First Mutant
By David D. Amaya
Chapter 22
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Outside the District Building, Pennsylvania Ave., Downtown 1300 EST. Day 21
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"Oh Wolvie!" Jubilee cried as she ran into Wolverine's arms. "Remind me to get you a watch for Christmas. You guys are fashionably late, as always!"
"Complain to Cyke. You know he drives the speed limit."
"Chere, you all right?"
Rogue gradually opened her eyes to see a pair of red-on-black ones looking back at her.
"Oh, it's you, Gumbo," she said to Gambit who helped her to her feet. "Ah guess Ah zigged when Ah shudda zagged."
"Nice arm, lad," Banshee noted. "If Washington ever needs a set-up man…"
"DON'T say it!" Cyrus interrupted. "I get drafted by Seattle, or I switch to curling!"
"I kind of figured that you'd loosen your wallet to buy an army for this mission, Kordel," the Director of the Secret Service declared. "But neither Ron, nor I though even you could afford the X-Men."
"Nothing is too good for the President's son, sir," Agent Nichols responded as he, Cyclops, and the Director were examining the fallen members of Voodoo Company. "Besides, they were on sale."
"Agent Nichols!" Cyclops called out. "This one is still alive!"
Kordel and the Director both went over to the X-Men field leader as he stood over the leader of the 14 dead troops.
The Director pulled off his ski mask to expose…
"Steinwinter!" he exclaimed grabbing him by his collar. "I'll see you get 20 years in the gas chamber at Leavenworth for this!"
"No, Mr. Director," he coughed. "I'll get a medal for helping rid the good 'ol US of A of the mutie vermin … Like the President's little whelp."
Then he joined the rest of his troops in death.
Opening his flack jacket, the Director noticed a small object on his suit lapel, an oval blue pin with a white star in the middle.
"Dear God," said the Director. "That's an access pin!"
"All these men have the same pin, sir," noted Cyclops. "What does that mean?"
"Pin Cushion! This pin is for agents that are assigned to the Rayburn Building!"
"The Hearings!" Agent Nichols exclaimed. "Cyclops, get the X-Men back to the Capitol, something's about to happen!"
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Outside the Rayburn Building, Capital Hill, 1305 EST.
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///Ring, ring, ring.\\\
"Agent Nichols?" Storm inquire as she was now atop the Dome of the Capital Building. "Is everyone all right?"
"We are all fine," the Secret Service Agent responded. "Both of us got here and rescued the team just in the nick of time.
"Storm, something is about to happen at the Capitol, so get ready for some fireworks. The Director is about to order the evacuation of the Rayburn Building. Cyclops and the rest of the team are headed back your way. I am taking Cyrus to the Convention Center to see the President. You must stop whatever happens."
"We shall my friend, I will contact the others."
"Send Phoenix a text message, Message Begins…"
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Outside the District Building, Pennsylvania Ave., Downtown 1310 EST.
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"This is the Director, access code: Alpha-Foxtrot 168," he bellowed into his cell phone. "There is a terrorist event about to unfold at Pin Cushion. Evacuate all Legislative personal to Bunch Bowl, NOW!"
"You go with the G-Man and the President's kid, Darlin'. We got work to do on Capitol Hill."
Seeing the mixture of concern and rage in the X-Man's eyes, she conceded with little argument.
"Just get a piece for us, Wolvster!" She replied as he ran back to the van.
"Just remember," The Director interjected. "It's open season on the bad guys, but you'd better watch out for civilians. There's no need to kill every jackass in sight, so restrain yourself. NO MAIMING BYSTANDERS!"
"NAG! NAG! NAG! You G-Men all sound like Captain America!" He replied over his shoulder as he and the rest of the X-Men piled back into the van and headed back to the Rayburn Building. As the Park Police and Metro District PD arrived on the scene.
"Kordel, I'll stay and direct the cleanup. Take my car and get Kilowatt to Center Stage. I'll call ahead and …"
"No way, sir," Kordel replied. "If these moles can infest Pin Cushion, I can not trust anyone else in the agency but you, Charlie and the President himself. Get SHIELD down here and secure Castle. I shall get Cyrus home safe."
"Just get back alive, Kordel. I still owe you for that drawing."
