So here's the deal: I have only received one review in the past three weeks (Thank you ). I am not sure if people are reading this story, whether they read it and don't like it, or what. I can say this: like any other series, if I don't get enough readers, I'll have to cancel it. The midseason finale is in two weeks (April 2). There will be three weeks between episodes (resuming on April 23). If I do not receive enough reviews on this series by April 16, I will cancel X-Men: Standing Guard.
Now, I really like this series. I enjoy writing it and want to write all three seasons! This is a big time-consumer, though, and I have a life I need to attend to. So if you want to see X-Men: Standing Guard continue, leave a review. This episode is a continuation of Part 1 of a backdoor pilot to a spinoff series named Bishop. Bishop is based on X-Men's success. Should X-Men be cancelled, Bishop will never see the light of day.
Previously on X-Men:
"We attempted a rescue of Kate and Eleanor Bishop precisely two minutes ago." Stoner started.
"Delta Tango-Two, thirty out."
"Roger, Delta Tango-Two, we count fourteen heat signatures, including the hostages, in the target perimeter. You are authorized for use of deadly force, over."
"Who the hell are you?" Stoner demanded.
"My name is unimportant." the pirate responded. "What is important, is the fact you just raided one of our warehouses. It looks like it didn't end well."
"...if the funds I demanded are not put into the account requested in the next thirty seconds..." the pirate glanced at the two women. "One of these women will die."
"General, I'll give you some control over the situation." the pirate sighed. "You choose who lives and who dies."
"We were led into an ambush and our soldiers were killed. In addition to that, Eleanor was murdered over a video transmission."
"You fucking psychopath!"
"Very well, the daughter it is."
"No! Don't shoot her!"
The pirate smiled and turned, shooting the mother three times in the chest. The daughter screamed through her gag as her mother's body hit the floor.
"Twelve hours, General. If the funds are not in my account by then, if you attempt a rescue, I will torture this girl, rape her, break her bones, until I have what I want. Good day, General."
"We aren't the government, we're S.H.I.E.L.D. I'm calling in a special agent and team right now. They'll be in Africa within the hour." Fury said.
Charles nodded. "So you are here..."
"For the X-Men." Fury replied.
"Agent Hawkeye will be leading the rescue team. Only three can go with him. I'd like Kitty, Jean, and Kurt."
"I'm afraid Kitty can not leave the Institute. You'll know why." Charles said simply.
The guard pulled out his taser and fired. Kitty phased and the guard ended up tazering the bartender who let out an embarrassing sound and collapsed. Kitty turned with a smirk and hit the guard hard enough that he fell down. Kitty smirked again.
"You wanna see what a real mutant can do, fat albert?" she demanded.
Two other guards ran up, but Kitty disappeared, turning invisible. The two guards looked around. One collapsed. The other looked for her. Where was the mutant? He heard a whistle and turned around. Kitty smashed a bottle over his head.
"I'm not asking." Fury replied, looking at his cigar.
"Director Stryker," the captain greeted. "Good to hear from you."
"I was ordered to give you a heads up: S.H.I.E.L.D. is sending a team to find you. You should hurry up with Katherine Bishop's execution."
Kate took in her breath as she looked out into the city. She wasn't in a desert in Africa, she was in Dubai!
Dubai U.A.E.
December 3rd, 15:45 EST
08:44:32 Remaining in Operation Bishop
Kate gasped in the cool, fresh air. It was filled with humidity from the nearby waterfront. Kate breathed as much of it in as she could, her chest heaving. Her grip on the metal railing tightened and she seemed to be lifting herself involuntarily towards the warmth of the sun. She had been stuck inside for so long, inside under the cool air conditioning, that the sun made her realize just how cold her bare arms really were. She wanted to close her eyes to absorb the heat, but she couldn't, as the sight of the city was too beautiful.
She heard footsteps behind her and whirled to face them. Two pirates were standing at the end of the hall. One pulled up a gun and fired. Kate held up her hands to block the bullet, as useless as the act was. Something stung in her arm and she felt the world spinning beneath her. She needed to sit down...
