FicWad

No Rain
Chapter 5: Entrapment

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As the X-jet soared through the air towards its relatively close destination in southern New York, the four X-men who were assigned to this mission sat in a relative silence. Usually, this was not the case...Most of the time they would go over the mission plan at least twice or discuss how they were going to go about this. But being that the majority of this mission had a great deal of unknowns in it, there was little to discuss. That...And both Scott and Jean just seemed unwilling to talk for obvious reasons.

And as Logan looked back at the young couple, he noticed that they were holding hands. And from the looks of it, they were trying to reassure each other psychically about the inevitable confrontation about the rumors. Upon seeing this, the Wolverine could only sigh. Ororo had wanted to confront them about the rumors while on route to the site, but Logan dissuaded her...Saying that they'll talk when they're ready. Unlike the Professor or Storm, Logan could relate a lot more to Scott and Jean's dilemma. He never liked to talk about where he came from, and he understood why it was so hard for them. But he had an advantage...He didn't remember most of his past. Scott and Jean on the other hand remembered all too well.

Either way, Logan was weary about the Professor's approach to dealing with Scott and Jean. They were his first students...Raising them had shown him that there were others out there who were far less fortunate than he was. When they came to the institute they were scared, angry, and unmanageable. They had problems that took years to recover from. In fact...One of the reasons why Xavier hadn't taken in any new students in the early years was because Scott and Jeannie were so isolated and withdrawn that they could have been a danger to any other young recruits who lived with them. While things for them did get better after they became friends, those tumultuous early years of dealing with two heavily scared kids were permanently engraved in to Logan's mind. Helping them had helped him find a true calling...And for that he felt he owed these two kids, who were growing up so fast before his eyes, so much.

"We're almost there," said Logan as he flew the X-jet to a lower altitude over their destination. "We should be able to see it any moment right now."

As the jet made its way through the clouds, the military base came in to view. This was their destination, but from the looks of it there wasn't a whole lot to see. There weren't a whole lot of active structures visible as the plane descended and there seemed to be nobody in sight in or around the main building. Most of the structures looked worn down and weathered from a lack of overall use, making the X-men wonder whether or not there was anything in there worth checking out in the first place.

"Are you sure this is the place?" asked Scott as he looked down at the seemingly abandoned military base.

"According to the readings...Yes, they're centered within this structure," responded Ororo as she double checked the data.

"It looks abandoned..." said Jean as the plane descended lower to survey the base.

"We should still take a look...There may be more to this than meets the eye," said Logan as he flew the plane over the north side of the area.

Looking a bit more closely at the seemingly abandoned structure, Logan decided on a plan of action.

"I see an opening in the back...Scott, why don't you and Jeannie check it out?"

"Are there any guards or security?" asked Scott as he and Jean undid their safety restraints.

"Nope...Nothin' from what I can see."

The situation was growing stranger as the seemingly deserted base gave off no hint of mutant activity. But something about this place made it all the more intriguing and it was definitely worth investigating.

"We'll see what we can find," said Scott as both he and Jean made their way to the door.

"Be sure to check in...I got a bad feelin' about this," said Logan ominously.

"Right..."

And with that, the two younger mutants exited the plane and began to make their way towards the back entrance to the base.

"Be careful you two," said Logan after they were gone.

"Don't worry Logan, I'm sure they'll be fine," assured Ororo as the jet lifted off once more and flew over towards the other side.

"I don't know Ro...Something's definitely wrong here...I can smell it. I just hope we find out what it is before it finds us first..."

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The rusted hinges of the back door had definitely seen better days. There was no power, hence there was no security system to deal with as Scott and Jean made their way in to the dingy central building of the base. So far, nothing seemed amiss. Scott kept scanning for any possible threats while Jean kept trying to sense any psychic signatures...But so far they were coming up with nothing.

"Sense anything Jean?" asked Scott as he looked around at the dark, dirty areas of the abandoned structure.

"Nope...Nothing yet," said Jean as she kept searching, but to no avail.

With an exasperated sigh, the two X-men began to make their way down another corridor. While so far this mission had proved to be a wild goose chase...Secretly, they were both relieved that they could focus on something else other than their problems back at the mansion. Even though it was hard to forget Xavier's last words to them before they left...Focusing on the mission helped distract them from the inevitable return.

