Charles stared at the ice covered box that rested on the gurney in the med lab. A glance at the others in the room and he swallowed, he knew beyond a doubt what was in it. More to the point he knew why and he couldn’t for the life of him feel a moments sorrow.
“So now what?” Jean asked as she stared at the crate.
“Now we wait,” Charles said softly. “We can’t go after them.”
“Why not? They killed one of us?” Jean stormed at the thought of letting Bobby’s killers get away.
“Professor, what’s this?” Ororo held up a small, thin disk. “It showed up this morning.”
Warlok looked at it and flushed guiltily. He knew what it was, knew beyond a doubt that it would reveal the why of Iceman’s death but he didn’t want anyone to know about it. Sidling toward Storm he froze at the dark look from Charles.
“I believe its proof of Iceman’s crime and punishment.”
“Sir?” Hank gaped at him.
Taking the disk Charles stared at it a moment before looking around, “I see no reason not to reveal what’s on this disk. After all it may make it clearer than ever what it is that we’re fighting against. I have often preached peace but recently even I have had my doubts. Especially when members of my team, members who are sworn to protect and care misuse their assignments to hurt others.”
“Charles what are you talking about?” Jean demanded.
“The coffin wasn’t for me…was it?” Charles glared at Warlok who shrugged and looked away. “Warlok?”
“No. It was for Bobby.”
“Exactly. Now then, as Logan has already informed me I’m sure that Mr. Drake is not in one piece I suggest everyone who is not a medical professional get out of here. Storm, you, Hank, and Warlok will be heading up to the military base. I hope you can complete your mission without violating the rules.” Charles glared pointedly at Warlok who shifted and nodded.
“As for the rest of you, don’t you have some training to do?”
Thick, oppressive tension filled the jet as the trio went through the pre-flight checklists. Firing the engines Storm glanced at Hank then at the silent man in the back seat. “ETA is forty-three minutes.”
“We’ll have to figure out what to do with the captives,” Hank stated calmly. “We can’t take everyone back to…”
“We can’t leave them there,” Storm pointed out.
“No, no I realize that. I was merely saying that it would be more beneficial to them to be able to have a safe house to go to instead of an impersonal facility to heal.”
“I agree but what else can we do? Charles doesn’t have a safe house set up in that area.”
Hank shrugged, “Logan’s in that area,” he muttered under his breath earning a withering glare from Warlok and a stunned look from Storm. “What? We all know he’s located within that area.”
“He isn’t going to help us,” Storm stated calmly. “None of them will. Have you forgotten what they did to Bobby?”
“He had it coming,” Hank growled and glared over his shoulder at Warlok who shifted uneasily in his seat.
“Why? What did he do?” Storm demanded glancing between the two men who suddenly found something much more interesting to do with themselves. “I’m waiting for an answer.”
“No indication of acknowledgement from the base,” Hank stated glancing at his gauges and monitors. “We should be okay.”
Storm eyed him carefully, he was hiding something and she had a bad feeling whatever it was didn’t bode well for Warlok. Pushing aside the thought she focused on the mission. They had several mutants to rescue from the facility.
The sounds of explosions ripped the air as Storm sent another bolt of lightening down upon the base. She could see Hank carefully dragging out two young women, and Warlok followed closely behind him with two boys.
“Targets acquired,” Hank’s steady rumble had her easing back onto the ground and turning to race to the jet. Half way back she felt sudden sharp jab of something in her chest. Glancing down she recognized the end of a tranquilizer dart.
“Hank,” Storm called as she crumpled into a heap on the ground, unaware that her word had been swallowed by the night, and her teammates were retreating steadily without looking back!
The ringing of the phone had Logan grumbling as he reached for it, “Monster House.”
“Very funny,” Helen’s voice was warm, yet business like. “There’s been activity near you.”
“How close?”
“A day’s drive,” Helen replied quickly. “Apparently your previous employer doesn’t train his people very well. They lost one in a simple rescue and recovery mission.”
“Seems to me that’s the way they operate,” Logan ground out.
“Maybe but from what I understand if they manage to sway this person over, we may all be in trouble. It’s a rarity to have a mutant who can control the weather to the extent this woman can.”
“Storm?” Logan sat up quickly, “What happened?”
“He sent a team in to get the few occupants of the River Valley Institute and while they got the captives they lost one of their own. Didn’t even notice until they’d gotten back to New York that one of their own had fallen.”
“I’ll check with the team. Fax us the intel you’ve got.”
“What’s wrong?” Rogue asked sleepily.
“Military got Storm,” Logan ground out hanging up.
“What?”
“Yeah Xavier sent a team out to do a rescue and handed the military another woman to play with.”
“Oh God Logan,” staring at him Rogue in shock. “What’s he doing to get her back?”
“Don’t know. We have the option of going for her or staying?”
