Rogue paced back and forth in front of her team, practically bursting with restless energy. She was nervous and excited at the same time as this would be her real first mission as team leader of the X-men beta team. She intensely disliked the Alpha team constantly referring to them as the “junior X-men” feeling it was patronizing. Until now Beta had not yet been allowed solo field missions, so she’d taken matters into her own hands, determined to send her team out regardless.
“Alright people, enough of the kid’s table shit!” she barked, causing everyone to snap to attention. Gambit put the cards he had been shuffling with one hand in his cloak pocket. John and Bobby ceased their quiet conversation and gave their full attention at the decisive command in Rogue’s voice. Jubilee sat at Rogue’s right hand, fanning several folios of data about their mission. Kitty’s hand hovered expectantly over her notepad.
“Tonight at zero hundred hours we begin. We have 24 hours to hit the targets, achieve our objectives, and evac without detection. That means-“ Rogue's gaze lashed over each team member with a burning intensity, “you ALL have to be consistently on task and focused. “ She gestured to her right and Jubilee slid into her hand the mission particular, which Rogue distributed to her team.
“As we’ve gone over in detail over the last two weeks we all have our individually assigned targets and multiple objectives. Despite a great deal of this operation being undertaken by individuals in solo phases, during the mission there will be times when you will work in tandem with your pre-assigned teammates to achieve an objective. You all have your go signals for each phase, so pay attention to the calls. Things may not go in the chronology we planned, in fact COUNT ON IT!” She banged her fist on the table in emphasis, causing Kitty to nod seriously and scribble note furiously
“Stick to the plan. For phase one from zero hundred to 0700 we will be radio silent as we will be able to accomplish the objectives without relayed communication or detection at this early stage as we have the element of surprise. We then rendezvous at 077 to evaluate phase one implementation. After that we switch to earpieces and you follow my call signs without question.” She made eye contact with eye team member to reinforce that her orders were to be followed to the T. “One slip up…ONE…and the whole mission will be compromised, and I cannot promise any of us will survive if the targets acquire us before we can evac. Jubilee!”
Rogue whipped her head to face her first officer, who sat up straighter and said with a professional and alert air, “Sir!”
“You have the most important missions of all. It will require intense concentration and the ability to keep it for a sustained period of time. You will need absolute focus and will be working solo for all of phase one. I have confidence in you, which is why I have given you this specific assignment. You will be one your own except when we rendezvous. Stay quiet and out of the way, but stay alert and focus on the target and objective at all times. Without you our mission will be detected before we even get off the ground and we will be DEAD. Do you understand?”
“Yes sir!” Jubilee said firmly, her mouth tightening into a grim line. She would not let Beta team down, they could count on her.
“Gambit, Shadowcat, you will wait at your designated positions until 0300 hours while Jubilee works, then move on your targets. Iceman, Pyro, and I will set the booby traps at the designated coordinates at the same time. Do not deviate from your assignments and do not get caught. If any of you are caught we WILL leave you behind and disavow any knowledge of this operation. DO YOU GET ME?!” She shouted at her team. If they couldn’t handle the idea of being left to enemy hands she needed to know it now. They did not let her down.
“YES SIR!” her entire team shouted in unison.
“And IF I am captured you WILL leave me behind. No one is going to be a hero today. There’s too much at stake. GOT IT!”
“YES SIR!” She was proud of her team, they were the best and it was time everyone knew it. She could see on all their faces the determination, the commitment, the stuff that made them a superlative team. Beta knew now it was time to prove it once and for all to each other, to themselves, and to the Alpha team.
Those assholes were going to start paying big time in a couple of hours. Because then it would be April Fools day.
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Story Notes:
All chapter will be posted by 11pm on April Fool's Day. I am posting as I finish each chapter, so this story will be complete by tomorrow night. Hang tight!
P.S. Sorry I haven't gotten back to The Only One Who Can, a plot bunny nibbled at my toes for the last few days to write this.
P.S. Sorry I haven't gotten back to The Only One Who Can, a plot bunny nibbled at my toes for the last few days to write this.