Kate's world slipped into darkness.
X-Men: Standing Guard
Season 1 Episode 6
"Bishop"
Part Two
S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicarrier
December 3rd, 15:45 EST
08:44:21 Remaining in Operation Bishop
Nick Fury was getting agitated. This was the fourth time in half as many hours that Derek Bishop had demanded to talk with him. Fury was a man of patience, but this was pushing even his limits.
The doors to the Heli-Carrier bridge slid apart with a hiss and Fury walked on-board.
"Director on Deck!"
Everyone saluted, Fury waved them down, taking fast-paced, long strides towards his chair at the center of the bridge.
"Mr. Bishop, it is very hard to rescue a hostage without their father barging in every five minutes." Fury sighed, taking a seat.
"Surely you understand my concern!" Bishop started.
"I do, I also understand you are a man of business."
"I am-"
"That means that you have to keep your emotions in check at all times, correct?"
"Yes-"
"So keep them in check now, Mr. Bishop." Fury ordered.
"My wife is dead because of you!" Bishop exclaimed, pointing a finger at the camera. "And Kate is still in danger because your teams aren't working fast enough-"
"May I remind you, Mr. Bishop," Fury cut in. "We warned you something like this would happen, but you refused to listen to us and insisted that nothing had happened so far, and nothing would happen."
"Are you implying that this is my fault?" Bishop demanded.
"I'm implying that if you had listened to us earlier, this may never have happened!" Fury snapped loudly, sharply, and rudely. Bishop practically stumbled back as if Fury had reached over the continent and slapped him.
Bishop scowled and cut the communication. Fury sighed and put his head in his hand.
Outskirts of Egypt
December 3rd, 16:00 EST
08:09:31 Remaining in Operation Bishop
The Blackbird had landed silently in the hot desert sands. Even though it was December, the temperatures were still soaring. It would be night soon, though, and the temperatures would plummet.
The sand was soft as Kitty disembarked from the Blackbird in a rushed huff, marching some paces away from the jet itself. She huffed again, placing her small hands on her petite hips. She looked around the desert.
"What the hell are we looking for purple-arrow?" she asked snottily.
Kurt looked at her with a concerned, but also upset, look on his blue face. Jean sighed and put her head in her hand. Hawkeye didn't seem in the least bit phased.
"These pirates like to settle on the outskirts where they can't be arrested by either country, in areas we call "Legal Gray"." Hawkeye replied. "We landed far enough away from a few of their suspected outposts to split up and take a look without them seeing us."
Kate snorted and caught the device Hawkeye tossed her. She headed the way she left.
"I'm going to have to deal with her..." Hawkeye muttered to Jean. "If she doesn't get a grip."
Jean didn't reply, watching Kitty leave.
Fagan's Bar & Grill
New Orleans, Louisiana
December 3rd, 16:32 EST
The bar was packed. It was Sunday afternoon. Everyone was home from church and football was on. The Saints were playing the Broncos and the game was close. It was the end of overtime and the Saints needed a touchdown to win. It was Third and Goal from the seven.
"Quarterback takes the snap, he drops back. Looking for Thompson who isn't open. Uh-oh! Uh-oh! And he's sacked by Leminsky from the Broncos!"
Everyone in the bar let out a loud exclamation, money exchanging hands. Some voices were angry, some taunting, some happy, some just plain drunk. One voice stood out above all the rest.
"Fagan!" Remy LeBeau called from the far side of the bar. "Turn dat piece uh crap game off 'fore you get some'un killed!"
Remy LeBeau, otherwise known as Gambit, had changed his look since leaving prison. His hair was let down, no longer pulled in a ponytail. His eyes had reverted from their normal red-on-black to a light shade of blue. The shade was so light, it was almost gray. He was dressed in a dark purple shirt with a few buttons undone, letting a few strands of chest hair poke out. He wore worn 'n' torn blue jeans, covered in oil stains, and black boots. He was still wearing his brown trench coat. In the right inside coat pocket he had hidden a deck of cards. In the left pocket, lower on his jacket, he had his bo-staff concealed. Remy was too romantic to carry a gun, but not too stupid to not use one when needed.
