Chapter 4:
Freedom, at a Price
Rachel Summers lay basking in the sun by the pool at the Xavier Institute. It was a nice, breezy day, and she was worry-free. She knew in the back of her mind that something was missing, but she couldn't put a finger on it. She opened her eyes slightly and realized that the sun was no longer out, the moon shone brightly over the grounds, but these weren't the grounds to the Xavier mansion. There wasn't a pool here, or a lounge chair. It was bitterly cold, and the wind tore at Rachel's scantily clad skin.
She knew that this was wrong, something deep within her called her to her senses, yearned for her to come back. But Rachel knew she was here for a reason. Someone had pulled her away from her dream to this place, someone had pulled her, and her mom, and her brother Nathan and Charles Xavier. Someone had thrown them all here for a reason, now she just had to find out what the reason was.
"Professor! Nathan! Mom! Does anyone know what's going on here?"
"Stay where you are Rachel! I think this may have something to do with Alex, he's the common thread here"
Charles's voice grated against Rachel nerves, it always did, but for some reason in the echo of this dream-state it was amplified and replayed.
"Charles is right Ray, don't move. I think he's using us as anchors."
"I am actually"
Alex formed in front of her eyes, a perfect Alex, without the blemishes, the sick skin tone, and the dull hair. This was the Alex that Alex knew himself to be; the mental equivalent to Alex's Ego. Wherever Alex was, this was bad. Rachel hadn't seen this Alex-construct in years; Alex was badly hurt and didn't want to worry them.
"Lex, where are you?"
"I'm not sure. But if you can find Magneto, you will find us. Colossus is dead, Jubilee and I are badly hurt, and I think Magneto is going crazy...literally...find Mesmero and you can find us, I will do my best to keep my mind alert, please come for us"
Jean's face contorted into something that Rachel had never seen before, a mix of anger and determination that simply said she would.
"Alex, keep sending out bursts of telepathic energy, Storm is already roaming around trying to find you, I will dispatch more X-Men. I'm sure Rachel will be there, and I have an idea as to whom else I can send out. Be sure, we will do our very best to find you."
Alex's form dissipated, but Rachel could still hear him, perhaps she wasn't the only one, but she felt that this was a secretive moment, and trained her expression to be blank and inscrutable.
: Ray, I don't know that I'll be able to send many psionic spikes, I'm very weak, and food and water have been beyond sparse, hurry up Ray, try and focus on Jubilee, and Mesmero, he's putting out a whole lotta energy trying to look dead, you should be able to latch onto his signature quickly. Here's some of his pattern, I love you Ray, please find us.:
With those words Alex's presence fully faded from Rachel's dream-state. The sun was back, and the pool, and the lounger, and the breeze, but Rachel could no longer lie in bed, she could no longer pretend to be careless so she awoke, and jumped out of her bed. She mentally ran through the ways out of the mansion and chose Alex's balcony. She could fly high and fast, and with Mesmero's signature so fresh in her mind there was simply no time to lose. Rachel floated her uniform to her and began to don her gear. She would leave now, whether Charles approved or not wouldn't even be a factor.
: Charles I'm going after Alex, I have my communicator, and my tracker, send whomever you're going to send out after me. I can't wait. Marvel Girl out.:
She flew out of Alex's balcony, training her senses strictly to Mesmero's psionic signature; there was nothing else on her mind. There was no doubt, no hesitation. She came from a different universe, one where Jean and Scott were both dead, where neither Nathan nor Alexander existed, a universe where she was the only daughter of people she never got to meet. The world she grew up in was harsh and unforgiving. Alex, Nate, Jean and Scott meant everything to her; she would not let anything stand in the way of her getting to him.
[Marvel Girl this is Elixir confirming back up, we're hot on your trail. Sunspot's flying out behind you. Should we plan a rendezvous point? Or do you just wanna fly straight through?]
[Read you loud and clear Elixir. Maintaining speed and direction; West and slight South. Rendezvous at the state line, I'll have to touch down anyway. Marvel Girl; over and out.]
[Copy. Over and out.]
Rachel sped forward, pushing against the air, the clouds, the ground and anything else that would speed her on her way. Somewhere in this general direction Alex, and Jubilee were being kept prisoner, being mistreated, and their lives could possibly hang in the balance. Rachel needed to eat up every mile she could in as little time as was possible. A part of her wanted the power of the Phoenix Force back, the thrust of power it would've given her would be exactly what she needed to find and rescue Alex; she wished she could summon it, could find it hiding in a recess of her mind, but it was gone. At least for now.
[Jean Grey to Marvel Girl, can you hear me Ray?]
[Coming through loud and clear mom.]
[Rachel, Cerebra just located a massive psionic power spike near Houma, Louisiana. We dispatched Elixir, Richards, Catiana, Bloke and X-23. After you have rendezvoused with your back-up Blink will transport you as close as we can pinpoint the location of the spike to. You're team-leader Blue, this is officially a mission. Follow your training, but above all; and I mean this fully and completely Rachel, above all you get every last X-Man trainee out of there safe. Jean Grey out.]
