Sorry for a real late update, been going through some stuff. The name of this chapter's translation will appear in the chapter, so don't be confused. :)
Chapter 17: Scriosadh Gach Difriúil
Kitty stood next to Logan, who was still planning the way to get into the compound. He sighed, knowing it was going to take a while. There were still many guards hanging around the compound, which made everything that much harder for them.
"I've never truly done something like this before," he said.
"I don't think Piotr and I have ever done something like this at all," Kitty said back.
"Well, that's good," Logan told them. "If you and Piotr don't mind, I'll be setting off a distraction for you guys. When that happens, I need you both to get the heck in there. Find Xavier, and then get the heck out. Do you understand me, Kitty?"
Kitty nodded. She didn't want to leave Logan again, but she knew it was the best decision. In her mind, she fought with all the decisions floating there. There were many, but only one made sense: find the Professor and then, as Logan said, get the heck out. Another idea of hers was to find Rogue as fast as she could. She didn't know where she, Jean, and Bobby were, nor did she know where Kurt and Storm were or where Alison and Scott were. The idea that she had no idea where her sisters were was mind-numbing. She felt she had to find them quite soon. But she knew they were fine. After all, they were with some of the other members of the X-Men! They had to be fine. Or so Kitty hoped.
"Logan, before we go in there, I have to know, do you have any fears?" Kitty asked. When she asked the question, Logan looked to her with a strange expression. Obviously, he'd never spoken about such things before. But Kitty felt she needed to talk to him. He and Piotr, at least.
Logan's face softened, and he finally said, "Yes, I do have fears. I have many fears, and some of those have come to light on this journey. That includes losing you, and the other X-Men. These past few weeks—or maybe months?—have been crazy. But something has appeared that I haven't felt in a long time. To be honest, Kitty, you, Rogue, and Alison have been like daughters to me. And of course, Piotr, you and Bobby have been like sons to me. I've finally been able to keep my mind clear, which is something that hasn't happened in a long time. It all started when Stryker took me and made me into the Wolverine. I hate the piece of crap for all he's done, and when we find him, I'll get my revenge. I'll make sure not to kill him, though. It wouldn't be right to kill a man in front of the children. They wouldn't understand my reasoning behind it, even if you or someone else does. So I'll injure him, but I won't kill him. And then, when it's all over, after we save the Professor and the children, we can return home. I wouldn't mind it if we could beat the crap out of Mystique, though." He laughed, and Kitty and Piotr joined in. Then Logan looked over the rock again to see the compound, and he found that the guards were now scattered. He knew it was his chance to get inside. His, and the rest of the X-Men's. "All right, it's time. I'd better call the others. They'll be wanting to know my information."
Rogue thought of what Kitty might be doing. She was worried for her little sister, and she was pretty sure no one could blame. She almost laughed, thinking of how funny it was that only a short time ago, she'd met Kitty and Alison for the first time, and only a short time later, they already counted each other as sisters. She nearly laughed at the fact, but she stayed true to her word for Jean, who'd told her and Bobby to be as quiet as they possibly could so that they didn't alert any of the guards to their position.
"This is madness," Bobby whispered to her. "But at least we're doing it all for the right reason. At least we'll be getting Professor X back soon. How do you feel right now, Rogue?"
"Good," she lied. "Well, maybe not. I'm real worried right now. Kitty and Alison are still out there, and I'm really worried about them. I know they're in good hands, but you know, there's so much going on. I know, you're probably going to tell me to have faith, and I do, but—"
"Hey, I understand," he said. "I know there's a lot going on. Everyone's real worried at the moment, from what I can tell. But the thing is, we have to use that worry and fear and turn it into a strength. Truthfully, I'll probably have to battle John again, and I won't want to. But the good thing is, you don't have to worry about that."
"I'll probably have to worry about Mystique," Rogue reminded him. "She seemed like she really wanted to fight me, and to fight Kitty. I'm not sure when this madness is going to end. But I trust in what you're saying. Now all we have to do is wait and see."
Jean turned back to them. "You two are some of the most patient and well-thought-out initiates I've ever known," she said. "I just received word from Logan. You'll be happy to know that Kitty and Piotr are both fine. Logan said that the guards are scattered right now, and that means it's an opportune moment to strike. But I'm going to wait on Logan's word for that. He's the best when it comes to this strategy. Of course, Scott would disagree, but if you ask me, Logan's the best with battle strategy."
"Why don't Logan and Scott get along?" asked Bobby.
