace that we try to protect every damn day."
"We'll be showing them," he said "As members of the mutant community, that we can prove ourselves legitimate to this country."
"Or we'll be hopping to our deaths," Toad yawned "But whatever, yo."
Scarlet Witch glared at him from the other side of John, but she wasn't the only one that was expressing displeasure at his smart assed comment.
"Look," Gambit said, rising, and surprising Rogue. The man had never really taken a center stage position with the group since his move in. "Dere be only one way t' look at dis," he said "We got work dat need to be done, and we're going to do it."
"Aye, mate," Pyro whispered delightedly, a small crackle of heat accentuating his wide grin.
Gambit looked both at the leaders of the X-Men, and at the Brotherhood members "We not in the game to win some battle anymo', we're here to be mo', to be what de mutant community has needed fo' a long time."
Many of the students avoided his eye sight. It wasn't because of his demonic glance though; it was because of their own misgivings. They all knew what needed to be done, some more so than others, but many of them weren't ready to admit their place in the world, even though they had been trained for it.
Boom Boom eyed Pietro, and he scratched the back of his neck and eyed Lance in return. They Brotherhood shared their own kind of glance, wondering what they had gotten into when they signed on to be part of what they had always denied.
"Gambit's right," said Scott standing, and surprising more than a few of the students "What else could we possibly do? We know the problem, we know how to fix it, and we have the means to."
He scrambled for words for a moment, his throat working even as no sound came out. Jean laid a hand on his arm and he desperately swung his gaze over to the Brotherhood group.
"Look, you guys were angry at what's been happening across the country," he said, his arms working in front of him "We were too."
He received no response.
"I'm saying that we both know what it felt like, we have this in common, as does the entire mutant community, and not just the mutants, but humans are feeling this too. You guys have been trained to fight against us right? And we've been trained to go against guys like you, but is that the real point to what we're doing?"
Beast narrowed his eyes shrewdly; tempering a gaze at the young man that he just then realized was no longer quite so young. So much of the teenager had fled the boy's image; he was being the leader he was bred to be.
"No, it's not," Scott continued, his voice getting louder and gaining a forceful edge "We have training to save the future of our kind. It's not going to be in mutant superiority or human superiority, it's going to be in showing the rest of the nation, and the world, that this next stage in evolution is a stage that is here to stay, and that it is an evolution that is going to become a solid, reliable part of this country."
No one refuted Scott, or what he was saying. Blob looked down in confusion, Pietro and several other sharing a snort of only half mocking derision, Kitty looked determined, and Rogue and Gambit nodded to each other.
Wolverine broke the silence. Scott sighed and turned to look at him, still standing where he was.
"We," Logan said quietly, pausing for half a breath "Leave in ten minutes. Suit up."
Beast didn't bother raising his quiet murmur so that the other man could hear him, he was confident that his words wouldn't go unnoticed.
"You need not worry, my friend. We're no longer sending children into battle; we're sending individuals, adults who'll know their own path when they find it."
"Feh," Wolverine's demeanor lightened marginally "Well, fur ball, that may be an even scarier prospect."
X-_X-_X
Beast closed the last clasp on his medical case, and moved to hastily meet the students and Wolverine in the main preparation room. He had everything packed that, as a doctor, he could possibly need in relation to the students. He wouldn't fail them.
The preparation area was a flurry of activity. Half the students were suiting up, and the halves that were already suited were helping to make the X-Jet ready. Rogue was standing on the loading platform, shouting orders out to the others.
Beast sidestepped a crate of supplies that Jean was telepathically loading and moved to join Wolverine.
"All set," Beast said warmly, tapping the side of his case.
Wolverine looked at him sideways and then rubbed his chin. "We've got the younger students to worry about."
"I spoke to Moira last night," Beast replied, he was somewhat puzzled that Wolverine hadn't assumed the matter was already solved "She'll be here within the hour to join the younger students."
"And to know our security codes," muttered Logan.
"The Professor has the utmost trust in Dr. McTaggert," Hank began to say.
"And I have the utmost trust in you," Wolverine countered, turning and laying a hand on Beast's fur clad arm. "We can't have outsiders here at a time like this, and I need to go to D.C."
"You want me to remain behind?" Dr. McCoy couldn't halt the small string of incredulity that slipped out in his voice.
"I'm asking you to," replied Wolverine. He took his hand back and turned to watch the finals preparations be met. Many of the students were lining up, waiting for the final signal.
"I'm not going to win this argument," Beast stated ruefully.
"Not likely," grinned Logan.
"I will take care of the students," Beast agreed, his shoulders sagging downward.
"Thank you," said Logan, leaning in and staring at the other man. He seemed genuinely relieved, and his glance was sincere.
Hank sighed and decided that if he was one of the only people that Logan would trust implicitly that that wasn't the worst thing that could happen to him.
"Moira's not going to be pleased."
"Better you than me."