[Marvel Girl to Elixir; rush to the rendezvous point. Psionic activity has been detected near Houma, Louisiana. We're officially team Blue; this has been declared a rescue mission. Expect to see Blink at the state line; I should arrive there in less than ten minutes. What's your ETA Elixir?]
[Copy Blue Leader, we will push the car as fast we can. Sunspot is two minutes from your location, and we are five minutes behind him as of right now. We'll be engaging cloaking devices and going off-radar. ETA ten to fifteen. Standby for update, Elixir out.]
Rachel breathed a sigh of relief, these people were fully trained, completely efficient and above all X-Men. Alex would be alright, and Magneto...well she didn't quite know exactly what would happen to Magneto, if Jean got there before Rachel, there was no telling what she would do, and if Rachel got there first...well Magneto should hope she didn't.
Jubilee couldn't believe what was going on. Alex and Magneto were LITERALLY playing a game of chess, Magneto had freed one of Alex's hands and the chess board sat between them, as the used their powers to move the pieces. Jubilee was astonished at that, but dumbfounded by the fact that she was fully free. Somehow Alex had gotten under Magneto's skin, and Jubilee had been set free, she had stumbled onto a chair and there she was still, her hands feeling better and better, but she studiously avoided the last rung on the wall.
Piotr was dead, Alex was weakened, and even though Jubilee was free and her hands felt better she knew that against Magneto she didn't stand a chance in hell. She looked up at Alex, and as she caught his gaze she felt the familiar twinge of his telepathic energy touching her mind.
: I know you must think I lost my marbles...or that I am just leaving it all up to you, but I'm not. Rachel is on her way, and the only way for me to concentrate enough to create Psionic surges is to be absolutely quiet. I learned from Professor X that Magneto can never refuse a good game of chess, and nothing like a psionic at chess. Something about telepathy...don't worry Jubes, it'll all be alright:
Jubilee sat back in the chair and rubbed her hands. Rachel may be on her way, but Magneto was still Magneto and the odds were still the same. Jubilee needed her hands to be at full working condition, what little she could do, she would do to the best of her abilities.
"You're quite the player, Alex. I imagine you and Charles must've spent many an hour playing together. I can see a lot of his moves on this board, but like him you have one fatal flaw. You play on the defensive, always protecting the pieces you deem as worthy. Meanwhile I do away with most of your pawns, divert attention from my queen and my rooks, and then...check."
"You know Erik, you're almost right. I do play a lot like the Professor, mainly because he's the one who taught me how to play. He taught me the name of each piece, and how each of them moves, and what the rules are. However, I did learn a couple of things on my own; among them, how to use the pieces to my own advantage, how to not let rules hinder me, how to use the way the pieces move in my favor even as it seems I play the losing hand, but most important of all I learned that playing the defensive got me nowhere, and that playing offensive while keeping my moves seemingly defensive keeps the other player distracted, and then...Checkmate."
Magneto looked at the board and he couldn't believe what he saw. Alex had somehow managed to back his king into a corner, and no matter where Magneto moved his queen, his rook, or his knight, Alex had placed a piece within range to eliminate that piece and a move later, Magneto's king. Somehow Alex had managed to sacrifice all his pawns and maintain all his other pieces intact and somehow still take both of Magneto's bishops, one of his knights and almost every single one of his pawns.
"You are indeed not just Charles's student. Would you care for another hand?"
Magneto could see Alex was buying time, something was going on in that mind of his, but it didn't matter, so long as he kept Alex's attention focused in on a single thing, then he could buy himself the time he needed for Mystique to bring him the serum that would allow him to steal Alex's powers. The damn fool was already a whole day late, he couldn't risk contacting her and having his trail exposed to Charles and his imps, but the fact that she had yet to arrive was beginning to grate against his nerves, of all the things Magneto was known for being patient was most definitely NOT one of them.
Alex knew Magneto was buying time, it didn't take his telepathic abilities to figure it out, the game had gone by slowly, even when the move to be made was obvious for both of them, but it didn't matter, Alex needed time too and playing chess would be a good time killer, and it would allow him to sporadically send psionic surges into the ether, and Rachel would follow them, that much he knew for sure.
The board was set up again and a new game began. Alex immediately sensed that this game was a completely different sort of game, the board may be a chess board, but Magneto wasn't playing for a check-mate, no Magneto was playing for something much, much more dangerous, and Alex wasn't sure whether or not he knew the rules.
Rachel was tired, her body was beginning to wear out, and her mind was no longer as sharp as it had been when she began to fly. She pushed herself forward, desperately wanting to reach the rendezvous point before she overtired herself.
[Marvel Girl, this is Elixir. ETA to rendezvous 4 minutes. Has Sunspot made contact with you?]
[He's flying beside me now Elixir. We should be arriving at the rendezvous in a minute. See you there, Marvel Girl out]
"Sunspot, let's touch down and walk the rest of the way, give the others some time to catch up."
"Got it...there's a road up ahead, we should advice the others to avoid it. We don't want to alert anyone that we're on the move."
