His room was blank, a grey canvas that nothing cluttered apart from the bed that sat in the dead centre. No sheets adorned it's buttoned surface, dark stains littered the surface like cherry blossom scattered for a lover.
He'd allowed himself a 'treat' last night, something 'fresh' instead of the bottled food he survived on. There was so many pleasant vessels he could choose from but he'd picked a low level mechanic working in the motor pool. Reaching out into the man's mind had been easy, he'd been so concerned with everything else in life he'd not even noticed the stray thoughts entering his mind.
Pushing, prodding, manoeuvring him toward his rooms, the guards on duty outside his room were dismissed, they knew not to disturb him when he had a 'visitor'. It always took him a little while to calm down afterward, he didn't want to feed off those he couldn't replace. Mechanics were two a penny but soldiers like the ones he had, priceless.
A hand more skeletal than flesh ran over the cold marble of the mans torso, he'd been fun in an odd way. The things he'd said as he'd finally let him see what was actually happening to him. Brandishing that small trinket in his face and hoping against all that was holy that it would keep him at bay. He hadn't had such a reaction for years, it acutally made his heart swell into a little life. For if they had religion again, then the world really was ready for change, they'd lost hope in themselves and were looking for a greater power to help them. And *HE* could be that help, his fingers grazed over the man's groin and lingered in the twin tears in his skin. The femoral artery was so sweet, it pushed so much food into him, it made him remember why he'd become what he had. Instead of being used, broken and scared.
Mutants weren't new, they'd never been new, they'd just hidden better, made laws between themselves, hiding entire bloodlines. His own had been there at the beginning, preying on the weak, they could pass for human if they stayed out of the sun. Their skin was too sensitive to expose it for even a moment, but even that was being changed. His mind went to his family, his soldiers, his sons that were a force like no other. They could walk in the sun, they could do what he could, but they had no thirst, no hunger, their minds were linked with his making a hive mind.
So when Charles Xavier had begun to change the world had he really thought he was the only one with plans? He laughed at the presence that was skating over his own shielded mind, oh no little man, you'll not feel me until it's too late.
Reaching out with his own dextrous thoughts prising into the searching mind without being felt or known. Seeing the darkness rising with each act, the strain of domination; of acting for the greater good telling on the mind. Watching it tear and rend mind after mind, sloppily repairing the damage it does, before going after the next one. A gourmand compared to a gourmet of which he was the latter; Xavier had a lot to learn and maybe when the blame was fully dropped at Xavier's feet and the judegements over, he might show him.
Mind you he hadn't survived nearly two hundred years by being sentimental, he pushed the marble corpse off his bed, now so much meat for the dogs. Well, they were called 'dogs' by the men but he knew what they were, dealing with treaties always meant you had to have a few of the other families in with you. And out of the rest of them, the House of Hadric wasn't too picky about how they got fed. As long as it was plentiful.
Pressing a bell he summoned the guards, they'd drag what was left away while he went to inform his little band that the timetable had been changed. They were going tomorrow, things were moving too fast for anyone to control fully. He wanted what had been promised to him and it looked like he'd have to tear it from the twisted grabbing hands of the man himself.
The door opened, sending a blast of cool air over his skin, waving at the body on the floor he heard them pull what was left out of the room. Halting at the doorway for their orders he turned around to face them, seeing their eyes drop away to the floor as he did so. "The compound, just throw him in, they'll deal with him." The men nodded and moved again, the drained corpses eyes wide and staring at the grey ceiling above; his flesh sliding down the corridor. His ears picking up the sound of howling as the scent of fresh meat drifted down to the pens. Smiling he followed the body down, turning left to his office.
Seating himself behind the large desk he pushed the intercom button that was connected to the training room.
"You go tomorrow, I expect you to be ready. All of you. Bring them back *alive*, bruised or injured but alive. If you lose one you'll lose one of your team, do you understand me soldier?" A voice replied, filled with dread and dark understanding.
"Yes sir, we all understand."
"Good, now get ready to make me proud." He flicked the button off and let his mind soak up the now raised tension in the lower levels. He'd given them a job to do, now he'd see if they could do it.
His hand switched the button off, the men around him were listening to the howls of the dog pens. They knew what they held, half-breeds, things that shouldn't exist but they did. Creatures that were *needed*, used and brought out to hunt, he'd seen one change, a mixture of human and animal, but it wasn't the classic image. This still had the head of a dog, it's muzzle snapping as the semi-human hands had gripped the prisoner; stilling him. The prisoners screams had just made the attack more frenzied, he had to shoot the prisoner in the head just to sleep that night.