As they entered what seemed to be the main hallway, Scott and Jean stopped their search ever so briefly.

"I'd better contact Logan...See if he's found anything," said Scott.

"I doubt it...This place looks like it hasn't been used in years."

"You never know..." said Scott as he prepared to activate his com-link.

Then suddenly...The lights above them began to flicker on and off and the elevator in the center of the hallway started to come to life. Acting on instinct, they both took cover in an abandoned office to watch what was going on.

'Scott...I'm sensing something now,' said Jean through their link, not wanting to make any noise.

'What is it?'

'I don't know...But someone is definitely here.'

No sooner had Jean thought that, the elevator door then opened and two new figures stepped out. Taking a quick peak around the corner, they were both revealed to be a male and female soldier dressed in slightly different looking military uniforms. Staying concealed within the abandoned office...Scott and Jean watched the two soldiers as they casually looked around the elevator opening. Both of them were carrying military grade assault riffles and on each of their helmets...An ominous symbol was seen, a symbol that all mutants knew too well.

'The Friends of Humanity...What are they doing here?' pondered Scott as he and Jean stayed silent and concealed from their menacing view.

'I don't know...I can't believe I didn't sense this before. There must be some kind of shielding around this place.'

'What do you think they're hiding?'

'Something important no doubt...Something they didn't want anybody to sense.'

That prospect wasn't too promising as they continued to watch the two guards casually check around the hallway. As they listened in, they started to speak.

"Guess it was a false alarm...It doesn't look like anybody's been up here," said the male soldier as he checked around some of the rooms with a flashlight.

"I hope those security dickheads aren't just messing with us again...This place is secure, nobody in their right mind would even think about coming around here," said the female soldier as she made her way back to the elevator.

Then, the man with the flashlight began to approach the office where Scott and Jean were hiding out. Knowing they had to stay concealed, they slipped in to the room and took cover behind the dusty desk in the back. Trying to stay as quiet as possible, they waited for the guard to pass. Looking in to the room, he shined his flashlight around the darkened office...But luckily, he didn't search any further and Scott and Jean were able to say concealed behind the desk.

"Give it rest already!" said the female soldier from outside as her companion turned around.

"Fine..." said the male soldier in an exasperated and annoyed tone.

And with that, the two X-men breathed a sigh of relief as the two friends of humanity soldiers made their way away from their position.

'This is big Jean. The Friends of Humanity was supposed to have been disbanded after what happened to Trask.'

'The keyword in there being supposed...We'd better contact Logan and Storm. They have to know about this,' said Jean through their link as they prepared to contact him.

But then...The door to the office mysteriously slammed shut...And the room fell in to total blackness.

"Oh no...Something's wrong here Jean..." said Scott with worry as he ran over to the door only to find out that it was locked.

Jean frantically did a psychic search of the area...But something was blocking her efforts. There definitely seemed to be more shielding than she once thought...Making this situation feel all the more dangerous as she frantically tried to get a message to Logan and Ororo out.

"I can't contact the others...Something's blocking me out," said Jean as she stumbled through the dark to Scott's side, trying not to panic.

"We have to get out of here...Stand back, I'll make a new exit!" said Scott as he prepared to use his optic blasts against the door.

But before he could blast the door down, a sudden burst of noxious gas came pouring out of the rusty sprinklers on the ceiling. The gas was thick and foul, and as soon as it overcame the two young mutants they fell to the floor. Unable to focus, they both tried to contact Logan and Ororo...But before they could...Everything went black.

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The world around them was spinning in an endless vortex. Every limb felt as if it had lead weights on it. Both Scott and Jean had been knocked out for an unknown amount of time. The memory of what had happened was fuzzy at best, but either way it was clear that this situation meant trouble.

Scott was the first to come to as his vision slowly began to clear before him. But he soon found that his hands were bound behind his back and he was surrounded by an unknown group of people. Jean was near...But she hadn't quite woken up yet. Like him, her arms were bound behind her back. He wanted to try and wake her up...But before he could, an ominous man approached them with many other armed guards behind him.

"Well, well, well; I guess I was right to add extra security to this place. I knew that if my forces stayed in one place long enough, Xavier would send some of his freaks out to stop me."