X-_X-_X
Rogue watched as the other students hurried up the loading platform of the blackbird, some looked determined, and many, mainly the Brotherhood group, looked like they had pumped themselves up in expectations of fun.
Gambit appeared at her shoulder.
"Ready t' make histoire, ma chere?" Rogue could feel the grin that spread across his face even without turning to look at him.
"Ah'm ready to save the Professor and Storm," she replied back. Rogue felt Remy wrap his hand around her own gloved one and squeeze her hand briefly before letting it go.
"Den dat's what we'll do, no?" His look was reassuring, but the tension in his shoulders was anything but.
Rogue didn't say anything in reply, just tried to must an easier face to look up at the Cajun with. With a deep and steady breath she took a step up onto the platform, Gambit at her side, and then stopped when the room filled with blaring alarms and flashing red lights.
"What in the—," Rogue was cut off.
"Intruder alert!" shouted Logan, moving like a bullet off the blackbird, and landed back on the ground with pure animal grace. Students streamed off the jet after him, looking frantically around as if they expected the intruders to be right in the room with them.
Rogue moved forward, skidding to a halt at Logan's side. "What's goin' on?" she asked loudly over the siren.
He dismissed her with a glance, staring at the ceiling as if it held answers. "Must be the sub levels," Rogue heard him say to himself. It made sense, she supposed, that Logan would be the one to know about the security.
Rogue hadn't realized that Gambit was behind her, but he had made out Wolverine's comment as well. "Dere be only deux entrances to de sub-levels dat could trip dose alarms, no?"
Rogue couldn't stop the small smirk, and leave it to Gambit to have studied up on the mansion security.
Wolverine spared a moment of Cajun frustration before turning and actually addressing them, hastily "Yeah, which means we need to secure the entrances immediately. Take a group, I'll take another!"
Gambit didn't pause to wonder at Wolverine actually trusting him with a role of responsibility; he just twirled Rogue around with him, and directed them towards the mass of students, already surmising who he wanted to bring in his head.
"Pyro, mon ami! Scarlet Witch, Shadowcat, Quicksilver!" he called.
"Cyclops! Jean! Nightcrawler! Avalanche! Boom Boom!" Wolverine mirrored the call from across the way.
Everyone who's names were called looked at their respective caller in varying degrees of confusion, but after only a few seconds of patching things together they sprinted to catch up and follow.
The two groups were alongside one another for a while but Logan took a sharp turn up an access corridor, one that led past the danger room. Rogue watched the metal panels of walling pass by with shrewd eyes. Humans wouldn't have been able to breach the sub-levels, even if they had gotten into the mansion.
This was a mutant attack.
Remy was grinning, but not nearly as maniacally as Pyro was. They both shared an air of anticipation, and Scarlet Witch's power crackled dangerously near Rogue. Kitty was on her other side, and Quicksilver was maintaining their slow pace, looking positively mutinous at his commanded presence.
"Quicksilver!" Gambit spoke up. "When we get t' th' corridor by th' dormitories, go ahead o' us and scout the med area, dere gonna' be intruders dere most likely!"
"Whatever," muttered Quicksilver, he sped up the slightest, so that he was level with Gambit, and then looked hastily away as Scarlet Witch glared at him.
They all nearly literally flew out of the hallway they had been traversing into the wider open area that was their underground dormitory hallway, rooms lining either side of the hall. Quicksilver immediately became a blur of action, and everyone stopped short as Gambit threw himself to a halt crouching beside the entrance to the hall that Pietro had disappeared down.
Kitty was gasping for breath, but still managed to speak "Like, if the intruders are going to be by medbay," she said in a breathy whisper "Then isn't, like, Doctor McCoy in danger?"
Rogue felt her eyes widen, startled. She hadn't even thought of that. Dr. McCoy had returned to Medical as soon as preparations had begun, and had been there ever since.
"Th' doctor can take care o' himself," assured Gambit without turning to look at them.
Rogue wasn't so sure.
"Come on already," Wanda shot out "Do we have to wait for my idiot brother to return or what?"
"We dunno' whether dey be down this entrance, o' whether dey be by de Wolverine," Gambit said, his eyes flashing "We wait fo' confirmation."
"Rogue?" a new voice added itself to the mix. Rogue turned on a dime, her eyes immediately finding the form of Jamie Maddox.
"Jamie!" she said quickly "Get back in ya' room!"
Jamie's sleep befuddled eyes widened at Rogue's harsh tone "What's going on?"
"Jamie," she said, trying to be entreating "Get back!"
Jamie turned back to his doorway, but it was only after an additional moment of staring at the group, and deciding whether he was going to argue or not. It was still early in the morning, but now they had to worry about the other kids waking up before they knew what was going on.
"The kids!" Kitty said anxiously "What do we do if we have to fight down here?"
"Use 'em as a distraction," quipped John.
Shadowcat didn't have to work to form the scathing look she shot him, but Gambit brought reassurance to the group the next moment, his brown trench coat sliding against the floor as he inched closer to the entrance.