"Oh no, Remy, you see! Dey win dis 'un!" Fagan called in a tired and scratched voice as he cleaned out a glass with his dirty rag.
Fagan was the owner of the bar and old friend of Remy's. Remy had stayed under Fagan's bar for weeks after he ran away from his father. Fagan was an old Jewish man with a thin, stubbly gray beard on his wrinkling face. He had a kind, gentle smile and sad, faded blue eyes. He wore a gray plaid dress-shirt, unbuttoned the same way Remy's was, and blue jeans just like him.
"Ah, you say dat all da time, Fagan!" Remy called. "Den they lose!"
As Remy spoke these words, the fourth down pass got batted down and Remy turned to Fagan with a look that read "See?"
"You were right again, Remy." Fagan said. "How is it you know all dese things?"
Remy shrugged with a smile and sat up, placing both hands on the bar.
"Say, Fagan! Let's get a sore loser going 'round! On me!"
This certainly cheered up the depressed fans. Fagan began passing out drinks. Someone approached Remy from behind, coming to a stop directly behind his right shoulder.
"You take one step closer." Remy said, glancing over his shoulder. "And I'll put dis here card 'tween those eyes of yo'rs."
Remy finished his drink in one big gulp and turned around to face the man behind him.
He was tall, over six feet. He looked strong for his age, which must have been almost seventy. He had neat, white hair beneath his dark hat. He wore dark clothes and carried a cane that seemed to be entirely made of metal.
Before he could speak to Remy, Fagan cried out an exclamation of joy and surprise.
"Erik Lensher?! As I live and breathe!"
"Hello, Fagan." Erik greeted with a smile, taking off his hat and shaking the old man's hand.
"What are you doin' down here?" Fagan asked.
"Oh..." Erik said, turning to Gambit with a clever smile. "I'm just here on business."
Dubai, U.A.E.
December 3rd, 17:23 EST
06:45:12 Remaining in Operation Bishop
The Captain watched as Kate Bishop was tied groggily to a chair. The dark-headed girl let out a small sound as she started to come to her senses. He grinned and watched as the soldiers left the room. He walked over to Kate and tilted her chin up. Her eyes were mostly closed and her dark hair fell over her face. He smirked.
"I was ordered simply to kill you." He started. "But since you are here and looking so pretty..." He ran a hand down her arm. She wasn't fully awake, but she was awake enough to shiver. He smiled wickedly.
"Sir?" a soldier asked, opening the door to the room. The Captain dropped her chin.
"What?" he demanded.
"Sir, Director Stryker just called. He said to inform you the X-Men and S.H.I.E.L.D. are in the area looking for Bishop. He also said they brought a telepath with them."
The Captain stood silently for a minute.
"Grab the X-Chips. Place the chips in this room only."
The soldier nodded and left the room.
"Well I guess I'm going to have to cut our meeting short." The Captain said sadly. "Enjoy, and please do not try and escape again or we will shoot you."
Kate's head rolled as if she were still dazed. The Captain left the room. Kate closed her eyes and with all her might screamed out in her mind: "PLEASE HELP ME!"
"Agh!" Jean exclaimed, clutching her head.
"What? What is it?" Hawkeye demanded, rushing over to her.
"Someone's shouting for help. I think it's Bishop!"
"Well reply!" Hawkeye exclaimed.
'Are you Kate Bishop?' Jean asked telepathically.
'Yes, please help me!' Kate's thoughts came back.
'I will! I will! Where are you?' Jean asked.
Hesitation.
'How do I know I can trust you?' Kate asked.
'You have to.' Jean replied.
Kate remained silent.
"She doesn't trust me!" Jean exclaimed.
Hawkeye thought for a minute. "Put Shadowcat on the line."
"No!" Jean exclaimed. "She's too distraught and out of it to be talking with a hostage!"
"This is my mission and I'm calling the shots. Now Ms. Pryde is the same age as Bishop and roughly the same build. She can talk to her."
