Categories > Cartoons > X-Men: Evolution > Extermination
Extermination
Chapter 14: Assault
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An entire army now surrounded an area no more than 20 square miles. Every conceivable route of escape was now completely closed off as hundreds of fully armed marines, special forces, assault vehicles, Apache helicopters, and F/A-18 hornets guarded the entire region with F-16 and F-15E air support. There were only seven targets...But given what they had survived last time, it was clear that there could be no underestimating their reliance this time around. The sun had almost set over the horizon as every soldier remained stealthily hidden from sight. The only communication now was between the field captain and General Stryker back in Washington. The captain was closet to the cave and using his long range binoculars to observe the area that the general had found to be so intriguing. He was in full camouflage along with the rest of his fellow soldiers as he carefully scanned the area for any signs of the targets. Daylight was fading fast and they didn't want to give the enemy the cover of darkness as a possible method of escape. Then finally...As he and his soldiers lay low on the moist ground below...Something caught his eye. Through his binoculars...Two figures were seen near the entrance of the cave. They both were casually talking...Completely unaware of their presence. One was a young teenage girl and the other one was a blue skinned older woman. This was the sight that the captain had been looking for and with a quick hand signal to his supporting marines...They all readied their weapons as he silently contacted the general.
"General Stryker sir..." said the field captain silently called his superior back in Washington over an encrypted line.
"Captain...Do you have confirmation?"
"Affirmative sir...It's just like you said."
"Excellent," said William Stryker with a grin upon hearing that his hunch was right on target, "Are the sniper's in position yet?"
"Negative sir...The terrain is a bit trickier than we had hoped. We'll have them ready in no more than 20 minutes."
"Too long..." responded Stryker as he quickly dismissed the initial idea he had of using snipers to take out the mutants from a distance, "We may not be able to stay concealed long enough and if one of them falls, it may alert the others. We need to hit them all...Prepare for an air strike."
"Sir, yes sir. I'll radio the F/A-18s overhead and synchronize their blasts with the Apaches," said the field captain, "It should take no more than two minutes."
"Be sure that it does captain...Because I don't want any more of these freaks left by the time the sun sets over the horizon," said the general in his usual calm, but stern tone.
"Sir, you have my assurance, sir. There will be no survivors this time."
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As the military prepared to strike, the seven surviving mutants of the initial attacks several days before remained more or less oblivious to the fevered activity in the area around them. Kitty and Mystique were still outside near the cave talking and Kurt and Wanda were still looking over Pietro. In the cockpit, Scott and Jean were finally starting to nod off after a long, hard day...When suddenly, an alarm on the central control panel went off.
Upon being jolted from their sleepy state, Scott and Jean immediately took in the situation as the radar screen suddenly caught their eye. Then...Scott's face went pale.
"What is it Scott?" asked Jean anxiously as the alarm continued to blare.
"Oh shit..."
Scott's expression grew grimmer as he suddenly bolted out of the pilot's chair and ran towards the exit to the plane.
"Scott...Scott! What's going on?!" yelled Jean, now unable to hide her fear over what he had seen.
Wanda and Kurt soon noticed this as well as they saw the two older mutants make a mad dash towards the exit.
"Hey! Vhat's happening?" said Kurt as he quickly felt the tension in the air.
"They're coming..." replied Scott as he jumped out of the concealed hatch onto the ground below.
"What?! Who's coming?" asked Jean, not knowing if she wanted to hear the answer.
Then, as Scott finally made his way over to a confused and unaware Mystique and Kitty, he explained.
"We have to get out of here! They found us! I don't know how, but they found us!" said Scott breathlessly as Kurt and Wanda caught up with them.
"Who? Who found us?" said Mystique, knowing this was definitely something to take seriously.
"Whoever tried to take us all out before! The scanners picked up incoming aircraft all around the area! We have to get out of here now!" urged Scott.
