Long Way Down 7 (part 2)
Jean knocked on the wooden door leading to Professor Charles Xavier’s study.
“Come in,” Xavier said, his voice muffled from the thick mahogany.
Jean twisted the knob and slowly opened the door, wincing at the prolonged whine of the old hinges.
Charles Xavier turned his wheelchair to greet her.
“Oh, Jean. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, smiling.
“Yeah, right, Professor. You knew I was coming before I even thought about it,” Jean responded, the hint of a smile quivering on her lips.
Xavier gave a soft chuckle. He adored Jean Grey; he considered her a daughter. Ever since he entered Jean’s mind and saved her from catatonia all those years ago, he’d felt a paternal bond. Jean was also his first student. After tutoring her, Xavier discovered a love for assisting mutants in controlling and developing their powers. As the years passed, Jean had become more and more powerful. Constantly asking questions and ready to learn, Jean rose to the top in telekinetic ability, second only to the Professor himself. He couldn’t have been prouder of her.
“What can I do for you, Jean?” he asked.
“Professor, I saw Gambit in the hangar earlier. He was sitting on top of the Blackbird, just looking out the window. He seemed...have you noticed a change in his behavior?”
Jean considered Xavier a father. He was the only person in the world to help her when she was young; the only person in the world with the ability to help her. She studied extensively one-on-one with Xavier and absorbed every bit of information presented to her; she felt eternally in debt to him for teaching her how to broaden her mutant powers, but the Professor would never ask for payment. Xavier was her idol.
The Professor nodded. “I have, Jean. I’m not completely sure why, but I believe it has something to do with the child that we lost. However...I would guess that there is another conflict within him, as well.” Xavier stroked his chin, staring fixedly at his desk. He snapped out of his daze. “Well, with any luck, we’ll have the girl in our possession by nightfall. Perhaps even by this afternoon. But...” He trailed off.
Jean lowered her eyebrows. “What is it, Professor?”
“Jean, I...” He wheeled his way to her side. “I need you to be alert once we depart. I need you to be ready to take control at a moment’s notice. If anything should go wrong-”
“Professor,” Jean cut him off. “We’re just going in to scout first. We’ll see what we can see and then we’ll discuss action.”
“Yes.” The Professor nodded. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. However...I feel...” Xavier stared out of a nearby window.
She had never seen him like this.
Something’s wrong here.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Professor...what’s the matter?” Jean asked tentatively. Xavier had always been calm and confident. She had never seen an open expression of doubt from him.
“I, I sense something... I’m not sure what. Jean, just promise me you’ll be alert today. It may be nothing at all, but I feel...uneasy.” He shook his head and smiled. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing. It will be fine.” He grabbed her hand, stroking it. Xavier glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It read 2:46. “You’ll be departing soon. You should get ready. Just keep your guard up. You’re the X-Men. You’ll be fine. I, on the other hand, must get ready for a meeting in Washington starting at 7:00. It’s the preliminary hearing for the Anti-Mutant Marriage Law and I will fight this absurdity with every fiber in my body. Discrimination against evolution and the natural feelings of love is outright absurdity. Anyway, I’ll see you all this afternoon. Good luck.”
Xavier’s small doubts had rubbed off on Jean, casting a gloom on her usual optimism.
We were the X-Men when we were fighting earlier, too.
Jean stared down at the man and nodded. “Ok, Professor.” She bent over and kissed Xavier on the cheek, unable to shake the cold dread filling her being. She could not sense what Xaiver was referring to, but she would never doubt his perceptions.
With a departing smile, Jean Grey walked toward the door, repeating Xavier’s words the whole way.
It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine.
***
“And after this one cycles through once more, you can leave it be. It’s automatic, administering the proper dosage every fifteen, twenty minutes,” Beast explained to Storm, pointing to a machine connected to Cyclops’ IV.
Storm had heard about the upcoming mission from Beast just minutes before and volunteered to watch over the infirmary for him. Since she was still not in top form, Storm seemed to be the perfect candidate to keep an eye on Cyclops and Rogue, who was still unconscious. As well as Bobby, who was milking his injured leg for all it was worth. Since being confined to the infirmary bed mere hours earlier, the young mutants had scored himself a 22” TV, a DVD player, an enormous stereo system, piles of CDs and Penthouse magazines -all donations from annoyed teammates looking for peace and quiet- in addition to a (grudging) promise from an intermittently lucid Scott to get the keys to the McLaren for an hour as soon as he could drive again. Out of exasperation rather than medical integrity Beast permitted Bobby to keep all the toys at his bedside.
Storm’s help would allow Beast to aid in the reconnaissance mission.
The soft, repetitious beeping from Scott’s heart monitor kept the two informed of his condition. Beast had explained which fluctuations were normal and which weren’t. Storm nodded, constantly acknowledging every minute instruction from the ardent doctor.
“You can run diagnostics by pushing-”
“This one here?” Storm asked, pointing to a glowing green button.
“Yes, that’s the one. You seem to be catching on rather quickly.” Beast exposed a toothy grin.
“Well, you’ve been teaching me, Hank. You’ve shown me many things over time. I have to thank you for that,” she said.
Beast was slightly shaken by Storm’s fervent gratitude, but he quickly recovered and chuckled softly. “As Julius Cesar once said, ‘Experience is the teacher of all things’. You’ll get plenty of practice today.”
Beast placed a pair of scalpels in a drawer beneath the counter. “In all honesty, we will probably be back before lunch. We are only going in to have a quick look around, if I understood correctly.”
Storm looked over at Cyclops, lying on the stretcher. “So, how is he really doing?”
“Hm?” Beast looked over his shoulder at her. “Oh, he’s...stable. Of course, he’s unconscious, so don’t jostle him. Still has an aggravated trachea. You’ll hear him coughing from time to time. Nothing you can really do about it. Obviously, he can’t drink. That’s why he is attached to the intravenous line. Let’s see...he’s still suffering from a high fever. Last time I checked, the thermometer read 39.5 degrees Celsius...” Beast executed a quick calculation in his head. “About 103 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“Should I lay a cool cloth on his head periodically?” Storm asked.
“That would be marvelous,” Beast responded. “Oh! That reminds me.” Beast walked over to the counter and picked up a clipboard. “Every twenty or so minutes, would you be good enough to continue this log of Cyclops’ body temperature? All you have to do is write down the time and look at the thermometer.” He picked up a pencil from the counter and glanced up at a wall clock. “Right now it’s 2:47 a.m. and his temperature is...what did I say? 39.5 degrees Celsius?” He wrote the number down.
“Of course I can,” Storm responded coolly.
He walked over to Storm. “Mainly, you just need to keep an eye on him. If something does happen, say he goes into cardiac arrest or respiration ceases, then the paddles are behind the bed, as you know. We’ve been over it. I’m sure nothing will happen, though. He’s been lying there like a stone for the past few hours. But, I trust you in case of an emergency, Storm.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I’d never let you down, Hank.”
Beast smiled. “All right, then.” He looked around the lab once more. “I believe that’s everything. Do you have any questions?”
“No. I don’t believe so,” Storm responded.
“Fantastic. Well, then, we’ll be taking off in a few minutes. The house is all yours,” Beast stated.
Storm smiled. “Wonderful. Good luck, this morning.”
“Thank you, Storm. Goodbye,” Beast said as he walked toward the door.
“Bye.” Storm grinned as she waved.
***
At 2:54 a.m., the X-Men entered the Blackbird. One by one, they filed in and found a seat. Beast and Jean Grey sat in the cockpit, punching buttons. Gambit was the last mutant to enter. He looked around the interior quickly, noticing Nightcrawler sitting in a chair and Wolverine standing in the back of the jet, arms crossed, looking out of a small window. Gambit sat down opposite Nightcrawler, reached into his pocket and brought out a single card, which he continually threw back and forth in his gloved hands.
At the front of the jet, Jean asked “Do you remember how to fly this thing, Doctor?”
“It’s been quite some time, but I believe I can manage. That is, once I discover how to turn it on...” With a swift hand, Beast punched several glowing buttons. The engine roared to life, powerful yet quiet. “Ah. That would be it.”
She chuckled and rose from her chair. Jean walked down the aisle and sat next to Kurt, fastening her belt. Nightcrawler edged forward, looking past Jean, studying Gambit’s aloof attitude. He casually peered behind him at Logan, still staring out the window at the cold, metal walls of the hangar.
“Is everything gut here?” he whispered to Jean.
“I’m not sure. They’ve been moping around lately. Let’s just let it be for now,” she quietly replied.
“Okay.” Nightcrawler nodded.
At the front of the plane, Beast was frantically pushing buttons and flipping switches. Abruptly, he stopped, leaning back in his chair, the springs giving a soft creak.