"I'll com Elixir and let him know. We'll stay close enough to keep an eye on it but far enough to not be seen."
"Gotcha"
[Elixir, this is Marvel Girl. Sunspot and I are touching down, and we'll be walking to the state border, stay off the main road, try and find an alternate route through the trees. We don't wanna alert ANYONE that we're on the move. Over and Out.]
Rachel walked as fast as she could without using a single iota of her power. Something wasn't right. She had sensed it the second they landed and the feeling simply grew stronger and stronger the closer they got to the state border. Rachel's every muscle and nerve was on full alert, her mind continually casting out for something, although even if she found it, she'd never know what it was.
She took comfort in the knowledge that the team had finally come together. It was a weirdly assembled team, but if Xavier had seen it fit to put them together, she had to trust that it was for good reason.
"Marvel Girl, exactly how are we getting to Houma? I mean isn't that LITERALLY across the U.S. landmass?"
"We're meeting Blink, she has the power to alter spatial energy which creates a sort of wormhole, but it's controlled. She can pinpoint the exit place, it's teleportation but just more complicated."
Rachel looked at Catiana; her voice had a strange lilt to it that seemed almost feline.
"And how exactly do you know all this Catiana? I mean that's pretty specific information you have there."
"I took the liberty of doing a little background research on the entire team. It was completely sanctioned, and all the files came straight from Cerebra's memory files."
"Wait, Cerebra knows EXACTLY how every single mutant's powers work? Why doesn't Xavier allow us to use this information to defeat the Brotherhood? Or H.Y.D.R.A. or any one of those evil groups?"
Rachel looked at X-23; her voice was calm, collected, but irrefutably Logan. As far as clones went, X-23 was as close as science had ever come to perfect.
"It would be unethical X-23."
"Elixir, c'mon! Unethical? Are you shittin' me? The whole purpose of those groups is unethical! We have to start playing their rules or pretty soon we're gonna be wiped out. Look at the situation we're in, the X-Men are spread so thinly that students are being dispatched on missions. Imperium is barely 21 and already he's on full blown missions. Unethical simply isn't an argument against anything anymore. Just you watch, things are just beginning to get ugly, you have no idea."
"She's right you know. I come from a future where sentinels rule and mutants are constantly in hiding, always in danger. The sentinels may not be in control, but the sense of persecution, danger and fear are still there. We are outcasts, even as we go around saving thousands of lives, there are still thousands who hate and fear us simply because they cannot understand us. X-23's views may seem extreme and her logic may seem faulty, but she's right. We keep playing the 'nice' card and soon we will be backed into a corner, and then the ones like she and I are the ones that'll have to step up to the front lines, and Xavier will still be fighting for equality, even as we defend our very lives from every living being, or even sentinels."
A sense of sobriety and quiet introspection fell over the camp. In a way they all knew that Rachel and Laura were right, but the reality that they had to confront because of that realization was a cold and bitter one. Even though they were trained and skilled warriors, the facts remained that they were teenagers, the oldest being Rachel at 21, and that the things they were dealing with were not exactly normal teenage problems.
Rachel was looking into the nothingness of the trees around her. They had been waiting for Blink for over half an hour now, the conversation had ceased and no one, including Rachel, had bothered to ask why someone who could travel halfway across the world in the blink of an eye was late.
"I'm calling the Mansion, Blink was supposed to be here when we arrived, and this is starting to feel a bit odd."
[Elixir to Sanctuary. Sanctuary do you copy?]
[We copy Elixir, have you reached Houma yet?]
[Negative Sanctuary, Blink never arrived at the rendezvous. Blue Team is still at rendezvous point. What should we do?]
[Standby Blue Team, we will advice you on what to do]
[Copy, Blue Team out.]
"Something's not right...who answered at Sanctuary?"
"I think it was Emma Frost, but she's supposed to be in Paris trying to get a Skrull that's been impersonating Captain Britain."
It happened in a flash. X-23 was hurtling forward, Elixir was pinned against a tree, Catiana was rushing up the branches of a nearby oak, Rachel was on the ground and she could taste blood in her mouth. Sunspot was missing, that much Rachel could tell, but she knew he was somewhere close by, she could feel his mind frantically searching for something. She opened her mind to his, she needed to focus him and calm him.
: Hey, Roberto. What's going on?:
: I don't know exactly Rachel; all I know is once Elixir blew past me I just shot up. I don't see anyone this far up, although I think I can see Catiana's hair in a tree:
: Yea she scurried up an oak. What is her deal exactly:
: Her powers are a sort of DNA absorption; whenever she comes into contact with the blood of an animal she gains that animal's traits. The last thing I saw her come into contact with was a cat:
: So if she came into contact with the blood of a rhino, she'd act like a rhino?:
: Not quite...more like she'd have the abilities of the rhino. Like its strength, maybe it's tough hide, things of that nature:
: Perfect. You should try and find a zoo close by, I'll reach you telepathically if I need you.:
Rachel let go of her link with Robert and began to search for Tatiana's mind. If her assumption was correct, she needed to have Tatiana's full cooperation.