"Because, when Logan first arrived, Scott wasn't there, and when he returned from his trip, he found Logan trying to hit on me," Jean explained. "I don't blame Logan, to be honest. He didn't know, and so he just thought we could work things out. He's mostly stopped since Scott returned, but there are times when Logan jokes around and pushes Scott's buttons. Sometimes, it's kind of funny to me. But Logan doesn't mean to break us up. He just didn't know at the time, and I respect that."
"Definitely sounds like Logan," Rogue said.
"There was one other thing he told me," Jean said. "He told me that you're like a daughter to him, Rogue. You, Kitty, and Alison. He said that through all that's happened, he's found peace with you three, and he's come to call you his adopted daughters."
Rogue was surprised by that, but she was very humbled by those words. She'd never heard someone ever say something such as that to her. As much as she loved her father at home, she couldn't remember the last time she had heard him say, "I love you."
"Logan's been like a father to me. I'm happy to call him my adoptive father," Rogue said. "I just hope that when this is over, we're all in one piece still. There's so much going on, and because of that, we have to be very careful. I need to watch out for Kitty and Alison, because without them and Bobby, I feel as if I'm alone, even with Logan and all of you."
"That's an understandable feeling," Jean said. "I've felt it before, and the best thing for you to do is to calm yourself. Remember all I taught you. Even when times seem the darkest, you have to keep your mind on something full of hope and light. If you don't, then you're vulnerable to attacks. Such as those by Emma Frost."
"Emma Frost?" Bobby asked. "Who's that?"
"A powerful telepath. She's very strong, but I'm stronger. She rivals me in some places, but not in all. The only person she's just as strong as is the Professor. I wonder where Frost is now. She also tried to seduce Scott once, right in front of me."
"That's horrible," Bobby said. "But it seems both you and he are together still, so I guess her seduction didn't work?" In his mind, Bobby thought, This is such a weird conversation.
"Yes, it didn't work," Jean said. "But that doesn't mean she won't try it all again. If we come across her again, we need to be careful. She can get into your mind quite well. So ready yourself. If you can, Rogue, take her power. Take off one of your gloves and touch her quickly on the arm or neck. Don't keep your hand on their arm long, of course, but just do it long enough to take her abilities and knock her out."
"I don't think I can," Rogue said fearfully. "I might really hurt them. I don't want to do that."
Jean was about to open her mouth, but then a small ringing sound sounded through their hiding spot. Jean quickly looked around, hoping none of the guards had heard the sound. Then she saw one had. She looked to Rogue and Bobby fearfully, and then concentrated, staring right at the soldier, whose eyes turned to her. A sign of astonishment passed his face. He raised his gun, and Rogue gasped, but then he lowered it and walked away.
Rogue wanted to ask what had just happened, but Jean took out her communicator and put it to her ear. "Okay, Logan," she said after a minute. "Okay. So Kitty and Piotr are safe. That's good. You'll be what? Logan, that's suicide, even for you!"
Rogue had no idea what she and Logan were conversing about. But she sighed with relief at the fact that Kitty and Piotr were safe. She looked to Bobby, who smiled back at her and nodded.
Jean hung up on Logan with an exasperated expression upon her face. She placed a hand on her forehead and sighed. She crouched down and said, "Logan will be providing our distraction, which is just stupid of him. But he says he can take it. Well, when he provides the distraction, I'll be keeping an eye on him. This is Stryker we're talking about. He should know Stryker isn't to be messed with, and that quite possibly Stryker knows how to kill him. This isn't right. I just don't know."
Rogue thought about her words for a minute, and came to the conclusion that there really wasn't any other way than that: for Logan to cause the distraction and for all of them to enter the compound as he provided cover for them. But she still wanted him to be careful, nonetheless. He was her father-figure, and he counted she, Kitty, and Alison as his adopted daughters. She just wanted he and everyone else she cared about to be safe.
Meanwhile, Alison stood by Scott behind a rock. He was staring at the compound, obviously hoping to find some way to get inside. Alison took another quick look at the compound, and she thought to herself, This place is going to be impossible to get inside. I don't know how we could've thought to even attempt to get inside! Oh God….
"Well, there's definitely a way in," Scott said. "But I can't think of it at the moment. If only Jean were here. She would be able to help us out so much. But right now, we're on our own. We have to wait for a sign from one of them. Maybe Jean or Storm found a way in."
"Or Logan," Alison suggested.
"Maybe," Scott acknowledged in what seemed to be a more begrudging tone than he meant. Alison took it to mean he still wasn't that big a fan of Logan. She wondered why.
"What is it with you and Logan?" she asked. At his mystified expression, she added, "You and he seem to have a love-or-hate relationship, and I'm just wondering why. Logan's so nice, and so I thought most of you would be able to get along."