But before any one of them could respond...Jean's expression soon went pale as well as she clutched her temples. Then...Everybody turned their attention towards her...Only to see a look of sheer alarm in her eyes.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"
Suddenly...A fiery explosion engulfed the area around the six mutants as they all hit the ground and shielded their eyes from the bright light. They all braced themselves for the seemingly inevitable fire that seemed poise to engulf them all...But it never came. A powerful telekinetic shield had saved them all as Jean's mutant abilities immediately kicked in.
"Stay down everybody! More is coming!" grunted Jean as she slammed her eyes shut and increased the force of her shield around her friends.
Another round of explosions rocked the area as the intense heat nearly singed some of their clothing. Kurt protectively flung his body over Wanda the noise and fury of the blast threatened to destabilize her powers, while Scott sent his urging support to Jean through their link. Finally...After a tense few seconds, the explosion stopped.
"YES! We got em General!" said the field captain over his communicator as he saw the bombs fall over the targets and engulf them in flame.
Over the communicator, Stryker was not convinced. He quickly ordered one of his subordinate officers to switch to a real time field view so that he could see what was going on and quickly saw the smoldering area.
"Captain...I need visual confirmation of that claim," responded the general, "I repeat...I need VISUAL confirmation that the targets were destroyed."
Obeying his commander unquestioningly, the field captain and his group quickly moved in closer to get a better view through the binoculars. While he didn't see how it was at all possible for anything to survive those blasts...He still sought the confirmation that his superior required. There was still a great deal of dirt and debris in the air from the blast...But as it cleared, he finally began to see human figures.
"Sir...I have a negative confirmation. I repeat...The targets are all still alive!" yelled the captain disbelievingly.
Back in Washington, the general's demeanor didn't seem to change as other officers of both military and Friends of Humanity looked at the screen in disbelief. While their expressions were all one of bewilderment...General Stryker, on the other hand, actually smiled.
"Ah my most dubious enemies...You didn't disappoint me," said Stryker under his breath as he switched back on his communicator and contacted the captain, "They must have the telekinetic mutant with them. And if the Scarlet Witch is still there, then they'll have even more protection. There's only one solution to a problem like this...Divide and conquer. Order attack plan 18 and launch smoke grenades. Then...All Apache helicopters are to move in and take them all down with marine support behind them."
"Sir, yes sir!" yelled the field captain in response as he immediately began to carry out his orders.
While the trees began to rustle from the blades of the advancing helicopters, the six mutants standing within the area that had just been bombed managed to wearily return to their feet in a dazed, yet vigilant state.
"Is everybody okay?" said Jean as she rested her mind after the abrupt surge in her power use.
"We're fine..." replied Scott as he helped Kitty and Mystique up, "But we have to move fast!"
"I'll teleport everybody to the jet!" said Kurt as he prepared to use his powers, but Scott quickly stepped in.
"NO! We can't do that now! We have to lead them away from the jet first! Because if the X-jet is destroyed...Then we're all done for!"
Suddenly, the sound of distant mortar shells and grenade launchers echoed in the distance. Seconds later...A thick smoke began to fill the area around them. The choking gas quickly inundated their lungs and everybody was forced to scramble away from the area. Knowing that separation was a bad thing in a situation like this, Scott managed to get one last message out before the smoke completely obscured his vision.
"Kurt! Get back to the X-jet and start the main controls, but KEEP THE CLOAKING DEVICE UP AT ALL COSTS! Once you do, come back for all of us!"
"Come back for you!?" questioned Kurt, not liking this plan at all.
"We'll lead them away...But you HAVE to get the X-jet active before it's too late! Go now!"
Kurt still hesitated briefly, but then Wanda looked back over at him and gave him one last piece of assurance.
"Go Kurt...We'll be fine," said the Scarlet Witch as her eyes began to glow.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Kurt simply nodded and prepared to leave.
"Right! Be careful..."