“All right. I’m just waiting for the Professor to send us the exact coordinates and then we’ll take off. It shouldn’t be too long,” Beast announced.
The sixty seconds it took for the coordinates to arrive seemed like hours. The tension between the mutants could have been cut with a knife. Jean uneasily shifted her weight in her seat, praying for the directions to arrive soon.
A beep emanated from the front of the jet.
Xavier’s voice erupted from a speaker towards the back of the Blackbird.
“I apologize for the delay, but I had to be certain of this location. But this is it. Now remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. No fighting unless it is absolutely necessary. Scout the area, look for entrances into the facility and, if possible, discover the location of the children. Good luck, X-Men.”
Beast looked at a small screen on the control panel.
“Here we are. We are heading to Arethusa Falls, near Livermore, New Hampshire. The facility is located about an eighth of a mile from the waterfall. Is everyone ready?”
Nightcrawler was the only one who replied verbally. Jean nodded.
“Okay, then. Here we go!”
Through the front windows of the Blackbird, the hangar doors parted, sending a loud roar echoing throughout the room. With a soft hum, the jet lifted from the ground, sailing slowly to the exposed, cloudless night sky. Once clear of the doors, the jet maneuvered itself to face east and then it sped through the atmosphere, silver moonlight reflecting off of the metal.
“ETA twelve minutes,” Beast shouted to the crew.
Again, silence ensued.
Gambit continued to fiddle with his card, while Wolverine tinkered with his claws.
Jean Grey couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer.
“Hey, Gambit, when we get back, why don’t we all play a game of Bour...Ber...”
“Bourée, chère,” Gambit responded, turning toward her. He put his card back in his pocket. Jean hoped Gambit was starting to warm up. But instead, he simply crossed his legs and stared at the back of the chair in front of him.
Wolverine glanced at Gambit midway into the flight, trying to appear casual. Gambit wiped his right eye, leaving a faint trail of shimmering liquid on his cheek, and Logan’s heart skipped a beat, but he turned and looked back out the window before Gambit could catch him staring.
The Blackbird jolted slightly, forcing Wolverine to reach out for the wall to keep his balance.
“Sorry,” Beast called. “Jean, could you hit the stabilizer, please?”
Jean rose from her seat and returned to the control panel, scanning the numerous buttons and coming up empty.
“Um...I’m sorry, which is the...? I don’t do the flying around here. It’s all new to me,” Jean replied, smiling.
Beast chuckled. “I believe it is a red...yes, it’s the one by your right hand. Just push it, if you would be so kind. Thank you.”
She did and the tilted jet corrected itself.
“We’re almost at our destination. You can see it now if you look out the right of the Blackbird,” Beast said.
Nightcrawler unfastened his seatbelt and walked to the cockpit, standing behind Beast and Jean. Wolverine peered out of the small window next to him and saw the roaring waterfall.
“So, that’s Arethusa Falls? Wunderschön.” Nightcrawler hissed.
“That’s it. The largest waterfall in the state. Approximately 200 feet of falling water. And what is our altitude?” He eyed the altimeter. “Its peak is approximately two miles from the ground. Amazing.”
The others stared, fixated by the falling water. The water, still not frozen from the cooling temperature, pooled at the bottom, expelling mist into the air.
“But our objective should be visible, as well. Everyone search toward the north,” Beast instructed.
The snow, lit by the pale moon, acquired a silverish-blue hue, almost masking the old, grey facility, set up in a clearing, about 650 feet north of the Falls. Icicles hung from the roof of the old, metal building. A single, naked light bulb was turned on near the metal door. There was no visible action on the premises.
"That would be it,” Beast said.
“That?” asked Jean. “Isn’t it kind of small?”
“The facility actually extends several floors beneath the surface according to the Professor,” Beast informed them. “It used to house copper, lead and zinc, but it was abandoned fifteen years ago, when the minerals started to become scarce in the vicinity."
He pointed to an open area between the facility and the waterfall. “That looks like an ideal spot to touch down.”
As the Blackbird slowly and silently descended, Gambit stood up and brushed himself off, squaring his shoulders with determination. He was ready to get little Mia back. It was all he needed to think about. He clenched his fists.
“And remember everyone,” Beast said, “as Charles Lamb once said, ‘The greatest pleasure I know, is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident’.”
The Blackbird quietly landed, sending up a plume of powdery snow and the engine died.
***
The ramp descended, burying itself in the three inches of snow, and the X-Men cautiously exited the craft. Gambit was the first out, squinting his eyes as snow flakes blew past in the wind. Without preamble he sprinted the short distance to the chain-link fence surrounding the ominous compound the Professor had defined as Sinister’s stronghold. It was nestled in the bottom of a shallow canyon, a tiny plateau surrounded on three sides by steep slopes, and on the fourth by a drop-off to the river some hundred feet below.The building itself resembled a decrepit schoolhouse: windows ringed the sides, though few had glass and most were boarded, and the red bricks were decaying so badly a portion of the rear of the facility had collapsed. Though, rather than frolicking children, large metal crates of indeterminable usage littered the grounds, and the front door was a thick and menacing steel affair.
Gambit waved for the others to join him.
Beast stepped into the snow, shivering.
“Oh, this was most unwise. I don’t even have footwear, let alone pants.”
In a cloud of acrid smoke, Nightcrawler appeared next to them, crouching to avoid the biting wind.
Wolverine scanned the perimeterwarily, his nose twitching. The full moon gave offa soft glow, bathing the landscape in white light, and errant snowflakes brushed Logan’s skin and melted on his cheek. He sniffed again and with a grunt, he covered the short distance and regrouped with the others.
He looked over at Gambit and noticed the lack of expression on his face. His usual flaming red eyes were lifeless and his mouth was down-turned.
“We gotta jump da’ fence,” Gambit declared in a whisper.
“Cajun, don’tcha think yer takin’ this too fast? Ya haven’t even checked the area,” Wolverine hissed.
“Der ain’t nothin’ dere. I’s fine. Lez go.”
Gambit gracefully hopped over the fence, brown coat flapping behind him. He landed in the snow without a sound and sprinted to a nearby pile of crates.
One by one, the mutants jumped the fence, and took cover behind the boxes.
“Bon. Okay, c’mon.”
Gambit turned toward the building, but Wolverine grabbed his coat sleeve and held his wrist tightly.
“Cajun, stop! We can’t keep chargin’ up like this. This is an important mission. Ya ain’t thinkin’ clearly.” Wolverine lowered his voice. “If it’s about earlier...”
“I’s fine, Logan! Dere ain’t nothin’ out ‘ere!” He shook Wolverine’s arm away. “Okay, c’mon e’ybody.” He took off running toward the small building. Jean, Beast, and Nightcrawler followed closely behind, however Wolverine stayed behind the crates.
Why’s he want to get there so fast? Cajun knows better than t’charge blindly. Hell, he’s a thief.
Nightcrawler turned back.
“Psst, Wolverine.”
Wolverine nodded and ran to join him. They caught up withthe other X-Men on the side of the building, flattening themselves against the red bricks.
Gambit rounded the corner and saw the entrance, large enough for even the burliest custodian to walk through, mop held aloft.
“Wolverine,” he whispered, waving his hand.
Logan approached the door and rested his hand on the heavy metal handle.
Gambit reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an Ace of Hearts.
“Trois.”
Nightcrawler teleported onto the roof.
“Deux.”
Wolverine tightened his grip.
“U-”
The metal door burst outward, hinges flying through the air, sending Wolverine propelling backward. He crashed into the snow, sliding into the cold metal of a crate.
Sabretooth emerged from the doorway, grinningferociously.
“Mornin’, everyone. Took you long enough to get here.”
Expectin’ us?
Wolverine jumped up from the snow, unsheathing his claws.
“Oh, ready for another go, old man?” Sabretooth cracked his knuckles. “I’ve been waitin’ all night for this.” The savage mutant roared and charged.
Logan jumped out of the rampagingmutant’s path and watched with grim amusement as Sabretooth skidded to a stop and turned around for a second run. Beast intercepted his path from the left, slamming into the behemoth with a grunt, and the furry pair hurtled to the ground. Beast landed on top, but Sabretooth kicked him into the air before he could catch his breath. Luckily, the blue mutant landed gracefully on his feet.
Nightcrawler closed his eyes, concentrating, and vanished from the roof, appearing on Sabretooth’s left shoulder. Knowing the immense difference in strengthKurt resorted tograbbing the mutant’s mane and tugging. Sabretooth shrieked and batted his arms wildly, trying to hit the X-Man. Jean Grey ran at the preoccupied villain and kicked him in the gutsending him to the ground. Beast climbed on top of a stack of steel crates and gracefully leapt to join Kurt on top of Sabretooth.
