Howard was out for the count, the dark purple bruise on his skull was nothing compared to the fracture of his wrist. Hank had asked to help the man but he'd been denied any sort of medical attention, Hank still couldn't reconsile what had happened to them as normal human behaviour.
Jubilee had been sitting in the front seat with Howard, they'd known about the roadblock ahead but they really didn't have much choice of going through it if they wanted to get across the damn border. Jubilee had smiled, her face had been calm while he'd been hidden in the back with Xavier. That had been when the trouble had started, they'd wanted to search the vehicle for mutants. Now both Howard and Jubilee had no such indicators to point them out as being mutants but *he* did.
They couldn't refuse, not with one man of the three having a loaded rifle pointed at the vehicle. So they'd let him search, Howard had done his best, Jubilee had fired her plasma burst at one man killing him outright. Howard on the other hand had come off worst for wear at the butt end of the rifle. Jubilee had run into the forest and was nowhere to be seen, he however had been unearthed along with Xavier. By now every small ofrce had at least a description of Xaiver and they were now suspects number one for the terrorist attack on the mansion.
Howard had come off worst but he'd seen the violence seething just beneath the surface of their human guards as they waited for back-up. True there were only two of them and if he thought about it he could put one of them down before the other one shot him.
Yet what was worse was that Xavier wasn't getting his fluids or medication to keep him *under* and at the moment the last thing anyone needed was an unstable telepath. Hank watched the men shift their rifles again as Howard shifted and began to move, looking over he saw the man open his swollen eyes. Hank dared a look into Howards face and what he saw didn't give him much confidence. His pupils were unequal and there was blood trickling from his ear, this was *not* good news.
Hank was sitting on his hands, strapped up with ties that if he really wanted to he could snap. Howard was beginning to roll over onto his back, his breathing wasn't good and the sound and scent of blood flowing wasn't healthy. He'd decided to act and damn the consequences.
It all went rather quickly, he snapped the ties, reached out to Howard, pulled him back over to his side allowing the blood that was flowing into the back of his throat to spill out from his bruised lips. The guards were a little shocked but not as shocked as they soon were, Jubilee was back. A short spear was sticking out of one chest, one made from a sapling but it did it's job well enough. The second guard had been distracted by the flight of the spear so his gaze was no longer on Hank.
He took advantage, it was so easy to snap the man's neck, just a twist and pull, nothing more, nothing less. Soon Jubilee was helping to sedate Xavier again, while he saw to Howard. Untreated concussion was a killer and they needed Howard alive. When they'd removed everything of use from the bodies they disposed of them by the side of the road. Burying them deep in a flooded ditch, Hank had slit their sides and filled the cavities with stones. Even if they did bloat it would be a while before they surfaced, taking their things out of the truck they'd been reported in and putting them in the National Guard vehicle.
Jubilee's face was set hard her movements clipped and economic, she'd even thrown a nasty glance at the bag that held Xavier as she'd helped load him into the back of the large vehicle. When Howard was laid comfortably in the back next to the black body bag that contained Xaiver, Hank spoke to Jubilee.
"Can you drive this thing?" She looked at the monster vehicle and her days of running around the track with the schools little Ford came back to her.
"Not sure about that one but I'll do my best, as long as it's got a gear stick I'm sure we'll do okay. Automatics tend to make me think I'm indestructable." She tried to flash Hank a smile that would make him trust her, all it did do was make her look younger than she was.
Her hands flew to the front where she'd be climbing in through the canvas hatch to drive, "Hey at least we know where the rest of the forces are, we can avoid the worst if we're lucky but we have to get going now." Her eyes dropped to the now stable form of Howard and his strapped up arm. "Will he be okay?" Her concern was something that made Hank smile, earlier she'd killed two men but now she was worried for one of her own. Hank smiled thinly as he reached out to the small woman.
"Yesm he'll be fine as long as we get moving." Jubilee suddenly went into action and Hank found himself staring at her rear as it went through the canvas hole to the cab. Seeing her settle herself down as he pulled the flap shut on the back he braced himself for the journey ahead. Overland wasn't the best way to go but they'd find a way through even if they had to swim it.
The engine roared into life and Jubilee took control of the monster truck, her arms held stiffly out at ten and two. Head forward she began whistling a tune that he should know, the familiarity something that tickled at the back of his mind. It was only a few miles down the road that he remembered what it was, 'The Great Escape'. He let himself chuckle as they sped down the highway, the noon sun burning the tarmac beneath the huge wheels. They were heading for a gap in the line just near Rooseveltown, a small little place that hopefully wouldn't miss them as they crossed over the border at night.
Hank concentrated on his charges, Howard looked a little better and his pupils were now reacting to light, he was still unconcious but that wasn't unusual after a blow to the skull. It was Xaiver he was worried about, the man had been aware for a few minutes and he was wondering how much he'd actually heard or understood. Hanks hand closed on the now puckered remains of the jimson weed, deciding to do his home-made alchemy now he set to making the final dose Xavier would ever need.
