Chapter 19: Operation Destruction

Rogue felt like a ping pong ball. She'd been knocked out, hauled up, knocked to her knees, hauled back up, pinned to a wall, ripped out of Rage's grasp, spun around and shoved back into Mystique's grasp. 'Gawd Ah'm gonna be sore tomorrow.' She knew that Creed was not yet finished tossing her around, however that wasn't what bothered her. By this time in any other mission she would have been fighting. Instead she was being led down a hall by a lunatic who wanted to eliminate all mutants, and was going to start with her team.

Creed was leading Rogue and Mystique down the right hall of the base. The two were taking in everything they could as they passed. Storage Room A, Storage room B, and a room labeled Private. 'Creed's office maybe?' Then he stopped at a door labeled Security Room.

Creed opened the door and turned to Rogue, "Find them," he said.

If Rogues arms weren't cuffed behind her back she would have had them folded in front of her as she looked at Creed and said, "No."

He grabbed her and shoved her into the room. She stumbled slightly. "Find them or I will have all of The Friends Of Humanity from Bayville and all over New York target The Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters. I will instruct them to open fire at anyone on the grounds and take out the building."

Rogue tried to twist to look at Rage. She looked at Creed who was glaring at her. 'Did she dare call his bluff? Jamie was there, Amara, Sam and Jubilee. They were just kids. She knew that Jamie could fight, but bullets were a whole other ball game. No she couldn't chance it.' "Ah'll need mah hands," she said.

Creed gave a wicked grin and motioned for Rage to remove the hand cuffs. He did and Creed threw Rogue into a chair in front of a bunch of screens. Rogue started to search the screens. "Why wasn't he doing this himself? Maybe he thinks using me as leverage will draw the team out. Too bad that is exactly what we want, idiot' thought Rogue.

Creed was hovering over Rogue incase she tried to run. Suddenly Creed was kicked in the back. He spun around to see who had attacked him but wasn't quick enough. Mystique thrust her palm up breaking his nose causing his eyes swell up with tears. Mystique then grabbed his key card and gave him a final blow to the head before she threw him out the door.

"For the love o' Gawd, it took ya long enough!" Rogue complained.

"Just locate everyone, we have more help."

Rogue looked at the screens. On the top left screen she saw the X-Chopper landing. On the top right screen she could see five spheres beginning to open. Magneto, Wanda, Kurt, Gambit and Lance each stepped out of one. 'Remy!' She looked at the left screen again to see Scott, Jean, Pietro, Blob and Toad.

Mystique used the communicator. "Shadowcat, we are in the Security Room. All the computers and monitors seem to be in here. Do you copy?"

"Ya I like copy. Where is it?"

Rogue gave her the instructions. "Kit, take a right at the end o' this hall and follow it until y' come t' an unconsus Creed, or the bold Security Room label. Copy?"

"I am on my way!" Kitty phased out of door six and headed for the end of the hall. She looked both to the left and right before continuing down the hall on the right. She didn't want to get spotted even if one of the two ladies at the other end had knocked Creed out. There were no alarms going off yet.

She phased through the door to the Security Room and Rogue and Mystique looked at her. She whipped out what looked like Jamie's PSP and a wire. She stuck one end of the cord into a USB Port on the main computer and the other into the mini compact computer. Kitty punched in passwords and clicked on various files.

"Kit, how long will this take?" Rogue asked.

Kitty looked at her. "Hey, he has like over 100,000 files Rogue." The two looked at her. "A while, I am sending them to my computer in the X-Jet. Once I do that I will send a virus to the system here and he will loose all his files." She smiled.

"Fine, Rogue, we need to get rid of things down here. I have a feeling the lab is further down the left hall."

"Logan!" Rogue called.

"Hey kid, give us good news."

"There is so much to destroy. Over 150,000 boxes of the drug in two storage rooms, and more is being made in a lab. Kitty is downloading all the info from all the files and then will give the computer a virus. Creed likely has hard copies of the files though in an office somewhere. We're going to look for them now."

"Good work you three, one extra door coming…"

"NO!" all three called into their communicators. "Logan, there are no alarms yet, try army entry."

"But Raven."

"That's an order soldier!" Kitty and Rogue looked at Mystique. "What, you can't seriously tell me you have never heard that before."

The two girls looked at each other and then Kitty said, "Well not like between you and Logan." Mystique just rolled her eyes.

"Rogue, lets see what's in the Private office." Rogue nodded and they left Kitty to deal with the computers in the Security Room and headed next door. Creed was still unconscious so they got past him easily.