Gambit pulled a card out of his coat. “Henri, Ni’crawla’, ‘eads up!”
The glowing card cut through the air. Beast and Nightcrawler jumped off of the mutant as the card made contact. A red explosion engulfed Sabretooth, who fell over backwards, coughing in the smoke.
Jean closed her eyes and, with careful concentration, lifted one of the metal crates into the air. The shadow hovered over Sabretooth. He opened his eyes and gasped.
“Nooooo!”
Jean dropped the crate and it slammed into the ground, powdery snow exploding around it.
The X-Men stood in shaken silence, panting and wary. They relaxed slightly when further enemies failed to appear. The mood was shattered, however, by the sound of ironic clapping.
Standing in the vacant doorway, under the harsh glow of the naked bulb, was Sinister.
“Well done. Well done,” he hissed through his toothy grin.
Wolverine held his breath.
Can’t get much better than this...
The X-Men clustered together.
“Very impressive,” Sinister rasped. He took a massive step forward, his boot crunching in the snow.
“Guys...” Jean hissed under her breath.
Wolverine nodded. “On three,” he replied.
Sinister approached even closer.
“Three!”
The X-Men spun around, scrambled up the gentle slope, and jumped over the fence. They landed on the opposite side almost in unisonand began racing toward the idle Blackbird. Behind them Sinister began to laugh.
“Run, little X-Men! Run!” he chortled.
The frantic, crunching footsteps echoed through the canyon as the X-Men drew closer to the jet, their breath expelling in wispy plumes.
Almost there...
Suddenly, the massive, meaty thigh of Blockbuster slammed down in front of them, blanketing the mutants in a layer of freezing snow. The X-Men skidded to a stop. Blockbuster shook his head from side to side.
Sinister’s maniacal howling ceased and he once again began his approach. At the fence, he lifted a handle and pushed open a section of fencing.
“Oh, come now. Even we mutants are civilized enough to use doors.” Sinister closed and locked it behind him continuing his menacing march toward the disoriented mutants, his twisted smile growing larger with every step.
Sinister finally arrived and stood next to Blockbuster, whose rasping breath seemed to shake the ground.
As a group, the X-Men began to slowly back away from the two Marauders, edging closer to the roar of Arethusa Falls. Nightcrawler’s heel teetered over the edge and after fighting for balance, he toppled over, falling down the rocky chasm. Instantly, in a puff of smoke, he teleported back to the cliff with the rest of the group.
“Halt!” he yelled.
The X-Men stopped their backward approach at the edge. The overpowering scream of the waterfall was almost deafening, as hundreds of gallons of water crashed down the two hundred foot dropevery second.
Sinister stopped in front of them, peering at each one, studying their faces. Lastly, his eyes rested upon Gambit.
“Well, Gambit,” Sinister began. “It took you long enough to arrive, but I suppose I should thank you for at least getting the job done.”
Gambit’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
Wolverine glanced at him guardedly.
What...?
“Now that I have the X-Men, there will be no opposition. Freedom to kidnap whomever I wish. But I couldn’t have done it without your help, Gambit. The information you provided was essential. I find myself in your debt. Again”
The Cajun! The spy...
Jean turned to Gambit. She tried to see his face, but the high collar of his jacket hid him from view.
“Gambit?”
The Cajun didn’t move.
How could he do this?
“Why, yes. ‘Gambit’. Honestly, I’m baffled that not one of you came to that conclusion after what happened earlier...” Sinister said, grinning.
That little Cajun rat...
“Wie? What do you mean?” Nightcrawler hissed.
He was playin’ us all along...
Sinister chuckled. “Not very perceptive, are we? Perhaps you were too preoccupied with my Marauders to notice your friend candidly giving the girl to Sabretooth.”
Blockbuster smiled.
Gambit stared at Sinister, but made no move to contradict him.
Sinister began talking again, but Wolverine was too caught up in his thoughts to hear any of it.
...He was playin’ me!
Unsheathing his claws, Wolverine screamed as loudly as he could, louder than the rushing water.
Sinister abruptly stopped talking and watched as Logan darted past him.
Gambit simply stared at the raging mutant, eyes focused on the moonlight reflecting off of the Adamantium claws.
Jean and Beast yelled at Wolverine to stop, but he was too deafened with anger to hear.
Gambit attempted too lateto jump out of the way as Wolverine’s clawed hand swung past him. The Cajun gasped and his eyes widened. He brought his hand down to his chest where a single, bloody gash was cut into his chest.
Gambit’s breath rushed out of his lungs and his feet slid in the slippery snow as he stumbled. Suddenly, he began to sway, swinging his arms for balance. The heels of his boots were held freely above the 200-foot drop of Arethusa Falls.
As Gambit fell backward, he reached out, grabbing for Wolverine, but his hands were too far away. The Cajun made no sound as he fell and disappeared into the white foam at the bottom of the waterfall.
Wolverine’s rigid face slowly relaxed as the mutant vanished from sight. He stood, looking down the cliff face for a moment, breathing hard.
The hint of a smirk formed at the corners of Sinister’s lips.
Jean Grey stood motionless, stupefied by the events. Wolverine turned to look at her, and she caught his gaze. He quickly looked away, attempting to hide the tears forming in his eyes as his legs collapsed beneath him.
Jean turned around and was reminded that Sinister was still standing behind them. She looked past him and saw the Blackbird, an easy escape. She placed her right hand on her temple.
Wolverine only vaguely heard Jean Grey’s mentally projected words in his head.
Everyone, we need to make a break for the Blackbird, now! Beast, you’re going to have to grab Logan.
Wolverine immediately felt the warm hands of Beast scoop him up, but he suddenly felt too exhausted to protest. The mutants quickly ran past Sinister and Blockbuster.
Wolverine watched as the distance to the cliff rapidly grew. The sound of the gurgling falls grew quieter.
Blockbuster grunted and spun toward the fleeing mutants, but Sinister slammed a hand on his shoulder.
“Let them go.”
After the X-Men entered, the ramp descended and the engines roared to life. The clearing was lit with bright, white light as the jet rose and took off.
Sinister brushed snowflakes off of his sleeves.
“And then there were four.”
He spun around and walked back to the facility, his boots crunching in the snow. Blockbuster followed closely behind.
The two figures disappeared into the early morning haze.
***
Gambit splashed into the white foam at the bottom of the screaming waterfall. His body was plunged underneath the surf and he gasped as the freezing water engulfed him. He opened his eyes, seeing only blackness. Eventually, Gambit hit the bottom and his right calf was cut on a jagged rock. The weight of his clothing pulled him down even further, but he struggled to resurface. Using his arms and his legs for all they were worth, he paddled upwards.
The Cajun gasped for breath as his head emerged from the frigid water. He strained himself to keep his balance as the swirling rapids pushed him downstream, away from the mouth of Arethusa Falls. He was pushed around a rocky corner and down a slight decline.
Mon Dieu...
The approaching section of the river was filled with enormous, jagged boulders, resting peacefully in the substrate, and Gambit was hurtling toward them. He managed to dodge the first two rocks, paddling to the left as they neared. However, the next stone caught his right arm, tearing through the brown fabric and skin. Gambit winced in pain, but willed himself to employ the injured limb to avoid the next two rocks.
He rounded another bend and gasped in horror at what he saw. A grey boulder rose six feet out of the water and took up half the length of the river. The water crashed around its edges with a deafening roar. The Cajun strove to swim away from encrusted slab of earth, but the current drew him directly towards it.
Gambit slammed into the giant rock, and the world turned to black.
***
He woke up coughing, streams of water pouring out of his lungs. He choked on the water, sat up, and vomited. Gambit wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked around. The river had turned into a small stream. Two-inches of clear water gently babbled over the red and brown stones that made up the streambed where Gambit sat. The crashing of the mighty Arethusa Falls could only faintly be heard in the distance now, accompanied by the quiet howl of the wind. Gambit’s chin began to tremble as his teeth clicked together.
I got t’get outta dis wata’...
The mutant slowly stood up, yelping in pain as his weight rested on his injured right leg. He fell back down and looked at his calf. Parting the ripped fabric, he saw a piece of rock embedded in his flesh. He closed his eyes and grabbed the stone. With teeth clinched, he yanked the shard out of his leg, stifling a whimper though there was no one to hear him. Gambit brought the rock to his face and saw that his blood blanketed less than half an inch of it.
It not so bad...
He dipped his hand into the frigid water and dripped some onto the wound.
Again, Gambit willed himself to his feet, wobbling. After gaining his footing and ignoring the throbbing pain in his legs, he walked to the grassy bank. The seven steps it took to reach the grass wore him out entirely. He sat back down, panting. He held his head back and looked up at the twinkling stars situated in the night sky.