Jean hesitated before sighing and establishing a new mental link with Kitty.
'Kitty?' She asked.
'What?' came the snappy reply.
'I've established a mental link with Kate Bishop. We need you to talk to her. Find out where she is.'
'Why can't you?' Kitty snapped.
'You're going to talk to her.' Jean said firmly. 'Keep her calm and get as much information out of her as possible.'
Kitty sighed and plopped down in the sand, hugging her knees. She felt a mental link with Bishop. The emotions overwhelmed her. It was pure sadness, hopelessness, it was the emotions of a distraught little girl who needed someone to talk to, someone to reassure her that life was going to be okay. The emotions hit Kitty so hard she literally fell backwards in the sand, lying flat on her back. The connection to Bishop had done something to her. Feeling another person's emotions like Kitty's had made her realize something. She wasn't so alone in this world after all.
Kitty felt truly saddened and something inside of her jerked her into reality. She sat up and tentatively called out: 'Hello?'
'Hello?' Bishop's mental voice came softly. It was sad, shaky, nervous, unsure. Kitty felt an urge to help her.
'Kate, my name is Kitty.'
A shaky laugh. 'Well that is funny.'
'What?' Kitty demanded.
'We're both named Katherine.' Kate replied, a slight hint of humor in her voice.
"Oh." Kitty said aloud. 'That is funny'
Kate laughed shakily.
Kitty took a deep breath. 'Where are you Kate?'
Kate hesitated. 'How do I know I can trust you?'
'Kat, I'm not going to let anything happen to you. I promise.' Kitty said, ironically calling her "Kat". 'But to help you, I need to know where you are.'
Kate hesitated before taking a deep breath and letting it all out shakily in one word:
'Dubai'
Kate must have felt the shock from Kitty because she let out a relieved breath. Kitty couldn't be one of her kidnappers if she was that shocked Kate was in Dubai.
'Alright, we're coming for you.' Kitty said, standing up and brushing sand off of her butt. 'We're coming to get you, Kat.'
"Guys!" she called into her wrist comm. "Kat's in Dubai."
"Where in Dubai?" Hawkeye's voice came.
'Where in Dubai?' Kitty asked.
'I don't know.' Kate said, suddenly panicked. 'In a small hotel. I saw the tower in the distance. Maybe twenty miles? I don't know. I don't know, I don't-'
'Shh.' Kitty shushed. 'That's good. We're on our way. Just stay put.'
Kate looked at her restraints. 'Yeah, no afternoon walks, got it.'
Kitty laughed full and outright. It had been so long and it felt so good. She felt free.
'No boyfriend, really?' Kitty asked.
'No, surprisingly not.' Kate replied with a hint of humor in her voice.
The Blackbird was flying at great speed towards Dubai. Hawkeye and Jean were in the front seats, piloting and discussing the mission. Kitty and Kurt were in the back, leaning against the cool metal. Kurt was doing something on his phone and Kitty was talking to Kate telepathically. Talking with a hostage was easier than she'd thought.
'Surely you've had offers.' Kitty asked.
'Honey, I'm rich, of course I've had offers.' Kate said. 'But what about you? Do you have a boyfriend?'
Kitty hesitated before carefully replying. 'Kinda'
'Kinda? How can you 'kinda' have a boyfriend?'
'We kinda got in a fight and we're not talking.'
'You're using the word 'kinda' a lot.' Kate remarked.
'Well it was more of me screaming and him trying to calm me down.'
'Well that sounds like a very decent guy.'
'Really?' Kitty asked.
'Oh yeah! I mean, it's not like he started screaming back at you. He was trying to calm you down.'
'He's 6'6", I'm glad he didn't start yelling back.' Kitty said.
Kate laughed. Maybe a little too loud because at that moment, the Captain walked in the room.
'Uh-oh!'
'What?' Kitty asked, sitting up.
'The Captain dude is back. He's got two of his cronies with him and a box. I don't like this, I don't like this.' Kate said, her voice rising in panic.
