Apparently, the meeting place was in the freaking desert, because they have been driving for a long time and no civilized world could be seen in the distance, only trees and the road in front of them.
Alex was surprised at his own impatience, during the ride. Not that he usually wasn't that way, on the contrary they were many people, who could confirm that his fuse was rather short, but today he was too impatient... or excited, it was probably both.
The thought of seeing some of his old teammates and friends again, even for a short period of time and even if they were going to spend their time together, infiltrating a laboratory to save one of their own and not die in the progress, was making him happy.
Alex felt this pure happiness in his stomach, that he thought he couldn't feel anymore. Not for long anyway. For the first time in so long he was expecting something that wasn't connected with another mission, fight or death itself.
The thing was, that he thought he had learned to repress his emotions better and keep his impatient tendencies in check. He was probably wrong. The realization came bitter to him. He was never good at hiding what he felt ever since he was a teenager. It got better in time, but it still needed improving, apparently.
Alex had realized a long time ago, that feelings made people vulnerable. In this world, in their world, if you are happy, there always would be someone to steal that glimpse of happiness from you. If you love anyone, there would always be someone to use this person against you. It was depressing, but it was truth. An example of that was Emma using Rachel to get what she wanted from him, namely, to join the Hellfire club.
Most of his emotions, he could manage well enough, but his anger was a major part of him that couldn't be denied. Anger towards the people, who had hunted him and his friends since they were a little more than kids, just because they existed. Anger towards people like Magneto, who had shown the world, that it should fear them. Anger towards himself for not being able to save his friends when he had the chance.
Occasionally, Charles had mentioned that anger was destructive, that it was what had set Erik and Raven down their path. It was a disturbing thought that he possessed some part of that.
"And we are heading where exactly?" Lorna asked. Surprisingly no one had asked that question until now. Probably, because Marcos, Reed and Caitlin were in the other car and they were the most suspicious about the Frosts and would ask the most questions, even if they were their allies.
"The gathering place is a carefully selected abandoned Hellfire Club base in Virginia," Esme, who was driving the car said, without taking her eyes off of the road.
"I thought we will meet the others before entering Virginia," Clarice remarked, looking at Alex for some reason.
"Apparently not. Does it matter really? We are going to Virginia nonetheless," Alex answered, shrugging.
After more six hours on the road, Alex felt like losing his mind from boredom and the good old impatience. Not because it was silent in the car, it actually wasn't, but he was eager to meet the others. The few conversations they had maintained in the vehicle, had been keeping him calm.
"Are you nervous?," Alex saw Clarice ask the blond girl next to her. Lauren, yes, her name was Lauren Strucker.
"A little, considering the last time we infiltrated a facility like that..." She trailed off, but Clarice seemed to understand exactly what she was about to say.
"Don't worry. It won't be like before. I am sure of that."
There was something about Clarice's voice that left no place for arguing. There was strength and determination in the tone she used, that seemed to help Lauren relax. Alex had heard the same tone used by Lorna a couple of times.
"No!" Lorna's tone was sharp, "You are not a freak, Alex. You are special, you have a gift that no one else has," She said looking into his eyes, "Do you hear me? You are not a freak. You are a good person and an amazing friend," Lorna said "I want you to remember that and never forget it."
The corners of his lips turned up and he looked at his hands.
"And are you nervous?," Lorna asked him and his head shot up, his gaze meeting hers.
"Me? Never," He shrugged with a smirk, but Lorna looked unconvinced by his words. "Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lorna tilted her head on one side. "I just know, you are lying,"
Alex narrowed his eyes towards her and then shook his head. "Yeah... I am nervous,"
It felt weird to admit it. In the past he never did, not wanting to look weak or vulnerable to the others. That habit of his was chasing him, even here after so much time. His nervousness was uncalled for and he realized that. Alex knew what he had to do and he wouldn't let anything stop him. He knew he could do it and mistakes couldn't be afforded. Despite of that, the little not of nerves in his stomach was still there, beating against his chest, like it was trying to choke him.
"Well, I didn't expect you to actually admit your lie," Lorna smirked.
"I am trying to be unpredictable," He said with a grin, forgetting his thoughts. Lorna had the ability to help him relax and distract himself when he needed to. Even if she had noticed his troubled expressions, she hadn't commented on them, if she felt it wasn't a good time. He loved that about her. The trust she was showing him, when she believed he was okay, when he said he was.
Lorna rolled her eyes, but the smile didn't leave her face. A sign, she was amused and not irritated at him, "You are impossible."
"Thanks," Alex replied, smirking as well. A mixture of amusement and frustration always made its way on her face, when he teased her. He enjoyed that expression to no end and made sure she knew.
She shook her head, the amuse-frustrated expression sliding onto her face.
"Never expected an X-man to admit he is nervous about a mission," Lauren commented, before Alex could say anything else to Lorna.
He looked towards the blond girl. From what he knew about the Struckers, she was just a teenager, around the same age as him, when he had become an X-man.
"We get scared and nervous too, especially before heading towards danger," He said with a slight smile. This is what this world does, it is what its always done, send children to war and leaving others to assure them that everything was alright when it hardly was.
"Yeah, but you guys looked so... natural to it...fearless," Lauren said and ran a hand through her hair with a sigh.
"I assure you, we get terrified too and I am sure one of my teammates had pееd himself at least on time," Alex said, trying to lighten up the mood and laughter broke into the car. Even Esme looked amused by the joke. The tension left Lauren's face and her face lightened.
A lonely stone building cleared up in the distance. In a few minutes they were even closer to it and Esme made a turn, entering the parking lot.
The building itself wasn't high or fancy. It was solid stone and didn't stood out with anything. It was a good choice for a meeting place, as it looked abandoned and didn't draw attention.
On the so said parking lot, there was one more car, looking identical to theirs.
Alex unbuckled the belt and opened the door, stepping out of the vehicle. The sun was bright and it forced him to half-close his eyes. The others exited the car as well and so did the people from the second one.
For the first time he saw actually how many people were there for the mission and even more were expected. This facility must be constructed like a tank, if Emma needed so many to attack it.
"Where are the others?" Alex asked, looking at the two Frosts in front of him. The third one was nowhere to be seen.
