CHAPTER 6:
ENEMY TERRITORY
Guest star:
Lance Alvers: Martin Sensmeier
Talk to Lance first; if that doesn't work, move on to Plan B. That's the main plan. However, there's much about the building they don't know, so she'd rather talk to an insider than walk in blind. It won't go well if the former.
Plus, that was the briefing she gave to Logan and Storm. They are tracking Plan B, but they recommended it not happen due to the unforeseen dangers.
Rogue and Wanda walked up to the quaint Trask Industries. The building is two floors off the ground, with about fifty windows on each floor showing more than 100 workers.
Inside, Rogue expected mechanical sculptures everywhere. Instead, the lobby was empty of places to sit, and the floors were pristine, allowing her to look at her reflection. The front desk she met when initially walking in matched the marble white floors. Behind the desk sat a blonde on the phone, inspecting her pink nails.
Old geezers love hiring blondies as their secretaries, and that's a bit off-putting.
Beside her stood a security guard with a clean-shaven face and a military haircut—possibly retired military or law enforcement.
His eyes scanned her body, stopping on her bosoms. She stopped herself from snapping. "Hiya, Ah, and my friend," Wanda waved from behind her. "Ah heard our friend was workin' here. See, we are visitin' from M'ssippi."
"You gotta name, or you're going to keep me in the dark, wondering?" His dark eyes flicked to her, and he clucked his tongue.
Gross.
Her smile widened, "Of course, his name is Lance Alvers."
The guard and the blondie looked at each other and shook their heads. The guard answered, "He ain' working here no more. Now get on."
"But we were told—"
The guard's hand reached to his pistol, ready to draw on her, "I said leave!"
Rogue put her hands up, "Ah understand. Bye now."
Message received.
She and Wanda marched outside, meeting Tabby and Jamie's gaze as they passed the building. They fit in with the D.C. area tour group. Jamie stopped before the structure to take a quick picture with the expensive camera around his neck, then caught back up with the group.
In the earpiece, "Plan B is a go," she sighed. "Meet y'all at the Black Bird in a few hours."
Her gut tells her this mission will not go well with an unhinged sister and ill-experienced Jamie.
Fuck.
She should have brought Dani and Bobby. But Bobby doesn't listen, and Dani hasn't mastered her powers yet.
Shit.
Plan B requires stealth, finesse, and speed. Plus, she wanted to play in all-black uniforms. Beast, Dr. McCoy, outdid himself with the bulletproof, skintight Kevlar bodysuits. He left the personal touches up to them. For this mission, she said no X-Men emblems, not wanting to have blowback later if it comes to bite them in the ass.
Sitting down, she buckled up her steel-toe boots. Each had pockets for her knives in case of one-on-one fights.
Rogue glanced up to see Lyla's leg bouncing up and down. Unfortunately, her little sister for the shit end of the deal since no one, even herself, thought she was coming for the ride. But Logan helped her and let her borrow a pair of black cargo pants. An Under Armour skintight thermal shirt covered her arms, a black bomber jacket over it. A ski mask hid the lower of her face, and she thought of wearing a snap-back. Yet, it worked for her.
"You good?"
Lyla removed a headphone from her ear, "What makes yah think Ah ain' okay?"
Alright."
Rogue shook her head, "Never mind." She got up and walked out of the cargo bay down the ramp to stand next to Wanda. Her form-fitting crimson-red trench coat flapped with the wind.
Powers are limited for the night. Especially, "Hey, are you guys ready or what? I gotta date tonight!" For Tabby, as she walked by.
She can get overzealous when using her little bombs.
Remember, reader, when they were the Bayville Sirens, and she destroyed an entire warehouse because she couldn't control herself? Yeah, Rogue is not in the mood to play cleanup after her tonight.
Laura pushed past them, marching down the hill to get the show on the road. Of course, she would wear something revealing. Okay, latex pants and combat boots, but the striped crop tank was unnecessary.
Shaking her head, Rogue put on a knit cap to hide her unique hair.
Jamie stepped a few paces behind the women he admired, hyperventilating. Her male counterpart, Lyle, stopped to look at Jamie. She chose this form, even though he's unhinged, because of his speed, agility, and unpredictable nature. And it filled out the borrowed clothes better.
Jamie glanced at them (when in Lyle form, Lyla goes by them, making it easier), slightly confused. Smiling with their eyes, they put a hand on his shoulder, stopping him. "You can stay in the jet if you need to. No one will blame or stop you."