'Shh!' Kitty shushed. 'Shh! What're they doing?'
'They're placing...blue lights in the room...?'
Kitty waited.
'Oh crap, I think we've been found out!'
'Why? What's wrong?'
'He said that he knows mutants are coming to get me. The lights prevent your powers somehow.'
"Hawkeye!" Kitty called. "Is there a light that can block out mutant powers?"
"No..." Hawkeye responded.
"Well Kate said her kidnappers are putting up blue lights to block mutant powers because they know we're coming."
Hawkeye thought for a minute. "Those could be X-Chips. They're devices that filter out different neuro-signals so mutant powers don't work. How did they know we're coming?"
"I don't know!"
Hawkeye looked at Jean and asked her quietly. "Could they have noticed your telepathic signal?"
"No, they shouldn't." Jean replied. She sat in silence, thinking.
"We're almost in Dubai. We'll get our answer there." Hawkeye said.
The city could be seen in the distance, a familiar tower rising into the cloudy sky. Hawkeye brought the Blackbird to a steep turn and landed it gently a mile from the city. He stood up and walked into the back of the plane where Kitty and Kurt were already standing.
"Alright, we go on foot from here. We've got six hours before they kill Kate. We're sticking together."
"Wouldn't it be wiser to split up?" Kitty asked.
"You two don't know what we're looking for. We don't even need to look. S.H.I.E.L.D. keeps information on everyone around the world. We don't know who took her, but we know people who might."
"What's a Mexican restaurant doing in Dubai?" Kitty asked. The four stood in front of a small, brick building. It was two stories tall and looked very old. A gentle tarp sloped over an empty patio. There was only one couple eating.
"It's not." Hawkeye replied. "It's a cover for the Boreni, a gang in Dubai. They know every activity illegal, legal, and in between. If anyone knows where Bishop's being held, they do."
"So what's the plan?" Kitty asked. "Barge in and start busting heads?"
"No," Hawkeye said. "Let me take care of this."
The still purple-clad archer strode into the restaurant. Shouts, gunshots, bottles shattering, and other signs of struggle were heard inside. Kitty glanced at Jean nervously. Hawkeye walked out a moment later, a wide grin on his face. A gang member's unconscious body pushed the door open as he fell to the ground.
"You've got blood on your face." Jean pointed out.
"Thanks," Hawkeye said, wiping the red liquid off his cheek.
"Did you get the information?" Kitty asked.
"Yes." Hawkeye said. "Communicating it to Director Fury now."
Sentinel Project Main HQ
December 3rd, 18:28 EST
X-23 was lying on her bed, reading a book. The teenaged soldier had been off-duty recently. Fewer mutants were popping up this holiday season. X tried desperately to remember last Christmas...
It was to no avail. All she received was a headache and the feeling she was going somewhere she would be instructed not to go. Normally this would be good enough for X-23, but recently she felt she had taken on some of Rogue's personality traits: rebellious, sarcastic, she had even taken to some of Rogue's phrases that did not fit in the perfect vocabulary she normally spoke in.
X turned back to her book. She had switched from reading manuals and biographies to fiction. X didn't know why but ever since the mission with Amara (she was trying desperately to push it from her mind, it interfered with her productivity), she'd had a yearning for something less strict and militaristic and more human.
The book X was reading was entitled 1984. Rogue had suggested it to her when X asked for a good book to read. Rogue had added that maybe "...ya can take it an' apply it to life." X wasn't quite sure what Rogue had meant by this. There was no Kingdom of Oceania, no Thought Police...and it supported the idea of rebellion against the government. X should have obeyed code and put the book down as soon as she read the cover, but it drew her in. It was some distant feeling she had that she wanted to finish the book, no matter how "wrong" it was. She understood how Rogue could sit and read for hours at a time.
As soon as her mind wondered to the Belle, Rogue walked into the room, a bright smile on her face and a letter in her hand.
"Are you okay?" X-23 asked, arching an eyebrow over the cover of her book.
"I'm fine, better than fine!" Rogue beamed. "Why?"
"Just...curious..." X replied.