"Phoebe should get them here soon," They said in unison and Alex gave them a short nod.
Just as they finished the sentence, another black car arrived and parked next to the others. Phoebe, apparently, didn't care about straight parking as she took places for two vehicles with hers.
The blond got out of the car first and approached her sisters.
Alex turned his gaze to the car again as two people went out as well. He couldn't hide his smile as he saw the familiar ginger-haired man closing the door. When the other person showed up, Alex had almost expect it to be Hank, standing next to Sean. Almost, but it was enough for numb pain to press against his chest.
Instead, it was a girl in her early twenties with brown hair and eyes to match it.
"Sean freaking Cassidy," Alex chimed, approaching his friend. The two exchanged a hug and he quickly turned to the girl with a smile, "Kitty"
"Alex," She smiled back, genuinely and hugged him tightly. He returned the hug with a laugh and they parted.
"You are not dead yet," Sean commented with a sheepish grin and Alex turned to face him again.
"I can't be killed remember?" He flashed him a grin and Sean rolled his eyes. Next to them Kitty shook her head with a smile.
She looked older now and somewhat more mature. Kitty had definitely changed. There was fullness under hey eyes, probably from lack of sleep. Her smile had lost its childhood innocence and brightness. The bubbly thirteen-year-old girl he had met was gone. However, the old determination was still burning in her eyes. She knew exactly why she was here. Good.
Sean looked paler and his smiles seemed sadder, missing the goofy spirit he once possessed. Time and lose had taken a lot from him as it seemed. However, just like with Kitty, Sean looked ready to fight.
"I am glad you are here Alex," He said and Alex nodded.
Something unspoken hung in the air between the two men, but Alex understood what he meant. I am glad you are not dead as well.
"Glad to be here," He said at last and turned to the others behind him, "I believe introductions will have to wait until we are inside. Are we waiting for anybody else?" He turned to the Frosts, who nodded.
"Two more in fact," They said and Alex nodded again, "You can go inside, I will wait for them here."
The Frosts headed inside, followed by the huge group. Lorna gave him a small smile before disappearing inside. Alex, Sean and Kitty turned towards the sky as they heard claps of wings, searching for the source, which was none other that Warren Worthington III.
The figure in the sky was carrying someone else, but Alex couldn't quite recognize due to the distance. As Warren came closer, Alex saw it was Elizabeth Braddock, dressed in full armor and ready for combat, Always prepared. He thought, amused.
The two mutants landed in front of them in a few minutes.
"You put on quite a show up there, Warren," Alex commented and the other man smiled.
"Always," He said and put a hand on his shoulder, "It's good to see you all."
"Good to see you too," Sean said and Kitty approached Warren, giving him a quick hug.
"I am not the huggable type," Betsy stated, when Kitty looked at her and the girl smiled.
"I know," Kitty laughed.
"Looking ready to kick ass, Bets," Alex noted with a smirk.
"You know me. I am always prepared," She winked and Warren rolled his eyes.
He really had missed them terribly. Soon, they would head to a facility with the intention to break out Rachel and the other hounds, steal the data and possibly destroy it. That was a triple task and was going to be hard, even with so many people, but this moment before the mission was a much awaited reunion on Alex's part and it had paid off.
"Let's go inside," Alex nudged Sean.
As much as he enjoyed this, they had a job to do. Kitty tensed, aware of the upcoming fight. Sean nodded and the group swept towards the entrance, Alex in the front, followed by Kitty, Warren and Betsy.
The others had already scattered around the room, talking. One of the triples reached them.
"We have to start discussing the plan and the blueprints," She said, moving her gaze from Alex to Warren, "Do you have them?"
"Yeah," He said and took off a the bag that was strapped to his back. Alex had noticed it just now. Warren handled it to the Frost sister, who took it and turned around, walking over to the table in the center.
Alex and the others approached and watched as the triples got the blueprints out of the bag and unfolded them over at the table with precise moves.
"We are starting," They announced, gathering everyone's attention. Now the others had positioned themselves around the table, looking at the plans.
"Before that, It is time for introductions," Alex spoke and looked around. He turned to the Mutant Underground members. "Guys, these are Warren, Elizabeth, Katherine and Sean," Alex listed, pointing at each one of them while speaking. Then he turned towards the former X-men, "These are John, Marcos, Clarice, Lauren, Tessa, Caitlin, Reed and Lorna."
With his peripheral vision he thought he saw a half smile appearing on Sean's face as Alex had introduced Lorna, but it quickly disappeared.
"Now, let's start," Alex insisted and threw a indicating glance at Warren, who cleared his throat.
"The facility is made of solid stone, much like this building here," Warren began, almost immediately, his tone serious, like he had switch to a different mode, "It has six floors over-ground and one underground," He continued, pointing at the blueprint.
More or less, Warren had changed a lot since his teenage years. The arrogant, careless playboy had disappeared, growing up to be a responsible young man, most of the time, when Scott had taken the leadership of the team. Despite that he had never lost his free spirit. Well that was until Sinister and Apocalypse had involved.
After Warren's first transformation to Archangel he had become more violent and brooding. A lot of things had happened after than and Warren had seemingly got rid of his Archangel persona, but an accident involving Rahne wrenching his wings out, had allowed him to slap between his two personas. It was a good advantage in a battle, but unpredictable and tough to control. Alex had hated to see how Warren had been struggling with this darkness inside of him.
This experience made his former student more reserved than before and had left him, trying to be at peace with himself most of the time. Alex was sure that no one could achieve that.
He didn't know what had happened to Warren and Betsy after they had parted their ways, but it seemed like they hadn't stopped fighting. He was sure none of them had.
"The hounds are kept underground and the second floor is used for autopsy... " Warren said, but was quickly cut off.
"Wait...why are they performing autopsies to mutants, if they need them for the hound program?" John inquired.
"They are inventing new ways to create hounds, the scientists need to know how mutants work for that purpose and you know the rest," Warren said, his voice completely dead.
"The other floors are basically the research parts of the facility," Betsy added and looked up at the people in front of her, "We will be divided in teams for that mission. Some of us will go and knock out the hounds, while the others will steal all the data."