: Catiana, can you hear me? It's Marvel Girl:
: Rachel! Who are those people? I can barely see them, they're moving awful fast!:
: I don't know yet, but I can tell you this, they have a psionic working with them. I can't sense anything from them. I have a plan...sort of. If you come into contact with the blood of an animal you gain that animal's traits correct?:
: In a simplified manner, yes that's right.:
: Suppose you got some eagle blood on you, would you be able to fly then?:
: I think so. So far my training has only covered land-based animals. I don't think I would know how to fly even if I was able to. I have to train with an animal's blood before I can fully access those traits. That's why my uniform has a belt; it holds blood vials of the animals I am most proficient in. I can be a panther, or a bull, or a serpent, or an otter.:
: What blood did you last come in contact with?:
: My cat's...by accident. I still felt feline so I just assumed I was still a panther, but if I was a panther I wouldn't be stuck in a tree!:
Rachel mentally chuckled at the situation. Catiana could choose to be any animal she wanted, but now she was stuck in a tree and the blood necessary to help her out of the tree was lying 20 feet from Rachel.
: I'll try and get you your belt, but I don't know that I'll be able to.:
Rachel focused on Catiana's belt. She had to shoot it up with a thought before it could be seen. She could still hear whoever had ambushed them move here and there, and there was the unmistakable weight of something on her, and her peripheral vision showed her that something was holding Elixir to the tree. X-23 was out of Rachel's sight, but Rachel knew that whatever was holding her was having a hard time keeping her in place.
The only person she had not thought of tracking was Mickey. Bloke's unique power was being able to completely blend into his surroundings, not just by pigmentation of skin, but by bending light and space around himself to be completely imperceptible, even to psionics.
: Mickey, if you can hear me, and if you're not pinned to a tree or the ground or whatever, please help Laura get loose, or Josh, or get help!:
:I'm loose Rache, hell I'm right in front of you, but if I move the guy with the super hearing will get me, Laura's free anyway, I think she went up into the trees:
: Damn the luck! Can you think of the guy with the super hearing? I'll try and distort his mind for a sec n u can get whatever is on top of me off:
: That's just it Rache, there's nothing...on anyone...it's like these guys are moving at the speed of light...very creepy:
Rachel had suspected as much, there may be weight on her but there was no single contact point between her captor and her skin, and if what Bloke said was correct then she was being held by something other than a person, and if it wasn't organic, then she had a chance of sending it into the ether if she was able to concentrate and heave it off with her mind.
Alexander was growing tired, physically and mentally. Erik could see that much in the young man's eyes. Perhaps he could give him a reprieve of being strung up, after all his right hand had been freed for over two hours and he had yet to make any sort of escape attempt. He needed the boy alive if he was to use the serum anyway. With a thought he ripped the other cuff from the boy's wrist.
The sight of his pale, sickly skin utterly mottled with bruises actually made Erik feel a little guilty, he knew that Alexander wasn't feeling well, he'd seen to it himself. Setting up enough disasters that Xavier and his precious X-Men would be spread thin to the point of making the younger team members (such as Alexander) a bit sick from the constant strain and stress. It was a grandiose plan, and one that required a lot of time and resources, and as all things complicated and with a long span, the people under his command still questioned whether or not hunting Alexander (more accurately his powers) was a good idea. The phoenix force seemed quite fond of the Grey/Summers bloodline, every one of their whelps had at one point or another in one way or another, come into contact with the cosmic force. If Erik's plan worked exactly as he wanted it to, then the Phoenix Force would soon be under Erik's control and that was worth whatever amount of time and resources his current plan called for. After all; everything in life came at a cost.
"Are you sure?"
Alexander's tone was tentative, testing the water before he dove in head first. He knew better than to just take the candy bar from the stranger just because he looked like a grandfather. Trust had always been an issue in Alex's life. Trust between himself and his father, trust between mother and son, between newly found siblings, and grandparents. Erik Lehnsherr wasn't someone Alex could trust, not by any amount. He knew better than to just accept the fact that he was freed from his bonds. It might be nothing more than a temporary respite, perhaps long enough to get enough blood back to his damaged hand and enough time to dull the throbbing in his shoulder…all that it really meant was that when he strung up against the wall once more Alex would feel the pain more intensely than he did now. His body had recognized that it was in pain, but his mind had already dulled his senses into submission, understanding that there was nothing to be done about it, but now Alex was being given a respite, and the pain would start anew, joined by the complaints of his already strained muscles. This was a double edged sword, but Alex was thankful for the relief it gave him, even if it was only momentary.
"I don't mean to sound ungrateful Mr. Lehnsherr—"
"Magneto will do."
"—ok, Magneto, but why are you unshackling me?"
"Well dear boy, it's a simple matter really. Jubilee is exhausted, the Colossus is either dead or in shock, and you my boy are half-starved and utterly exhausted. Forgive me if I insult you by saying that as the circumstances stand right now, you are absolutely no match for me."