Rogue opened up her letter and read it again. Her face betrayed her inner emotions and X could tell she was taking much pleasure from reading it. Rogue finished it, sighed contentedly, and stood still for a minute, her eyes closed. X felt as if this were an entirely different Rogue standing before her. Rogue had raised enough concern in the girl to the point she almost asked if the red-head was alright. Then Rogue seemed to snap out of it and moved to her desk, pushing a stack of papers Trask had had delivered off of her desk and into the trash without a second glance. Rogue reached into her desk, ruffled around a bit, and came out with a piece of paper and a pencil. She started writing.
"What are you doing?" X asked after a few minutes.
Rogue jumped at the sound of X's voice, seeming to have forgotten her friend was even there.
"I'm writin' a letter. What's it look like I'm doin'?" she asked.
"Why are you writing it by hand? Why not simply use e-mail?" X asked.
Rogue sighed. "'cause e-mail can be tracked, and I know you would. 'sides, it's more romantic t' write this way."
"Romantic?" X asked.
Rogue hesitated in alarm for a split second, her pupils dilating slightly. "Chivalrous, whatever." she waved it off and kept writing. X had just returned to her book when she heard a snap across the room and Rogue cursed in a high whisper. She looked around on her desk, digging around.
"Hate messin' up my desk like this..." she muttered. X smirked.
"Hey, you got a pencil sharp'ner?" Rogue asked.
"No," X replied nonchalantly, a hint of humor in her voice.
Rogue just looked at her for a second. "Course not, 'cause you use e-mail." Rogue stood up. "I"ma go find one. Some'un 'round here's got t' have one."
Rogue left the room, pencil in hand, shutting the door behind her.
X was about to return to her book when something caught her eye. Rogue had left the letter she had received and the one she was writing on the desk. Glancing at the door, X carefully set her book on the bed and darted towards the letter. She picked it up and read it.
"Oh you have got to be kidding me!" she exclaimed, unconsciously using a slang phrase.
Rogue opened the door. "Hey!"
X dropped the letter. Rogue stormed over and snatched it up.
"I can't believe you!" She exclaimed. "Yo'r goin' through my stuff now?"
"I-I can not believe you!" X replied, a little unsteady because she had been caught. "You are mailing letters to a fugitive?" X glanced at the letters and made a disgusted face. "Love letters!"
"Will you keep yo'r voice down?" Rogue exclaimed, glancing around as if she were in a crowd.
Trask watched the video feed with an unclear emotion on his face. It was a mixture of anger, disappointment, and frustration. He cut the feed and turned to the second video monitor of Vice President Edward Kelly.
"Rogue has become a...liability. We may have to terminate her partnership earlier than originally intended." Trask said.
"What of X-23?" Kelly asked. "The United States Government spent half a billion dollars making the Wolverine, only to have him become a free agent and work for S.H.I.E.L.D. We're not going to lose his clone that easy."
"We have plans for X-23." Trask said. "After Agent Rogue is terminated, we will put her in stasis. We will wipe her memories and finish the Weapon X procedure, infusing her skeleton with adamantium. Then she will be brought out of stasis and put back in the field. We won't make the same mistake this time. She'll work alone and learn no morality."
"She is trouble, Secretary." Kelly said. "I'm advising you to start fresh. Recruit the doctor who made her in the first place, have them make another. Preferably male this time. Females are too much of a handful."
"With all due respect, Mr. Vice President," Trask started. "You're not allowed to interfere with the Sentinel Project. I disobeyed direct orders to include you because I happen to be selling what you're selling. Second, Doctor Sarah Kinney is dead, killed by her HYDRA masters before we could capture her. Finally, we can not make a successful male clone of Wolverine unless we get a new DNA sample. His was destroyed in the raid on HYDRA. Now, if you'd like to breach our agreement with S.H.I.E.L.D. and ask the Wolverine for a vial of blood, be my guest."
Kelly scowled. "How much longer until things are set right?"
"It's almost the end of the year, Kelly, have patience." Trask said. "The new year brings a new era."