"And then we will blow the whole building up," Alex finished.
A few sets of eyes shot at his direction. Some approving, some shocked.
"I don't think that would be necessary," Caitlin insisted and Alex narrowed his eyes towards her in a stern look. The woman held his gaze and didn't back down.
"It is pretty necessary, actually. That is how we will prevent the facility being used against us again," He stated and looked back at the blueprint, leaving no room for arguments.
There was nothing Caitlin Strucker could say to make him rethink that. Even if she did, which was highly unlikely, the others would agree that destroying the place would be the best option or Alex wanted to believe they would.
"The facility uses an energy generator that is kept on the first floor. I know how to overload it. It will be easy from then on," Warren said and pointed at the place where the generator was supposed to be.
"You seem to know awfully a lot about this place, Warren," Sean commented, lifting his gaze from the prints.
"It used to be owned by Worthington Industries as a research facility before 15/7," Warren replied looking down at his hands in something that looked like defeat and regret.
After the accident, he had lost his company as the board had a problem with a mutant CEO, after the big backlash. Alex had remembered how angry Warren had been then. Losing his father's legacy was a big blow to him.
"What is the attack plan?" Lorna stepped in, looking at the faces of the people around her and eventually setting her eyes on Psylocke, directing the question toward her.
"As I said, teams. Team Alpha will take care of the hounds, while the other teams will scatter in the other floors to gather the data and keep the Sentinel Service agents busy," Psylocke explained, authority ringing in her voice.
"I suggest to enter from multiple sides. From the roof, the back, the front. That will leave then surprised and unable to react quickly enough," Alex added, crossing his hands over his chest.
"We should keep Sage outside with Reed and Caitlin. She can hack into the cameras and help us from the outside and we can transfer the information from their computers to her," John said and Warren nodded approvingly.
"Okay then," He turned to the Frosts," I believe you have the equipment for that," It sounded more like a statement than a question.
Before they could answer, Esme's phone went off ringing. She quickly picked up and took a few steps away from the crowded table, without another word. Sophie and Phoebe's eyes shone for a couple of seconds a few times. They were talking telepathically.
Kitty moved closer to him. "Should we guess who is calling?" She asked with a familiar frown.
"I just hope there isn't a problem," Alex said, feeling himself tense a little. Emma wouldn't call just to check up on them. She believed in her girls enough to let them handle the situation alone. No, it had to be something else and that send shivers up Alex's back. No mistakes could be afforded.
"Why is Emma not here to help anyway?" Sean joined the conversation. "I mean don't get me wrong four telepaths are enough, but Emma is like a tank in her diamond form. We could have used her."
Alex shrugged in lack of knowledge. "Emma never mentioned, she would be here anyways."
"Yeah, because she probably has so much important stuff to attend to, instead of helping us out," Kitty scoffed, irritated. Alex didn't say anything to acknowledge Kitty's words. It wasn't the time to enter in an argument about Emma's usefulness and motivations.
"Kitty, Emma helped us find Rachel and she will be the head of her recovery. Give her some credit," Sean nudged her side and she shook her head in denial.
Esme approached again, a look of mild annoyance on her face. "The hounds from the facility will be shipped to Atlanta tomorrow. Apparently, the security will be double for the transfer, which means we have only one shot tonight," She informed them with the usual calm manner.
"Dammit," Alex muttered and looked back at the blueprint, "We should get to work fast. If we miss this chance... " He trailed off, unable to finish his thought.
Betsy put a hand on his shoulder. "We won't miss the chance. We are getting Rachel and the others out of there tonight and if we have to go through every Sentinel Service agent to do it, so be it," She raised her chin up, speaking determined, like the true warrior she was. That was Elizabeth Braddock after all.
"Then, let's do this," Alex ordered and nodded gratefully at Betsy, "John, I want you to lead team Beta. You will take the first and second floors and take the autopsy reports," He said and John nodded, "Take Marcos and Phoebe with you."
"Me and Psylocke will take the sixth and fifth floors and get in through the roof," Warren stated.
"As much as I would love to do that with you, I will be needed on the underground level," Betsy said and gave him an apologetic look.
The two fell silent as they were communication without words, just with thoughts.
"Warren, you can take Esme with you and lead team Omega," Alex dictated and Warren looked at him with irritation.
The Archangel was hard to control, a reason Warren needed Psylocke to be with him. Unfortunately, Betsy was needed down with Alex. The hounds were going to be tough opponents, especially Rachel. A strong physic was needed, so Alex was taking Psylocke with him. The Frosts were going to split up, so there could be at least one telepath in a team.
"Kitty," Alex turned to her, "You will lead team Gamma, it's you and Sophie. Floor 4 is yours for the taking," A flash of dissatisfaction shone is her eyes, but Alex held her gaze.
At last, he turned to Sean, "You will take Lauren and secure the third floor."
"As you say," His friend nodded.
"I will take Psylocke, Lorna and Clarice to the underground level. We will take out the hounds and transport them out of there. Reed, Caitlin and Sage will be outside in one of the escape cars and observe everything. Is it all clear?" He asked and one by one the people in the room nodded.
"Good. Warren, the strategy please," Alex said and Angel stepped in again.
"First, teams Delta, Gamma and Beta will enter from the front with a direct confrontation and try to bring the attention of the agents to themselves. Then, team Alpha will attack from the back, stealthily. Team Omega will enter through the roof after all the others are inside," Warren placed some pawns at the entering points, "Every team's task, besides Alpha, is to transfer all the data to Sage and then destroy it. Holding agents off is a huge priority. We can't let to many of them to be sent to the underground level. We will also have to take as much as we can out before we blow the place up. This is all. We will move at 20:00 p.m. If you have questions, you can go to the leaders of your team," He finished and murmur spread around the room.
Warren quickly pulled Betsy away and they started talking in hushed voices.
On the other side, Kitty nudged Alex in the stomach, "Why Sophie?" She asked crossing her hands over her chest, "You know what my relationship with Emma is, it probably won't be much different with her daughters."
"But you have worked with Emma before," Alex stated.
"Yes, but I want to be down there and help with Rachel," Kitty argued back and Alex realized what the real problem was. It wasn't Sophie, it was Rachel.
