The lounge was practically deserted as Jake entered for their free time after classes, with the exception of Mark, Quinn and Caim, who were sat around the sofa watching TV, talking quietly. Mark and Quinn were sitting like they usually did, on opposite ends of the couch. Jake didn't understand the relationship they had, they would argue and fall out a lot, but never over anything important. They obviously liked one another, as neither would keep the fact they disliked someone a secret, the difference being Mark wouldn't nearly kill the person in the process. Caim sat quietly on the floor next to Quinn. The boy was peculiar, he never wore shoes, disliked being around people and preferred to sit on the floor, but he was the sort of person Jake felt he could trust absolutely.
Jake's big smile had returned, he'd cheered up since the morning and had over done the sugary treats during lunch. The idea of spending an afternoon with his friends made him feel giddy with excitement. Quinn turned and saw Jake approaching and smiled slightly. Jake jumped over the sofa and landed between Quinn and Mark, waving frantically. Mark smiled happily and waved back, whilst Caim and Quinn simply smiled.
"What you watching?" Jake asked, but continued before anyone could answer. "Oooh, a soap opera, my favorite kind of show, behind cartoons, documentaries, action, science fiction and drama."
"There isn't much else other than that," Mark said with a grin. "Other than The News I guess."
"Oh, I like news as well," Jake replied happily.
"I didn't think you like TV, you don't normally watch it," Mark said.
"I guess my attention span isn't long enough." Jake replied with a shrug. "But that doesn't mean I don't like it when I watch it."
"It's Kitchie; there isn't much he doesn't like," Quinn said to Mark before turning to Jake. "Apart from geography"
Jake had fallen asleep during his geography class that morning, the third time he had done so in the last month. He enjoyed the lesson, but found the pace they went at too slow, and also found the teacher, Mr. Rasputin, really boring. He would recite whole chapters of the text book in a monotone voice for the whole lesson. Jake had read the textbook six times already, and could recite it himself word for word. He shrugged off Quinn's comment and turned back to watching the soap.
He began his usual habit of asking questions such as, "Who's he?", "Why did she do that?", "Is he married to her?" while his friends calmly answered the best they could. Mark's patience was steadily being worn away, and so rather than getting annoyed he changed the subject.
"Did you know that Captain Britain the Second is resurrecting team Excalibur?" he asked, plucking a random piece of information from his head.
"Captain who?" Quinn said bemused.
"He's like Captain America, but not as famous," Mark answered. "His dad was the original; he's carrying on what he started."
"Sounds like a weirdo to me," Quinn said.
"I think I heard that Mr. Rasputin and Miss. Pryce were part of Excalibur," Jake offered.
"Is there a Captain France too? I suppose he would be called Capitaine François," Quinn mocked.
"No, just America and Britain I thin-" Mark said, but he was interrupted by another student who was trying to speak to them. He was younger than them, with freckles and curly brown hair. He looked nervous at having to talk to older kids. Jake offered an even friendlier smile to the boy but it had no effect.
"Err, excuse me, sorry to bother you," he said in a squeaky wavering voice. "Mr. Summers wants you to go to the briefing room in the basement." The boy didn't wait to see if the message was understood, he scurried off as soon as he had finished, practically sprinting out of the door.
"Were we that annoying when we were that small?" Quinn asked.
"We might have been, but by that age you were probably already a psycho," Mark retorted and the two exchanged fake angry glares.
"What could this be about?" Caim said quietly.
"Only one way to find out," Mark said as he got up. The others followed shortly after and they headed for the nearest access to the basement. Jake's mind was spinning; he wondered what the leader of the X-Men could possibly want with them. They were the youngest members of the X-Men and had never been on a real mission. A glimmer of hope lit up in Jake's mind, could they be finally being sent on a mission? But Jake doubted it; it was probably a drill or a surprise training exercise. The faces of the others told him they thought the same thing, they looked like they were more annoyed at being dragged out of their free time than excited at the possibility of some action.
They walked quietly through a corridor; it was deserted but the sound of children playing echoed down it. The four of them stopped in front of a bare wall, it was the only section not covered in paintings or trophies. Quinn pressed a concealed switch beneath the frame of a picture next to it and the wall beginner to move. It opened up to reveal a small elevator, its metallic walls in sharp contrast to the wood of the main building. The four stepped inside and descended into the basement. Stepping into the hallway they stopped for a moment, taking in the almost alien feel of it. The corridor was made from the same metal as the elevator, and the sweet smell of pine and the dusty feel of upstairs were replaced by a sterile ambience.
They made their way to the briefing room. They'd been there only once, when they first joined the X-Men, and their time in the basement besides that had mostly been spent in the Danger Room, training in simulated battles or learning various martial arts. When they entered, Mr. Summers was standing with Mrs. Dugan and Hank; the three of them were inspecting a large holographic map of the globe. It was dotted with red markers, one of which was highlighting Las Vegas, which had been enlarged to give them a better view of the city. Mr. Summers turned to greet the four of them. He was older than they were, in his mid-twenties, and held an air of authority when saw him command the respect of the students. The exception being Quinn, who thought he was an arrogant prick.
Jake noticed that all the adults were wearing black and yellow uniforms, and he realized that this was no fake drill.