Scott sighed. "I'm not a big fan of his," he admitted. "I went on a trip to California to visit friends of mine, and I left Jean behind because she had to take care of something there at the mansion, and while I was gone, Logan came along, and when I returned, he was hitting on Jean. She'd been too nice to him, not allowing him to know she and I were in a relationship, and so it didn't help our relationship, either. He hasn't really backed off from her, even though I've asked him to do so. It just gets annoying after a while, unfortunately. He's a nice guy sometimes, but there are times where I just can't stand him."
"I know what you mean," Alison said. "I've not dealt with the same thing before, but I feel as if I know the problem you're going through. It can get really annoying, I'm sure. But Logan just didn't know, so you could probably give him some slack, if you know what I mean. Jean was too nice to tell him, and since there's no reason to blame her, there's no reason, really, to blame Logan for it, you know?"
Scott sighed, and he realized Alison was right. He wondered how a girl as young as she had been able to think of such a thing. Maybe he was just used to more mature women like Jean being real smart, and he wasn't used to someone so young with such a mind as Alison's. In his mind, he still harbored a small dislike for Logan, but it wasn't as bad as it had been.
There was a beeping sound, and Scott hurriedly whipped out his communicator and pressed it to his ear. "What is it, Logan?" he answered. He listened for a minute, and the soft expression on his face suddenly became that of alarm. "What? What are you talking about? There's no way you can do that, Logan! I won't allow you!"
Alison listened closely, and she heard Logan's voice, small as a result of the communicator's size and lack of volume, say, "Well, sorry, bub. That's just how things are gonna go."
Alison guessed Logan had hung up on Scott, because Scott placed the communicator into his pocket and placed a hand on his forehead. "That stupid son of a—" He looked to Alison. "Sorry. It's just—Logan decided to be the one to cause the distraction."
"He what!?" Alison nearly exclaimed. She softened her voice so that she wouldn't be heard by the guards. "Why in the name of God would he do that? It's so dangerous!"
"I know he can take it, but it's Stryker we're talking about, so it makes it even worse," Scott said. "Stryker knows how to kill him, because he was the one who infused his body with adamantium. We can't allow him to do this. Do you understand me?"
Alison nodded. She just hoped Rogue and Kitty were okay.
Storm stood near Kurt. She planned on using lightning to shock all the guards out of commission. But she wasn't sure how many more guards were inside the compound. That was the only problem. She turned to look at Kurt, and she smiled. She noticed the fear in his abnormal yellow eyes. He was even shaking with fear.
"It'll all be over soon, Kurt," she said. "You don't have to worry about a thing. Soon enough, we'll get Professor X and all the other children back, and we'll be able to rebuild the mansion so that you can live in it without any fear of what is out here in the world."
"I'm not scared of what is out here, Professor," Kurt said. "Well, maybe I am a little. But what scares me more is the thought of losing my friends and family. There have been times where I've experienced nightmares, and in them, those closest to me have died. You were in one of them once, Professor. I hope that never happens, because I've come to love all those who have helped me in this painful journey to find peace."
Storm wasn't sure what she could say to Kurt at the moment. She was taken aback by his words and the telling of his nightmares. She wondered if those nightmares were the kinds that could possibly come true, though she rather hoped against it.
"Well, Kurt, the thing to remember is that we'll keep you safe, and in return, you should do your best to keep us safe. Do you understand what I am saying to you now, Kurt?" she asked. He nodded. "Your nightmares are just that. They are nothing more than nightmares, and the best thing to do is to place them far back into your mind and never think about them again. If they ever come up again, come to me, and I'll help you get rid of them."
Kurt nodded, and he smiled. Then Storm heard a beeping sound, and while looking around to make sure none of the guards had heard it, she took out her communicator and answered it. "Hello?"
Kurt could hear someone talking on the other end, though he wasn't sure who it could be. He saw Storm react in various ways: at first, she seemed serious, then her face softened, and then finally it became filled with anger and shock. Kurt wondered what she was hearing that made her think in such ways. Finally, Storm hung up.
"I can't believe this!" she nearly exclaimed. "Logan decided to go and get himself killed! I hope he realizes that we can't finish this mission without him! If he dies, then we're in trouble! He might believe he's unable to be killed, but this is a compound run by William Stryker, the man who made him into The Wolverine! If he created him, he might be able to kill him, as well! Darn it, Logan!" She sighed, and then sat down. "But there's no point in arguing about it. He can make his own decisions. We'll just have to wait and see."