"Kitty, I assembled the teams with everyone's powers, weaknesses and strengths on my mind. I believe this Alpha team will have the best chance at saving the hounds, Rachel included. You have to trust me," He explained, putting a reassuring hand on her shoulder and at last, Kitty nodded hesitantly. She still didn't like it, but at least was convinced it will work. That was enough for Alex.
Warren approached Esme, who was standing next to her sisters, talking about something.
"Esme, can we talk for a minute?" He asked, his voice steady.
If he was going to be partners with her for the mission, he had to be sure she would shut him down, when needed to. Betsy had helped him with all she could to control the Archangel, but it was still hard, even after so many telepathic sessions with her. There was a high chance that he could lose control in a fight. He couldn't afford losing himself in the death once again.
"Of course," Esme said and waved her sister off. One of them rolled her eyes, before heading away, "What do you need?" She asked with a cold smile.
It was like he was talking to Emma. The voice, the looks, the whole manner she spoke with, reminded him of the White Queen.
Honestly, Warren was genuinely surprised when Betsy said that Emma Frost had found a way to contact her. They were both in Minnesota at this time, helping mutants across the border and attacking near Sentinel Services operational facilities.
Emma had reached them about Alex's decision to help Rachel. She had explained the hound situation to them quickly. Before, Warren had heard about rumors of a doctor, who was brainwashing mutants to working for him, but didn't know if it was true. Unfortunately, it was and it made him feel sick to the stomach.
"We will work together for this operation, so I want to know if I can trust you to shut me down... if I get out of control," He said, looking her in the eye.
"How I am going to find out when you are not in control?" She asked with an raised eyebrow.
"When I try to kill everyone, including you," Warren said, his tone dead serious.
"You have it then," Esme stated, with her usual calm voice and Warren nodded, slowly backing away.
"Well?" Betsy, who was leaning against the wall, asked.
"I clarified it with her," Warren said, approaching her.
"Good," She said with a small smile.
"I just don't want it to happen again, you know," He said looking down.
On one of their vigilante operations, he had slipped while in the Archangel form. A lot of agents had paid with their lives that day. The memories still haunted Warren and reminded him of how slim the border line was. Since then, he and Betsy had started sessions twice a day, but he still felt insecure and dependent on her. He had to be at peace all the time, not letting himself to relax. It was hard, but Warren had a lot of blood on his hands and didn't intend to add more.
"It won't. I am sure of that," Betsy said, putting a hand on his shoulder for assurance.
"Thanks Bets. Now let's go to the others. Sean said it was time for catching up before our possible death," He laughed.
"How optimistic," Elizabeth replied and followed him to the coach, who was placed in the living room. The building looked more like a home that a Hellfire club house, but the club had always liked luxury.
Alex was sitting on the coach in the supposed living room. For an abandoned base, there was fair amount of furniture. Sean was sitting across him and Kitty next to him. Lorna had positioned herself by his left side, which got him a few amused expressions and Warren and Betsy took seats in the middle. On the other couches the others were sitting, talking among themselves as well.
After the meeting, Alex had pulled Sean aside to talk and finally ask him why the hell he was smirking every time, when Lorna was around. It became frustrating.
"Okay, you are either going a new level of crazy or you want to annoy me. Which one is it?" Alex asked, crossing his arms over his chest.
"No idea what you are talking about," Sean smiled innocently
"Cut the bullshit"
"Okay, okay. So this is the infamous Lorna," Sean remarked, a half smile appearing on his face
Alex finally realized why Sean has been so weird. After he had woke up from the coma, caused by the explosion of the building, he had told Hank and Sean about Lorna and why he was so eager to get up faster and recover.
"Yes, this is Lorna," Alex sighed.
"Your paths crossed again after all. I think one handsome ginger told you that it would happen," Sean rubbed his chin thoughtfully, as if he was trying to remember the person, who had said it, even if Sean knew it was he himself.
"Yeah, yeah. I remember that idiot. At least he gave me good advice," Alex played along.
"Hey!" Sean exclaimed and they both laughed, "So, you and her?" He asked after the joke died down.
"Nah, she has a boyfriend...and is pregnant," Alex said, stumbling on the last part. Sean's eyes widened and then filled with sympathy.
"I am sorry man," He replied.
"Don't worry about me. I am over it," Alex lied and waved his hand dismissively, which didn't seem to fully convince his friend. "Come on, let's go and do the reunion with stories you were talking about," He added with a smile and Sean's features lightened as the two made their way towards the nearest coach.
He had suggested to do that as a way to remember the good old times. Alex couldn't say that he didn't want that, it was actually the opposite, he wished to recall the time when everything was simpler. On the other hand, he knew it would be painful to delve into the past. After all, most of the people they would talk about were six feet into the ground.
Now, Sean was telling everyone who listened a story with a lot of gesturing. Nevertheless, Alex was nothing but amused by his friend.
"And we are like super serious, waiting for the supposed Brotherhood attack, hiding behind the building," Sean stated, throwing his hands in the air. "Then all of a sudden Ororo tripped and fell face flat on the ground. Alex tried to quickly pull her up before anyone saw us, but it was too late. The guards headed towards us and I told Kurt to get us the hell out of there. Once we were at the top of a near building, Ororo turned to Warren and accused him for her fall, because apparently she tripped on his wings," Sean said and Warren smiled.
"And at the end it appeared that she tripped on Kurt's tail," Warren finished. "Alex was so pissed that at the end he didn't give a damn what have happened and made us complete two simulations in the Danger Room without a break. I haven't slept better in my life after that."
The mood was light, carefree like it once was. Well, they had never been completely careless, but there had been days when they had just chilled and talked about little things in the mansion. For a second, he found himself in Xavier's Institute again. He wanted this moment to never be over.
"Sean, do you remember our first encounter with the Marauders when were 18?" Alex asked suddenly with a smile.
His friend looked at him confused. "I remember it wasn't very fun," Sean frowned in thought.
"So we were trying to get to a newly manifested mutant that Sinister was interested in and we were sure he would try to get to the girl before us," Alex started the story, "We found the kid in the park and as it was night, outside was dark, only a little light was shredded by a few street lamps. We started talking to her, it all went smoothly and suddenly Sean just pointed into the distance and said there was something there."
