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3. The Rescue

“His name is – WOLVERINE.”

“Wolverine?” “What sorta name is thaht?” asked Rogue.
“The same sort as Rogue” quipped Bobby, taking a swing at Rogue’s codename.
“Watch it Icey’ or Ah’ll suck ya dry” threatened Rogue.
Iceman raised his hand in mock fright. “Oooohh…I am so afraid, I am practically turning to ice here. Roguey’s on the prowl.”

“We’ll ready the teams Professor” Scott said, standing up from his chair.
“Yes,” agreed Xavier. “Storm and Forge, I’ll like both of you to sit this one out. Scott and Jean will be leading the two teams.”
“Out” Ororo was startled. “Professor you just said, this might be the most dangerous mutant we might have or will face. We could use all the help we can get.”
“Yes” “But I have a different mission for the both of you. One which is of equal importance.”
In truth, Xavier mainly needed Forge for the mission. He was sending Ororo along with him, because he knew about Ororo’s severe claustrophobia and didn’t want to expose her to the underground lab and endanger the mission.
“What is the mission Professor?” questioned Forge. He was happy that he would finally be able to spend some *alone* time with Ororo. After yesterday evening’s debacle, she seemed particularly distant and maybe even *agitated*, which was an emotion he had never experienced from her, not that she showed any other emotion for that matter.

Xavier waited for the other x-men to leave before turning to the two of them.

----

“What do you think this *Wolverine* looks like?” asked Bobby, changing into his black leather X-men uniform. “What are his powers?”
“I don’t know my friend,” answered Beast, zipping up his own jacket. “One can only imagine.”
“Well I think, he will be at least seven foot long, like Pete here,” Bobby signaled to the Russian behemoth. “And as large as him, if not larger. And he will have some kick ass power like power blasts, or control over the elements, like Storm or Magneto. He’ll be able to fly at super-speed and be indestructible and have super-strength like Rogue.”

Remy had been listening silently as Bobby Drake, described a mutant with all their powers and then some.
Chuckling lightly, he walked past Bobby and Henry. “Ya make ‘im sound like thi devil mon ami.” “I’m sure its notin’ the X-men can’t handle.”
“Gambit it might serve you better to heed the Professor’s warning and not go off like a loose cannon” said Scott.
Remy snorted at Scott’s condescending attitude. In truth, Scott and Remy had been going against one another ever since he and Ororo first came to the mansion. It was because of his Stormy that Remy didn’t explode a card or three up visor-boy’s ass.

Soon everyone had gathered outside the SR-77 ‘Blackbird’, the X-men’s primary mode of travel.
“Ok is everybody here?” asked Scott, going into full leader mode. Getting the affirmations from everyone, he continued, “Good. The attack plan is going to be like this” he began describing.
“We will land about a mile from the base and then continue on foot. Jean will maintain continuous telepathic surveillance on all the guards and try to locate our friend.” “Rogue and Colossus will take care of all the guards. According to the professor, these people pack heavy firepower. They have heavy duty, tranquilizer tipped armor piercing bullets. One bullet has enough tranquilizers to bring down an elephant. So only Rogue and Colossus will be able to face them without any harm.”

“Tranquilizer tipped armor piercing bullets….enough to bring down an elephant,” repeated Kurt. From all he had heard and read so far about this mutant, he was a bit intimidated and thanked his stars for his teleporting ability. At the same time he prayed that he would have the time and commonsense to *BAMPF* in time.

Scott noticed the nervous look on some of his teammates. In truth, the Professor’s revelation had unnerved him too. ‘This mutant is possibly the most dangerous one you have ever faced or will face for that matter.’ Xavier's words rang in his mind along with his warning to exercise extreme caution. By that, the professor meant both towards mutants and humans.

“Once Rogue and Colossus have taken care of the guns, Gambit, Iceman, Beast and I, will enter and search for Wolverine. That is if Jean can’t locate him telepathically.” Turning towards Kitty he said, “In the meantime I want you to phase and find the main power source and disable it. It will disable all the security protocols and allow us an easy way in and more importantly an easy way out.”

“Once we have acquired out target, we’ll rendezvous at the Blackbird.” “Is everything clear?”

Everyone nodded his or her heads in agreement with his plan.

“Good” he said, stepping towards the jet. “and remember, the X-men value life, all life, whether mutant or human.”

----

“I’m sorry,” muttered Ororo.
“For?” asked Forge, checking the jet’s sensors. The professor had asked them to go to Washington DC to try to track whoever was behind the lab, which housed Wolverine.
They had taken one of the smaller X-jets and had been flying for about twenty minutes. They were going to land on a private airfield, just outside Washington and then travel via road from there on.
“For yesterday night,” replied Ororo. “I really didn’t mean to wreck your evening.”
“Hey, it’s alright” “Happens to the best of us.”
‘Some more than others’ thought Ororo, remembering the countless times she had experienced her nightmares. She had stopped counting after hundred and that was three years ago.