Alex could not disagree with the man, after all even the small bursts of kinetic energy that he was sending out into the ether for Cerebra to find were becoming something less and less powerful as the time passed. If someone didn't come to get them soon, Jubilee, Alex, and Pete would be forever lost.
: Rachel, please Hurry.:
Rachel Summers couldn't believe what was happening. Somehow, someone had found out where they were and what they were doing and now Sentinels from some alternate dimension were HERE that's what had rammed into them.
The team was fully rounded up now, all of them in a heap on the forest floor, and three Sentinels that looked as alien as they possibly could. No matter what she knew, or thought she knew, Rachel knew one thing above all else: Survival is Key.
She would have to fight with every ounce of her being to get these Sentinels on the floor and disabled; then she had to gather her team and whatever means of transportation she could and split out of here before anyone could even sneeze. This wasn't good, not good at all. The fact that a secret mission that had barely been put together and had been hard to keep up with even for the people in it, meant that the Institute was compromised, or even worse: one of the X-Men was compromised.
The thought of being betrayed was more than Rachel could handle at the moment. The situation was dicey at best and the fact that her once fully operational, completely professional team had been reduced to nervous, agitated, and afraid teenagers didn't help the matter any in Rachel's eyes. This was a barrel of gunpowder waiting to explode, every whir and snap from the Sentinels had the entire team on edge, which in turn made these Sentinels almost seem as if they were tensing for an attack. It was a vicious circle where all the players were captive audience, and where eventually either man or machine would suddenly lose the tenuous control they had and then the worse possible scenario would occur. Machine and living things were simply not meant to fight, not in this dimension or in any other.
: Everyone, Stay Calm! These Sentinels seem more...human...yea I guess we could say human, than the others...if they think we pose a threat they will kill us. Just stay calm, and let's think of a way to get out of this mess.:
Rachel knew it was in vain that she sounded so controlled and in charge, after all she knew how to deal with situations where her life was hanging by a very thin thread, but the rest of the team...well they were used to the Danger Room, and sparring with tame Sentinels. Perhaps one or two of them had been there when the Institute had been attacked last year, but she couldn't count on that one occasion to be of any help, nothing compared to the utter helplessness that 6 Sentinels (each 9 ½ feet tall) seemed to wrap you up in.
: Rachel...I say we launch a full scale attack, we go ape-shit on them and run for our lives.:
: Normally I would agree Josh, but these aren't Trask's Sentinels...wherever they came from, whenever they were made, the mechanical advancements are far superior to what is available now, they seem to be able to replicate some small measure of our mutant powers...I don't wanna go up against something that could squash me with my own telekinetic powers, it just doesn't seem that kosher to me.:
: I agree with Josh, Rachel. One good rush at them, we catch them by surprise, tear them to pieces and hit the road.:
: Laura, think about it. What do we know about these things?:
: Rachel is right guys, there's something not quite right about these things, almost...it's almost like they can hear us even now...look at their eyes, they keep zooming in and out, and we're not even looking at each other.:
: Mike, don't be such a fool, they're not looking at us:
Then it happened. All six of the sentinels that surrounded them simply went limp. Their bodies hitting the forest floor sent six small but powerful quakes rippling through the team.
"HAAAALLLLOOOOOOOOOO...is there anyone alive in this clearing?"
"Blink! Over here!"
Rachel was relieved to see Blink happily bounding towards them. She knew that to trust Blink was a mistake she couldn't make now, but she also knew that the time to get Alex was now.
"I have orders to send you to Houma. The portal will deliver you to exactly 1 mile from the specified coordinates, and I understand that Jean and Scott will be there for back up and that Storm and Black Panther are already in Houma, about 5 miles from the epicenter of the Psionic Spikes."
Blink waved her hand at the empty air, her hair lifted in some current of wind that was only for her and her eyes glowed a deep fuchsia. Then with a loud pop the space where her hand was pointing began to swirl in a greenish tone, and then they could see an empty field clearly in another place.
"Blue Team. Here's your exit, good luck guys. I have to go get some other people so please let's hurry. I'm already super late, and that's like saying the sun forgot to rise."
Rachel ran at the field and she felt her molecules being sifted through some sort of colander, and then the air was different; Rachel Summers had reached Houma.
Alex felt her, her signature was unmistakable. She had something about her that always triggered his every sense. It seemed like there was this strange connection. It didn't really matter how, all he knew was that she would be here soon. She was coming his way, and she was headed there fast. His heartbeat came faster and there was a sensation that rose inside him, like a swarm of butterflies.
'Rachel where are you? Please hurry!' Alex thought as the sensation grew deeper and stronger inside of him. She was close, very close, and closing in on his location rapidly. It spelled a predictable ending to what had been an unpredictable situation.
Mystique was close. Mystique was running. Mystique abhorred Alex. Alex was in more trouble than he wanted to be in. The feeling got stronger and stronger, and Alex knew that this was exactly what magneto had been buying time for, Mystique's Arrival.
Rachel looked at her team, and she knew that somehow they'd be alright. She gave the first signal and the team burst into the cottage. Rachel took the front door down with a thought. She felt Alex's surprise register, then felt his swell of power as he pushed Jubilee and Colossus out the door and into the field.