"Oh no, don't start with that," Sean groaned, burying his face in his hands.
"Wait wait, what happened?" Kitty asked, obviously intrigued. Alex was surprised she hadn't heard the story. After all, he loved telling it to everyone who had ears.
"A figure stepped forward and Sean just jumped back with the girliest shriek I have ever heard. I am sure he peed himself then. The figure was actually an old lady going home through the park," Alex finished and Kitty's body shook with laughter.
Sean looked up and raised his hand in the air. "Liar! I didn't pеe myself," He exclaimed and a few of the other mutants looked at him, amused, "Stop spreading lies about me."
Alex saw Lorna giggling with his peripheral vision and grinned as well.
"The X-men sound like a mature and organized group of heroes," Clarice said sarcastically, as she passed by, but Alex saw the faint smile on her face.
She threw herself over the back of the coach and landed on the spot next to Lorna. "Come on, make me laugh," Her smile grew bigger and she leaned back.
Warren's face lightened up and he cleared his throat to get everyone's attention. "So, the younger X-men had a simulation training to fly the jet. Before the session started we all agreed to crash the jet every time, to see who from the older X-men will snap first."
"You have got to be kidding me!" Alex exclaimed laughing.
Warren shook his head. "Nope. Everyone betted on you, except Ororo, who wanted to risk and betted on Sean."
"Ororo betted that I would snap first during a training session?" Sean asked, leaning back with an amused smile on his face. "She hasn't just took a risk, she has lost that bet before it has even began."
"Oh yeah, and Rahne betted on Hank," Warren remembered.
The name rang in Alex's head like a bell. It was different, when it was said out loud. For the last years, Alex had just thought about his friend and never spoke his name, mainly because the thought of saying it hurted him. The last time Alex had heard Hank's name said out loud was when he and Sean had begged him to stand up and continue walking. A numb pain appeared in his chest like earlier when he had seen Kitty. This time he found himself exactly where he was: in a Hellfire club base surrounded by the remaining X-men, grabbing a few good moments from the past.
Sean looked at him and smiled sadly, noticing his pained expression. Alex returned the smile. They both missed Hank.
"When we crashed the Blackbird one after the other, Alex screamed at us to get our shit together and me, Scott, Jean and Kurt won," Warren remarked, a hint of pride in his voice.
Scott
The second name smashed against his mind. As with Hank, it felt unreal said out loud. It was like speaking with an unused for a long time voice. The pain in his chest grew stronger and he found himself moving his hand towards it.
Scott, Hank, Jean, Ororo, Kurt
More and more names started to ring in his head in a monotonous chant.
The chanting sounded unrelieved and it started to become more unbearable with every second. The air suddenly became thicker and Alex felt himself unable to breath, as if the atmosphere was trying to choke the life out of him.
Memories of a little brown-haired boy fled in his mind, overwhelming it. Face after face appeared and disintegrated in front of his eyes. Dead, dead, dead. Why was this happening now? What was happening now?
Charles, Rahne, Piotr, Moira, Bobby
A new wave of memories, faces and familiar voices, he had feared were forgotten, came to the surface of his mind and tried to drown him. It was like he was in a stormy ocean, waves surrounding him from every side, tossing him in different directions. Everything was happening so fast, that it left Alex confused and unable to react properly.
"You always have to be the better person, Alex, that divides us from our enemies."
"I know you can make it."
"This isn't you."
"What if I screw up?"
"The only way I fall is fighting."
"You have to keep fighting."
The chanting became louder and louder and Alex felt the urge to cover his ears, even if it wouldn't help. He struggled to breath, but his chest tightened more and more. Hot chills crawled on his back and a faint red glow surrounded his hands. What the hell was wrong with him? He was losing control, surrounded by people. His biggest nightmare was coming true.
Alex stood up frantically, barely aware of his surroundings and quickly fled to the other room, leaving everyone staring after him. Slamming the door, he fell to his knees, forcing himself to breath, but failing to do so.
Not now, not now
His thoughts were swirling around in his head and he couldn't focus, losing himself in the blur of his own mind. The red glow increased and soon consumed his hands, leaving burned marks on the floor. There was a burning sensation in his chest as well, which was either supposed to be power arising or something completely different.
The pain wasn't numb anymore. Now, it felt like millions of little needles were stabbing him. He tried to take a deep breath, this time unsuccessful as well.
Was he dying? Is that how it felt? He wasn't supposed to go like that: so helpless, his own body and mind betraying him like this. What if, this was exactly how he was supposed to go? Maybe if he just let go and stop trying.
Alex heard the door slam open, but couldn't see who it was. His focus was slipping, and his whole body felt hot, like it was burning. Wherever he looked, he saw red.
"Alex, we need you to focus okay," A voice, that he couldn't recognize, said, but sound came out muted.
"Take a deep breath," Another voice ordered. He wanted to tell them to stop, to shut them all up, but couldn't find his own voice. Panic. The last sane part of his mind was slipping away and everything was mixing together. Emotions, voices, present and past events. At the end Alex didn't know how he felt or who was there with him. Everything around him was just a damn blurry picture.
Lorna stood in the room, her hands clenched into fists next to her body. Sean was kneeling next to Alex, telling him to calm down, but nothing seemed to help. Everything was pointing to a panic attack, but what had triggered it so suddenly.
Warren, Kitty and Betsy were in the room with her, while the others watched from the door. Lorna had told them to stay outside, so the room doesn't overcrowd with people.
"That's it, I am going to reach him," Elizabeth said and tapped the left side of her head. A purple butterfly from pure psionic energy manifested and covered her eyes like a mask.
The action made Sean stand up sharply and turn to face her. "His mind is too blurry now, you will screw him up even more. We don't know what can happen," He said obviously panicked from his friend's condition.
"Sean, I will calm his mind, that's all," Elizabeth stated, ready to shove him out of the way.
"I already told you-"
Lorna ignored the two and fixed her attention at Alex. An idea clicked in her head and she quickly swept to the door and searched the group for Caitlin. As soon as she spotted her concerned face among the others, Lorna pulled her in the room. The woman gave her a shocked look.