Logan looked to Kitty and Piotr, and he nodded. "I'm going," he said. He saw the fear in Kitty's blue eyes. He smiled at her. "Don't worry, Kitty. I'll be back soon. They can't kill me that easily." He looked to Piotr. "If any of the bullets come over this way, protect her, all right? She's my daughter, and you're my son. I don't want her to be hurt, and I don't want you to be hurt, either. Do you understand me, Piotr?"
Piotr nodded, and Kitty reluctantly nodded, as well, though the question hadn't been directed her. She still felt like she should nod nonetheless. She was a part of this, after all.
Logan smiled at them both. And then he jumped out of his hiding spot and walked toward the compound. He yelled out, "STRYKER! I'M HERE! COME AND GET ME!"
There was the sound of shouts. Kitty looked over the rock for a moment, and she saw guards coming toward Logan. Gunshots echoed through the air, and Kitty gasped as many of them hit Logan. She clapped a hand over her mouth, and tears came to her eyes. Piotr held her close to him.
"He's not dead," he reminded her. "He's going to heal. Then he'll get up and kick their—"
Kitty realized he was right, and she clapped the same hand that was over her mouth to her forehead. She couldn't believe that she had forgotten such a thing. But it didn't matter. She was still worried for Logan's safety. She knew the man they were dealing with was the one who had given Logan his adamantium claws. If he'd been able to create The Wolverine, there was still the possibility he could kill him. That was her main worry.
Kitty heard screams, and she looked over the rock to see Logan attacking the guards. He was unharmed, it seemed, thanks to his healing factor. She was grateful for that.
She heard rocks move suddenly behind her, and she and Piotr whirled around to find Rogue, Bobby, and Jean. Rogue and Bobby smiled at Piotr and Kitty. "We decided to come over here," Jean explained. "It's the best way to get in there. But we don't know where Alison and Scott are, or where Storm and Kurt are." She looked over the rock and saw Logan fighting the guards. She cursed under her breath. "Sorry," she said, "but Logan is such a fool. There's no reason for him to have done this! We need to regroup with the others. Hopefully Logan realizes he can't do this alone. We need to work together. At least the Brotherhood aren't out here, though."
"The Brotherhood might not be out here," came a voice, "but we are, lady." Everyone whirled around to see a guard standing there. But he seemed to be the only one.
"We can take him," Kitty said.
"There's no point in fighting him," said Jean. She seemed to begin concentrating, just as the guard raised a gun. Kitty nearly screamed, but Rogue grabbed her shoulder to stop her. In a matter of seconds, the guard's eyelids drooped, and he fell to the ground.
"What did you do?" Bobby asked Jean.
"I entered his mind and forced him to go to sleep," she answered. "I also found some information on the compound. There's an entrance that won't trigger the security measures, but it requires a code. Fortunately, I learned what that code is. It's in another language, which would make it hard for some to learn what it is."
"What is it?" Kitty asked.
"Scriosadh gach difriúil. It's Irish. It means 'Destroy all different.' So, technically, 'Destroy all Mutants.'"
"That's just wrong," Rogue said.
"It's Stryker, what do you expect?" came a voice from her right. Scott was coming toward them with Alison. "I see that Logan's having some fun right now. Will he be all right?"
"Yes, he will," Piotr said. "We're sure of it."
Kitty and Rogue ran to Alison and hugged her. She hugged them back. "I'm glad neither of you were harmed," she said.
"It's funny, you know?" Scott said. "We split up to get into the compound, and now, because of Logan's stupidity, we're all together once more."
"Logan's not stupid!" protested Kitty. "Logan was very brave, doing that for us! He's only trying to buy us some time!"
"I understand that, Kitty, but that doesn't mean it wasn't a stupid idea," Scott told her. "He should have consulted with us about it. Instead, he just called us and told us he was about to fight the guards. We should be down there with him, fighting alongside him!"
"Yes, I understand, Scott, but we can't do that, because we can't risk the children's safety!"
"We're not children, though!" Rogue exclaimed. "We should be able to go down there and help Logan. Is anyone else with me?"
Kitty agreed with Rogue. She'd been wanting to help Logan from the moment he made his decision. She calmed herself, and then concentrated, phasing her hand through the ground. She decided it wasn't the best way to test her abilities, but the only other place for her to do so was down there on the "battlefield," as she now called it.
Piotr encased himself in his metal form. Bobby encased himself in his ice form. Alison concentrated, and there were small sparkles all around her. "To blind the enemy," she explained to everyone. "Then I'll break their bones for what they've done."
Jean and Scott sighed. "Fine," Jean finally said. "Then let's go."
"You're not going without us," said Storm from behind them. Jean jumped when she heard her voice. Storm and Kurt were standing side-by-side. "If we're to fight, then we must do it together. That means leaving no X-Man or X-Woman behind."