Logan pushed me over...His face, it was so...hurt...Ah hurt ‘im. Me. All ‘cause of tha’ damn kiss! He was mopin’ around ever since den...I’s all my fault! An’ Ah din’t get ‘da girl. Sinister was right...Ah couln’t save ‘er...my fault...
Gambit hung his head and began to weep quietly, his shoulders bobbing with each whimper. The Cajun felt the tears on his cheek cool rapidly in the frigid air and he wiped them away.
Okay. Ah gotta get back to da mansion. Ah’m gon’ get my t’ings. An’ leave fo’ good.
Once again, Gambit attempted to pull himself off of the ground and stand up. The injury to his leg and his exhaustion caused him to fall back down, and the emotional trauma, seeing Wolverine’s scowling face every two seconds, took away his will to keep trying.
Ah...ah can’t do it...Ah too tired...
Gambit brushed the tops of the blades of grass with his hand.
Ah don’t know ‘ow Ah’m ever gon’ make it back...
***
After they returned to the Xavier mansion, the X-Men searched through it for the Professor, wanting to report what had happened. After a frantic and unnerving exploration, they found the Professor lying on the floor of the War Room in front of his computer. Beast took him to the infirmary and noticed that Storm, who had vowed to stay in the infirmary and watch over the injured mutants, was gone. Beast planned to place the Professor on the counter, due to the lack of empty beds, but was surprised by the presence of a free bed next to Cyclops. Rogue was gone as well.
Eventually, to the relief of the X-Men, the Professor woke up. He explained the events leading up to his loss of consciousness. He had been working at the War Room computer when a shadow fell across the screen. He had turned to look, but had been struck before he could register the face of his assailant.
As the X-Men combed the War Room, searching for any signs leading to the identity of the attacker, Storm entered the room behind them. A pallid and disheveled Storm who fell into a nearby chair as the X-Men rushed over to her, confused and curious.
Storm explained that after their attempt to save the third child, the Marauders had captured her. They had sent their shape-shifting mutant, Mystique, to pose as Storm and the X-Men carried her back to the mansion. Storm was taken back to the Marauders hideout, tied up and drugged until, not an hour ago, Sinister had approached her and simply let her go, claiming she was no longer needed. Storm used every ounce of her remaining strength to soar back to the Institute.
The ruse seemed obvious enough. Mystique had waited patiently in the infirmary, disguised right under the X-Men’s noses, until she could awake and freely explore the mansion. The previous mission had cleared the Xavier Institute of any able-bodied X-Men, and Mystique was free to take her prize: the helpless body of her daughter.
Beast walked over to the War Room’s computers in order to check the surveillance cameras. When he tried to log in, however, the system shut down. After a quick look at the mainframe, Beast concluded that Mystique had placed a virus in the computer, and had quite possibly accessed the classified data kept there as well. Beast would have to reconfigure the entire system to get it back up and running. He didn’t know how long it would take.
Xavier stated that he would use Cerebro in an attempt to learn the location of Rogue and her captor. He entered the empty, sterile room and wheeled down the walkway. The Professor lifted the helmet and gasped in shock as he discovered that the cables connecting the helmet to the machine were severed and the rest of the circuitry was mangled horribly. Xavier instructed Jean to contact Forge to help with the repair of Cerebro.
Wolverine decided to track Mystique’s scent, typically neglecting to tell anyone. Logan hopped onto his motorcycle and left the garage, immediately picking up the shape-shifter’s trail, as well as the familiar aroma of Rogue along with it.
After a couple hours, it dawned on Beast to tell the Professor of the incidents at Arethusa Falls. Xavier was distraught and suggested a search party be constructed; however, Beast explained how much work was to be done at the mansion. Cerebro needed to be fixed, the computer system needed to be restored, and the patients in the infirmary needed to be cared for. So, Xavier suggested that Nightcrawler take the smaller, two-seater aircraft, The Raven, out and look for him. The German scampered to the hangar and took off.
Forge arrived at the Xavier Mansion and was lead to Cerebro. He whistled in surprise when he glimpsed the intricate workings of the machine and said that he would need some help in attempting a repair. Jean gladly volunteered.
Nightcrawler returned later that morning with no news to report, then relieved Beast in the infirmary so the doctor could return to the disaster that was the Institute’s computer.
Wolverine followed Mystique’s scent all morning but gave up after losing it five miles west of the mansion. He decided that he needed a drink. However, no bar was open that early in the morning. On his way back to the mansion, he stopped in at a supermarket and picked up a six-pack of beer. Logan walked out into the empty parking lot, sat down on a car-stop in one of the stalls, and drank it all. Then he went back in and bought more.
The X-Men were so preoccupied with the chaotic repairs that they didn’t notice they were all starving until late that afternoon. Within an hour five large pizzas showed up at the door.
At one point, Beast called the mutants over to the computer, saying that he believed he was about to fix the problem. A moment later, though, the screen faded to black, and Beast apologized.
Logan walked into the mansion in the early evening and went up to his room. Jean called out to him from the kitchen as she cleaned up the pizza boxes, but he did not acknowledge her.
Evening became night and the X-Men made little progress. Tired and stressed, Forge, Jean, and Nightcrawler decided to turn in. Beast, however, wiped his eyes and said that he would work through the night. They all commended him and wished him luck.
***
Wolverine rubbed his temples as he recollected the events of the past 16 hours.
He sat on his bed in the darkness, head hanging limply between his knees. As a wave of dizziness overcame him, he fell backward onto his pillow. He wasn’t sure if it was Gambit or the beer, but his head had been pounding for an hour and he was very tired. Wolverine stared up at the blackened ceiling and sighed.
A knock at the door sent a stabbing pain through his skull.
“Logan? It’s Jean. Can I come in?” a suppressed voice called from behind the door.
Wolverine sighed. “Yup.”
The knob turned and the door opened, spilling yellow light from the hall into the room. Logan closed his eyes and grimaced.
Jean walked over to Wolverine’s bed and sat down on the end.
“Logan? What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Jean asked.
Wolverine didn’t move.
“Logan, first you and Gambit were inseparable. Then you stopped talking to each other. And now you...and now this. Something is going on here. I want to know what it is! What has happened between you two!”
Wolverine sat up and looked her in the eye, trying to get her to back off. She didn’t take the hint.
“Logan...you can trust me. Just tell me...”
He did trust Jean on the battlefield, but this was different. Still, it would be nice to talk to someone. His own thoughts weren’t sorting themselves out well at all.
Wolverine cleared his throat. “He...One time he...” Wolverine tilted his head to the side and looked at the floor. “Jean...He...c’mon...”
Jean Grey stared at him, silently urging him to continue.
“Hekissedme.”
Wolverine’s quick, jumbled response was difficult to decipher, but Jean managed it.
“Oh. Oh, I see.” Jean complimented herself on her accurate instincts.
“And now, after what Sinister said...It’s like he was toyin’ with me!”
Jean sat and listened patiently.
“But it felt so real when he did it! And we were gettin’ along before that! And that kid! You saw Gambit’s face after we lost the kid, right? That seemed real, too! And when Sinister accused ‘im! You see his face then?”
“Then, why did you...?”
“Because I...Sinister...Well, what if Sinister’s right?”
Tears formed at the corners of Wolverine’s eyes, sparkling in the dim light. He dropped his head between his knees, and Jean put her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him.
“Logan? Do you think Sinister’s right? Do you think Gambit is a traitor?”
Wolverine looked down at the carpeted floor. The image of Gambit’s smiling face while he talked about his childhood over dinner formed in Wolverine’s head. The sound of Gambit’s muffled giggling, when Logan stubbed his toe and spilled the juice, resonated in Wolverine’s ears. The feeling of Gambit’s kiss replayed across Wolverine’s lips.
Wolverine sat up.
“No...”
A faint grin formed at the corners of Jean’s mouth.
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you think he truly betrayed you?”
“No, I don’t!” Wolverine said, voice suddenly rising.
Jean leaned close to his ear.
“Then go,” she whispered. “Go and find him. Get him back.”
Logan sprung up from the bed and ran to the door. He stopped and turned around.
“Thank you, Jeanny.”
Jean Grey smiled and nodded back.
Wolverine disappeared.
***
Gambit carefully lowered himself to the sidewalk and handed the driver a slightly soggy wad of bills. With a soft groan, he heaved the door shut and began walking the remaining two blocks to the Institute. Watching his surroundings carefully, he cautiously entered the mansion grounds and waited for the opportune moment to slip inside.
Continue to Chapter 8
“Come in,” Xavier said, his voice muffled from the thick mahogany.
Jean twisted the knob and slowly opened the door, wincing at the prolonged whine of the old hinges.
Charles Xavier turned his wheelchair to greet her.