Upon teleporting back into the jet, the rest of the X-men and Brotherhood remnants were quickly forced to make their way over to the east side of the area away from the jet. It wasn't long before the Apache helicopters quickly flew over them with great speed while flashes from marine gunfire were seen in the distance.
"It's payback time!" grunted Mystique as she saw the countless military forces around her...The same forces that had destroyed her home and murdered her daughter.
Shifting into a small black raven, Mystique flew up past the gunfire and forced herself into the open side of the helicopter and surprising the soldier mounting the machine gun. As she shifted back into her normal form, she kicked the gunner out and knocked the two pilots off of their seats and out tumbling into the trees. With the helicopter now at her disposal, Mystique turned the gun toward the surrounding Apaches and fired upon them with unrelenting fury.
"YOU ALL MUST PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES! YOU ALL MUST ANSWER FOR YOUR ATROCITIES" yelled the angry shape shifter as two Apaches went down.
Then, as the guns ran out of ammo, rifle fire from the marines below began to tear at the aircraft. Upon turning towards the area where the flashing guns were seen, Mystique fired one of the hellfire missiles along with several rockets at the trees. While this didn't stop all of it, it did cause some to retreat. Suddenly, smoke began to form in the cockpit as the bullets from the guns began to tear the aircraft apart. Wanting to make one last move before she abandoned the craft, Mystique set the smoking helicopter on a collision course with the woods where the marines were currently fortified in.
"Everybody move! It's coming right towards us!" yelled the field commander as he and his group of soldiers quickly retreated as the smoking Apache helicopter neared the ground.
Mystique had shifted back into a raven and made her escape as the helicopter erupted into a massive fireball...Forcing the marines in that area back.
Over with Scott and Jean, more smoke grenades were fired at them from a distance from mortars and Apache helicopters continued to bear down on them, firing countless rounds of bullets towards their position. Jean fought to keep her shields up while Scott removed his glasses and began to fire back.
"Jean! Can you keep it up?" yelled Scott as some of the telekinetic force field around them began to crack from being hit from so many different sides all at once.
"Yes...I can...But there's too much smoke! It makes it harder to concentrate!" said Jean with a cough as she struggled to repel the smoke almost as much as she struggled to repel the bullets.
"You can do it Jean!" urged Scott as he fired another optic blast into the woods where gunfire was coming from, "Just keep moving! No matter what we have to keep moving or we'll be sitting ducks!"
The noise of three low flying Apache helicopters grew louder as they drew nearer to the ground. They were all closing in for the kill as the pilots aimed their machine guns and missiles at the two mutants below as they fought for their lives. Both Scott and Jean struggled to keep moving as they kept trying to lead all attention away from the X-jet so they could make their getaway. However, the forces that they were dealing with were no pushovers...They knew what they were doing and they knew how to take them down. Jean's telekinetic shields continued to falter as she kept coughing from the smoke and Scott's optic blasts weren't hitting anything because of the obstruction caused by the smoke.
"We got em now!" said one of the pilots of the Apache helicopters as he switched to hellfire missiles to finish the job they came here to do.
Then...As the thick smoke began to clear as a result of the wind caused by the helicopter blades, two hellfire missiles shot out from the lead Apache and made their way towards their targets. Jean still had her eyes closed as she kept trying to hold her focus and keep the incoming bullets and mortars away from them, but the clearing smoke allowed Scott to see the two deadly missiles speeding right towards them. Acting on pure instinct from his years of experience in the Danger Room, Scott immediately went into action.
"JEAN GET DOWN!" yelled Scott as he forced her to the ground and removed his glasses.
Then...With two, well placed shots...Scott managed to knock out both hellfire missiles before they could get any closer. The blast was intense and the shockwave cleared the air around them of any more smoke. Both Scott and Jean took light shrapnel from projectiles as they remained on the ground, taking cover from the deadly barrage. However...Now the smoke had cleared and the three helicopters could no longer hide from them.