As Scott's vision cleared, the image of the man before him became clear. He was dressed in a military command uniform that distinguished him from the other soldiers. There were numerous symbols representing the Friends of Humanity littering his attire. From the looks of it, he was the one in command.

"And he didn't just send freaks...He sent some pretty young freaks. And one of them is awfully cute," said the commander as he roughly ran his hand over Jean's face while she was still half unconscious.

This action was enough to set Scott off.

"Don't you dare fucking touch her!"

But as soon as he said that, Scott was hit in the face with the butt of a gun and then forcefully kicked in the stomach by the guards behind him. And as he keeled over from the force of the blow, the searing pain acted like an electrical shock as Jean felt it through their link and was jolted from her unconscious state.

Jean wanted to help him, but she soon found that her arms were bound and she was being held back by two heavily armed guards. She was forced to watch as the commander walked over to Scott while he was still on the floor and kicked him once again in the stomach...Causing him to cough out blood.

"Stop it! Leave him alone!" yelled Jean...But she too was held back.

The commander remained stoic as he simply walked over towards the young woman and began to roughly trace his way down her face.

"You're in no position to give orders little girl. And just for that...You've earned a little punishment."

Then, Jean felt a sharp pain as he kicked her in the stomach...Causing her to keel over. However, the guards held her up as the commander forced her to face him and his angry, hate-filled eyes.

"It's a shame...You're really pretty for a freak. But you're still a freak none the less."

Jean made a noise of disgust as the man moved his hands down her face and towards her chest. This only made Scott madder as he tried to get up, but was kicked to the ground again by the other guards.

"You know...It's because you and rest of Xavier's soldiers that our leader is in jail. Now, the Friends of Humanity is forced to live under the radar and hide like rats from the authorities. But you can't stop us...We will never be stopped by freaks of nature that poison and corrupt the human race. Now tell me...Who else did Xavier send on this little mission of his?"

Jean remained silent...But then the other guards responded by kicking Scott once again while he was still on the ground in a heap of pain. Jean wanted to lash out with her powers...But her mind was too tired from the knockout gas and she didn't want to risk Scott's life in the process.

"Very well, be that way!" said the commander as he turned away. "Put them in the holding cell with all the others! And if they use their powers...Kill them!"

Without hesitation the guards proceeded to drag the two young mutants away down the dark and dingy hallways of the underground complex. They were both still too weak to stand upright due to the lingering effects of the knockout gas and the beatings from the guards. And as they reached the end of a long, dark hallway...Scott and Jean were shoved in to a large, dungeon-like room and thrown against the wall. As the both struggled to get up, the guards had one last message for them.

"You freaks use any of your powers, every last one of you dies!" yelled the guard as he slammed the heavy metal door shut and locked it.

Jean struggled to make her way over towards Scott, who was still in a great deal of pain from the blows the soldiers had given him. However, he was able to find the strength to sit upright, and soon he felt Jean rest her head against him. This gesture helped to calm them both ever so briefly as they took in the sight around them.

The room they were stuck in looked like a place right out of hell. The hard, concrete floor was dirty and infested with mildew. The hard, stone walls were covered with mold and gave of a dingy smell. The only light in the room came from three dimly lit overhanging incandescent bulbs that flickered sporadically. It was truly a prison cell...And they were not alone.

Surrounding them, many other young, traumatized children no older than 13 were cramped in to the room and huddling against the corner. Some of them were unconscious, most likely drugged to keep them docile. Others had a permanent expression of fear engrained on to their face...Offering a window in to the atrocities that the Friends of Humanity probably committed before their very eyes. It was truly a ghastly sight to behold for Scott Summers and Jean Grey. These must have been the mutant readings that the Professor had detected. Frantically, Jean tried to contact Logan or Storm...But her mind was too weak and the shielding around the area was too strong.

'Scott...Scott are you okay?' said Jean softly through their link, knowing the pain he was in.

'I'll be fine,' assured Scott as he placed a kiss on her cool forehead and leaned against the wall for support while Jean rested her head in the nook of his shoulder.

They were both so tired and weak...But they knew they had to escape from this horrid place. They wanted to use their powers...But if they did the rest of the young prisoners might suffer the consequences. They knew that the Friends of Humanity were cruel...But this was beyond cruelty. Now, Scott and Jean could only hope that they would be found soon by their comrades.