"ALEX!"
"RAY! Get the team out of here, Magneto is knocked out but Mystique is on her way, go, go, go!"
Rachel saw Magneto's body on the floor by the back door. She wondered for a micro-second how that could've possibly happened and then Bloke materialized with a very heavy looking log in his grasp. She counted their blessings and gave the order to move out. Alex was right, they had to get the hell outta there before Mystique showed up and confused everyone.
"Tsk. Tsk. Tsk. What would dear Jean say if she knew her children were so rude? I mean, here you are in MY cottage, completely destroyed all my windows and doors, there's two bodies on my floor, and you're rushing out like you don't even know me."
"Alex, get the team out. I'll handle Ms. Darkholme by myself. GO!"
"No, Ray. If you're facing this bitch I'm standing by you."
Alex stood next to Rachel, and readied himself. His body and mind were battered, but as Professor X was so fond of saying; the Summers-Gray line had given birth to children without ceilings. They could stretch their power beyond the norm, and in Rachel's case, they might not have a Mutant Classification. He was willing to help as much as he could, no matter what the cost was ultimately to himself. He would make sure Rachel had a window of opportunity to get out, even if he couldn't. Unbeknownst to him, Rachel was thinking exactly the same thing.
: I can't let you stay Alex, you're badly hurt:
: That doesn't really matter. I'm not going to leave you here with this basket-case:
: As team leader I'm telling you to get out of here Imperium:
: As your brother, Rachel, you know there's no way I'm leaving. As an X-Man who's not part of your team, I technically don't have to do what you tell me to in this mission:
: Fine, but make it look like you're leaving and so Elixir can at least patch you up. Bloke and Elixir know the plan:
Alex looked back at the team and immediately saw who Elixir was and who was Bloke. Whatever Rachel had in mind it may well be worth a try, after all if he got beat up while being this badly hurt he may just shock his system into a cocoon state.
He took Rachel's hand in his and looked at Mystique.
"If you hurt her, in any way, I will make sure you never shape shift again. I will obliterate you from this Universe and chase you in all the alternates I can. That's a Blood Promise."
Alex walked away from them, his mind however stayed put. Whatever advantage he could give Rachel, he would.
Rachel stared at Mystique; her hatred for the woman was deep and rampant. She had many a run-ins with this Mystique but her hatred stemmed from the Mystique that Rachel had known in her own timeline; a woman with no scruples, no morals, and no mercy, if Rachel could take out this woman, in any timeline, she would gladly do it, and relish the feeling of it for many years to come without ever thinking of the consequences or the implied guilt.
"HA! You actually think you're a match for me Ms. Summers? Overconfidence seems to be a commonplace genetic characteristic in your pathetic family. I wonder if that's why this whole Phoenix Force fiasco has happened as many times for you people as it has."
"Cut the crap Mystique. I'm not here to monologue with you."
Rachel gathered some kinetic energy and hurled it at Mystique's feet and as it collided with the ground, the blast sent Mystique 20 feet in the air. Rachel rose to the air and shot towards Mystique, wanting to strike as many times as she could while the surprise of the blast kept her stunned. She lashed out with a kick backed with kinetic energy, but her foot struck nothing. Mystique was nowhere to be seen.
The cry of a hawk drew Rachel's attention to the space above her. She saw the hawk ready its talons and plunge towards her, and almost instantly the hawk was gone and Mystique was hurtling straight towards Rachel. She felt the sting of the boot collide with her temple, felt the nausea rise, and the temporary disorientation that always accompanies a blow to the head. In that instant Rachel was immobile and defenseless. She could feel her body plunging to the ground, and somewhere in the back of her mind, she could hear the screams of voice, the laughter of a woman. Something inside her told her to fight; to rally her mind and body and snap out of it, but for some reason she simply could not move. She was completely paralyzed, mind and body.
Mystique landed softly on the ground, the smirk on her face made Alex shiver. Elixir was still healing him; he could feel the muscles moving under his skin, he could feel the tissues knitting back together, and his energy began to flood back into him. He wanted to make Elixir hurry, Mystique was heading to Rachel's body and Alex knew that if that she got there unopposed Rachel would be in a whole lotta trouble.
: Joshua, get off me for a sec, I'm blasting Mystique:
: No need for me to lose contact with you, blast her and I'll boost you. We should be able to make a very big blast:
Alex focused his mind on Mystique, he wanted to blast her into smithereens, he wanted to erase from this world, even if just momentarily, he needed to see her obliterated, it was a simple and pure hatred that stemmed from a thousand attacks, a thousand wounds and 3 lost teammates. Just as he felt the pressure of his kinetic blast reach a third of what he actually wanted to throw, Jubilee stepped in front of Mystique.
Jubilee stared into Raven Darkholme's strange yellow eyes (not that it was the strangest thing about her, but definitely the coldest). Something had snapped inside Jubilee when she saw Marvel Girl being knocked out of the sky. It wasn't fair, or normal, or how things went in Jubilee's world. Rachel should not be on the floor; Alex should not be off to the side being held down by Joshua. Most definitely in Jubilee's world there was no reason why she should be standing between Mystique and Rachel, but here she was, and now there was nothing that could stop her except death. She would fight Mystique; she would do her best to make a stand against this merciless thing.