Everyone nodded. Then Jean said, "Let's go."
The remaining X-Men jumped over the rock and down into the battlefield. Kitty ran at a guard that Logan didn't see. She phased through him and knocked him unconscious with a kick to the face. Logan realized someone was behind him. Kitty phased as his claws nearly hit her. But at the last moment, Logan realized it was only her.
"What are you doing here?" he exclaimed. Blood trickled down his chin from a cut that had already healed. "I ordered you and Piotr to remain up there!" He looked behind her and saw the rest of the X-Men. "What in the name of God is going on?"
"We're all working with you, Logan," Kitty told him. "We don't leave any X-Men or -Woman behind."
Logan finally nodded after a moment's hesitation. He saw something behind Kitty, but before he could take the guard out, Rogue came up and kicked him between the legs, then in the neck. The guard crumpled, but by his breathing, Rogue knew he was still alive. Kitty obviously knew was going on behind her, though Logan was unsure how.
"Fine," Logan said. "Then let's kick some…butt, right?"
"Something like that," Kitty replied, and she ran off to take out another guard.
Jean fought the guards with her mind and her physical abilities. She took one out with a punch to the face. Looking over to Scott, she saw he was taking them out with the beams of energy that came from his eyes and passed through the opaque ruby visor. While the energy had the ability to kill a human, he was able to lessen the blast's power and just knock them out.
Kurt teleported around, knocking the guards out with kicks, punches, and his tail. He was unsure what would come after this, though he hoped it was something good. He thought, Fighting these men is for a good reason. But I have to be careful. I do not wish to become carried avay by this violence. I'm more of a pacifist, anyway. But I must do it for my new friends. It is the only vay.
Storm used her control over weather. She electrocuted many of the guards, and then used small tornadoes to carry others around and throw them into parts of the compound.
Piotr punched the guards in his metal form, breaking noses and jaws, as well as knocking them unconscious. He looked to Kitty, who looked over to him. They smiled at one another. Kitty realized how deep her love for Piotr already was. She wanted to run to him and kiss him. But she decided to wait, especially with all that was going on around them. But as soon as she got the chance, she would run to him, and she would kiss him full on the lips.
But for the moment, she would wait.
Bobby was in his ice form, and as soon as a guard came at him, he punched them in the gut, and the guard coughed up blood. Bobby yelled in surprise, and then kicked them between the legs. The combined pain seemed to knock the guard out.
And Alison blinded the guards and kicked them as hard as she could. A large guard came at her, and she didn't see him coming. He brandished a knife at her, and her right shoulder was slashed. She groaned, but she succeeded in blinding him. He fell to the ground, screaming, "MY EYES! MY EYES!" The blade went spinning across the ground as he threw it, not knowing he'd accidentally thrown it the complete other way, into the way of nothing and no one. Alison knocked him unconscious.
There were many guards appearing, but soon enough, the X-Men were the only ones who remained out there.
Kitty and Rogue hurried to Alison. "Are you okay?" Kitty asked. "I saw the knife get you!"
Alison clutched the wound. "It hurts, I'll admit that," she said. "But it's not that bad."
"Let me see," said Logan, coming over to them. Alison took her hand off the wound, and everyone present saw a good amount of blood on her hand. But when Logan finished looking at it, he said, "It's not a bad wound. It's also not really bleeding a whole lot. It just looks that way, is all."
"Oh, thank God," Kitty said. "I thought you were badly hurt. I would have blamed myself if that had happened."
"Why would you blame yourself?" Alison asked.
"I'm not sure," Kitty replied. "I guess, since you're my sister, I don't want you to be hurt, is all." She smiled at Alison, who returned the smile.
"I just realized something," Jean said. "There's a much easier way to get through this."
"And how is that?" Logan asked.
"Kurt, you've seen the inside of the compound, right?" Jean asked him.
"Yes, but ve must be careful," Kurt told them. "There is a door with a code. You must punch the code in. I tried to do it, but all I succeeded in doing vas tripping the alarm. Fortunately, seeing the outside of the the room, I vas able to teleport out there. I could teleport us inside if you could get me closer, so I von't have to use up too much energy."
Logan nodded. "Seems like a good plan," he said. "But how do we get inside without all the guards seeing us? And how do we get the code?"
"I already have it," Jean told him. "I can get into peoples' minds, remember? I didn't want to get in their minds, but they were about to shoot us, so I chose the best way out, although the Professor might not have agreed with my choice." She sighed.