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Mason finally stopped at three am, on the side of the road the lights of Ottawa were bright in the night but here at the rest stop there was quiet. Logan stepped down from the truck with him, his gaze taking in every possible threat and seeing nothing but the road weary all around him.
Mason was quiet for a while then he broached the subject they'd both been avoiding, "You're not headin' for Poplar Lake are ya?" Mason was just standing there taking in the quiet of the night, his gaze locked onto the skies above them. Logan shifted his weight to his other foot and sighed.
"No, it's best if you don't know where we're headin'," he made sure to catch Mason's eye. "Just in case." The sentiment was there and Mason caught it's edge.
"Thought as much, I'll take you as far as I can but I've got to get home too. I'll not be stoppin' much so we'd better load up and I guess you'll not be wantin' to stop much either. When I sleep in the back could you drive?" Logan was taken aback by this, a trucker who was willingly letting someone else drive his rig? Where was the catch? Logan's eyes narrowed looking for the trap and Mason explained.
"We'll both get home faster, you can just melt away before anyone even knows ya gone and me.....I'll be back with the people that need me. Even friends can be stupd sometimes...."
It was then Logan saw through the facade Mason had been putting up, the man was shaken, tired and desperate. What had happened at the border had just cut the world into two, there wasn't much sign of it here *yet* but it wouldn't be long in coming. An by the time it got here Mason wanted to be half a world away.
"Sure, that's if you don't mind an uninsured driver behind the wheel." Mason walked toward Logan, his body looking all too frail in the early morning light.
"Somehow I think that's the least of your worries right now Patch." He slapped a warm heavy hand on Logans' shoulder and he climbed back into his cab, pulling himself into the passenger seat he settled down just as Marie was beginning to stir in the bed behind him.
Walking up he shut the passenger door, finding everything he'd need on the drivers seat, map, id, cash for fuel and the stops listed. Mason drifted off into sleep as Logan sat behind the wheel of the huge rig, it didn't take long for him to get a feel of the thing. And as the miles rolled by as the sun rose the familair feeling of heading somewhere out of trouble settled on his bones. To make it complete Marie woke at around seven am and wove her bare hands over his chest from behind. Her scent filled him with information, she was hungry and not for food, flicking a glance her way he smiled. "Later, I promise." Marie replied with a smile that he read as 'You'd better bub or they'll be trouble!' She shifted over and shook Mason gently, he woke with a start and seeing the bed empty he just shifted straight into it. Pulling the still warm covers over his head, his settled breathing filling the cab as they powered down the highway.
Passing Ottowa Logan powered onward not knowing that by the end of the day things would be a whole lot more complicated than he ever imagined.
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Jubilee had stopped the truck, the border lay just over a bridge, thing was there were at least three police cars on the bridge and one RCMP car on the other side. Hank was up front with her now and they'd just been through their options and none of them sounded any better than the other ones.
They could go downstream and try to cross the river that way, they could ditch the truck and ford across in the dark or they could just drive up there as bold as brass and power their way through. Hank was in favour of the sneaky option but Jubilee wanted to be out of America as soon as possible.
Hank watched the thoughts run through the small woman next to him, a few days ago he'd been in his tiny apartment wondering what else in his life could go wrong when this little firecracker of life had just dropped into his life. She hadn't freaked out at his appearance as some mutants did, she just accepted him, huge teeth, blue fur and all. Maybe she saw him as a *real* version of Jim Henson's creations, perhaps that was it. When she turned to ask his opinion once again she noticed him staring at her.
"What? Do I have something coming out of my nose?" She raised her hand to clean it when Hank just grabbed it and held it for a second in his own large paw. Jubilee began to flush with colour as he held her fingers within his own huge hand. Misreading her signals Hank quickly dropped her hand and began to look out of the windscreen. Jubilee just grabbed his hairy chin and forced him to look at her smiling face.
"Hey, thanks for doing this with me, I don't think I could've got this far without you. Sometimes I need a 'voice of reason', ask anyone who knows me." Her eyes were sparkling as she said it, her skin flushed as she tried to find the words that were evading her.
Impulsive as ever she pulled Hank toward her and kissed him as best she could, sliding her smiling lips over Hanks own. Licking his mouth for him before putting the truck into gear and pushing the bullet proof jackets up agianst the windshield before flooring it. "Lets do it!" Hank braced himself the best he could while he felt the large mass of the truck speed up. If they made it through intact he'd be happy to explore the possibilities that kiss had just opened up in his mind. If not he'd die knowing someone still thought he was worth kissing. A grim smile on his features Hank braced for the worst border crossing of his life.
As the bullets began to hit the windscreen he hoped for all he was worth that Jubilee made it, everything slowed down as they passed through the first blockade of police cars. The RCMP car on the other side had two men stood watching but they didn't have their sidearms drawn; as the screech of metal sounded out Hank realised that the back would come under fire soon. Pulling Jubilee down toward the steering wheel as the bullets flew inside from behind, several just passing over their heads. Jubilee swerved violently to pass the RCMP car, it's men just getting out of the way for them, the angry shouts of the American police on the other side were enough to smile about.