"How can we stop a panic attack?" She asked, keeping herself calm and her voce steady.
"He has to take a deep breath, hold it and focus on something," Caitlin said, the primary shock from Lorna's harsh pull now gone. She nodded and turned toward Alex, determined to help him.
Before she could reach him, a figure from behind her, put a hand on her shoulder. Lorna turned back and found herself staring at Marcos's deep brown eyes.
"Lorna, his powers are out of control. You will get burned, or worse," Marcos pleaded with eyes full of concern.
She almost couldn't believe him. It wasn't about her, it was about Alex, who needed help and not only that. The whole building could be destroyed if his powers burst out with full force. Lorna brushed of his hand from her shoulder and turned back without a word.
"Lorna!" Marcos pleaded again and she glanced back over her shoulder.
"It will be okay," She assured him and hurried to Alex's side, kneeling next to him. The air around was heated and she had to narrow her eyes, because of the sudden change.
" You need to focus on my voice Al. Focus on me and only me. Everything will be alright I promise," Lorna steadied her voice, but it cracked at the end. The woman cleared her throat and took a deep breath, "Look at me," She grabbed his chin with her hand, jerking his head, so he could meet her eyes. Fortunately, only the lower part of his body was wrapped in red energy like a shield, but it was creeping upwards. The blue eyes that she saw were full of fright and confusion. Lorna held his gaze and remembered Caitlin's words.
"He has to take a deep breath and hold it."
The next came to her instinctively. She smashed her lips against his, feeling heat pouring into her. Lorna didn't pull back, even when the temperature raised. Under her touch Alex stiffened, but she didn't stop. Lorna was giving him something to focus on and making him hold his breath at the same time.
The pressure of Lorna's lips against his came so sudden, he couldn't even react. Little by little, the ocean of voices died down and only one was left, telling him to focus. His mind started clearing and the blur washed away. Alex felt the heat decreasing and he didn't see red anymore. The sight of Lorna cleared before his eyes.
A moment later, she slowly pulled away and he met her eyes full of worry, but also something else, something unreadable. She smiled with what looked like relieve. What exactly had happened? A minute ago he felt like he was dying and now he was staring at Lorna, who had kissed him. Alex tried to get up, but felt dizzy and quickly gave up on that, remaining on his knees.
From his right side Sean kneeled next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "It's okay Alex. You had a panic attack, but it's all gone now, thanks to Lorna," He nodded in her direction and Alex noticed a small smirk in the corner of his mouth. "Let me help you," Sean suggested and Alex left him to help him to his feet.
Everything felt so unnatural and his own exhaustion was creeping from the corners of his mind, slowly taking over. He felt numb and zoned out, like reality had turned into a dream.
Warred came to his other side, helping Sean. When the three of them reached the door, the crowd split in two, letting them pass. Most of them had concerned looks, while others looked relieved that whatever happened was over.
Panic Attack. That's what Sean said had happened. Alex had never experienced anything like this before. He hadn't had one when his parents had died, after the 15/7, the attack of the mansion and then his Underground cell. Why now? Did everything came too much? How could something like this happen so soon before the mission? He had to be focused on Rachel and only Rachel. Instead he hadn't. Now his mind was occupied with fear of a second panic attack. Alex didn't want to feel anything like this again.
With the help of Sean and Warren, they entered one of the bedrooms that the Frosts had assigned for them and closed the door. Alex sat on the bed and lied down, taking a deep breath. He feared that his lungs might tighten again.
"How are you feeling?" Warren asked, a reminder of a recent worry, still noticeable in his voice.
"I am fine," Alex brushed it off, almost automatically and took another deep breath, closing his eyes.
"This time you are not coming off with one 'I am fine' like you usually do," Sean rebuked and sat next to him, "Really, how are you?"
Alex shook his head and looked at his hands with a deep sigh of defeat. "Why did this happen?" He asked looking at Sean and then Warren with a small feeling of despair.
"I don't know, Alex, I just don't know," Sean shook his head as well.
"Did something feel off before it started?" Warren asked.
"I think...when Hank and Scott were mentioned...It set me off, then I started remembering everyone...and then I couldn't breathe and my heart started to beat faster, like it was about to explode," Alex stammered, remembering the details.
Thinking about it was so weird, like it was some distant, fading memory . In other words, the images came to him in a blur, but how he felt during the panic attack...that he could never forget. Alex remembered the burning feeling in his chest, the rapid beating of his heart and his desperate attempts to breathр as well as his powers raising, threatening to wreak havoc everywhere. Then, everything stopped and he found himself gazing into a pair of piercing green eyes.
Once again, he felt like the teenager without control he was before. How could he have slipped like that? What if Lorna didn't stop the attack? He could have killed her with his powers. Alex quickly drew the line and stopped himself from going there.
"I think you should rest for now," Sean concluded and glanced at Warren, who nodded once in understanding.
Alex heard the door open and shut again, leaving only him and Sean in the room. The way he shifted his weight from one leg to the other, connoted that he was about to speak again.
"You are stressing over the rescue mission, aren't you?" Sean asked, even if he meant it like a statement.
"I am ready for it Sean," Alex assured him. The truth was that he thought he was ready, however the panic attack messed with him in the worst time possible.
"Hank, Scott and the others have been dead from a long time. In that case, you should have had a dozen more of those panic attacks before. There is something else," Sean insisted and Alex just wished he could stop talking about it. He knew what the factors could be. The damn nightmare for example.
The really weird part was that he haven't dreamt about it once since it had happened. That was the first time in so long. At last, he decided to just tell Sean. Alex knew better than to believe that he will drop the matter soon.
"Last night I had a nightmare. I dreamt of the day Hank died and Rachel was taken," Alex brought himself to a sitting position and leaned forward. "It felt so real, like I was there again. I guess I am afraid she would end up like Hank," He sighed and ran a hand through his hair.
Sean sat next to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "She won't. We will make sure of that. I promise," He asserted.
"You can't promise things, you don't control," Alex shook his head.
"No, but there is no one more reliable to lead this mission. I believe in you," His friend patted him on the shoulder and stood up, heading towards the door. Sean glanced past his shoulder, "Now rest for a while. You will need it."