"Well, you're good for now," Scott said. "We should get moving, though. Knocking out all these guards will likely attract some attention. So let's get out of here. Where's the way in?"
They looked around and found a gate. Piotr walked over to it. "Be careful, Piotr," Kitty said out of habit. He looked to her with a smile, and then grasped the bars of the gate. As he was in his metal form, as the electricity coursed through his body, he groaned. But he quickly got over it and broke the gate from its supports, throwing it far away from he and the others.
They walked inside the courtyard now accessible to them, and they found it was empty.
"Well, this is just sad," Logan said. "I could've done so much better if I were Stryker." He laughed, but then shut his mouth as Stryker's voice came on over the intercom somewhere around them.
"It's not that simple, Wolverine," he said. "This is where you die. All of you. Initiate Protocol Scriosadh Gach Difriúil."
And then his voice was gone.
"Oh crap," Rogue said.
"This could definitely end badly," Bobby said. "But probably not. Let's keep our hopes up, people."
They saw guards coming out of the compound all of a sudden. Alarms were going off. They were so loud that the girls were forced to cover their ears with their hands. There was an opening. But they wouldn't be taking the opening. They would be using another route.
"That's the last of them," Logan growled. "Are you ready, Nightcrawler? Do it, now!"
Kurt nodded fearfully, and he concentrated as hard as he could. There was the smell of brimstone in the air all of a sudden. And then, instead of the loud noise outside, everyone felt cool air conditioning. They opened their eyes, and they all sighed when they found themselves inside. But then Kurt gasped, causing Kitty to jump.
"Kurt, what is it?" Kitty asked, trying to calm her fast-beating heart.
"I screwed up, as you say," he told them. "I've teleported us farther into the compound then I meant."
"What does that mean?" Rogue asked.
"Nothing," Logan said. "The alarms were already set off, and that means there can't be many problems now. We can get through this place, but it won't be easy. If you ask me, we're in a dangerous situation. Well, that's an understatement. The Brotherhood are around here, as is Stryker. I say we split up. What do you guys think?"
"No," Jean protested. "We have to stay together. We're a team, Logan. We have to stay together."
Logan finally agreed. They looked around, finding themselves only in a white room with a dirty green floor. They walked forward, hoping to find a sign of something around them. Rogue got closer to Kitty, hoping to help her little sister some.
"Are you all right?" Rogue asked. "I think I've asked that a lot today, but when I ask it, I feel like it makes me feel better, because it helps me to know if I can help those I love."
"I understand," Kitty said. "I'm all right, but I'm really shaken up about everything."
They kept walking, and they came to a door that had been broken off its hinges.
"Wow, Stryker, do your men even know how to use a freaking door? Jesus," Logan muttered. He went to it, looked down at it for a moment, and then kicked it as hard as he could. He smiled through the pain of feeling three of his toes break and then come right back into place. He realized the door was made of adamantium. But nonetheless, it went flying across the next room.
"Okay," Scott said. "I'll go in first, just in case. Jean, you next, and then Logan, Bobby, Piotr, Alison, Kurt, and Rogue and Kitty. Do you all understand?"
"No," Logan said. "There's nothing dangerous in there. And even if there was something dangerous, Kitty can phase through the danger. I'll let them go first right now. It's not because I think they're in danger. It's the fact that we're in danger. The guards are still outside, fortunately, wondering where in the name of God we've gone, but they'll be coming soon enough, I'm sure. So we need to go now!" He motioned for Kitty and Rogue to go through first. "There's nothing dangerous in there," he whispered to them.
But as soon as they stepped into the room, Logan regretted his decision. A whole new door came up and stopped him from getting through. It trapped the girls in the other room. Kitty attempted to phase through the metal, only to be electrocuted and thrown back onto the floor.
"Kitty!" Rogue yelled. She ran to her sister. "Kitty, you okay?"
"Yes," Kitty answered. "God, that was painful. But I'm all right. We need to get through that door, though."
On the other side, Logan kicked the door and attempted to slice it with his claws. He succeeded in slicing the door through a little, but the shock that came as a result stopped him in his tracks. He saw the door suddenly "heal" itself.
"Sorry about that, Wolverine," came Stryker's voice. "You aren't going to be getting through that door anytime soon." Stryker's laugh could be heard, crackling with static. "Too bad, Wolverine. I guess your little girls are going to be dying soon."
Logan looked up, saw the intercom, and jumped as high as he could. He used his claws to dig into the wall and force himself upward. He slashed the intercom with his claws, destroying it.
He growled, and he said, "We'll have to find another way to get through." He looked at the wall, and then hurried to the other door. Kitty and Rogue were watching him balefully. He pointed at the other door in front of them. They reluctantly nodded. He finally looked at the wall in that room, noticing to his great annoyance the wall was made of the same material as the door.