The accented voice of a Canadian could be heard by Hank telling the American's to come over and chase them if they wanted to but they had other more important things to do. The American cop had screamed 'Like what for fucks sake?!' to which the Canadian had replied, 'Keepin' gun-toting idiots like you away from *decent* people.' Hank caught the emphasis on *people* and his heart swelled, he'd been obvious as a mutant but over a thin line drawn on a map had suddenly been the difference between being a 'thing' and a human being.
The Canadian's had always been a quiet nation their people similar to their American cousins but they had a rugged practicality that made them so different in so many ways. And it was *that* difference that made him act the way he did when Jubilee finally stopped five miles down the road. She'd stopped so he could check on their passengers but he'd dragged Jubilee into his grip, landing a huge kiss on her small mouth. It had taken her a second to respond to him but she did eagerly and he had to tear her fingers from his fur. Eyes sparking she winked at him and told him to get his priorities straight, she'd wait till later. Hank suddenly filled with hope dove into the back, his body tearing the canvas hole wider as he checked on both patients.
Howard was sleeping normally, Xaiver was still sedated and his fluids would need changing in an hour. But they were over the border, they were in Canada in a US Army truck. Hank swung out, looking for the tags he tore them off, throwing mud at the white lettering on the side. He did the same to the other side and climbed back in to sit next to Jubilee.
"We okay back there?" Her face was a little pale but apart from that she looked fine, the three bullet holes in the windsheild weren't that noticeable unless you looked for them. Pulling the armoured vests down from the windows Hank answered her.
"Yes they're fine, Howard is sleeping well and Xavier's fine for another four hours. Then we really have to find him something to eat, I can do a stomach tube with the right equipment." Jubilee smiled at him, turning her head to a map she looked down at it.
"Think there's a decent mall in Ottowa?" Hank looked a little confused until she waggled her eyebrows and fingers. "Five finger discount Hankster, how do you think I survived in L.A before Xavier picked me up? Shouldn't be hard to do, I've never lost the knack although I think we'll have to ditch the truck soon. Get something smaller...." Her eyes took on a mischievous glint as she looked over at Hank, "Not that I've got anything against *big* things." Her words were making impressions on Hank that was sending blood somewhere south of his waist as he caught the scent of her arousal in the cab.
Laughing as she saw him shift under her scrutiny, "No I think we need a change of car and for that we need the Mall." She handed him the map and let him direct her, she'd made it over the border, Xaiver was alive (just) as was their guide to the big meet up. She only hoped everyone else was having as good a time as she was.
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The scene investigators had just finished their reports, the first attack was down on here, the fire had done some significant damage but the body in the lower levels hadn't been touched all that much by the fire. When they'd seen the set up down there, the files had been loaded and copied for evidence. The body had been removed, identified and then the really weird shit had begun to happen.
Men in dark suits had arrived and interviewed every scene investigation officer, the body they'd found had been taken from them. The evidence had been taken en-masse, pieces of paper had been forced under noses and been signed by everyone. A gagging order, an internal security form, the Homeland Security officer had lectured them on speaking to the press about their findings. Whatever findings they had left to process would be given over to the NSA when they'd finished and no copies would be made.
The calm faces had agreed, they'd complied, they'd done all that had been required of them. But it still hadn't stopped them from talking amongst themselves as they'd pieced it all together. There had been three waves of attack on the school, and the body that had been taken from them had been part of the first wave. A canula had been left behind for them to process, and what had come out of that had made them all wonder just what the hell had been going on. To admit such things existed was going against their training, it wasn't until a fingerprint came back from the window that it made sense to them. The man had been registered dead, a common thing in the secret forces and it made sense that they'd come to collect the body. Now the facts were straight in their minds the team that had worked the case knew what was next.
Taking their vacations, going as a group (they'd been advised to take holiday time after the case by the NSA), the entire team disappeared off the map. Lost in the world they finally re-appeared a week later in Turkey and published the entire report on the internet. Everything they'd known was now in the worlds hands, the three waves of attack, the governments culpability in the deaths of innocent children. All of it, and over the weeks that followed they all faded into the hubbub they'd caused and lost themselves even deeper. As their team leader had told them as he'd trained them, 'We aren't concerned with 'truth', we only follow 'evidence', no matter where it leads us.' It was comfort enough, the truth was out and nothing would stop the backlash now the world knew, America now had enemies that knew how far it would go to control it's own population of mutants. And maybe the country that had once lauded itself as the 'protector of the world', would finally step up to the title.
Mind you if the team had known how much it would have changed policy maybe they'd have stopped and thought a while. As we all know, politicians lie, and the Registration Act was soon followed by other acts meant to give those who were different more right's but the trick was in the wording and soon, a new Fourth Reich was being built in the heart of the world's largest democracy.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Things get a little rough for Hank and Jubilee and we catch up with Logan & Marie.