“My offer still stands” reminded Forge.
“Offer?”
“Yes” Forge grinned, flashing his pearly white teeth. “I offered to take you out next Friday; to help you can make it up to me.”
“Oh” was all Ororo could say. She had been so lost in her thoughts that she had missed hid parting words.
“So what do you say?” “Do we have a deal?”
Ororo was silent for a few moments. Then a smile came over her face. “Yes. It’s a date.”

----

The Blackbird silently landed in a clearing among the trees. The hatch opened and one by one all the x-men stepped out. Although it was still midday, the trees provided a natural cover of darkness.

They made their way towards the base. Jean and Beast, sensing and smelling for any indication of danger.
“Wow. It’s so beautiful,” whispered Kitty, staring at the looming snow covered mountain peaks, the thick green trees and the wide river meandering through the mountains.
“Pay attention Shadowcat,” scolded Scott, using her codename. “We are here to shut this lab down and rescue a fellow mutant, not to have a picnic.”
“Sorry” apologized Kitty, only to be elbowed by Rogue who gave her thumbs up sign and a wink to help raise her spirits.

“All right” began Scott, straightening up. “Lets get this show on the road.”

----

“Ororo”
“Yes Forge” Ororo answered looking up from the navigation array she had been peering over.
“Can I ask you something?” Forge asked hesitantly.
“Sure”
“Who’s Logan?”
The words were barely out his mouth that he regretted speaking them. Ororo entire calm attitude changed. Her body stiffened, her face losing its color, her eyes slightly clouded over as lighting flashed across the skies.
“Why do you ask?” she spoke tightly.
“Oh nothing” “Just like that” tried Forge, hoping to calm her down. “Its just that you yelled out ‘Logan’ yesterday as you came out of your nightmare. I just thought you might want to talk about it. You know to get things off your mind. I’ve heard it helps if you talk to someone.”
“I don’t” answered Ororo, turning her head away to face the array once again.
“Sorry” Forge apologized. “I didn’t mean to disturb you.”
However, Ororo gave no reply, her eyes not leaving the array, Forge’s question circling in her mind.
‘Who’s Logan?’ how many times over the past seven years, had she been asked this question? First by Remy, then by her fellow x-men and now Forge. She didn’t answer any of them.
She didn’t because she couldn’t. She didn’t know it herself. Who was Logan? A mutant? A cage fighter? A Canadian? At least that thing she was sure of. His accent and his love for the Canadian wilderness and Canadian Beer gave it away.

Who was Logan to her? A stranger who she met and then stayed with for almost ten months, traveling all over Northern US and Canada, stopping at small towns where he fought in cage fights while she took up some odd-jobs or did what she did best – pick pockets. They had been happy together. But what had they been. Had they been lovers? Or just two people who met by chance and were spending time together till one of them got bored and left?

She had thought it was love. But what did she know of love then. Well not much less than what she knew now. Logan had taken over her whole life. And even now, after seven years she couldn’t seem to break away from his grasp. She needed to. Lifting her head, she looked towards Forge. He was so unlike Logan. But so had been many others like him. Maybe her logic was correct. Maybe she needed to move on, and she could – with Forge.
“I am sorry” she spoke softly.
“Huh” Forge was confused with her sudden mood change.
“I shouldn’t have reacted the way I did.”
“It’s alright” “I shouldn’t have intruded into your personal life. Not when you don’t know anything about me” he ended with a smile.
“So tell me,” Ororo responded, turning her chair towards him. “Tell me about you – about Forge.”
“Well” he began. “As you already know, I am a Red Indian…”

----

“Rogue, Colossus” “Report?” Cyclops talked into the commlink.
“We are kickin’ ass here” came the Southern firecracker’s answer.
“Colossus?”
“I am well,” answered the Steel giant.

Both of them had been engaging the enemy for about ten minutes, giving Shadowcat time to search for the power grid.
“Jean” Scott turned towards the telepath. “Can you sense him?”
“No” answered Jean Grey. “Either he is undetectable by psychic methods or they are concealing him some way.”
“Well that just means we will have to find him the hard way.” “Look behind each door?”

“I’m here” Shadowcat’s voice came through the commlink.
“Good” Scott commented. “Locate the control board.”
“Done”
“Destroy it”

Almost immediately, the whole base plunged into darkness. A few seconds later Jean fell to the ground, her head clutched between her hands.
“JEAN” Cyclops cried out, rushing to her side. “Jean….Are you alright?”
Raising her head as if she was in great pain, Jean nodded, before grabbing his arm.
“Oh God; Scott. It was horrible” she said, tears in her eyes.
“What?” “What happened?”
“I sensed great pain and anger….anger unlike any I have ever sensed.”
“What do you mean?” asked Cyclops.

Suddenly Jean clutched her head again. “Fear….fear….from everyone in the lab.”
“Fear” repeated Cyclops, thinking of the cause of the sudden fear. Reading his unspoken question Jean answered. “They fear him and…”

“And what Jean?”

“He’s got out Scott” “He’s escaped”





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