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Mar. 21st, 2009 09:54 pmMiss Frost's office is cold. X notices the temperature differential, even if it does not mean anything. To her.
"X-23. What, exactly, is going on here? Rahne and Warren are both--"
She is cut off when the door opens and Cyclops walks in. His expression, what X can see of it behind the glasses, is drawn and cold.
"We don't have time for this. X-23, Wolverine and Warpath are gearing up to head out. You'll go with them?"
She hesitates, flicking a glance from Scott to Emma and back.
But she remembers Rahne's face when she woke up, and the smell of Warren's blood.
"Okay."
Beat.
"We will be thorough."
It is a promise. Cyclops nods fractionally, attention already focusing on Emma. Apparently X's interview is over.
She does not wait for Miss Frost to dismiss her before she slips out the door. The raised voices follow her down the corridor, at least until they are cut off by the elevator.
It looks like X-Force is not so secret anymore. X does not think she minds.
Now, to find her teammates.
***
Warren insists on going with them. Rahne -- Rahne does not. She cannot even look at them. Though she does say something to Warpath before they head out, something that makes his shoulders stiffen and his face take on a snarl. X watches him as they settle into the Blackbird, as they take off, as they fly toward the Purifier stronghold that they have been studying for weeks.
"Warpath."
Beat.
"You are not okay."
He frowns, looking over at her. Warren does, too, if only for a second. Logan stays silent, but his attention is on them all. She can tell.
"They will not hurt Rahne again. We will not let them."
It's true, but it's not what she means to say. But here, in this cabin, with these people she does not know very well, for all that they have killed together --
Here the words will not come. Maybe later.
Maybe when they stop being afraid.
Meanwhile Warpath just grunts, shooting a faintly disbelieving look at Logan before he refocuses his attention elsewhere. Warren has gone stiff in the copilot's seat.
They stay silent for the remainder of the trip.
***
The Purifiers do not pose much of a problem, except in sheer numbers. Warren -- Warren stays away from the worst of the killing, diving low to snatch away weaponry, to pull away those Purifiers that are getting too close.
It is better that way.
"Risman!"
It's a faint scent that catches X's attention mid-attack, and she disembowels the Purifier she is facing before turning to follow it. She moves very fast, and not even Logan's cry for her to stay with them stops her. Killing Risman is one of her mission objectives. It is important.
She runs through the hallways -- echoing and empty, a strangeness that is noted and filed away for later analysis -- going low through the doorway and immediately moving right.
Lucky for her that she did. Bullets rip through at chest height, and she would have taken them full on, hampering her efficiency.
Instead she has time to shoot Risman, something he was obviously not expecting. Her bullets do not work on the man next to him, however. A man who smells wrong. Very wrong. Almost dead, but not. He's on her a moment later, jaw elongating as he bares his teeth.
Warpath's knife takes him in the shoulder, and Warren grabs him a second later, lifting him up toward the ceiling. Then he lets the man fall.
He never hits the ground, turning to mist and shadow as he makes his escape.
X picks herself up off the floor, body still poised for further movement. If it is necessary.
Warren breaks the silence.
"Wolverine's still out there. Come on."
X follows. He is right. They are not done here.
But they will be. Soon.
***
"We are in so much shit. Saddle up, kids. Cyke's gonna need this incident report real damn quick."
It isn't the smell of Wolverine's charred flesh that make's X's stomach go tight. It is the news of how many resurrected enemies Logan saw when Bastion escaped.
He is right.
The X-men are in deep shit. She will be needed again, maybe soon.
It is not okay.
"X-23. What, exactly, is going on here? Rahne and Warren are both--"
She is cut off when the door opens and Cyclops walks in. His expression, what X can see of it behind the glasses, is drawn and cold.
"We don't have time for this. X-23, Wolverine and Warpath are gearing up to head out. You'll go with them?"
She hesitates, flicking a glance from Scott to Emma and back.
But she remembers Rahne's face when she woke up, and the smell of Warren's blood.
"Okay."
Beat.
"We will be thorough."
It is a promise. Cyclops nods fractionally, attention already focusing on Emma. Apparently X's interview is over.
She does not wait for Miss Frost to dismiss her before she slips out the door. The raised voices follow her down the corridor, at least until they are cut off by the elevator.
It looks like X-Force is not so secret anymore. X does not think she minds.
Now, to find her teammates.
***
Warren insists on going with them. Rahne -- Rahne does not. She cannot even look at them. Though she does say something to Warpath before they head out, something that makes his shoulders stiffen and his face take on a snarl. X watches him as they settle into the Blackbird, as they take off, as they fly toward the Purifier stronghold that they have been studying for weeks.
"Warpath."
Beat.
"You are not okay."
He frowns, looking over at her. Warren does, too, if only for a second. Logan stays silent, but his attention is on them all. She can tell.
"They will not hurt Rahne again. We will not let them."
It's true, but it's not what she means to say. But here, in this cabin, with these people she does not know very well, for all that they have killed together --
Here the words will not come. Maybe later.
Maybe when they stop being afraid.
Meanwhile Warpath just grunts, shooting a faintly disbelieving look at Logan before he refocuses his attention elsewhere. Warren has gone stiff in the copilot's seat.
They stay silent for the remainder of the trip.
***
The Purifiers do not pose much of a problem, except in sheer numbers. Warren -- Warren stays away from the worst of the killing, diving low to snatch away weaponry, to pull away those Purifiers that are getting too close.
It is better that way.
"Risman!"
It's a faint scent that catches X's attention mid-attack, and she disembowels the Purifier she is facing before turning to follow it. She moves very fast, and not even Logan's cry for her to stay with them stops her. Killing Risman is one of her mission objectives. It is important.
She runs through the hallways -- echoing and empty, a strangeness that is noted and filed away for later analysis -- going low through the doorway and immediately moving right.
Lucky for her that she did. Bullets rip through at chest height, and she would have taken them full on, hampering her efficiency.
Instead she has time to shoot Risman, something he was obviously not expecting. Her bullets do not work on the man next to him, however. A man who smells wrong. Very wrong. Almost dead, but not. He's on her a moment later, jaw elongating as he bares his teeth.
Warpath's knife takes him in the shoulder, and Warren grabs him a second later, lifting him up toward the ceiling. Then he lets the man fall.
He never hits the ground, turning to mist and shadow as he makes his escape.
X picks herself up off the floor, body still poised for further movement. If it is necessary.
Warren breaks the silence.
"Wolverine's still out there. Come on."
X follows. He is right. They are not done here.
But they will be. Soon.
***
"We are in so much shit. Saddle up, kids. Cyke's gonna need this incident report real damn quick."
It isn't the smell of Wolverine's charred flesh that make's X's stomach go tight. It is the news of how many resurrected enemies Logan saw when Bastion escaped.
He is right.
The X-men are in deep shit. She will be needed again, maybe soon.
It is not okay.