“Oh, Jean. I wasn’t expecting you,” he said, smiling.
“Yeah, right, Professor. You knew I was coming before I even thought about it,” Jean responded, the hint of a smile quivering on her lips.
Xavier gave a soft chuckle. He adored Jean Grey; he considered her a daughter. Ever since he entered Jean’s mind and saved her from catatonia all those years ago, he’d felt a paternal bond. Jean was also his first student. After tutoring her, Xavier discovered a love for assisting mutants in controlling and developing their powers. As the years passed, Jean had become more and more powerful. Constantly asking questions and ready to learn, Jean rose to the top in telekinetic ability, second only to the Professor himself. He couldn’t have been prouder of her.
“What can I do for you, Jean?” he asked.
“Professor, I saw Gambit in the hangar earlier. He was sitting on top of the Blackbird, just looking out the window. He seemed...have you noticed a change in his behavior?”
Jean considered Xavier a father. He was the only person in the world to help her when she was young; the only person in the world with the ability to help her. She studied extensively one-on-one with Xavier and absorbed every bit of information presented to her; she felt eternally in debt to him for teaching her how to broaden her mutant powers, but the Professor would never ask for payment. Xavier was her idol.
The Professor nodded. “I have, Jean. I’m not completely sure why, but I believe it has something to do with the child that we lost. However...I would guess that there is another conflict within him, as well.” Xavier stroked his chin, staring fixedly at his desk. He snapped out of his daze. “Well, with any luck, we’ll have the girl in our possession by nightfall. Perhaps even by this afternoon. But...” He trailed off.
Jean lowered her eyebrows. “What is it, Professor?”
“Jean, I...” He wheeled his way to her side. “I need you to be alert once we depart. I need you to be ready to take control at a moment’s notice. If anything should go wrong-”
“Professor,” Jean cut him off. “We’re just going in to scout first. We’ll see what we can see and then we’ll discuss action.”
“Yes.” The Professor nodded. “Yes, you’re absolutely right. However...I feel...” Xavier stared out of a nearby window.
She had never seen him like this.
Something’s wrong here.
She placed a hand on his shoulder.
“Professor...what’s the matter?” Jean asked tentatively. Xavier had always been calm and confident. She had never seen an open expression of doubt from him.
“I, I sense something... I’m not sure what. Jean, just promise me you’ll be alert today. It may be nothing at all, but I feel...uneasy.” He shook his head and smiled. “Oh, I’m sure it’s nothing. It will be fine.” He grabbed her hand, stroking it. Xavier glanced at the grandfather clock in the corner of the room. It read 2:46. “You’ll be departing soon. You should get ready. Just keep your guard up. You’re the X-Men. You’ll be fine. I, on the other hand, must get ready for a meeting in Washington starting at 7:00. It’s the preliminary hearing for the Anti-Mutant Marriage Law and I will fight this absurdity with every fiber in my body. Discrimination against evolution and the natural feelings of love is outright absurdity. Anyway, I’ll see you all this afternoon. Good luck.”
Xavier’s small doubts had rubbed off on Jean, casting a gloom on her usual optimism.
We were the X-Men when we were fighting earlier, too.
Jean stared down at the man and nodded. “Ok, Professor.” She bent over and kissed Xavier on the cheek, unable to shake the cold dread filling her being. She could not sense what Xaiver was referring to, but she would never doubt his perceptions.
With a departing smile, Jean Grey walked toward the door, repeating Xavier’s words the whole way.
It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine. It will be fine.
***
“And after this one cycles through once more, you can leave it be. It’s automatic, administering the proper dosage every fifteen, twenty minutes,” Beast explained to Storm, pointing to a machine connected to Cyclops’ IV.
Storm had heard about the upcoming mission from Beast just minutes before and volunteered to watch over the infirmary for him. Since she was still not in top form, Storm seemed to be the perfect candidate to keep an eye on Cyclops and Rogue, who was still unconscious. As well as Bobby, who was milking his injured leg for all it was worth. Since being confined to the infirmary bed mere hours earlier, the young mutants had scored himself a 22” TV, a DVD player, an enormous stereo system, piles of CDs and Penthouse magazines -all donations from annoyed teammates looking for peace and quiet- in addition to a (grudging) promise from an intermittently lucid Scott to get the keys to the McLaren for an hour as soon as he could drive again. Out of exasperation rather than medical integrity Beast permitted Bobby to keep all the toys at his bedside.
Storm’s help would allow Beast to aid in the reconnaissance mission.
The soft, repetitious beeping from Scott’s heart monitor kept the two informed of his condition. Beast had explained which fluctuations were normal and which weren’t. Storm nodded, constantly acknowledging every minute instruction from the ardent doctor.
“You can run diagnostics by pushing-”
“This one here?” Storm asked, pointing to a glowing green button.
“Yes, that’s the one. You seem to be catching on rather quickly.” Beast exposed a toothy grin.
“Well, you’ve been teaching me, Hank. You’ve shown me many things over time. I have to thank you for that,” she said.
Beast was slightly shaken by Storm’s fervent gratitude, but he quickly recovered and chuckled softly. “As Julius Cesar once said, ‘Experience is the teacher of all things’. You’ll get plenty of practice today.”
Beast placed a pair of scalpels in a drawer beneath the counter. “In all honesty, we will probably be back before lunch. We are only going in to have a quick look around, if I understood correctly.”
Storm looked over at Cyclops, lying on the stretcher. “So, how is he really doing?”
“Hm?” Beast looked over his shoulder at her. “Oh, he’s...stable. Of course, he’s unconscious, so don’t jostle him. Still has an aggravated trachea. You’ll hear him coughing from time to time. Nothing you can really do about it. Obviously, he can’t drink. That’s why he is attached to the intravenous line. Let’s see...he’s still suffering from a high fever. Last time I checked, the thermometer read 39.5 degrees Celsius...” Beast executed a quick calculation in his head. “About 103 degrees Fahrenheit.”
“Should I lay a cool cloth on his head periodically?” Storm asked.
“That would be marvelous,” Beast responded. “Oh! That reminds me.” Beast walked over to the counter and picked up a clipboard. “Every twenty or so minutes, would you be good enough to continue this log of Cyclops’ body temperature? All you have to do is write down the time and look at the thermometer.” He picked up a pencil from the counter and glanced up at a wall clock. “Right now it’s 2:47 a.m. and his temperature is...what did I say? 39.5 degrees Celsius?” He wrote the number down.
“Of course I can,” Storm responded coolly.
He walked over to Storm. “Mainly, you just need to keep an eye on him. If something does happen, say he goes into cardiac arrest or respiration ceases, then the paddles are behind the bed, as you know. We’ve been over it. I’m sure nothing will happen, though. He’s been lying there like a stone for the past few hours. But, I trust you in case of an emergency, Storm.” He placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I’d never let you down, Hank.”
Beast smiled. “All right, then.” He looked around the lab once more. “I believe that’s everything. Do you have any questions?”
“No. I don’t believe so,” Storm responded.
“Fantastic. Well, then, we’ll be taking off in a few minutes. The house is all yours,” Beast stated.
Storm smiled. “Wonderful. Good luck, this morning.”
“Thank you, Storm. Goodbye,” Beast said as he walked toward the door.
“Bye.” Storm grinned as she waved.
***
At 2:54 a.m., the X-Men entered the Blackbird. One by one, they filed in and found a seat. Beast and Jean Grey sat in the cockpit, punching buttons. Gambit was the last mutant to enter. He looked around the interior quickly, noticing Nightcrawler sitting in a chair and Wolverine standing in the back of the jet, arms crossed, looking out of a small window. Gambit sat down opposite Nightcrawler, reached into his pocket and brought out a single card, which he continually threw back and forth in his gloved hands.
At the front of the jet, Jean asked “Do you remember how to fly this thing, Doctor?”
“It’s been quite some time, but I believe I can manage. That is, once I discover how to turn it on...” With a swift hand, Beast punched several glowing buttons. The engine roared to life, powerful yet quiet. “Ah. That would be it.”
She chuckled and rose from her chair. Jean walked down the aisle and sat next to Kurt, fastening her belt. Nightcrawler edged forward, looking past Jean, studying Gambit’s aloof attitude. He casually peered behind him at Logan, still staring out the window at the cold, metal walls of the hangar.
“Is everything gut here?” he whispered to Jean.
“I’m not sure. They’ve been moping around lately. Let’s just let it be for now,” she quietly replied.
“Okay.” Nightcrawler nodded.
At the front of the plane, Beast was frantically pushing buttons and flipping switches. Abruptly, he stopped, leaning back in his chair, the springs giving a soft creak.
“All right. I’m just waiting for the Professor to send us the exact coordinates and then we’ll take off. It shouldn’t be too long,” Beast announced.