With this words he left the room, closing the door behind him.
It was true. They couldn't promise things they couldn't control. All they could was give their best and achieve their goals. No promises, no assurances. Sean believed in him, but even that wouldn't matter if Alex didn't believe in himself to do that. He was sure now. He would do everything he could to save Rachel. No damn panic attacks could stop him.
The door didn't remain closed for long as Lorna entered. The strenuous features of her face relaxed, as soon as she laid her eyes on him.
"Hey," Alex greeted with a smile. He knew why she was here.
"Are you okay?" She moved to the bed, sitting next to him.
"I am better now," He said and glanced at her, "Thanks for the help."
"No problem" Lorna replied, "I just did what I thought I had to do."
A few seconds of awkward silence spread upon them as neither knew how to continue the conversation. Well, Alex knew, but wasn't sure how to start talking about the kiss. He wanted to, but it was pointless. Lorna said that she had done what she had to do. It didn't mean anything.
"I am sorry about the kiss."
The words came out so sudden that Alex wasn't sure if he had heard right. He looked at her, confused.
"Did you just said that you are sorry about the kiss? Or maybe I need an ear doctor," He asked.
"You heard right," Lorna replied. It looked like the corners of her lips started turning up, but she stopped herself, keeping a straight face. He got the message, no time for jokes.
"I don't see why you should apologize," Alex said with a raised eyebrow.
"I know how you feel about me. When I kissed you it was like I was playing with these feelings, but that wasn't my intention. I thought that this will make you focus on something," She said and glanced at him. Her face was hard to read at that moment, but she was slightly tugging her ear, a sign of discomfort.
"I understand why you did it," Alex stated, "But I don't understand why we are leading this conversation, if it makes you uncomfortable."
"I didn't want you to be angry, if you get the idea that I am using you," She explained and sighed, "This is so hard."
"And awkward," Alex added and they both laughed, "It wouldn't even cross my mind that you are using me," He continued, "I know you."
"But we have both changed, haven't we?"
"Yeah, we have," Alex agreed. Both of them have been through so much, their experiences shaping them in the people they were now. Some of it was bad, some of it good, but all was a crucial part of them. He couldn't lie and say he didn't miss the old times. Before the explosion, before 15/7. It was him and Lorna back them, living happily together. At that time, the X-men had been disbanded and that was the only flaw.
"I remember how we played hide and seek in the school yard?" Lorna asked, smiling at the memory.
"How can I forget? You were always climbing on the highest trees and I couldn't find you," Alex smiled as well.
"Maybe, because you were too afraid to climb up and search," Lorna noted with a teasing grin on her face.
"I admit I wasn't the biggest fan of heights," Alex replied, "Well, I could climb up, but not down."
"Like that time, when you were stuck and I had to guide you down," Lorna reminded him.
Alex shook his head, but his smile remained intact on his face. " Yeah, it was embarrassing," He recently noticed that he smiled mostly when he was talking to Lorna. Certainly, the same could be said about her.
Being around her just made him forget how difficult everything was. It helped him feel calm and enjoy their time together, which wasn't much as a result of the busy weeks that have been the past few.
Alex was perfectly aware that he loved Lorna and she knew that as well. He wasn't sure if she felt anything more than the usual friendly love toward him. However, none of that mattered, because she had a boyfriend and was pregnant with his child.
As much as Alex tried to not let himself get jealous, he couldn't stop it completely. He was human after all. As long as Lorna was happy with Marcos, he would be happy as well. His first priority toward her was her happiness and safety, furthermore her unborn child's.
"You look lost in thought," Lorna commented after the silence stretched out, "Let me guess... Rachel," Her voice softened, as well as the look in her eyes, but the smile on her face disappeared.
Alex faced her, examining the features of her face. The speed, with which he managed to screw up the peaceful moment between them was uncanny. He would have congratulate himself, if it wouldn't have looked ridiculous, because of Lorna's presence in the room.
He smiled and shook his head. "No, I guess I just zoned out for a second. I am fine."
"You have been lying about this the whole day," Lorna sighed and ran a hand through her hair, frustrated, "Is it so damn hard to talk to me?" She asked, with an angry undertone in her voice.
"Lorna, I am fine," He repeated, emphasizing his words. He couldn't tell her what he was thinking about.
She studied his face for a few moments and looked away with a sigh. "We have talked about this," She said, "You can't keep it all inside. You saw the result, we all have."
"You are right," Alex cleared his throat, "He have talked about this already."
Everyone kept telling him the same thing over and over again and it really started to get on his nerves. Yeah, Lorna cared and wanted to know if he was okay, but in this situation the only one who could deal with him was him. Usually, when he said he was okay she believed him and left him. That is something he appreciated: the trust.
"Alex, you can't cut me out like this. I am your friend," Lorna's voice sounded like a plea and he shook his head. Fine, if she wanted to know it was her choice.
"You really want to know?" He asked, not expecting an answer, "I am thinking how much I love you and how I will be happy as long as Marcos makes you happy, even if it hurts," Alex didn't even realize he had stood up. The words came out louder than he meant and his voice was on the edge of breaking.
Lorna's eyes widened and her eyebrows raised, she probably didn't expect that.
"Are you happy now?" He asked, this time his voice lower. "It isn't hard to talk to you...it's the contrary in fact," He stumbled upon his words. Maybe it would be better if he just left the room, but something was keeping him in his place. It was the desperate need to tell her what he was feeling. To get it off his chest. He had already started, so why not finish it, "I just... am so in love with you. Letting you go was the hardest thing I had to do and the funny part is... that I still can't."
"Alex, I..." Lorna started, but trailed of. She opened her mouth again as she stood up, but Alex cut her out.
"Save it," He raised his hand to put distance between them and shook his head, "Don't make it worse. I shouldn't have said anything."
Lorna sucked her teeth and breathed out. Her eyes were glassy and Alex could read...sympathy...no... pity in them. He felt his muscles quivering under his skin.
"Don't look at me like that," Alex's voice was almost a hiss by now, "Just leave," He continued, his tone softening, "Please."
