Rebekah
I continue running, taking the steady thud of my paws as a method of relaxing. I reach the clearing I like to practise in and exhale. Then I reach into my mind. I start to instinctively go down the leopard route and I stop myself. Dr McCoy thinks I can turn into more than just a leopard. I calm myself and think of what I want. I strain and concentrate, but nothing happens. I sigh and return to my bestial form. I'd never thought I'd be so comfortable with nudity. Most of the X-Men have seen my bestial form running through the mansion after I've been out as a cat, therefore I haven't got clothes. I wouldn't go naked in my more human form but the thick fur of my bestial form acts as a better covering than most clothes.
I start going through the series of moves Logan taught me this morning. I thought my schedule back home was exacting. This is twenty times worse. Dr McCoy makes it his business that Kitty and I are taught up to our highest limits. It means I've gone from soaring through coursework to struggling to keep up with it. At the same time, I have lessons with the Professor on working the Danger Room and the Blackbird, psychic defence lessons from Jean, fencing from Kurt, tactics from Cyclops and defence from Logan. Who is a brilliant, hands-on teacher, only he makes me run horrendous obstacle courses. Like, leaping over crumbling, soaking wet, half-metre podiums over a hundred metre drop. Or holding onto a chasm wall whilst being attacked by pterodactyls. No, seriously! His idea of teaching me how to do something is to make me do the hardest thing possible, in the most dangerous situation probable, or improbable, until I can do it perfectly. His way of getting me to fight is to charge at me screaming, claws out. It works.
Then a gunshot fires and I turn, ears flicking. And I want to get there fast. And my body changes instinctively, stretching, becoming delicate, slender, made for speed. A cheetah. I start running and it's as if I've never run before. I skirt trees and curse. This isn't the cheetah's habitat. It's not adapted to the changes of direction and swerving I require. My body instinctively shifts back to the panther, or as Dr McCoy put it, a melanistic leopard. The blackness, according to him at any rate, was probably a part of my anger and a desire for me to be seen in the snow. Most times since then, going 'panther' has resulted in the typical leopard colouration. Dr McCoy has started classes so people recognise my rosette markings in case we're somewhere leopards naturally inhabit. Or we get put in an arena with leopards. Seriously! X-Men actually train against being placed in an arena and being made to fight wild animals. I'm banned from those after I told the last lot of simulations that 'if you don't eat me and my friends, I'll help you eat the people who took you away from here'. It worked! In my defence, we passed with flying colours!
I see Rogue running towards me and leap forward. Her gloved hands grab onto my ruff and she gets on. I leap off again, hoping against hope she won't fall off. She's lying low on my back, moving with me. According to Kitty, who begged a ride, riding a leopard isn't anything like riding a horse. It's lower for one. For another, the muscle movement is a lot more defined. Three, the way I run means you can actually feel every muscle tense and relax under you and you move with it. I run into the others, all running out. They check Rogue over quickly, then check me. I change and they throw my uniform over. I pull it on whilst Scott and Rogue explain the situation then take my most human-like form and nod. Together, we advance, ready to defend our home.
Isaac
Another bullet tore into my leg. I went into slow-time and ran around a small group of men until the lack of oxygen caused them to pass out. I was doing pretty well given the circumstances but I knew I couldn't hold out for long. The thought of escaping went through my head. Rogue was safe and this was an X-men's problem, not mine. The thought didn't last long though. These were mutant killers. I could smell the weeks-old, mutant blood on their uniform. The smell made my own blood boil and gave me renewed strength. A large group of soldiers stormed towards me. I phased and ran through the trees. The soldiers ran in after me. Curses and oaths were uttered loudly. I left them to untangle themselves. I reached out with my mind for any sign of mutants.
The X-men were nowhere near. I shot of another blast of Cyclop's laser vision into the sky. The good thing about the heat of battle was my powers were working to perfection. I dodged bullets and teleported like I'd been doing it all my life. A solitary man ran towards me. I did a roundhouse kick which connected with his neck. There was a sickening crack. I didn't even take the time to comprehend that I'd just killed a man. I grabbed his body before it fell and used it to shield myself. I then gripped the corpse and hurled it at the soldiers. There was an audible thump as it hit the small band of soldiers like a boulder. I got behind the tree as they unleashed a bullet storm that destroyed everything. I phased and walked out. I saw the look of fear appear on the men's faces as I walked towards them. I teleported amongst them and started fighting. A couple of them ran but most of them stood their ground. That was the problem with well-trained men. They didn't run away until the job was done or they were dead. I continued to fight but I was running on empty now.
A boot hit me in the small of my back. I grunted and fell to the floor. A dozen soldiers pinned me to the floor. I teleported several times in a row. Like before, the men were all unconscious. I knew if I had tried to teleport several times in a row when I first got Kurt's power, I would have fainted straight away. The same was true with these guys. I struggled to my feet and waited for the onslaught to continue. The soldiers surrounded me. I looked around and growled. I had been so busy fighting I had let myself be lured to a clearing. I tried to teleport but I was too exhausted. Don't fail me now! I almost shouted at myself but there was a limit to everyone's power and I had reached mine. The men advanced slowly. I prepared for them to attack. I heard a rattling noise behind me. I turned around as the gas bomb went off in my face. I threw myself backwards in a last ditch attempt not to inhale it but it was too late. I fell to the floor coughing fitfully. I staggered to my feet. The whole world swayed like a ship in a storm. I was seeing double of everything. I could feel my healing factor trying to fight the effects of the drug but it was no use. I was fighting a losing battle. A grenade rolled towards me. I bent down to pick it up so I could hurl it away but I fell over. The grenade was right next to my face when it went off. I awoke a couple of minutes later.
I could feel my face reconstructing itself. Blood oozed out of my body and onto the floor. I looked around wildly. The woods looked like bomb site. Torn up heaps of mud and trees littered the floor like garbage. Injured soldiers lay all around receiving medical attention.
A man dressed from head to toe in black walked up to me. I tried to move but I realized I was strapped down.
"You damaged us a lot mutant. So much so we can't even carry out the designated mission. But it's okay. The plans been changed slightly. My superiors want to have a look at you. Get him into the helicopter."
Four soldiers appeared out of nowhere and grabbed the stretcher I was on. I was bundled into the helicopter. I tried to use my strength to tear out of my restraints but I couldn't.
"It's no use. We drugged you with a power dampening substance. You can't escape."
Out of the corner of my eye I saw a flurry of movement. As usual, my mind could still detect mutants even if my powers didn't work. I closed my eyes and a whole rainbow of colours filled my vision. The X-men were here! There was a scream and one of the soldiers opened fire.
"Get this chopper into the air!" The man shouted. The rotors started spinning lazily. They rapidly picked up speed and before long we were lifting into the air.
I could see the X-men. Nightcrawler and Cyclops were creating havoc among the men while Logan and Kitty were taking on the more heavily armed soldiers. Then I saw Bekah. She dodged about, kicking and slashing. A crowd of soldiers rushed towards her but she took every one of them down. She turned and our eyes locked. Then the door closed and the chopper was gone.