"Oh man!" groaned Rogue as they looked around. From wall to wall, floor to ceiling were files. She grabbed one and opened it. "These are from the MRD." She looked at Mystique.

Mystique opened up a file on the other side of the room. "Test subject 13: Calysto Doe…"

"Calysto from the Morlocks? Oh man, we have to get to the labs. These files, we need to, the professor will…"

"Rogue!" Rogue looked at Mystique. "Rogue calm down and think. Kitty is downloading the files. These hard copy files have to be destroyed.

Rogue nodded, and spoke into her communicator, "Ok guys, I know that you are all here. We have an issue in the right wing."

"Vhat kind of issue Rogue" Kurt asked.

Rogue smiled, "Kurt, where are y'?"

"I am outside, vhy?"

"I need ya to come in and gather files and port them out so Gambit can burn 'em." 'Of course St. John wasn't around when you actually needed something burnt.' thought Rogue."Go down the stairs, turn t' your right. Then go down the hall 'til ya hit a fork. Take another right. We are in the room labeled Private."

"Ok, but vhy can't Scott do it?"

"Cause there's people down 'ere, Kitty's next door and Ah don't need a sunroof."

"Understood." Kurt looked at the group, "Vell, vho is coming vith me?"

"Ice Man, go with the Elf and see what you can freeze to save us hundreds of trips."

"Alright, let's go Kurt.'

"Oh and Bobby."

Bobby turned to Logan, "Yes wolverine."

"Don't leave any ice behind, got it."

"Yes sir, I understand." With that Bobby and Kurt made their way down the stairs to the room marked Private.

As they arrived they saw Creed starting to stir. The two boys looked at each other. "Ice and port," Bobby whispered. Kurt nodded. Bobby iced Creed over and Kurt ported over to him. He then grabbed the iced Creed, ported back to the stairs and finally ported outside to the others.

"Who hell is this Elf?" Logan looked down and said, "Never mind, go back and help Bobby and Rogue."

Kurt ported back to the room labeled Private and then ported inside. He saw frozen shelves, frozen cabinets and a frozen desk. "Oh man! This all has to go?" The three nodded. He and Bobby each took a side of the desk and Kurt ported it outside. Everyone looked at the boys. "Oh, there is lots more, just vait." Kurt said bitterly.

As Kurt and Bobby took things out of the room Kitty informed them of her progress. "I have like 600 files left, then I will do a quick scan to see if I like missed anything. Then I will load the virus."

"Good work Half-Pint." "Rogue, what are you and Mystique up to now?"

Rogue and Mystique entered Storage Room A. Packages were stacked on shelves and on the floor. "It jus' never ends!" Mystique looked at her daughter and Rogue just said, "What, it doesn't! First the files and now these two rooms. We'll be lucky if we aren't caught. Where is all the security anyways?"

Mystique just shrugged, "I don't know and I don't like it either." She then proceeded to call for help. "We need some help down here to get all of the boxed drugs out of the two storage rooms ASAP,"

"Say –no- more, I'm…"

"Do ya know where they are?" asked Rogue.

Pietro halted right before he smacked into the door. "Well, no."

"They are beside the room labeled Private down the right hall. They are called Storage Room A and Storage Room B." 'That idiot would have run around the whole building before he found us.'

"Ok, on-my-way." Pietro said and was gone through the door. He dashed down the stairs, flew down the hall and grabbed Rogue's key card fast as lightning. He opened Storage Room B, handed Rogue back her key card and ran back down the hall with an armful of packages of Kicking the X.

Rogue then contacted Jean, "Jean, how do we destroy the drug?"

"I don't know Rogue. Let me contact the mansion"

"You can do that from here?"

"No, I need to use the radio set."

"Oh, right."

"Logan, I need to contact the mansion. We need to know how to get rid of the drug safely."

"Alright Red, but be quick." Jean nodded and then headed to the Jet.

"Professor, Dr. McCoy, someone come in."

"Jean, is everything alright?"

Jean sighed and smiled. "Yes professor. We just need to know how to dispose of the drug safely."

"Hank is working on that as we speak Jean. How much has been found?"

"Oh, just 150 packages of the drug, enough for 150,000 mutants. That does not including the ones being made in the lab that we have yet to enter."

"Good lord! I will ask Hank if he has made progress."

Scott entered the jet. "Any luck?"

Jean shook her head. "The professor is going to ask Hank if he knows a safe way to destroy it."