Tossing the covers back Rogue rose and paced to the window to stare out. Her heart and mind were torn, helping anyone from Xavier’s went against every self-preservation instinct she had and yet to leave someone to that fate? To leave a fellow mutant to the torment and torture of the lab? She wouldn’t wish it on anyone…well almost anyone.
“The girls need to know,” Rogue whispered softly.
“I’ll call a meeting in the office,” Logan drawled grabbing a pair of sweats to go over his boxers. “You start coffee.”
Nodding Rogue smiled sadly at him, “Helping her won’t make us weak will it?”
Logan smiled at her and cupped her jaw, “No Marie, helping her makes you better than they are.”
Nodding Rogue grabbed her robe and pulled it on before following him out of their bedroom. Leaving him to wake the others she headed for the kitchen, she had things to do, and some serious thinking to do.
She didn't want to help Xavier, didn't want anything to do with him any longer but she knew 'Ro wouldn't last a week in there. If the guards didn't get her then her own fears, her own demons would.
Smothering a yawn Kitty leaned against Scott as they sat around the table. “So what’s up?”
“Army got Storm.” Logan stated. “Apparently Xavier didn’t bother to tell his staff that lab rescues and recoveries was extremely dangerous.”
“So what does that have to do with us?” Jubilee snarled. “It ain’t like she came to help us.”
“that’s what we’re here to discuss,” Logan drawled settling next to Rogue. “Helen called, she’s sending all the intel she’s got. It’s up to us what we do with it.”
“I say let her rot there,” Kitty snapped. “It would serve her right.”
“Yes it would,” Rogue sighed. “She deserves to suffer some but if we let them have her, if we let her fall prey to the monsters that they are we become like her. Like Xavier.”
“What the fuck do you mean?” Jubilee snapped.
“Xavier left us there, he forgot about us! Gave up and said oh well it was acceptable. We all knew the risks, they were acceptable. Xavier turned us into disposable objects. If we leave Storm there, if we don’t help her,” Rogue took a deep breath, “Then we sink to his level.”
Kitty and Jubilee glanced at each other then back at Rogue. “How so?”
“We’re better than they are, we’re stronger, trained, ready and willing to do what needs to be done for the cause. Xavier’s still working on the training. Now if you had a choice, if you were there and you had a choice between your allies and your enemies coming to help you which would it be?”
“You’re saying we should rescue Storm?”
“Yes,” Rogue nodded, “Think about it. If we go in and get her, take her hope all battered and bruised, used up like we were what does that tell Xavier?”
Kitty sighed and looked at Jubilee. “It says we’re better than he is. Says we can kick his ass, and the ass of everyone who gets in the way!”
“Exactly,” Rogue met her gaze, “So what are we going to do? Sink to his level or prove we’re better than he is?”
“Lets show the sonofabitch what he’s up against. Show him what a real hero does,” Kitty slapped the table, “He owes us, and this will be just another tally on the sheet.”
Rogue nodded and looked at Jubilee.
“We aren’t taking her home right away are we?”
“No, why?”
Jubilee grinned, “Just like the idea of rubbing it into Xavier that we got what he couldn’t. Besides that she’s gonna need a few days just to get herself together enough to be aware of what’s happening. The stuff they give you when you first arrive is pretty potent.”
“So what’s the decision?” Logan asked noting that both Tank and Scott had kept silent.
“Frankenstein isn’t Xavier,” Rogue declared while the others nodded. “We help those who can’t help themselves. Unless of course they screw it up and then we’ll leave ‘em behind.”
“Yeah like Jean Grey!” Kitty giggled.
“Now there would be a no contest decision!” Jubilee laughed, “Leave her jealous ass behind. Take the guards or something cause she deserves to spend some time locked up!”
Scott hid a smile as his eye caught Logan. He had to agree, especially since she hadn’t waited all that long to crawl into someone else’s bed after his ‘death’!
“When are we leaving?”
“Soon as we can get one of the kids up. They’ll have to keep an eye on the place.”
“I’ll go wake up Joan,” Rogue rose smoothly, “She’s been here a while and she knows how things are done. Better get dressed ladies and gents… it’s gonna be a wild ride!”
Watching Rogue walk out of the room everyone was silent, “So we’re going for mental torment huh?” Scott asked softly.
“What do you mean?” Tank asked.
“Xavier will be mad with worry that his precious Storm has vanished. Its gonna be a race to see who gets to her first.”
“No it won’t,” Logan replied. “He’s still trying to think of where they’d have taken her. He won’t think that they’ve kept her at the facility they caught her at.”
“Why not move her?”
“Because, they’ve already hit there. What would make them return?”
“He does have Cerebro.”
“Won’t do any good. Those places are insulated against telepathy, and the drugs they’ll give her will help to block her mind even more!”
Scott nodded, “Come on Kitty, lets suit up.”
Nodding those at the table rose they had a long drive and would need to have everything ready to get Storm out of that place. Only the thought of the irony of the situation kept the girls focused, they would do what Xavier obviously couldn’t.
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