"HAHAHAHA! You're kidding right? You have all these people here and suddenly the one that's coming to get me is YOU!"
Jubilee felt something inside her tug; a part of her that had been dormant simply snapped and woke. There was a new life inside her, a new fire, a vivacity and fervor that had not been there, and that should have been extinguished by her day in captivity. But still there it was a surge of energy that she had never felt before, but something that didn't feel alien or strange. This was an energy that was hers and something changed right then and there.
Jubilation Lee knew instantly that she had a new power within her power. She looked at Mystique and she knew that if she could just manage to stun her long enough, maybe Alex or Rachel could take over and then she could step aside and things would be better.
She felt her power rise inside her and she focused it on her hands. Instantly she felt the difference in the energy current that pulled her consciousness. It was a sharper current, cleaner, and far more powerful than it usually was. Jubilee raised her hands and she heard someone roar, a scream full of power and anger and a sense of relief and achievement. She was startled to realize it was hers.
The scene in front of her was almost unbelievable; Mystique had been thrown clear across the ruble that once had been the cottage, and landed head first against a tree. Jubilee's hand glowed with energy, her trademark "fireworks" swirling around her hands. Something stirred and Jubilee knew that she stood a small chance against Mystique, small but nonetheless important.
Mystique got up and trained her cold eyes on Jubilee, her entire body was aching. The amount of energy the little brat had hit her with was amazing. The sheer force with which she'd been hit had left her dazed, but Mystique was accustomed to being hit, it would take a whole lot more than what the twerp could put out to keep Mystique down.
Jubilee was full of endorphins and adrenaline (a fatal mix in a fight), she wanted to clobber Mystique into submission...or at least lay her flat long enough for a plan of exit to be made. She simply needed to buy time.
"Impressive. But don't think that'll be enough to do anything. I've gone toe to toe with much more impressive mutants, and some of them are six feet under."
Jubilee knew she wasn't lying, but she didn't care, she didn't want to kill Mystique, she simply wanted to knock her out long enough to get away from here. She raised her right hand and pointed it at Mystique's chest; she gathered energy into her hand, willing it to become a strong blast.
Mystique watched her raise her hand, and as the sparks that surrounded it grew wilder and more colorful she launched her attack, rushing Jubilee while shifting into a wolf. Four legs are better to dodge attacks quickly, and the teeth of a wolf could tear through that little twerp with absolute ease.
Jubilee saw the shift and knew she was in trouble, hitting a moving target wasn't easy, especially when all her practice had been focused on output and never on accuracy (her powers having been used mostly as a cover or a distraction, never as an offensive attack). Like an old pro her mind knew what she had to do.
The wolf bore down the distance between Jubilee and her prey, she was going to tear that little runt into a million pieces, and nothing would stop her. She ran with power and purpose, so it was no surprise when she saw sparks in front of her eyes. She knew the constant strain of shifting and running wasn't good for her, but as always she did what Erik asked of her, how could she not. She ran harder and tried to put the swirling colors out of her head, and then with a strange jolt she felt herself turn back to her original form, and the lights swirled and came closer and closer. She felt a humongous amount of energy crash into her, and saw the darkness coming.
Jubilee released the pent up energy directly over Mystique's chest, a shock to the heart. Mystique would be out for at least twenty minutes, long enough for the team to retreat, to find a safe haven and await some type of rescue from the Institute.
She shot a glance at Alex, and smiled. She had come out with Alex to learn how to use her powers offensively, and here she was, taking down Mystique, creating nets of explosive energy and all this after five days of captivity, hunger and thirst. Maybe she had a chance at being X-Man after all.
Rachel could hear the far away voices of people she knew and loved. She could hear someone trying to call her back to the light, back to consciousness.
"Ray, c'mon sis! Ray!"
"I'm ok Lex. Oww my head is splitting...got an aspirin or something?"
"I have some Elixir which is way faster and better"
She felt the sudden warmth spread through her body, and her aches were gone. She opened her eyes and saw Alex leaning over her. The sickly tone was gone from under his skin, and his hair seemed more alive now than before. Elixir had not only healed him from his ordeal, but also from the stress that he'd been put under. Rachel knew that if she hadn't grown up in the timeline she did the stress of the day to day X-Men activities would grind her into dust too, but she was used to having to run for her life, to fight and fight for survival, to live in trees and hollowed sentinels and the like. Rachel knew how to compartmentalize and deal things quickly but separately Alex just threw himself onto life and hoped he would fly before long.
"You look well."
"Well Josh's powers are amazing, hell he even took care of scars I've had since I was little, and once you see yourself you'll know just what I mean."
Then Alex was flying right over Rachel, and the distinct presence of their mother could be felt all around. A scream of agony rang over the clearing, and something deep inside of Rachel broke into a million pieces. Her eyes watered and her mind spun as she felt the life ebb away from Jean Grey. She felt hollow and lost.