Bobby and Kurt had finally brought out all of the shelves and cabinets. Gambit was having fun charging cards, placing them on the top of the cabinets, and all the shelving units. "Fire in de 'ole!" Gambit called. BANG! Ice and paper shattered, tore and went flying.

"Gumbo, watch it! You almost hit Storm and the slime ball."

"Sorry Wolverine, Gambit can't 'elp were de ice fly. Dat's why Gambit yells, Fire in de 'ole. " Gambit smirked. He charged another set of cards spreading them over the desk. "Fire in de 'ole!" BANG! 'Dere, non more files in de desk an' non more files on three shelves. Only twen'y somethin' t' go. Dis is goin' t' be fun.'

Storm came over to Remy. "Remy, how many more do you have left?"

Remy smiled, "Ova twen'y."

She sighed, "Well hurry up, Wolverine is getting impatient."

"No problem Storm." Gambit charged two decks of cards spreading them over two tall shelves. There were several loud BANGS! For each load bang there was a high pitched scream. "Ahh!" "Eeeh!" "Ahhahh!" It was good to know that Toad was partaking in the mission.

Pietro zoomed over to Toad, "Hey, Toad, hello! Why-don't-you-help-me-load-the-packages -on -to -the –Jet- and -chopped." Toad just nodded and shrieked as two more shelving units exploded. Pietro rolled his eyes, "Hop-to-it!" Toad started helping Pietro load the packages containing the drug.

Gambit proceeded to carry on with his ritual of charging cards and blowing up shelves and cabinets until all the hard copy files were compleatly destroyed.

"Hey guys." Rogue's voice came over the communicators.

"What is it Stripes?"

"According to Jake here the drug doesn't work after two years."

"Jake? Who the hell is Jake, Stripes?"

A shaky voice came through the communicator. "I, I am, J-Jake. I am, was a scientist for G. Creed."

He stopped talking. "SPILL IT!" Rogue yelled.

All communicators were held at a distance as Rogue yelled. Jake then continued. "The pills dissolve in liquid just like any medicine does. This pill pretends to act as a vitamin making you feel healthier, but it is really locates the X Gene. It only takes a day to find it and then starts to eat away at the X Gene until it destroys it. Without that Gene mutants die."

Logan growled into his communicator, "Tell us something we don't know bub, like how do we get rid of it?"

Jake gulped, "Gulp, water, it dissolves it water."

"Besides that!" growled an angry Wolverine.

"How much of it do you have to take before it kills the X Gene?" Lance asked.

"All fourteen pills. If you don't take them all it won't work. You get sick but you won't die." Jake had no idea how many mutants he was dealing with, but the two that held him hostage seemed bad enough.

"Shades, go let the proof know that new piece of info." Scott nodded and ran to the jet. He told Professor X and Hank the good news about the drug and ran back out to join the others.

"What are the side effects if the drug gets air borne?" Jean asked.

Rogue and Mystique had Jake pinned against the wall and were glaring at him. Mystique had retrieved a scalpel from the lab and had it to his throat. "N, no, none" he stammered.

"Bub, you better be telling the truth, otherwise you may never see the light of day again."

"I swear, the drug has no side effect if air borne."

"How do we get rid of this much of the drug without it killing mutants in the disposal process?" Scott asked.

"Wa-water." Jake stammered.

"Yes, we know that, but we can't just toss it in the lake or ocean. The water circulates and people drink it." Storm said.

Rogue grabbed a pen ready to attack if Jake didn't give a good enough answer. "Heat, hot liquid. I swear there is no airborne effect, but you can dissolve it using either cold or hot liquid."

"Or lava," Wanda said. The group looked at her. "What, I was thinking of Amara."

Storm asked, "What effect would it have if we were to put it is a volcano?"

The two ladies took their threatening poses again. "I, I don't know. I swear I have no idea. We never attempted it." Between the glare of Mystique and Rogue Jake was surprised he wasn't dead. If looks could kill he would have been dead ten times over.

"Hey Storm, I think you and Magma have your work cut out for you," said Bobby. Storm nodded.

"Can someone please come down and get this idiot before one of us kills him," Rogue said over her communicator. "We are down the left hall this time."

Blob came down and picked the scientist up. "You have no idea how much trouble you have caused, do you?" Jake shrunk. Blob shook his head as he came up the stairs. "Let's just say there are a good thirteen mutants' dying to meet you, ha."

"Raven, how can we help you down there?"