"What of our other project?" Kelly asked.
"The arms and right leg are complete. The left leg is eighty percent complete." Trask listed off calmly.
"What of the body, and more importantly, the head?"
"The Sentinel is a long and tedious project never before attempted, Mr. Vice President. I have word it will be ready by April. The body is thirty-five percent complete, we're waiting on parts, and, the head is fifty percent complete, we're waiting on software."
Kelly nodded. "Get. It. Done. Mr. Trask."
Trask nodded.
Dubai, U.A.E.
December 3rd, 18:45 EST
05:35:33 Remaining in Operation Bishop
The Captain stormed into the room. He was followed by two other pirates. They walked over and roughly undid Kate's bindings, lifting her up, one on each arm, and dragged her before the Captain.
"Please, please don't do this." Kate sobbed.
"Come along, Ms. Bishop." the Captain said. "We haven't much time." He turned to a third pirate. "Contact NATO, tell them we request a video conference."
The pirate nodded and left. The Captain pulled out his gun and loaded it. Kate whimpered, her dark hair falling over her tear-streaked face.
'Kitty!'
"Ah!" Kitty exclaimed, clutching her head.
"Kitty? Vhat is it?" Kurt asked.
"It's Kate! She's in trouble!" Kitty exclaimed. "We've got to hurry!"
"In order for you to be able to use your powers, we need to deactivate the X-Chips." Hawkeye said. "Kitty do that, Kurt teleport in and grab Katherine. I'll take care of her captor."
"If he's touching her, I'll teleport him too!" Kurt exclaimed.
"Fine, you and Kitty switch." Hawkeye exclaimed, notching a purple-tipped arrow.
"What about me?" Jean asked.
"You're going to take out the guards while Kitty and I get to Bishop."
Jean nodded.
"Who are you?" the Captain demanded.
"This is Director Nick Fury of S.H.I.E.L.D." The voice came over the vid-screen. "What are you calling for? There's still five and a half hours remaining in your time limit."
"Is there?" the Captain asked, checking his watch. "I'm sorry, the different time zones threw me off."
'Kitty!' Kate exclaimed. 'They're going to kill me!'
'We're coming, just hold on!' Kitty exclaimed, opening the door and allowing Jean, Kurt, and Hawkeye in. Kitty followed.
"If you kill that girl, you will not get away. We will hunt you down, and when we find you-"
"Empty threats, Director." the Captain called. "Derek Bishop should have paid the ransom when he had the chance. Now he's lost a wife-" The Captain cocked a pistol to Kate's head. "-and a daughter."
"Sir! Fifteen more seconds would make a little girl's day!" Hawkeye exclaimed.
"Whatever you want, we'll give it to you!" Fury called. "Just don't hurt the girl!"
"Too late director!"
"Now, Nightcrawler!"
The lights shut off, as did the video-screen. The blue lights on the ceiling faded and the Captain was caught off guard.
"Hawkeye, was that you?"
"Yes, sir!" Hawkeye said. "We're moving in now!"
With a firm kick, Hawkeye sent the door flying into the hostage room and took out the three guards with three arrows in three seconds. He pointed the last one at the Captain who hugged Kate tightly to his body, the gun pressed to her forehead.
"Get away from her!" Hawkeye yelled.
"Lower your bow!"
"I said get away from her!"
"Lower your bow right now or I'll blow her brains out!"
'Kate?'
'Yeah?'
'Promise me you won't scream.'
"What?" Kate asked aloud.
Kitty's head appeared out of the ground. She grabbed Kate who promptly screamed and morphed her away. The Captain looked startled.
"Don't do it!" Hawkeye warned.
In a desperate attempt, the Captain aimed his gun at Hawkeye. Hawkeye loosed the arrow and it flew, going halfway through the Captain and knocking him out of the window, falling three stories into the middle of a crowded alley.
"Hawkeye to Fury: Hostage secure and target down. Request immediate air evac."
The bridge of the Helicarrier exploded in cheers.
"What do you mean 'target down'?" Fury demanded.