"This is inhuman..." said Jean as she looked at the scared children before him, "What kind of monster would do this kind of thing to children?"

"You'd be surprised," said Scott, remembering the cruelty of his foster dad and how he treated him. "We have to help them..."

Forcing themselves to get up despite the pain, they made their way over to the troubled group of children to tend to whatever wounds they may have had. Some of them had long bloody gashes across their faces and others had gunshot wounds that were growing infected in the dingy environment around them. It was made all the more harsh when one considered that these were mere children...But the Friends of Humanity didn't seem to care. Jean struggled to filter out their thoughts of fear and pain, but with her mind weak from being beaten and knocked out that was a lot harder than she could have suspected. But being the oldest in this group of ghastly youths, they were now looked upon as the leaders and only hope of escape.

One by one, Scott and Jean looked over each mutant child and did their best to help with whatever physical wounds they may have. But it was the emotional wounds...The wounds that could not be seen...That worried them. They both knew first hand how much internal wounds truly hurt and how hard they were to heal. But there was little they could do for now, other than hope for Logan and Ororo to find them. As Scott and Jean pushed themselves beyond their limits of exhaustion, they soon found one last child that needed help...And it was a child that they knew very well.

"Adam?" said Scott as he walked over to the young boy cowering in the corner. "Adam, is that you?"

The boy looked up at Scott to reveal that it was in fact Adam Leech, the boy who helped them stop Apocalypse with the help of his powers. Jean came over as well as she too recognized the boy. They noticed that he had definitely been crying...A lot. There were many little holes in his arm, most likely from drugs given to him so he couldn't use his powers. And from the looks of it, he had been in this horrid place for quite a while.

"They killed my mommy..." said the young boy with a heart-wrenching sob.

Scott and Jean sat down beside him in an effort to console the young boy...But he wouldn't stop crying.

"They came in to our house. They...They grabbed me and hit me. They said if I used my powers then they would kill me. And...And then the hit my mommy...And made me watch them shoot her. They...They shot my mommy...And...They..."

The boy then became too choked up to go on as Jean was forced to pick up brief images of the horrid scene that the boy projected. In an attempt to help his sobs, Jean took the scared young boy in her arms and tried to calm him down. Scott could still see the look of pain on his face that he knew all too well and did his best help.

"It's okay Adam...It's going to be okay. We have friends who will come and rescue us...And they'll get us all out of here. Just hold on...We'll take care of you," said Scott as he wiped away some of the scared little boy's tears.

Jean's heart warmed as Scott's gentle words seemed to calm the young boy down and the images he was projecting to her finally ceased. The prospects didn't look good...But they knew that help would come. It had to...Because it was clear that these young children wouldn't last much longer in the hands of the Friends of Humanity.

Exhausted, tired, and demoralized...Scott and Jean rested up against the wall with young Adam gently sobbing between them. They had walked right in to an awful nightmare when they took this mission...Everything seemed so dark in the face of these traumatized children. There was so much suffering under the hands of the Friends of Humanity, that hope seemed totally non-existent at this point.

'They have to find us...I don't know how much longer these children can last,' said Jean in a worried tone through her link with Scott.

'They will...We just have to have faith,' replied Scott as he gently kissed Jean's aching forehead. 'It'll be okay Jean...It'll be okay.'

The air of the dark, dingy cell grew stale as both young adults kept reassuring each other that they would be found and these children would be saved. Exhaustion from dealing with so many horrible events in such quick order was beginning to take its toll on Scott Summers and Jean Grey. But they stayed cognizant for the sake of the little boys and girls that were now depending on them to save their lives.

And as their minds finally began to calm...Suddenly, the heavy chamber door began to open...And over a dozen Friends of humanity guards stepped in.

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AN: Well, what's going to happen now? What do you think the Friends of Humanity will do to them? Stay tuned to find out! This story isn't over yet! There is still plenty of action, drama, and angst to go around and don't forget the all important Scott/Jean goodness that comes along with it! So what do you think so far? Is it good, is it bad? Tell me! Send your feedback to me via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I'm open to all criticism, but if you have to flame...Be courteous please. Thanks again for reading! And best wishes to you all!

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