Lorna took a few steps toward him, but he didn't put his hand down. "I am sorry," She uttered. Alex looked desperate and she couldn't help but feel terrible. It wasn't her fault, neither Alex or Marcos's and she was perfectly aware of that, but the feeling was still eating her.
Similar desperation was growing inside her as well. Lorna loved Marcos, but in the past few weeks she felt her old attraction to Alex rebuilding itself, leaving her confused about her own feelings. So, what was that kiss? Was it really the only way to help Alex or her own subconscious wishes reflecting in her actions. After the noise around the situation had died down Marcos had asked her about it and she had just shrugged at him.
"It was the only way to make him focus on something and hold his breath." She stated, trying to process it as well.
Marcos nodded, but on the look on his face Lorna could tell he wasn't convinced, as if he was really thinking: Sure and him being your old boyfriend didn't play any part in this. "Yeah, I guess you are right," He finally said.
She had just moved away from Marcos then. Lorna hadn't been in the mood for more questions. That's when she had decided to see how was Alex doing.
"I shouldn't have pressed you into telling me," She continued, "And I am sorry that I make you feel that way," His expression was tormented, his features tense and his recently joyful blue eyes, full of sorrow. She really shouldn't have pressed him like that. She should have just continued the conversation about the trees, but his reticence hurt her. They had always shared with each other, but now something was different.
He hadn't said anything about the nightmare he had the previous night either. When she had asked him to talk about it, he flatly cut her off and left. That action didn't hurt her as much as she had expected. They were in hurry to go and explaining his attitude had been easy. However, she expected they would talk about it later. But that never happened, so she assumed he needed space. She had given him space.
He slowly put his hand down and Lorna wondered if he even realized he had done it. Alex looked so miserable at that moment. It made her heart ache. Lorna wanted to take way some of his pain and unburden him.
It was too late, when she realized what she had done. Lorna quickly broke the distance between them. Wrapping her hands around his neck and tilting her head to one side, she kissed him deeply.
He returned the kiss with the same passion. Here they were, two broken people in a broken world, sharing each other's pain. All she could feel was his warmth and his scent. Lorna let herself get carried away with it. His lips were warm and comforting, even if half of them were burned away and felt rough against her own.
The realization struck her like a lightning from a clear sky. Lorna quickly pulled away, shell shocked. What the hell had she just done? Oh my God, this wasn't supposed to happen. Her thoughts circled in her head like a swarm of bees - fast and frantic.
"I am so sorry," She heard Alex say. Lorna looked up and faced his shocked expression. He wasn't expecting the kiss either.
Polaris didn't reply. Instead, she ran to the door, open it and with quick steps got out and continued walking away.
"Lorna!"
A few quick times, Lorna looked over her shoulder to see if Alex had followed her. Fortunately for her, he hadn't. Even in this situation she couldn't help, but smile. He understood that she needed space. He had always understood.
She didn't stop walking even when his room faded from her sight. One last look over her shoulder made sure of that, but she kept going on. Lorna turned her head forward, just in time to bump into Clarice. She almost fell down from the impact, but managed to keep her balance.
"Are you okay?" Clarice asked
"Yeah, I am fine," Lorna adjusted her jacket and gave her a apologetic smile, "Sorry about that. I didn't see you."
"It looked like you were in a hurry," She raised her eyebrows, but Lorna waved dismissively.
"Actually, do you know when we are leaving," She asked, managing to quickly change the subject.
"Johnny said in an hour," Clarice replied and Lorna nodded.
"Thanks," Before Clarice could ask her any more question, she quickly went past her and into her room.
She sat on the bed and buried her face in her hands. Why did she let this happen? Lorna felt more confused than ever. The kiss proved her old attraction to Alex was very much alive and now trying to ruin everything with both him and Marcos. She was pregnant with the latter's child for God's sake. She could have been more in control of her emotions. Lorna toyed with the idea, that maybe she had a bipolar episode. However, she knew that wasn't likely. It didn't feel like one.
Then that meant only one thing. She had wanted to kiss him, even if she hadn't realized what she had been doing at that moment. Her own subconscious had led her to this. The important question was, if she still loved Alex. Lorna was afraid that if the answer was 'yes' she wouldn't know what to do. On one hand there was Marcos, who she loved passionately and was the father of her baby. On the other hand was Alex, her childhood best friend and later he lover, who she thought she had lost in a terrible accident. It's simple. Do you love Alex or not? She thought, but even if it seemed simple, Lorna couldn't answer that question.
Focus on the mission. Lorna thought and lifted her head up. She would figure it all out after the operation. Her love life wasn't a priority right now. With her head clear from distracting thoughts, she swept towards the door and went out.
Later that evening, everyone was gathered in the same room that had been used for the briefing earlier. It was time to leave. Lorna was standing next to Clarice, along with the rest of her team.
"Okay, we have only one shot with this," Alex spoke up, gathering everyone's attention, "I need you all focused on our goal, no distractions, no side thoughts. Tonight we fight to save fellow mutants. We can't afford to lose. I want you to do whatever you have to, to succeed. Am I clear?" A group 'yes' was heard and Alex nodded approvingly, "Let's go and kick their asses."
When they got out of the building, she felt the chilly night wind against her skin. On the parking lot, there was one more car parked than it was when they had arrived. Lorna observed, as the teams distributed in different vehicles. She entered in the black car with Clarice, Elizabeth and Alex as the driver.
The vehicles left the parking lot in a row, fusing with the darkness. No one would see them coming. Lorna breathed in, feeling all the metal around her. She knew she was ready. As Alex said: Let's kick their asses.
A/N:
Hey,hey,hey! Guess who's back?! I want to apologize for the one month delay of the chapter. The main reason is school. However, I made this one super long...its 10000 words. There isn't much action, but instead a lot of character interactions, mainly Alex and Lorna. Things are getting dramatic on their end. For the scene with the panic attack I made a lot of research, as I myself, haven't experienced something like that, but wanted to write the scene to show how vulnerable Alex's psyche has become over all of this years. If something is not accurate, I want you to know that I don't mean to offend anyone.
What do you think will happen? Would they save Rachel or something go terribly wrong? Review, subscribe and etc.
See you soon!(If I manage to write a chapter)