Jamie shook his bronze hair, "Thank you, but I have to step up and stop being scared constantly."
They'll let him keep his pride, but the X-men aren't worth his safety. They'll get him out at the first sign of immediate danger.
The last to arrive at the building, they got on one knee beside Tabitha. She put on a pair of pink goggles, tapped a few things on a tiny keyboard, and boom, the lights were out except for the walkway leading up to the main doors.
Two guards stepped outside to check on the power.
"Ly, yah up."
Sighing, they removed their masks and hats and stepped onto the main path in little girl form. Fake tears rolled down their cheeks. In the background, they could hear Rogue snort, "Nice."
They let out a harsh wale close to the security guards, "MAMA!" the guards stopped what they were doing to check on her. One bent to a knee, asking her who she was, where she came from, how old she was, yadda yadda. She cried harder and fell into his chest, reaching for a hug. Stunned at first, he returned it when she grabbed his gun. Easy.
His partner, back toward them, wasn't ready. Oh well. Gotta do what ya gotta do, her voice said in corners of her mind. She pulled the trigger. The poor guy dropped. The other pulled away from them, ready to shoot. His eyes widened, realizing his gun was gone and his life's in their hands.
Genuine tears began to weld in his eyes as he begged for his life. He was pleading about seeing his wife and three kids like she's supposed to care. Okay, okay, they're not a total monster. They took the butt of the gun and slammed into his nose over and over until he passed out. It'll feel like a hangover when he wakes, but he'll live.
Tabby rushed past her inside the building to start setting up the cameras. Jamie right behind her.
Wanda stepped next to the guard they shot in the head, whistling, "How'd you know these guns had rubber bullets?"
Putting their mask back on, they shrugged, "I didn't."
Rogue huffed, "Do Ah have to remind y'all no killin'?!"
"You just did," Lyle stated as they walked into the building, waiting for further instructions.
She scolded them with a look and then hopped the turnstiles. Lex and Rogue would start together on the second floor since she assumed Dr. Trask's office was on that floor. Team two would search the first, then meet back on the main floor and head home. Easy, peasy, hopefully.
The elevator ride was silent. Rogue's mind compartmentalized the voices and her own, needing to focus. She's unsure what they're going to face. It's easier, she learned; overthinking isn't helpful in a stressful environment.
The double doors dinged open, and Laura stepped out first, putting her nose in the air to track any unfamiliar scents.
"We're alone."
Rogue nodded, "Multiple."
Dupe Jamie stepped out of the elevator. "Stay here. Shout if someone's coming. X-23 will hear yah."
He saluted and then faced the double doors.
Alone, Laura leaned closer to Rogue, whispering, "I didn't wanna say anything, not wanting to spook Jamie, but we got company in the Doctor's office."
As Laura took the lead, Rogue unholstered her sig. Door by door, they blew by quickly until they ended up at the good Doctor's office. Counting to three, Laura stepped behind the door and jarred it open. With a shoulder, Rogue pushed inside. Without taking in the space, she circled the room and pointed her weapon at the computer, illuminating Cody's smug face.
"Possum! Fancy meeting yah here."
"Ah thought Ah left yah at the mansion," She growled, holstering the gun.
"Ah had phone call, mission from the boss lady." His eyes looked past her toward an encroaching shadow behind Laura Lex.
Standing straight, seeing Laura's pale face, she snarled.
"Well, if it isn't little X playing hero." The Red Rook, Kumira, stepped into the dimly lit space, the door softly shutting behind her. She went to the window, lighting a cigar.
Rogue hasn't seen Laura scared into silence. Hydra put her through the ringer, raising her into a monster, a killing machine. Day to day, Laura doesn't act like the past, and when mentioned, it doesn't faze her, but the Red Rook does.
Based on her reaction, Rogue once again unholstered her gun. Confused about who's the enemy here.
"Yah working with the Circle?" she said under her breath, thinking, "But Ah thought they wanted yah dead. Strung up."
"They do. Ah ain' workin' for the Circle, more like with the Red Court. The Guild got a call. Boss lady called me and now, Ah am here. Getting' intel."
He finally met her gaze, smile gone.
She pointed the muzzle toward him, "Here to kill me?"
"Oh possum," He cooed, "Only if yah try and stop me."
It's easy to kill him right here and now. One issue put down for good. The nerves in her trigger finger are stopping her due to the memories she shares with him. And going toe to toe with Kumira isn't intelligent. The woman is vicious in a fight. It wouldn't end well for her and Lex.
"are yah gonna share the intel yah get from his computer?"