Looking around his men he saw their resolve harden, they knew the price of failure it lay upstairs and ended in a shit pile. His eyes focussing on the men he barked orders, got them ready to move in hours instead of the days they'd been promised. Men folded maps, checked ammunition, others began their close combat training, concentrating on non lethal holds and submission moves.
Twenty men against a school, that should be enough, it wasn't as if he knew they were coming. No they'd be successful at any cost, get in, get what they wanted and out in under thirty minutes. He knew they were capable but why did he feel that somehow they wouldn't all be coming home? He tried to shake the feeling into the next few hours but it stayed with him, eventually he just let it ride.
Concentrating on his own target, a female, early twenties, name of Marie D'Acanto, powers - life draining skin. Her little picture smiled at him, she looked fragile this one, he'd take her personally, she needed good handling. Maybe he'd get to keep her afterward, he'd been lonely here, no one lasted too long down here. Hopefully she would, if he could keep the rest of the men from her.
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Marie showed Logan the safe, he just plunged his clawed fist into the metal and pulled. The hinges complained for a few moments then popped open, using his other hand he cut the metal block that was holding the door on. Shaking it free the inside was finally laid bare, there were three books, a filp file of dvd's and cd's and a diary. Marie took the lot, she left Logan behind her to rummage through whatever was left in there. This was proof and she wasn't about to let it hide anymore, she went direct to the computer suite. As soon as she had this lot running she'd go and find out if the Doc would co-operate with them. As a plan it had it's faults but it was the best they had at the moment.
Jubilee was watching the large furred doctor as they walked toward the kitchen, even though they had so many different meeting rooms they always seemed to end up in the kitchen. Maybe it was the idea of comfort, of support, besides where else would you go for a caffeine hit? When she got there the rest of the gang were already there, Logan was stood with a sheaf of papers stuck out of his back pocket. Kitty was there with Peiter, Ro' was seated with her face down turned, Kurt was there perched on the back of a chair. She let Bobby introduce the large man between them, watched as he shook hands with everyone there, even Logan.
Jubilee watched him scan the rest of the room as if he was looking for someone and she understood at last who he was looking for. She nudged Bobby's arm and whispered 'Jean and Scott'. Bobby cleared his throat and was about to start when Logan interrupted.
"We've got a problem and the thing is we need a Doc to solve it." The large blue head of McCoy turned back to look at Logan, his amber eyes glittering with curiosity.
"Really? What's the problem you need me to solve?" Logan shifted his bulk from the wall and made eye contact with the large doctor.
"Xavier's locked himself in Cerebro, he's been there for nearly three days straight. We can't open it from the outside and if we do it could kill him. We want you to go inside and give him something that'll knock him out completely. No higher brain function, just out."
Hank looked at the small man in front of him, weighing up the actual information.
"You say he's been in there for three days?" Logan nodded. "Without a break?"
"Not even to piss."
"May I ask why?"
This time it was Ororo who answered the large man, he remembered her from the fight where he'd been rescued from Magneto's forces. "We believe he's had some sort of mental breakdown, the thing is we can't open the door to Cerebro without killing him and anyone else he's linked with. And at the moment we don't even know who or what that is."
Hank took in the information, weighed it up as he looked around the people gathered in the kitchen, as he was about to speak a young woman with auburn hair and white streaks walked in. Her eyes were blazing and she made straight for Logan, his arms had been folded but they opened for her immediately. She whispered something into his ear seeing Logan nod and murmur something in reply before turning her to face Hank. She gave him a smile and introduced herself, "Hi, ah'm Rogue. You talked to me over the radio, think ya'll could help us out?"
It seemed plausable but how could he get inside to treat Xavier if the door would cause him pain and distress? "Yes I could, but if you can't get me inside to be near enough to inject him I don't see how I can help." Logan looked over to where Kurt was sat perched on his chair.
"I wouldn't worry about that, we've got that covered. Come on we'll take you down to Med Bay." The walk toward the medical centre was filled with silence, the odd colouring of the floor and walls were noticed by him. A bleached out section of wood on the handrail going down had the shape of a slim hand. One that for some reason made Hank shudder as he saw it, following the group downstairs.
When they arrived at the clean hallway, Jubilee, Kurt, Bobby, Logan and Marie led the way to the Medical Bay. What he found there was enough to make him do a double take, the suppiles alone would have made his own lab prosperious in the extreme. Jubilee went over to a wall and pressed a few buttons on a keypad, the wall slid away to reveal the pharmacy. Her smile didn't reach her eyes when she spoke to him, "Here you are Doc, knock yourself out." He did think about answering with a witty remark but the looks on the people's faces around him he thought better of it.