"It's clear...Time to fight back!" said Scott as he rose to his feet and prepared another blast.
Despite the sting of the shrapnel wounds, Jean did the same and now that the smoke wasn't choking her...She was ready to unleash the full power of her telekinesis. Upon taking close aim, Scott unleashed a powerful blast at the upper area of the helicopter blade apparatus and shattered it with easy. The resulting tailspin caused by the sudden disability of the aircraft ended up crashing into the helicopter right next to it, forcing the pilots and gunmen to ditch.
"Bail out!" yelled the pilot as the two Apache's erupted into flame.
Upon seeing this sudden turn of events, the third Apache quickly aimed it's machine gun directly at Scott.
"Hurry up! Take that guy down before he hits us!" yelled the pilot to his gunner as he quickly turned to get a clear shot.
However, this action did not go unnoticed by Jean as she sprang into action with renewed energy.
"I don't think so!" yelled the redhead as she used her mind to unleash a wave of telekinetic force sent the powerful helicopter flying backwards and rupturing the blade control mechanisms.
Sparks began to fly on the main control panels of the helicopters primary components and all systems quickly went haywire as a result of such a powerful wave of force. It wasn't long before the internal alarms went off within the craft and the crew began to panic.
"Shit! Jump!" yelled the inhabitance of the Apache as all three soldiers bailed out just before their helicopter crashed into the ground and burst into flame.
With the three helicopters out of the way, Scott and Jean quickly started moving again despite their light wounds from the hellfire missiles. With clear air, Jean had less trouble keeping up the shield and Scott had an easier time aiming his optic blasts. However, the sound of more Apaches in the distance prompted them remain vigilant as they struggled to get away in a fight for survival.
"Come on Jean...We have to keep going!" said Scott breathlessly as they made their way towards the rear area outside the cave.
"I know...But there's so many of them! We have to get out of here soon!"
"We can do it Jean...We just have to hold out a bit longer!" said Scott over the noise as he and Jean both hit the ground again in wake of a new barrage of gunfire from the trees.
Over with Wanda and Kitty, they were taking cover in the thick woods directly off to the east side of the cave. They had both gotten separated from Mystique after she took down two of the Apache helicopters that had been trailing them. Now, four more were starting to near the area and elite marine squads were inching their way through the cover of the woods towards the unsuspecting girls.
"We have to stay down Wanda..." gasped Kitty as she and the Scarlet Witch tried to keep clear of gunfire, "There's no telling how many soldiers have surrounded this place."
"From the looks of it...There's enough of them as it is..." said Wanda as she began to feel her anger start to consume her.
Wanda's eyes were now beginning to glow as she heard the Apache helicopters draw nearer. The tree branches around them and the dead leaves that they were forced to lay on were now rustling incessantly from the wind. The helicopters tried to launch smoke grenades, but the obstruction from the branches diverted them from the targets and Wanda and Kitty were lucky enough to be spared from being choked to death. It also allowed Wanda to stay focused on her powers as two of the helicopters now had her in their sights.
"I see them!" yelled the pilot in one of the helicopters, "Fire rockets!"
Both aircrafts proceeded to unleash several high powered rockets into the woods towards the two girls. However, Wanda's powers were now running on high as her anger over the people that had destroyed her home and nearly killed her brother now stood before her. As the rockets drew near, the hexing power of the Scarlet Witch caused them all to suddenly fly off course and away from their intended target.
"Damn freaks!" grunted the pilots as the two other Apaches quickly joined them and prepared for a four pronged attack.
However, Wanda was not about to let it get that far as both of her hands now were now engulfed in a bright, purple light.
"YOU BASTARDS! FEEL THIS!" yelled the teenage girl as she launched several barrages of hex bolts at the low flying helicopters.
The large craft were quickly overwhelmed as the effect of Wanda's hex bolts caused vital components to malfunction. On two of the Apache's the remaining hellfire missiles unexpectedly went of and in the others, the blades were suddenly bent and all sent them both crashing into the ground. The resulting explosions knocked Wanda and Kitty back, but luckily they suffered no serious wounds.