"You asked for me, sir. You shouldn't have expected prisoners." Hawkeye replied dryly. "GPS coords are: 43..."
S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-Carrier
December 3rd, 21:48 EST
"Congratulations, Agent Hawkeye." Fury greeted as the archer walked on board the bridge of the S.H.I.E.L.D. Heli-Carrier.
"Thank you sir." Hawkeye said, slinging his bow over his shoulder and walking up to Fury.
"Where's Bishop now?"
"We sent her home on a S.H.I.E.L.D. Helicopter. Katherine Pryde went with her. I think those two have developed a budding friendship."
"What about the facility?" Fury asked.
"Burned to the ground, not our doing." Hawkeye responded.
Fury nodded grimly.
Outside Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
June 23rd, 13:23 EST
Eleven Years Ago
Kitty sat in her room, moping on the corner of her bed. This wasn't fair. She wasn't the one who had ran over her doll. She wasn't the one who had laughed and made fun of her. McKenna had. Now McKenna was sitting downstairs eating ice cream and Kitty was stuck in her room.
Kitty's room was located in the second story of the house. The roof sloped to form the ceiling and a window looked out either side of the house, one into the street, the other into the backyard. Blue curtains hung from rods above each. Toys and dolls were spread over the floor and a blue carpet (matching the blue twin bed Kitty was currently sitting on) was nearly obscured by these toys. The door opened with a silent squeak and Kitty's mother walked into the room.
"Kitty?" she asked the sobbing girl, sitting on the bed next to her.
"Yes?" Kitty asked rather rudely.
"Do you understand that what you did was wrong?"
"No." Kitty replied.
Her mother sighed. "Kitty you hit your sister. You hurt her."
"She ran over my doll!" Kitty exclaimed.
"But did she deserve you to hit her?"
Kitty looked at her shoes.
"Kitty, I understand she frustrated you and that you were angry. As your sister it's her job to do that. You can't just hit her everytime you get mad though. One day you're going to have more power and more strength than you do now and you may hurt someone very badly. You have to control your anger."
"But she-"
"Kitty, the only excuse for hitting someone is if they hit you first."
"But-"
"No excuses." Her mother said sharply.
Kitty looked at her shoes again. Her mother sighed and wrapped her arm around her daughter. "Kitty, sometimes we have to put aside our anger because letting it out is going to do no one any good. Find a healthy way to let it out."
"How?"
"By walking or doing something constructive. Don't take it out on any person, especially not those who care about you."
New York
December 3rd, 22:13 EST
Kitty started at three, counted down to one, and started over again. She was scared. She had acted so harshly and so badly to him, what if he didn't want to be with her anymore?
Kitty bit her lip, thinking of all the danger she had been through and forced herself to knock sharply on the door.
She waited, bouncing from one foot to the other. Scuffling came from the other side of the door and it opened. Piotr walked out onto the front porch and closed the door behind him, looking at Kitty. He didn't seem angry or tired, he was just...there.
Kitty looked up at him, wringing her hands. "Piotr, I'm sorry about last week. I-I was angry...I was...upset about other things and all you were trying to do was be sweet and kind like always and I shoved you away. I had no right to and I'm sorry. I can understand if you don't want to see me anymore, or if you don't-"
Piotr put a single finger to her lips, shushing her.
"It is okay." he said. "I understood you needed your space, so I gave it to you. That is why I have not come to see you. I was waiting for you to be ready."
Kitty opened her mouth to say something, but he put a single finger under her chn and brought her face up to his, gently, softly kissing her.
Rain started to fall down over the two. They gently broke apart and Piotr opened his door, gesturing for her to come inside as the rain fell harder. The door shut silently, yellow light, obscured only by the motion of the two lovers, shined through the windows. All was well.
.
.
.
For now...
AN: The Mid-Season Finale of X-Men: Standing Guard is in two weeks (April 2)! Due to lack of reviews, this could quite possibly be the final episode! If you want to see more X-Men: Standing Guard, leave some support in the form of a review! Don't count on others, only YOU can save the world (and this series)!