"We'll brind th' fight down to th' intruders," he said "If it necessary."
Rogue was half a minute from creeping around Gambit to look down the corridor herself, quenching her curiosity, when Quicksilver's form appeared in front of them, grinning broadly.
"You are so not going to believe this."
"Who's down there?" demanded the Scarlet Witch.
"Oh, there's intruders, sister dear," he said smugly "But not the kind you all were expecting."
"Who the hell is it?" Rogue demanded.
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"Piotr!" Gambit exclaimed in astonishment.
"Mate!" Pyro followed.
Both men hurried forward to greet their comrade and friend, astounded at the sight of him. Rogue let a smile slip onto her face, especially when she noted the short, slim, blond girl at his side "Well darn," she said, slipping a hand onto her him "That must be his sister."
"Must be," agreed a quiet, awkwardly shrill voice from behind Rogue. Rogue turned, having forgotten that Kitty was behind her.
"Well, ain't ya' gonna' greet the man?" Rogue smiled, expecting uncontained bubbliness and cheer from the brunette.
Kitty actually looked anything but. She had tears beginning to leak out of her eyes, and her face had gone white as a ghost, the expression on it could almost be called an expression of dread. "He hasn't greeted me," she said back, her voice falling to a whisper. Rogue's eyebrows knit together.
However before Rogue could step in, another voice called from across the circle that had formed.
"Katya," Piotr spoke, his voice tender. "Please, Katya, come meet my sister, Illyana."
"Oh," Kitty exclaimed, a sob breaking out. She closed her eyes and then the next moment the brunette had hurled herself into the arms of Colossus, sobbing freely.
"I'm so glad you're back."
Gambit grinned over at Rogue before turning and patting Kitty's shouler, Colossus' arms wrapped around her. "I guess someone's glad t' see you, mon ami."
Rogue snorted.
"Katya," Colossus said, releasing the girl. His own eyes looked as if they were a little on the watery side. "I am glad to introduce you to Illyana Rasputin."
The short blond girl, shy looking with wide eyes took a step closer to Kitty "I am very pleased to meet," she said with a more definitive accent than Colossus ever possessed.
Rogue watched the trio exchange smiles and well wishes, the blare of the intruder siren still whirling around them. After a brief moment her smile faltered. Illyana looked as if she might be thirteen, and this was the girl that Magneto had kidnapped? It only made her more firm in her delight to know that the man was gone.
"What a happy reunion," sneered Pietro.
"Shut it," grunted Wanda.
Gambit picked up the communicator from his waist, stepping away from Russians and Kitty. "Gambit t' Wolvie," he said happily into the communicator "We found th' intruders, it all taken care of."
Wolverine's voice crackled back, but Rogue lost what he said as Beast appeared behind Piotr.
"Isn't this a wonderful surprise?" he asked the group, his good natured tones flooding over the alarm.
"Someone up there must be barmy," smirked Pyro "Letting us get back together with the Colossus."
Scarlet Witch laughed, probably the first time Rogue had ever heard her do so, and Beast nodded along with the humor.
"When I saw who was passing my lab after the alarm went off I knew we were in no danger," Beast said, as if he felt the need to clarify.
"Yeah," drawled Rogue "But now how do we get the damn thing to turn off?"
As if there was an interdependent arising in correlation to her statement the alarm shut of the next second, and Wolverine's group turned the corner, its leader prepared for a brawl.
After a few moments of continued exclamations of surprise and introductions Wolverine eyed the returned man. "We were just about to head out."
"Why?" asked Piotr "What has happened?"
At Pyro's doubtful look Piotr amended himself "I mean besides the riots."
"The Professor and Storm are missing," responded Wolverine "Are you coming with us or what?"
"Of course," Colossus' response wasn't hesitant in the slightest; he clasped the forearm of Gambit and then smiled at Kitty and then his sister. "My sister can remain here?"
"She can stay with the younger students," It was Kitty that answered; she turned to smile at Illyana. "She'll be safe here."
Lance looked up from shadowed eyes from his position in the back of the group. He felt resentment swirl inside him as he looked at Colossus' arm wrapped around Kitty's shoulders, and when Kitty's eyes swept out over the students, resting on him for a moment, he looked away quickly.
"I promise to look after her," assured Beast.
"Good," Wolverine cut the conversation. "We have a mission to accomplish. X-Men, move out!"
"Finally," Rogue rolled her eyes, and then hurried back towards the blackbird with the rest of the group, the rest of her family. They were plus one member and she knew that they'd be able to get the Professor and Storm back, they had to.
The X-GAN bracelet clunked against her ankle, reminding her of it's ever vigilante presence.
X-_X-_X
Thanks so much for reading this chapter! We had an important member of the X-Family return, and now we head for D.C., and what will we find there? Who knows.
Please review and let me know what you think!
-AnimeSiren