The sixty seconds it took for the coordinates to arrive seemed like hours. The tension between the mutants could have been cut with a knife. Jean uneasily shifted her weight in her seat, praying for the directions to arrive soon.
A beep emanated from the front of the jet.
Xavier’s voice erupted from a speaker towards the back of the Blackbird.
“I apologize for the delay, but I had to be certain of this location. But this is it. Now remember, this is a reconnaissance mission. No fighting unless it is absolutely necessary. Scout the area, look for entrances into the facility and, if possible, discover the location of the children. Good luck, X-Men.”
Beast looked at a small screen on the control panel.
“Here we are. We are heading to Arethusa Falls, near Livermore, New Hampshire. The facility is located about an eighth of a mile from the waterfall. Is everyone ready?”
Nightcrawler was the only one who replied verbally. Jean nodded.
“Okay, then. Here we go!”
Through the front windows of the Blackbird, the hangar doors parted, sending a loud roar echoing throughout the room. With a soft hum, the jet lifted from the ground, sailing slowly to the exposed, cloudless night sky. Once clear of the doors, the jet maneuvered itself to face east and then it sped through the atmosphere, silver moonlight reflecting off of the metal.
“ETA twelve minutes,” Beast shouted to the crew.
Again, silence ensued.
Gambit continued to fiddle with his card, while Wolverine tinkered with his claws.
Jean Grey couldn’t stand the awkwardness any longer.
“Hey, Gambit, when we get back, why don’t we all play a game of Bour...Ber...”
“Bourée, chère,” Gambit responded, turning toward her. He put his card back in his pocket. Jean hoped Gambit was starting to warm up. But instead, he simply crossed his legs and stared at the back of the chair in front of him.
Wolverine glanced at Gambit midway into the flight, trying to appear casual. Gambit wiped his right eye, leaving a faint trail of shimmering liquid on his cheek, and Logan’s heart skipped a beat, but he turned and looked back out the window before Gambit could catch him staring.
The Blackbird jolted slightly, forcing Wolverine to reach out for the wall to keep his balance.
“Sorry,” Beast called. “Jean, could you hit the stabilizer, please?”
Jean rose from her seat and returned to the control panel, scanning the numerous buttons and coming up empty.
“Um...I’m sorry, which is the...? I don’t do the flying around here. It’s all new to me,” Jean replied, smiling.
Beast chuckled. “I believe it is a red...yes, it’s the one by your right hand. Just push it, if you would be so kind. Thank you.”
She did and the tilted jet corrected itself.
“We’re almost at our destination. You can see it now if you look out the right of the Blackbird,” Beast said.
Nightcrawler unfastened his seatbelt and walked to the cockpit, standing behind Beast and Jean. Wolverine peered out of the small window next to him and saw the roaring waterfall.
“So, that’s Arethusa Falls? Wunderschön.” Nightcrawler hissed.
“That’s it. The largest waterfall in the state. Approximately 200 feet of falling water. And what is our altitude?” He eyed the altimeter. “Its peak is approximately two miles from the ground. Amazing.”
The others stared, fixated by the falling water. The water, still not frozen from the cooling temperature, pooled at the bottom, expelling mist into the air.
“But our objective should be visible, as well. Everyone search toward the north,” Beast instructed.
The snow, lit by the pale moon, acquired a silverish-blue hue, almost masking the old, grey facility, set up in a clearing, about 650 feet north of the Falls. Icicles hung from the roof of the old, metal building. A single, naked light bulb was turned on near the metal door. There was no visible action on the premises.
"That would be it,” Beast said.
“That?” asked Jean. “Isn’t it kind of small?”
“The facility actually extends several floors beneath the surface according to the Professor,” Beast informed them. “It used to house copper, lead and zinc, but it was abandoned fifteen years ago, when the minerals started to become scarce in the vicinity."
He pointed to an open area between the facility and the waterfall. “That looks like an ideal spot to touch down.”
As the Blackbird slowly and silently descended, Gambit stood up and brushed himself off, squaring his shoulders with determination. He was ready to get little Mia back. It was all he needed to think about. He clenched his fists.
“And remember everyone,” Beast said, “as Charles Lamb once said, ‘The greatest pleasure I know, is to do a good action by stealth, and to have it found out by accident’.”
The Blackbird quietly landed, sending up a plume of powdery snow and the engine died.
***
The ramp descended, burying itself in the three inches of snow, and the X-Men cautiously exited the craft. Gambit was the first out, squinting his eyes as snow flakes blew past in the wind. Without preamble he sprinted the short distance to the chain-link fence surrounding the ominous compound the Professor had defined as Sinister’s stronghold. It was nestled in the bottom of a shallow canyon, a tiny plateau surrounded on three sides by steep slopes, and on the fourth by a drop-off to the river some hundred feet below.The building itself resembled a decrepit schoolhouse: windows ringed the sides, though few had glass and most were boarded, and the red bricks were decaying so badly a portion of the rear of the facility had collapsed. Though, rather than frolicking children, large metal crates of indeterminable usage littered the grounds, and the front door was a thick and menacing steel affair.
Gambit waved for the others to join him.
Beast stepped into the snow, shivering.
“Oh, this was most unwise. I don’t even have footwear, let alone pants.”
In a cloud of acrid smoke, Nightcrawler appeared next to them, crouching to avoid the biting wind.
Wolverine scanned the perimeterwarily, his nose twitching. The full moon gave offa soft glow, bathing the landscape in white light, and errant snowflakes brushed Logan’s skin and melted on his cheek. He sniffed again and with a grunt, he covered the short distance and regrouped with the others.
He looked over at Gambit and noticed the lack of expression on his face. His usual flaming red eyes were lifeless and his mouth was down-turned.
“We gotta jump da’ fence,” Gambit declared in a whisper.
“Cajun, don’tcha think yer takin’ this too fast? Ya haven’t even checked the area,” Wolverine hissed.
“Der ain’t nothin’ dere. I’s fine. Lez go.”
Gambit gracefully hopped over the fence, brown coat flapping behind him. He landed in the snow without a sound and sprinted to a nearby pile of crates.
One by one, the mutants jumped the fence, and took cover behind the boxes.
“Bon. Okay, c’mon.”
Gambit turned toward the building, but Wolverine grabbed his coat sleeve and held his wrist tightly.
“Cajun, stop! We can’t keep chargin’ up like this. This is an important mission. Ya ain’t thinkin’ clearly.” Wolverine lowered his voice. “If it’s about earlier...”
“I’s fine, Logan! Dere ain’t nothin’ out ‘ere!” He shook Wolverine’s arm away. “Okay, c’mon e’ybody.” He took off running toward the small building. Jean, Beast, and Nightcrawler followed closely behind, however Wolverine stayed behind the crates.
Why’s he want to get there so fast? Cajun knows better than t’charge blindly. Hell, he’s a thief.
Nightcrawler turned back.
“Psst, Wolverine.”
Wolverine nodded and ran to join him. They caught up withthe other X-Men on the side of the building, flattening themselves against the red bricks.
Gambit rounded the corner and saw the entrance, large enough for even the burliest custodian to walk through, mop held aloft.
“Wolverine,” he whispered, waving his hand.
Logan approached the door and rested his hand on the heavy metal handle.
Gambit reached into his coat pocket and pulled out an Ace of Hearts.
“Trois.”
Nightcrawler teleported onto the roof.
“Deux.”
Wolverine tightened his grip.
“U-”
The metal door burst outward, hinges flying through the air, sending Wolverine propelling backward. He crashed into the snow, sliding into the cold metal of a crate.
Sabretooth emerged from the doorway, grinningferociously.
“Mornin’, everyone. Took you long enough to get here.”
Expectin’ us?
Wolverine jumped up from the snow, unsheathing his claws.
“Oh, ready for another go, old man?” Sabretooth cracked his knuckles. “I’ve been waitin’ all night for this.” The savage mutant roared and charged.
Logan jumped out of the rampagingmutant’s path and watched with grim amusement as Sabretooth skidded to a stop and turned around for a second run. Beast intercepted his path from the left, slamming into the behemoth with a grunt, and the furry pair hurtled to the ground. Beast landed on top, but Sabretooth kicked him into the air before he could catch his breath. Luckily, the blue mutant landed gracefully on his feet.
Nightcrawler closed his eyes, concentrating, and vanished from the roof, appearing on Sabretooth’s left shoulder. Knowing the immense difference in strengthKurt resorted tograbbing the mutant’s mane and tugging. Sabretooth shrieked and batted his arms wildly, trying to hit the X-Man. Jean Grey ran at the preoccupied villain and kicked him in the gutsending him to the ground. Beast climbed on top of a stack of steel crates and gracefully leapt to join Kurt on top of Sabretooth.