"Well Logan we are heading through the labs and to containment cells. Perhaps you could destroy the labs and send Gambit down to help us unlock cells."

"On our way." He turned to Storm and the others. "Keep these two scum bags tied up here. We don't need another incident like this one." They all nodded and kept a watchful eye on the two prisoners.

Down at the far end of the hall Rogue was looking at the prisoners, or as Jake and Creed called them, Test Subjects. "Don' ya worry. Were 'ere t' get ya'll out o' here," she told them. She grabbed her communicator, "Kitty, how's it goin'?"

"Just did my final scan and preparing to install the virus."

"Perfect, we need ya help in the cells. Last area on the left."

"Ok Rogue, be there in three," Kitty replied. She grabbed a disk and put it into the computer. She then hit install. 'Take it, take it, come on! YES!' "Like everyone the virus has like successfully been uploaded."

A bunch of noise could be heard through the communicators, "Yes!" "Sucks to be you!" "Well done Kitty", "Nice going Half-Pint."

"Well Graton, looks like you're out of business." Logan told him. Creed just smiled. "What are you smiling about?" Logan grabbed his communicator, "Stripes?"

"Ya, Logan?"

"I am on my way with Gumbo, how are things down there?"

"Easy Logan, far too easy actually."

"Shit! Get out! Get out NOW!"

"What! No, Logan, Ah'm not leavin' without the prisoners," replied Rogue. Mystique grabbed her arm. "Le' meh go Mystique!"

"When a soldier says get out you run like hell!" she said as she dragged Rogue back down the hall.

They heard doors swing open by the stairs and dozens of feet running down the hall towards them. Mystique froze and pulled Rogue towards her in the lab. Where was Shadowcat?'

"Spread out! They've taken Creed."

"Sir, Jake isn't at his post and it looks like the others are, wait. Sir! The scientists are unconscious."

"The muties can't be far. Fan out, I want them found! Team A, scan the entire left wing. Team B scan the entire right wing. Team C, take the outside. GO! GO! GO!"

Mystique crouched down and Rogue, reluctantly followed suit. Mystique slid around a corner and motioned for Rogue to do the same so they were on the same wall. A Guard entered their wing and Mystique took him out with a simple trip ensuring that he hit his head. THUNK!

They then heard a battle break out in the hall. 'Logan,' they could tell. BOOM! 'Gambit,' "Now you can help the prisoners." Rogue looked in the same direction as Mystique. 'Kitty!'

"I like made it."

"Come on Kit, y' have got t' phase the prisoners outa their cells."

Rogue and Kitty ran back down the hall and as they ran she asked, "So who like set off alarms?"

Rogue shook her head, "Ah duno. Maybe it was the fact that Creed wasn' yellin' at anyone anymore, Ah dono. Here we are." She stopped at the end of the hall.

Kitty looked at the wall of cells. There had to be a good fifty mutants. "Rogue, I need Kurt. I can get them out of the cells but I like can't get them out of danger!"

Rogue nodded, "Kurt! Kurt we need you at the end o' the left wing!"

"I am no my vay!"

Kitty started phasing the mutants through the bars when Kurt arrived. "Kurt, take these people somewhere away from the battle."

"Rogue, the battle is…"

"Kurt! Jus' take 'em somewhere safe! Got it?" Rogue glared at him.

"Yes Rogue." He looked at all the mutants Kitty had phased out of the cells so far. "Everyvone, grab onto me." The mutants held onto Kurt and he ported them over to the orbs. "Stay here," he told them and went back for the remaining prisoners.

"Are they safe?" asked Rogue.

"As safe as, they can be right now." Kurt ported the rest of the freed prisoners to the orbs and then went back to Rogue and Kitty. "Ve need to help the others."

The three took off down the hall. They took out guards as they ran into them on their way to help Logan, Gambit and Mystique. Once they had the majority of the guards out Rogue called into her communicator, "Magneto, it's show time!"

With that Kurt ported the team to the surface. The ground began to shake underneath them. The base was being lifted up from underground. All the guards inside the base tumbled around inside of it. Scott shot the top off, Kurt ported as many guards out as he could, Jean lifted some out with her telekinesis and Pietro tied them all up once they were out. Once the building was empty, Magneto twisted the metal crumpling it like a ball of paper.

Creed's face had long since gone from a smile to a look of sheer shock and fear. Before any of them could even think of stopping her, Rogue walked over to Creed and said, "Your mutant killin' days are ova!" and she kicked him hard in the gut.