The scene she saw once her eyes listened to her brain again was a ghastly and heartbreaking scene.
A metal syringe had fallen feet from where Alex stood moments before. Across the clearing Magneto's shape was getting smaller and smaller, and in the middle of the clearing, slack jawed and lifeless lay Jean Grey's body, a pool of blood still forming around her.
It took Rachel a second to realize that from Jean's abdomen and chest two 10 inch pipes were protruding, clearly the causes of her death. Rachel ran towards her mother, her feet hitting the ground with a vengeance, as a shadow passed her, she knew that Alex was flying right over her. His energy filled her, but his mind was eerily quiet. As he landed she arrived, they knelt by their mother, faces covered in tears and pain. The world seemed muffled and blurred, nothing was clear, and there was only pain.
Alex's roars of fury and pain floated and tore through the clearing; they demanded explanations, second-chances and vengeance. She knew what he felt; she knew the despair, the hatred, the pain, the loss and the need for blood. She shed her tears quietly but with all the feeling she had, her face contorted into a mask of pain and loss so deep that it would have sent Medusa herself flying for cover. She let her feelings flare and all around for 40 feet grass, rocks, pebbles, insect, dirt and a few of her teammates rose into the air and hung there, like an umbrella for the sad party that stood in the middle.
She heard the distinct sound of Blink's powers and realized that she had subconsciously used her powers. She set everything down carefully and she looked where the swirling energy gathered, and out stepped Scott Summers, her father.
"YOU SHOULD HAVE BEEN WITH HER!"
Alex roared as he lifted into the air, his power flaring around him, the aura of the phoenix taking a translucent shape behind him.
'YOU SWORE TO PROTECT HER, AND WHEN SHE NEEDED YOU MOST YOU WEREN'T THERE!"
Something was crackling around Alex, an energy that had not been there before. Hr lifted his hand, palm pointed towards Scott, and let the energy loose. It was a ruby red ray. It shot out of Alex's hand with surprising strength, and the shock of the new ability broke Alex's blind Emotion moment and he dropped to the ground.
"Dad! Dad! Are you okay?"
Alex ran to Scott who was on the ground centimeters away from where the blast of energy had just hit. Scott was incredulous, he couldn't believe his son had shot at him, but even more shocking was the fact that Jean was dead. He knew it instantly, her body lacked the glow he always saw around her, like an energy that always kept itself ready for her use. His wife was dead, his son hated him, his daughter was aloof, and Nathan...well Nathan might technically be his son, but it didn't change the fact that the Nathan he knew was 20 years his senior.
The family he always wanted was disintegrating in front of him. He had failed as a father, as a husband, as a brother and as a son. Scott Summers gave up then. His will to fight was gone, right along with jean, his whole self had always been so entwined with hers that now he wasn't sure exactly what to do, or how to do it.
"Dad...are you alright?"
"Alex...she's dead...she..."
"I know dad, c'mon we have to get back to the Institute, we have to bury her...we have to..."
Alex's voice broke and he began to cry again, quietly this time. The mother he so loved and admired was dead, he'd shot at his father with intent to kill and his sister was torn into pieces. Life was spinning out of control so fast, he wanted it to just stop, he wanted a moment's requiem, a chance to catch his breath. He wanted Storm, he wanted his dad to snap out of it, and he wanted to kill Magneto.
He turned to where Rachel sat by their mother and he saw the Phoenix Energy taking shape around her, ephemeral but present. The mantle had been passed, Marvel Girl would now be Phoenix, and Jean Grey was now beloved mother, wife, student, and friend. It was time to get out of here, they needed to go home, to set Jean down to rest, and to sort out the mess that this whole situation would create.
Blink opened a portal and began ushering the others through; Alex lifted Scott's body and levitated him towards the portal. He knew Rachel had felt the twinge of his power caress her mind. They didn't need words between them; they could understand each other perfectly without ever even uttering a word.
Rachel looked at the broken and empty body of her mother. This wasn't the first time she'd lost Jean, but this time around she had gotten to know her so well, she'd shared holidays and birthdays and girl days with this woman, and now she'd been taken away. She knew that Alex was the Phoenix now, the Energy had manifested itself around him and she knew that the challenges ahead would separate them, but she also knew that she would never let anything happen to him or to Scott. She made the resolution to never be far from either of them again. She lifted Jean's body off the floor, and carefully removed the pipes from her chest and abdomen. As she carried Jean towards the portal, she momentarily remembered the steel syringe and sent a quick thought to grab it off the floor, if Magneto had killed for it, it must be important.
She made the trip through the portal, and knew that at the other end of this wormhole, change was waiting with open arms. The death of Jean Grey would turn the mutant world on its head, and Alex would bear a weight that only the Phoenix could. She would stand by him, unflinching.
Author's Notes: Please R&R. Feedback is greatly appreciated.
Again sorry for the horrendously long waiting time between chptrs. Hope u like this one, and please don't kill me for the end of it, I promise its for a good reason =) Enjoy.