Going over to the pharmacy his eyes scanned the many drugs here for use, he discounted anything too toxic but he could use an alkaloid base to knock out higher function for a few hours. An induced coma would be the best option but with that lay many unresolved problems for a body that was already trying to cope with a toxic burden. Of which if what they had told him was true, the man locked in that room was suffering with.
His hands plucked the right bottles from the refridgerated shelves, setting them down on the counter, he looked over at Jubilee, her arms folded and ready to help him. "Get a saline/gulcose drip ready, also a double catheter kit, we'll need a heated blanket too, what I'll be giving him will make the need for us to maintain his body heat." Hank was making calculations in his head swiftly as he measured out the doses in one syringe. "What was his last weight?" The silence around him didn't give him much faith but it was Logan who suppiled an answer.
"I'd say around 120 to 130lbs, he's been losing weight recently."
"Thank you," he turned back and put a cap on the sharp end. Seeing the bay nearly ready for the patient when he got him out of there. "Right I'm ready, how are you going to get me in there?" He watched as the small form of Kurt moved forward, his German accented voice filling the sterile air with it's rich sound.
"Now that's vhere I come in," Kurt bamfed away to one side of the room leaving a sulpherous stench behind him, before bamfing back to where he'd been. "I'll take you in and after you inject him we'll both carry him out."
Hank had just seen something outside his own world of experience but he still couldn't help his own mind wondering just how he managed to do it. A nervous smile covered his featrues as they walked out of the med bay, followed by everyone else. The door at the end of the corridor was the one that led to Xavier, it's round door looking slightly threatening. Kurt held onto the large man's arms and winked at him before the enitre world just disappeared.
There had been a slight feeling of nausea but it had soon passed, they were only a few feet away from the man who'd saved his life. Pulling the cover off the needle, Hank went to plunge the thing into his bare neck. As the needle entered he felt such a stabbing pain in his skull, as if his head was trying to split open. The plunger depressed as he fought against the pain, the ache in his head fading as the man faded out into unconsciousness. Shaking his head clear, he took a look at the man who'd locked himself in here. Dark rings under his eyes, skin pallid, breathing shallow, a smell of urea rising from the chair he was seated in. Looking around to see Kurt just getting back on his feet and pressing a button on the inside of the great round wall. The door opening and fresh air flooding inside, taking off the helmet that had been on his head Hank could see the pressure marks it had left.
Picking up the body Hank walked straight out of the prison he'd locked himself in and went straight to med bay. Going past Logan he heard the man growl at the weak body in his arms, Rogue held his arm back, as if restraining him from doing Xavier an injury while he couldn't defend himself. Jubilee was waiting and ready with scissors, gloves and gown. They stripped the body quickly, the erractic breathing finally levelling out, Hank going to the pharmacy again. Pulling a full syringe of a pale gold liquid he injected it straight into a vein, "Vitamin mix, he's been under great strain and his body is about to shut down. We need to support it until he can do it for himself, so if you don't mind I don't think he'd want an audience while I strip him."
Everyone filed out except Logan and Jubilee, Jubilee was helping out, Logan was just staring. Finally after an hour of work Xavier was stablising, both catheters were working and he was taking on fluids. Hank looked happy but there was more to come and when Logan motioned for Jubilee to leave he knew it was coming.
Logan walked over to the large doctor, he knew by the look of him that he could probably take him apart if he really wanted to but he needed him to see exactly what he'd gotten himself into. He pulled the documents out of his pocket, straightening them he held them out to the Doc. "I think you should know who your dealin' with here," Hank took hold of the document in his gloved hands. Logan continued, "I know we've dropped you in at the deep end but you were the only one we could reach in time." His head nodded at the pieces of paper he was holding, "Make your own mind up, an if ya want to leave after you've read it, just let us know an we'll drop you anywhere continental U.S. Just thought ya should know what we're trying to sort out here." With that Logan left him alone with the elderly man, looking down at the pages Hank turned the first one over. There was the insignia of his old lab on the top page, his eyes flicked from the page to the old man who was still stabilising. Pulling himself a chair he sat down to read the information he'd been given.
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Hours later, the kids all asleep, Ro' still in the kitchen her hands doing dishes, anything to stop her thoughts from overwhelming her self control. Hank walked into the kitchen, looking haggard, he pulled a seat on the table and looked out at the night shaded garden. Ro' turned to see the new addition to their team fingering the papers on the surface. His baritone had an edge to it when he spoke, "Did any of you know? Before you came to 'rescue' us? Did you know of his involvement in our research? Where the samples had come from?" Hank's face was livid and Ro' felt herself shrink away from the large doctor as he rose out of his chair. Papers in hand as he shook them at her face, "Donor tissue, *donor* implies given with *consent*, consent I now understand that was *NEVER* given, *NEVER* received either!" He threw the document at her, "I understand the need for secrecy in my business, but madam I never thought to be working to save a man who sold his own people as 'Experimental Subjects'." He looked at the shock on Ro's face and he seemed to calm a little, he turned to look at the room he was stood in as if seeing it for the first time. "Now if you don't mind I'd like to have a word with Logan, do you know where I can find him?" Ro' wiped her hands clean of the suds before picking up the papers, her eyes scanning the print on their pages. Hank gave her a few minutes to read the print before asking again. "Logan?"