"Team Seven, good, you have arrived," Scott said formally. Jake noticed out of the corner of his vision that Quinn had rolled her eyes slightly in annoyance. "We have a matter that requires the attention of the X-Men, and it has been decided that you should deal with it. No other X-Men teams are available, and the matter needs to be addressed immediately. Despite your lack of field training, it has been decided you are ready to undertake this task." The four teens visibly perked up, excitement beginning to build as they realized that this might not be a ruse.
"A fellow X-Men in Las Vegas has requested our assistance. Apparently she has become separated and needs extraction," Mr. Summers continued. "You, your team leader Hack, along with Beast and I, are to provide that assistance. She holds precious information that is vital to our operations."
"What kind of information?" Quinn interrupted. The others glared at her in shock but she ignored them.
"That information is on a need-to-know basis," Scott replied, which visibly annoyed Quinn, but Mr. Summers ignore her.
"We leave in thirty minutes. Get suited up and prepared," he said. Then, adding as they moved off, "Good luck."
Twenty minutes later the four had silently dressed in their own uniforms and were waiting anxiously in the briefing room for the three adults to finish their preparation. Jake tugged at his tight fitting clothing, uncomfortable that it showed every bump and bulge on his body. He looked at the others, Mark and Caim wore similar uniforms, but they looked so much better as it flattered their more muscular frames.
Mark's uniform differed to Jake's and Caim's in that it was short sleeved and v-necked, and he also wore a black mask. Caim still wore his gloves, but his uniform didn't hide the fact his body was covered in tattoos. The boy was a little shorter that Mark and Jake, but he looked older. His face lacked Mark's boyish features and his body looked more developed than Jake's. He ran a hand through his black hair and noticed Jake was looking at him. Jake diverted his attention to Quinn, who looked rather unhappy at having to wear what she considered was the ridiculous uniform. Jake thought she looked good, it showed off her curves well, though like Jake it showed how skinny she was. Jake found himself taken aback at the sight of her. She wasn't wearing the device that masked her jet black skin and she had revealed her beautiful white wings. He had seen her like this before, but still found the sight remarkable. He broke his gaze, realizing that staring was rude and turned his attention to the adults just as they turned towards them and signaled them to follow.
They were led down the main corridor and into a section they hadn't been down before. They stopped in front of the wide circular doors at the end of the corridor and waited for a brief moment as Mr. Summers pressed his thumb on a pad. It flashed a green light and the doors opened slowly. They went inside and all four of their jaws dropped in unison. They were in a large cavern, with a waterfall raging nearby, and in the center of the room was a huge black plane. It looks like a spy plane used by the American Air Force, Jake noted, Except it's edges are smother and it looks far more advanced.
"There she is," Hank said proudly. "My pride and joy."
"What is it?" Mark asked in awe.
"We call her The Blackbird," Hack replied with a smile, before leading them closer. "She is the main mode of transportation for the X-Men; she's designed to go unnoticed, but can defend herself if she runs into trouble, though there are few craft that can match her speed."
"You sound like you have a crush on her," Quinn commented.
"Tell me about it," Mrs. Dugan moaned as she showed them on board. Once they were all in they fastened themselves in.
"Are we ready Hack?" Mr. Summers said from a seat behind Hack.
"Yes Cyclops, all systems are green, it looks like she is in a good mood," Mrs. Dugan replied from where she sat at the controls. She touched the controls and the plane came to life and a moment later they were ascending rapidly. Jake looked up and began to panic; they were going to hit the ceiling of the cavern any moment. Suddenly the roof began to open up and the Blackbird flew out with barely a meter to spare. Jake realized that it was the pool that had opened. Confusion gripped him: how come he's never seen the Blackbird when it flew so close to the school?
"Notice the storm Jake, that's a distraction created by Mrs. Munroe," Hank told him, seeing the boy's puzzled look. "The rain gets the kids inside and the thunder masks the noise. The Blackbird has an advanced cloaking device that masks it from view. That's why you have never seen it before. The deception is to hide the Blackbird from the unwanted attention of the authorities rather than to keep it a secret from the students."
Jake nodded in understanding and looked out as the Institute rapidly grew smaller. The storm dissipated quickly, making it easier to fly the plane. They turned and flew forward while still climbing. They reached a dizzying altitude and Hack and Beast braced themselves.
"You may want to hold on," Beast advised them. They did so, just as Mrs. Dugan uncovered a red switch and pressed it. Jake's entire body was forced back against his chair as the Blackbird blasted forward with a near deafening crack, which he assumed was them breaking the sound barrier. The speed was immense; he looked over to see Mark throwing up into a bag and remembered he got travel sick. Jake was surprised that he himself hadn't been sick, but had thought so too soon. He was followed by Quinn and Caim in quick succession, much to the enjoyment of Hank, who seemed unaffected by it all.
"Ah, it's always the same for the first time," he said to an equally unaffected Cyclops. "Even Wolverine emptied his stomach's contents on his first time. Shadowcat still does." The three adults shared a laugh, earning them slight glares from their younger companions.
A/N OK, they are on a mission. Next time there will be action, which is why it may take a while, as I need to make sure I understand the character's powers. Particularly Mark's and Hack's, I'll be contacting the creators to make sure.
Please R&R.