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Room 2141 Rayburn House Office Building, East Capital St., Capital Hill, 1315 EST.
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Five minutes after returning from the lunch break, Senator Kelly continued to grill Professor Xavier as Jean and Hank sat next to each other in the second row.
"This just burns me up, Hank," she whispered to the doctor. "Of all the super villains, madmen and would be world conquerors, this creep has to be the worst of the lot!"
As the doctor was about to respond when Senator Kelly's voice boomed.
"Ladies and gentleman, I have just received a message that this building is being evacuated. Please exit the building in a clam, orderly manner. I hereby order adjournment sine die. This Committee stands adjourned!"
As the committee members and the gallery audience rose to leave, Kordel's cell phone sounded again. The message was obviously meant for Agent Block.
"Come on, Charles. We got to get you outside in a hurry," Agent Block wheeled the professor's chair to the exit. "The rest of the legislators are being evacuated to the Capitol Building."
Agent Block, Jean called out telepathically. A message from Kordel.
She then psi-linked the Secret Service agent to her memory of the coded message.
It's a terrorist threat, he explained through the link, but he doesn't have the specifics. He's guessing the Professor or Senator Kelly as the target. The X-Men are on …
Agent's Frank and McKey walked up, interrupting the unspoken conversation.
"We just received word from Bulldog, Agent Block," Agent Frank informed them. "We are to accompany you outside until we can clear this up."
"Very well, Agent Frank," Professor Xavier replied. What else did the message reveal, Agent Block?
The X-Men are on their way back. Kordel is taking Cyrus and Jubilation with him to see the President. Apparently they had to rescue them because he says the Director is aware of the X-Men's involvement.
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The Director's Lexus 400, North bound on New York Ave., Downtown, 1326 EST.
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"Um, not to, like, spoil the win over those creeps, guys," Jubilee observed from the backseat. "But ain't you gonna get busted Secret Agent Dude?"
"Jubes is right, Lariat," Cyrus added riding shotgun. "Tweddle Dumb and Tweddle Dumber may not have known who I am, but I think even the stupidest James Bond-wannabe is gonna recognize me, especially at the convention center today."
"Shit," Agent Nichols spat under his breath behind the wheel. "With all the excitement I had not come up with a plan."
As they passed 11th street towards the main loading area, they came upon a barrier with two men dressed is suits and dark sunglasses one of which was smoking a cigarette.
"Either those are Secret Service," Jubilee quipped. "or there's a dark shade-wearer's convention in town and they're keeping it under their hats."
"Hats?" Repeated Kordel. Then the plan hit him. "Jubilee you are a genius!"
"Darned right I am! Now, why am I so smart again?"
"Cyrus, jump in the back. Both of you hide under the Director's raincoat and give me that hat, Jubilee."
"Lariat, you aren't gonna…"
"Yes I am!"
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Loading area behind the Washington Convention Center, New York Ave., Downtown, 1334 EST.
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"… And so I finally get tickets for the All-Star Game, and at $75 bucks a pop mind you, and guess what happened, Vic? Eagle decides to want to go to Cactus! And I don't have to tell you that I got transferred to Challenger for that week."
"Yea, tell me about it George," said Vic as he was puffing a cigarette. "I get Arena level seats for the Capitals' home opener at the MCI Center three weeks from now and guess who has to babysit Kaleidoscope's limo for her forum on working mother's rights? I mean its one thing for her to talk to working mothers, but If you ask me…"
Just then a silver Lexus pulled into the loading area near the two Horsepower agents, driven by a man in a large hat.
"Oh shit," grunted George. "Put that damn smoke out or it's our butts!"
"Why, who's that?"
"The Director."
"Oh shit!" he spat as he stomped out the cigarette with his heel. "How'd you it was him?"
"That damn stupid hat he always wears," George replied as the car moved closer towards them. "W gave him that dog-ugly thing, I can spot it a block away."
As the Director's car passed between them, George gave a curt nod and waved him towards the secured area.
As the car passed from view George removed his gun and checked his ammo.
"Now look alive, Vic," he said as he returned the weapon to his shoulder holster. "If the Director's here he's going to have us look out for something suspicious."
End of Chapter twenty-two
© David D. Amaya 2007