Gambit pulled a card out of his coat. “Henri, Ni’crawla’, ‘eads up!”
The glowing card cut through the air. Beast and Nightcrawler jumped off of the mutant as the card made contact. A red explosion engulfed Sabretooth, who fell over backwards, coughing in the smoke.
Jean closed her eyes and, with careful concentration, lifted one of the metal crates into the air. The shadow hovered over Sabretooth. He opened his eyes and gasped.
“Nooooo!”
Jean dropped the crate and it slammed into the ground, powdery snow exploding around it.
The X-Men stood in shaken silence, panting and wary. They relaxed slightly when further enemies failed to appear. The mood was shattered, however, by the sound of ironic clapping.
Standing in the vacant doorway, under the harsh glow of the naked bulb, was Sinister.
“Well done. Well done,” he hissed through his toothy grin.
Wolverine held his breath.
Can’t get much better than this...
The X-Men clustered together.
“Very impressive,” Sinister rasped. He took a massive step forward, his boot crunching in the snow.
“Guys...” Jean hissed under her breath.
Wolverine nodded. “On three,” he replied.
Sinister approached even closer.
“Three!”
The X-Men spun around, scrambled up the gentle slope, and jumped over the fence. They landed on the opposite side almost in unisonand began racing toward the idle Blackbird. Behind them Sinister began to laugh.
“Run, little X-Men! Run!” he chortled.
The frantic, crunching footsteps echoed through the canyon as the X-Men drew closer to the jet, their breath expelling in wispy plumes.
Almost there...
Suddenly, the massive, meaty thigh of Blockbuster slammed down in front of them, blanketing the mutants in a layer of freezing snow. The X-Men skidded to a stop. Blockbuster shook his head from side to side.
Sinister’s maniacal howling ceased and he once again began his approach. At the fence, he lifted a handle and pushed open a section of fencing.
“Oh, come now. Even we mutants are civilized enough to use doors.” Sinister closed and locked it behind him continuing his menacing march toward the disoriented mutants, his twisted smile growing larger with every step.
Sinister finally arrived and stood next to Blockbuster, whose rasping breath seemed to shake the ground.
As a group, the X-Men began to slowly back away from the two Marauders, edging closer to the roar of Arethusa Falls. Nightcrawler’s heel teetered over the edge and after fighting for balance, he toppled over, falling down the rocky chasm. Instantly, in a puff of smoke, he teleported back to the cliff with the rest of the group.
“Halt!” he yelled.
The X-Men stopped their backward approach at the edge. The overpowering scream of the waterfall was almost deafening, as hundreds of gallons of water crashed down the two hundred foot dropevery second.
Sinister stopped in front of them, peering at each one, studying their faces. Lastly, his eyes rested upon Gambit.
“Well, Gambit,” Sinister began. “It took you long enough to arrive, but I suppose I should thank you for at least getting the job done.”
Gambit’s eyes widened and his mouth dropped.
Wolverine glanced at him guardedly.
What...?
“Now that I have the X-Men, there will be no opposition. Freedom to kidnap whomever I wish. But I couldn’t have done it without your help, Gambit. The information you provided was essential. I find myself in your debt. Again”
The Cajun! The spy...
Jean turned to Gambit. She tried to see his face, but the high collar of his jacket hid him from view.
“Gambit?”
The Cajun didn’t move.
How could he do this?
“Why, yes. ‘Gambit’. Honestly, I’m baffled that not one of you came to that conclusion after what happened earlier...” Sinister said, grinning.
That little Cajun rat...
“Wie? What do you mean?” Nightcrawler hissed.
He was playin’ us all along...
Sinister chuckled. “Not very perceptive, are we? Perhaps you were too preoccupied with my Marauders to notice your friend candidly giving the girl to Sabretooth.”
Blockbuster smiled.
Gambit stared at Sinister, but made no move to contradict him.
Sinister began talking again, but Wolverine was too caught up in his thoughts to hear any of it.
...He was playin’ me!
Unsheathing his claws, Wolverine screamed as loudly as he could, louder than the rushing water.
Sinister abruptly stopped talking and watched as Logan darted past him.
Gambit simply stared at the raging mutant, eyes focused on the moonlight reflecting off of the Adamantium claws.
Jean and Beast yelled at Wolverine to stop, but he was too deafened with anger to hear.
Gambit attempted too lateto jump out of the way as Wolverine’s clawed hand swung past him. The Cajun gasped and his eyes widened. He brought his hand down to his chest where a single, bloody gash was cut into his chest.
Gambit’s breath rushed out of his lungs and his feet slid in the slippery snow as he stumbled. Suddenly, he began to sway, swinging his arms for balance. The heels of his boots were held freely above the 200-foot drop of Arethusa Falls.
As Gambit fell backward, he reached out, grabbing for Wolverine, but his hands were too far away. The Cajun made no sound as he fell and disappeared into the white foam at the bottom of the waterfall.
Wolverine’s rigid face slowly relaxed as the mutant vanished from sight. He stood, looking down the cliff face for a moment, breathing hard.
The hint of a smirk formed at the corners of Sinister’s lips.
Jean Grey stood motionless, stupefied by the events. Wolverine turned to look at her, and she caught his gaze. He quickly looked away, attempting to hide the tears forming in his eyes as his legs collapsed beneath him.
Jean turned around and was reminded that Sinister was still standing behind them. She looked past him and saw the Blackbird, an easy escape. She placed her right hand on her temple.
Wolverine only vaguely heard Jean Grey’s mentally projected words in his head.
Everyone, we need to make a break for the Blackbird, now! Beast, you’re going to have to grab Logan.
Wolverine immediately felt the warm hands of Beast scoop him up, but he suddenly felt too exhausted to protest. The mutants quickly ran past Sinister and Blockbuster.
Wolverine watched as the distance to the cliff rapidly grew. The sound of the gurgling falls grew quieter.
Blockbuster grunted and spun toward the fleeing mutants, but Sinister slammed a hand on his shoulder.
“Let them go.”
After the X-Men entered, the ramp descended and the engines roared to life. The clearing was lit with bright, white light as the jet rose and took off.
Sinister brushed snowflakes off of his sleeves.
“And then there were four.”
He spun around and walked back to the facility, his boots crunching in the snow. Blockbuster followed closely behind.
The two figures disappeared into the early morning haze.
***
Gambit splashed into the white foam at the bottom of the screaming waterfall. His body was plunged underneath the surf and he gasped as the freezing water engulfed him. He opened his eyes, seeing only blackness. Eventually, Gambit hit the bottom and his right calf was cut on a jagged rock. The weight of his clothing pulled him down even further, but he struggled to resurface. Using his arms and his legs for all they were worth, he paddled upwards.
The Cajun gasped for breath as his head emerged from the frigid water. He strained himself to keep his balance as the swirling rapids pushed him downstream, away from the mouth of Arethusa Falls. He was pushed around a rocky corner and down a slight decline.
Mon Dieu...
The approaching section of the river was filled with enormous, jagged boulders, resting peacefully in the substrate, and Gambit was hurtling toward them. He managed to dodge the first two rocks, paddling to the left as they neared. However, the next stone caught his right arm, tearing through the brown fabric and skin. Gambit winced in pain, but willed himself to employ the injured limb to avoid the next two rocks.
He rounded another bend and gasped in horror at what he saw. A grey boulder rose six feet out of the water and took up half the length of the river. The water crashed around its edges with a deafening roar. The Cajun strove to swim away from encrusted slab of earth, but the current drew him directly towards it.
Gambit slammed into the giant rock, and the world turned to black.
***
He woke up coughing, streams of water pouring out of his lungs. He choked on the water, sat up, and vomited. Gambit wiped his mouth with the back of his hand and looked around. The river had turned into a small stream. Two-inches of clear water gently babbled over the red and brown stones that made up the streambed where Gambit sat. The crashing of the mighty Arethusa Falls could only faintly be heard in the distance now, accompanied by the quiet howl of the wind. Gambit’s chin began to tremble as his teeth clicked together.
I got t’get outta dis wata’...
The mutant slowly stood up, yelping in pain as his weight rested on his injured right leg. He fell back down and looked at his calf. Parting the ripped fabric, he saw a piece of rock embedded in his flesh. He closed his eyes and grabbed the stone. With teeth clinched, he yanked the shard out of his leg, stifling a whimper though there was no one to hear him. Gambit brought the rock to his face and saw that his blood blanketed less than half an inch of it.
It not so bad...
He dipped his hand into the frigid water and dripped some onto the wound.
Again, Gambit willed himself to his feet, wobbling. After gaining his footing and ignoring the throbbing pain in his legs, he walked to the grassy bank. The seven steps it took to reach the grass wore him out entirely. He sat back down, panting. He held his head back and looked up at the twinkling stars situated in the night sky.