"Hey, tin man," Logan said to Colossus. "Punch that wall right there. Let's see if we can't find another way through. We can't get to that room right there anytime soon, but we can possibly meet up with them soon. But let's go look for the kids and the Professor for now."
Piotr nodded. "As long as we get Katya back," he said, holding Logan to it, calling Kitty the Russian name for Katherine, which Logan took as a sign of affection and his love for her. Logan nodded, agreeing with him. "As well as Rogue." And Logan nodded again. He wanted both the girls back. He counted them, as well as Alison, as his daughters, after all.
Piotr punched right through the wall without any effort whatsoever. They ran through. They found themselves somewhere completely different, however. It seemed they'd just discovered a secret area that Stryker might not have wanted them to know about.
But there were two paths.
"Okay, this isn't normal," Bobby said. "Where should we go?"
"Piotr, Bobby, Alison, come with me," Logan said. "We're going to get the kids. As well as Kitty and Rogue."
"What about us, Logan?" Storm asked.
"You, Kurt, Scott and Jean go and find the Professor," Logan ordered. "You should be able to find him, I'm sure. Hopefully we go the right ways, however. But even if we don't, let's just make sure we meet up with one another. Do you understand me?"
They nodded, and they went their separate ways. For Logan and his party's path, they went down a stairway, and for Jean's party's path, they went down a hallway. They just hoped they were able to reunite by the end of it all, and that no ill fate befell them along the way.
Mystique dragged the lifeless body of Magneto behind her. She was smiling at the moment, believing she'd won. But if he woke up, she wouldn't want him to believe she'd double-crossed him. She already had a whole lie planned out for herself. She knew it would work.
She found the door that led into the pseudo-Cerebro room. She typed in the code for it, and although she hated the code, she punched it in anyway. It was Scriosadh Gach Difriúil, which meant "Kill All Different" in Irish. That pretty much meant "Kill All Mutants" in her mind, and so she felt sickened by it. But it didn't matter at the moment.
After her job with Stryker was finished, she would kill him. She had no more use for him once this was over. She was sure Magneto would do the same thing. But she was different than he, of course. But for the moment, she'd keep that thought in her mind. She smiled at the thought, and she couldn't stop smiling, with it widening as soon as she saw Xavier and Emma. She did her best to not see the dead body of Jason Stryker, believing it was a horrible sight, something she believed was one of the few things she shared with Xavier and Emma at the moment. She cared for them not.
"Here's another piece of worthless trash," she said, throwing Magneto to them forcefully. "Don't you dare tell him I'm on the other side when he wakes, however. I don't want that. Do you understand me, Emma? If you tell him, and I find out, I will kill you."
"You'll probably be dead first," muttered Emma.
But Mystique just walked away. She made her way to the control room, where Stryker was sitting at a desk. He looked up at her as she entered. He did not smile, likely stemming from his hatred of mutants, she thought.
"I have a job for you," he said.
"And that would be?" she asked.
"The two girls," he continued. "Kitty and Rogue, I believe. They've been left behind by their teammates due to one of my security measures. I need you to find them. Kill Kitty, but bring me Rogue. The one with the white streak in her hair. I want to experiment on her."
"I have a better idea," said Mystique. She walked to Stryker, caressed his shoulders, and whispered seductively into his ear. He smiled when he heard her plan.
"Good, very good," he said. "Do it. Bring her to me. Now we truly have a plan. Not even the X-Men can stop me now."
Mystique smiled and left the room. She continued smiling as she thought of how she would kill Stryker soon enough.
Kitty and Rogue walked through the halls of the compound. They hadn't encountered any of the other Brotherhood members, fortunately, but they were still on the lookout.
After being locked inside the room, Kitty had been able to phase through the other door, helping Rogue phase through it at the same time. They were now just walking silently, not knowing if they should speak or not, wanting only to be careful.
"I'm so scared," Kitty finally said. "I can barely think as a result of it all."
"I understand," Rogue said. "I am too, Kitty. But you have to remember to stay strong. You have a lot courage in you. Don't stop believing in yourself just because everything seems dim. You have to remember, you were the one who helped me the first day of classes. When I was feeling scared and unsure of myself due to the power of my abilities, and what could happen to someone if they were touched by my bare hand, you came and found me in that closet and helped me through it. You and Alison. You're both my sisters."