Cody looked over his shoulder to Kumira, who shook her head. He went to respond when Laura's war cry stopped him.
She bulldozed herself into Kumira and out the window.
Cody shot up from his chair to look at the mess splattered on the pavement below, but Rogue was quick. Not in the mood for another personality in her mind, she whipped him on the back of the head with the butt of the gun. Tapping into the many powers in her repertoire, she hefted Cody over her shoulder and made her way down the main lobby. Dupe Jamie is close behind. Thankfully, not asking questions she doesn't have the answer to.
X-23 pulled herself from the pavement and stood over her most considerable trauma. Hydra was already hell without the psychotic handler. If she didn't obey an order, she was punished. If she did obey, she was punished. If she ate too slowly, she was punished. If she thought too much in combat, she was punished. If she didn't land a punch to Kumira, she was punished. If she did…
With her claws unsheathed, she could kill her nightmare, her boogeyman hiding in her mind's depths, right here and now, but Rogue said no killing. But she'll understand these circumstances are different. Tabby and Jamie are watching; what would they think?
"X, haven't I taught you never to let your guard down?" Kumira kicked her in the knee, snapping it. "You being with the X-Men has weakened your senses." Distracted by her broken knee, Kumira pushed her head into the pavement, "If only I had the time to get you back in shape, but I have a different mission, and you have to save your friends from my other playthings."
Kumira disappeared into the shadows right when Tabby showed up, panic written on her face. Nearly healed, she used Tabby's hand to help herself up when Rogue came down. "Are we ready to blow this popsicle stand?"
"W-we gotta get to Wanda, now." Laura coughed.
Without hesitation, Rogue dropped Cody and ran back inside the building.
"Boom-Boom, get Cody to the Black Bird."
"What about—"
"Just do it!"
SOUNDTRACK: Stoneside. -ANIMAL
Instead of the elevator going up, it went down way underground. Oh well. The mission is to investigate and report. Arriving in an empty white room, Lyle told Jamie to stay near the door if the team needed to make a run for it.
Wanda stepped to the middle of the room with a human-sized medical pod. Tubes and cables hooked to the back ran up the wall into a vent in the ceiling. She was about to go and follow where they went when the door hissed open. Lyle slid beside her, ready for anything.
Wanda's mouth hung open. Her heart in her chest.
Lance stepped out. His muscle mass grew over the years compared to how small he looked in high school.
"Lance. It's us."
He said nothing. Instead, he went to throw a powerful punch to her face. Quick on her feet, she crouched and went to activate her powers when nothing happened.
She glanced to her left; Lyle is back in proper form as Lyla.
Lyla grabbed Jamie and moved to Wanda when Lance grabbed her by the end of the trench coat, tossing her across the room.
Shit.
When did he become strong?
Water sprinkled down from the ceiling, and Lyla's shoulders slumped, locking Jamie out. He pounded on the door repeatedly, telling Lyla to let him in, but she didn't move.
It was like night and day.
One minute, Lyla wore a sad smile, begging Wanda for forgiveness, and then rage filled her entire body.
It all happened at a speed she could not fathom.
One second, she looked at Lance with two arms. Now he had one, blood pooling under him. Wanda begged her powers to save her but to no end.
Lyla blinked.
Her head spinning.
A hard combo of punches rocked her cheek. A tooth loose. A hand wiggled free from her side, grabbed hold of the assailant, and shoved them off her. On her feet, she looked into familiar emerald green eyes.
Sighing in annoyance, "Isn't this—"
Rogue charged her, landing another harsh combo of punches. Lyla dodged most of it, but a hard right connected, making her stumble. "If she dies, Ah will kill yah!"
Lyla, unsure of what the fuck is going on, shouted. "Stop!"
Rogue did.
She needed to figure out what she did this time to deserve Rogue's rage again. Taking in the room, the stench of blood made her nose scrunch. Lance leaned against the empty pod, squeezing his armless, well, arm. She followed a trail of blood toward the door to see Wanda on the ground, unrecognizable, as Laura hovered over her, performing CPR. Jamie stood in the doorway, stiff, pale.
Lyla glanced down at her hands, which were covered in blood.
Hers or theirs?
Rogue took the distraction to extract a syringe from her pocket and stab her in the neck. If she weren't confused, she'd laugh.
Storm wasn't dumb. They had a failsafe against her in case she did something to bring shame to her sister. Good on them.
"What did you expect, sister? They're finally seeing you for what you are…an animal who needs to be put down."