Logan pushed me over...His face, it was so...hurt...Ah hurt ‘im. Me. All ‘cause of tha’ damn kiss! He was mopin’ around ever since den...I’s all my fault! An’ Ah din’t get ‘da girl. Sinister was right...Ah couln’t save ‘er...my fault...
Gambit hung his head and began to weep quietly, his shoulders bobbing with each whimper. The Cajun felt the tears on his cheek cool rapidly in the frigid air and he wiped them away.
Okay. Ah gotta get back to da mansion. Ah’m gon’ get my t’ings. An’ leave fo’ good.
Once again, Gambit attempted to pull himself off of the ground and stand up. The injury to his leg and his exhaustion caused him to fall back down, and the emotional trauma, seeing Wolverine’s scowling face every two seconds, took away his will to keep trying.
Ah...ah can’t do it...Ah too tired...
Gambit brushed the tops of the blades of grass with his hand.
Ah don’t know ‘ow Ah’m ever gon’ make it back...
***
After they returned to the Xavier mansion, the X-Men searched through it for the Professor, wanting to report what had happened. After a frantic and unnerving exploration, they found the Professor lying on the floor of the War Room in front of his computer. Beast took him to the infirmary and noticed that Storm, who had vowed to stay in the infirmary and watch over the injured mutants, was gone. Beast planned to place the Professor on the counter, due to the lack of empty beds, but was surprised by the presence of a free bed next to Cyclops. Rogue was gone as well.
Eventually, to the relief of the X-Men, the Professor woke up. He explained the events leading up to his loss of consciousness. He had been working at the War Room computer when a shadow fell across the screen. He had turned to look, but had been struck before he could register the face of his assailant.
As the X-Men combed the War Room, searching for any signs leading to the identity of the attacker, Storm entered the room behind them. A pallid and disheveled Storm who fell into a nearby chair as the X-Men rushed over to her, confused and curious.
Storm explained that after their attempt to save the third child, the Marauders had captured her. They had sent their shape-shifting mutant, Mystique, to pose as Storm and the X-Men carried her back to the mansion. Storm was taken back to the Marauders hideout, tied up and drugged until, not an hour ago, Sinister had approached her and simply let her go, claiming she was no longer needed. Storm used every ounce of her remaining strength to soar back to the Institute.
The ruse seemed obvious enough. Mystique had waited patiently in the infirmary, disguised right under the X-Men’s noses, until she could awake and freely explore the mansion. The previous mission had cleared the Xavier Institute of any able-bodied X-Men, and Mystique was free to take her prize: the helpless body of her daughter.
Beast walked over to the War Room’s computers in order to check the surveillance cameras. When he tried to log in, however, the system shut down. After a quick look at the mainframe, Beast concluded that Mystique had placed a virus in the computer, and had quite possibly accessed the classified data kept there as well. Beast would have to reconfigure the entire system to get it back up and running. He didn’t know how long it would take.
Xavier stated that he would use Cerebro in an attempt to learn the location of Rogue and her captor. He entered the empty, sterile room and wheeled down the walkway. The Professor lifted the helmet and gasped in shock as he discovered that the cables connecting the helmet to the machine were severed and the rest of the circuitry was mangled horribly. Xavier instructed Jean to contact Forge to help with the repair of Cerebro.
Wolverine decided to track Mystique’s scent, typically neglecting to tell anyone. Logan hopped onto his motorcycle and left the garage, immediately picking up the shape-shifter’s trail, as well as the familiar aroma of Rogue along with it.
After a couple hours, it dawned on Beast to tell the Professor of the incidents at Arethusa Falls. Xavier was distraught and suggested a search party be constructed; however, Beast explained how much work was to be done at the mansion. Cerebro needed to be fixed, the computer system needed to be restored, and the patients in the infirmary needed to be cared for. So, Xavier suggested that Nightcrawler take the smaller, two-seater aircraft, The Raven, out and look for him. The German scampered to the hangar and took off.
Forge arrived at the Xavier Mansion and was lead to Cerebro. He whistled in surprise when he glimpsed the intricate workings of the machine and said that he would need some help in attempting a repair. Jean gladly volunteered.
Nightcrawler returned later that morning with no news to report, then relieved Beast in the infirmary so the doctor could return to the disaster that was the Institute’s computer.
Wolverine followed Mystique’s scent all morning but gave up after losing it five miles west of the mansion. He decided that he needed a drink. However, no bar was open that early in the morning. On his way back to the mansion, he stopped in at a supermarket and picked up a six-pack of beer. Logan walked out into the empty parking lot, sat down on a car-stop in one of the stalls, and drank it all. Then he went back in and bought more.
The X-Men were so preoccupied with the chaotic repairs that they didn’t notice they were all starving until late that afternoon. Within an hour five large pizzas showed up at the door.
At one point, Beast called the mutants over to the computer, saying that he believed he was about to fix the problem. A moment later, though, the screen faded to black, and Beast apologized.
Logan walked into the mansion in the early evening and went up to his room. Jean called out to him from the kitchen as she cleaned up the pizza boxes, but he did not acknowledge her.
Evening became night and the X-Men made little progress. Tired and stressed, Forge, Jean, and Nightcrawler decided to turn in. Beast, however, wiped his eyes and said that he would work through the night. They all commended him and wished him luck.
***
Wolverine rubbed his temples as he recollected the events of the past 16 hours.
He sat on his bed in the darkness, head hanging limply between his knees. As a wave of dizziness overcame him, he fell backward onto his pillow. He wasn’t sure if it was Gambit or the beer, but his head had been pounding for an hour and he was very tired. Wolverine stared up at the blackened ceiling and sighed.
A knock at the door sent a stabbing pain through his skull.
“Logan? It’s Jean. Can I come in?” a suppressed voice called from behind the door.
Wolverine sighed. “Yup.”
The knob turned and the door opened, spilling yellow light from the hall into the room. Logan closed his eyes and grimaced.
Jean walked over to Wolverine’s bed and sat down on the end.
“Logan? What’s wrong? What’s going on?” Jean asked.
Wolverine didn’t move.
“Logan, first you and Gambit were inseparable. Then you stopped talking to each other. And now you...and now this. Something is going on here. I want to know what it is! What has happened between you two!”
Wolverine sat up and looked her in the eye, trying to get her to back off. She didn’t take the hint.
“Logan...you can trust me. Just tell me...”
He did trust Jean on the battlefield, but this was different. Still, it would be nice to talk to someone. His own thoughts weren’t sorting themselves out well at all.
Wolverine cleared his throat. “He...One time he...” Wolverine tilted his head to the side and looked at the floor. “Jean...He...c’mon...”
Jean Grey stared at him, silently urging him to continue.
“Hekissedme.”
Wolverine’s quick, jumbled response was difficult to decipher, but Jean managed it.
“Oh. Oh, I see.” Jean complimented herself on her accurate instincts.
“And now, after what Sinister said...It’s like he was toyin’ with me!”
Jean sat and listened patiently.
“But it felt so real when he did it! And we were gettin’ along before that! And that kid! You saw Gambit’s face after we lost the kid, right? That seemed real, too! And when Sinister accused ‘im! You see his face then?”
“Then, why did you...?”
“Because I...Sinister...Well, what if Sinister’s right?”
Tears formed at the corners of Wolverine’s eyes, sparkling in the dim light. He dropped his head between his knees, and Jean put her head on his shoulder, wrapping her arms around him.
“Logan? Do you think Sinister’s right? Do you think Gambit is a traitor?”
Wolverine looked down at the carpeted floor. The image of Gambit’s smiling face while he talked about his childhood over dinner formed in Wolverine’s head. The sound of Gambit’s muffled giggling, when Logan stubbed his toe and spilled the juice, resonated in Wolverine’s ears. The feeling of Gambit’s kiss replayed across Wolverine’s lips.
Wolverine sat up.
“No...”
A faint grin formed at the corners of Jean’s mouth.
“No, I don’t.”
“Do you think he truly betrayed you?”
“No, I don’t!” Wolverine said, voice suddenly rising.
Jean leaned close to his ear.
“Then go,” she whispered. “Go and find him. Get him back.”
Logan sprung up from the bed and ran to the door. He stopped and turned around.
“Thank you, Jeanny.”
Jean Grey smiled and nodded back.
Wolverine disappeared.
***
Gambit carefully lowered himself to the sidewalk and handed the driver a slightly soggy wad of bills. With a soft groan, he heaved the door shut and began walking the remaining two blocks to the Institute. Watching his surroundings carefully, he cautiously entered the mansion grounds and waited for the opportune moment to slip inside.
Continue to Chapter 8