Kitty smiled. "But you helped me more," she said. "Through a lot more. You helped me through that thunderstorm that one night, and then you helped me against the Sentinel. You saved me from the Sentinel. I'll never forget that, Rogue. And you helped me to heal that one time. No matter the size of what you did, you still helped me, and I can't thank you enough for that. I'm glad I received these powers. I'm glad I'm a Mutant, because if I hadn't received these abilities, I would have never met you. Or Alison. Or Logan, Jean, Bobby, Scott, Kurt, Storm, the Professor…" Her voiced trailed off. "Or Piotr."
Rogue smiled. "You're really beginning to love him, aren't you?"
"Hey, I'm not alone! You and Bobby definitely seem to be getting into a relationship. Now all we need is to get Alison a love interest. Not sure who we could get, though."
"Neither do I, but that doesn't matter right now…" Her voiced trailed off as they stepped into the next room. Both she and Kitty's mouths fell open. They couldn't believe what they were seeing.
Inside, the room was full of weapons and machines, including tanks, guns, knives, helicopters, and even Sentinels.
"Holy crap," Kitty whispered.
"It's amazing, isn't it?" came a voice. Kitty and Rogue looked to the exit of the room, where Mystique was now standing. She smiled at them in an evil way. "As you can guess, this is the armory. I believe you both remember the Sentinel from that one night? If you remember, I said it was I who placed it out on that dock. It almost killed you, too, Kitty, if I remember correctly. I watched the whole thing, then again. It was a beautiful moment. Watching a traitor nearly die in such a way…oh, what a great thing. But then you came along, Rogue, and you screwed everything up."
"Shut up!" Rogue yelled. "You have no right to tell me what the right thing for me was to do! I'm going to end you tonight, Mystique. You don't deserve to keep living, because you've put Kitty and I through so much Hell!"
"Blah, blah, blah," Mystique said. "Let's just fight, shall we?"
She took a blade from its sheath around her leg, which was under one side of her leotard. She growled at the two girls, and then she ran at them, hoping to end them for their insolence. That, and she just hated them.
Kitty was the first to attack, but she failed, being kicked by Mystique and landing hard on the ground. She groaned, but she was unharmed, evident to Rogue when she jumped right back up on her feet. Mystique sent the blade at her, but Kitty phased, and it went right through her. Mystique leapt at her, hoping she would be able to kill her, but she didn't succeed, instead going right through her, much to her chagrin.
Rogue ran at Mystique, slapping her across the face. She punched the blue-skinned Mutant in the gut, causing all the air to go out of her. But Mystique only smiled again, and she slammed Rogue's face into her knee. Rogue's lip split, and she tasted blood.
Kitty growled, and she kicked Mystique in the back, hoping to hurt something. She succeeded, but everything became worse as Mystique whirled around and grabbed Kitty's shoulders. Kitty was unable to phase due to her sudden fear, and Mystique threw her right into the leg of one of the Sentinels.
Kitty tasted blood, just like Rogue, and blood trickled down the right side of her head. She groaned, and then screamed as Mystique, who had grabbed the long knife again, plunged the knife through her left shoulder. Her vision flickered, and she quickly fell into unconsciousness as a result of the pain.
Rogue saw this, and her anger built. She hurriedly got to her feet and punched and kicked Mystique as hard as she could. She didn't have anymore abilities from the absorption of Logan's power. She'd used the last of it to heal her gunshot wound. If she still had such abilities, she would have used them to break something of Mystique's. But at the moment, she was nearly powerless. As she didn't wish to kill Mystique, she wasn't going to use her absorption abilities again.
Her thoughts caused her to lose sight of what was going on all of a sudden, and she found Mystique in front of her, still smiling. "I know, I just hurt your little friend, but what does it matter? She would've probably turned on you and killed you as soon as she got the chance, just like Charles did to me. Professor X, as you know him. He broke my heart, and he deserves to die for that! I will never forgive him!"
"You're so stupid," Rogue said. "You're just so stupid. I want you to shut up for once! You did hurt my sister, and for that, you deserve a broken leg, at least. At least I'm no executioner."
"Good." Mystique concentrated, and suddenly Bobby appeared. Laughing at Rogue's surprised face, pseudo-Bobby told her, "Well, better me to kill you than anyone, right?"
And Rogue, frozen in place due to the shock of having seen Mystique transform into Bobby, was knocked unconscious by a block of ice that hit her in the chest. She fell to the ground.
Mystique became her normal self, and she thought to herself, Not too hard, were you, Rogue? Such a surprise you were able to take that Sentinel down. But oh well. We'll be able to make something out of you yet. Looking over to Kitty's unconscious body, she said, "And don't worry, we still have plans for you, Shadowcat."
She picked up Rogue's body and walked off, laughing to herself.