When her face looked up at him, a defeated air resting on her skin and a hollowness in her gaze. "He's in the cabin by the lake, phone first, they don't like surprises." Hank moved over to the phone on the wall and waited for more instruction, Ro' noticed after a minute of him waiting. "Erm... pick up and dial 4, it'll ring the cabin." Hank did as he was instructed and she heard him talking to Logan on the other end.
"Your offer, I believe I'll be taking you up on it in the morning, you'll have to find another doctor to care for him." Ro's eyes scanned the pages but also kept an eye on Hank just in case.
"Yes I can come up, but why are you...." Hank stood stock still as he listened to the words being told to him. After a prelonged silence Hank spoke again, "Well if you want to discuss this then I'd better come up in person. I don't feel comfortable discussing this on the phone, you never know who's listening." His remark was pointed enough to make Ro' squirm in her seat but she didn't move. What she held in her hand was enough to make her limbs feel like lead. As Hank went out of the kitchen and out into the garden she felt the crushing loneliness fall onto her shoulders. She was the final member of the Aplha team and as such she had to carry the blame for what was on the document. Her eyes went over the information again, hoping to expunge the type from the page, to make it not true.
The members of The Brotherhood they'd captured and turned over to the authorities hadn't gone to police or prison. They'd gone to the labs, no wonder The Brotherhood had attacked the lab, they were trying to free prisoners, their family members just like they would've if it had been them. It was the monetary amounts that shocked her, for each viable *donor* Charles got ten thousand dollars, well the school got ten thousand. The amount here went into the high hundreds, it was all she could do to sit there. No wonder Scott had always been so keen to hand over every member of The Brotherhood they caught. Xavier had been selling the enemy to the labs to be dissected, probed and explored until their gifts had been decoded, stamped with a copyright and sold to the highest bidder. Rogue had given her the evidence she'd wanted, it was there in her hand and more was waiting for her. Rogue had spent the afternoon with Kitty going through disc after disc. There was no point denying it anymore, the man who'd saved her from the streets had done no such thing. He'd just plucked her from one dead end and put her in another. He had to pay for this, for all of it but there was no court on the planet that would do it. Tears rolled down her cheeks as the dry lighting flashed outside, torn apart by the truth, hate for the man she'd once loved began to grow in her heart.
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Marie watched the two men talk outside, she was still seething with hatred, she wasn't safe to be around right now. Not after seeing who Xavier *really* dealt with, the things he'd promised, the acceptable losses he was willing to allow if they left his little dream alone.
Kid's to be fostered out into military applications, experimentation, breeding programmes (Kitty had gone quiet when this had been on the screen, her hands gone to protect her unborn child).
It read like a sick list, but it stretched back years, even when Erik was here until the double dealing looked like it had even soured Eriks sensibilities. Jubilee had told her about Erik's death at the hands of the mob, the way they'd torn him apart. She knew who was to blame and it was laid out in a coma right now. She wanted to kill him, fuck she had to restrain herself from just going down there and slitting his fucking throat when she'd gotten to the payment system.
For every new mutation that had a 'offensive' purpose and could be researched into a real time physical application for warfare he got a hundred grand. No wonder Jean always did the bloodwork every month, now she was wondering exactly where her blood had ended up. Logan's voice in her mind hadn't been too helpful about good places it could've gone, only the bad places. An there'd been an awful lot of maybe's in there she had to admit. There was even a reference to Logan himself, 'Project Wolverine' was it's name but most of the info had been wiped away. What was left was only the paragraph that had been in the report.
At the end of the session both Kitty and her needed some support, everything they'd taken from Xavier had come at someone elses pain. Someone like them, locked up in a lab somewhere, having to deal with experimentation day in, day out. Kitty had sought out Peiter but she hadn't said why she was upset, this would be between them and Ro'. They'd keep the information close to them, no one else would need to know. Only that things had been done, things that Xavier needed to pay for, now she knew why The Brotherhood hated them all so much. She couldn't help but agree with them, the sooner they were out of here the better. She only hoped that Emma was moving fast, because if what Jubilee had told her was true about the rest of The Brotherhood escaping she knew exactly where they would be heading for....here.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
We get a new arrival........and Ororo gets her proof.