"Not bad Wanda..." said Kitty in awe of the power that she had seen Wanda unleash.
"Thanks..." said the Scarlet Witch breathlessly as Kitty's comment helped her gain control of her powers and emotions.
But before either one of the girls could even begin to rest, movement within the woods was detected as the snapping of branches suddenly echoed through the air. Unknown to either of them...The cause of this was from a group of mysterious, heavily camouflaged marines armed with deadly assault rifles. Their presence went unnoticed as they inched their way closer to the two mutant girls as they desperately tried to stay low and avoid the speeding bullets whizzing around them. The heavily armed soldiers were soon in position as they saw an opportunity to take them both down now that Wanda seemed to be struggling to regain control over her emotions as a result of using her powers. However, Kitty seemed to notice the strange movement in the surrounding woods was quickly overwhelmed with a new sense of dread.
"Oh no..."
Then...With a silent hand signal, the hidden soldiers opened fire on both girls.
"Wanda look out!" yelled Kitty as her powers sprang into action and she quickly made both herself and Wanda intangible.
The bullets would have gone right through her head if Kitty hadn't acted and she quickly phase them behind a tree for cover. However, the powerful bullets quickly began to tear through the tree and more soldiers seemed to follow suite and increase the rate of fire.
"We're surrounded!" yelled Wanda as Kitty kept phasing them through incoming bullets.
"No kidding!" said Kitty as she and Wanda quickly got up and scrambled through the woods to avoid the bullets.
However, the marines didn't lose aim of them for more than a fraction of a second as they kept firing at the two mutant girls. Kitty's phasing powers kept them alive...But she couldn't keep doing it forever and the soldiers knew that.
"Keep phasing Kitty!" urged Wanda as her eyes began to glow once more, "I'll hex these assholes away and teach them not to sneak up on me!"
"Sounds like a plan...But hurry..." struggled Kitty, "I can't keep this up forever!"
Not wasting any more time, Wanda began to launch bolt after bolt of her hexing powers at the surrounding soldiers that had tried to shoot her just like they had back at the Brotherhood boarding house. It was because of them her brother had almost died...And such a though seemed to fuel her powers and her rage as she managed to disable some of the guns and knock back several of the soldiers. However, there were still plenty more around her, each one of them firing round after round at her and Kitty. But thanks to Kitty's phasing, they remained safe. Time was quickly running out as more bullets kept passing by them, but this only seemed to enrage Wanda further as she increased the intensity of her powers. More soldiers fell and were forced to retreat, but other still stayed and kept trying to take the two girls down. One of the soldiers had managed to slip past Wanda's watchful eye and was inching his way closer to her and Kitty. He hoped that both she and Kitty would be too distracted to notice as he aimed his assault rifle and prepared to fire. But before he could...He was suddenly attacked from behind.
"Back off asshole!" yelled and angry Mystique as she kicked the gun out of the soldier's hand and knocked him out with a series of quick and effective punches before he could react.
This caught both Wanda and Kitty's attention as the shape shifter rejoined them after losing them in the woods.
"Mystique!" said Kitty in relief as she finally was able to rest from using her powers, "Where have you been?"
"Sorry...I lost you in the woods. Where's Scott and Jean?"
"I don't know...I think they went towards the south end," answered Kitty, now suddenly worried for her two friends.
"Well then we better find them fast! I saw them sending more reinforcement over in the clearing! If we don't get out of here now we'll be overwhelmed!"
"I thought we already were!" grunted Wanda as her powers continued to fester as a result of her anger.
Neither Mystique nor Kitty could argue that as they heard more gunfire echo in the distance.
"All the more reason to find Scott and Jean and get the hell out of here!" yelled Raven over the noise of mortar explosions near their area.
The three of them were about to make their move...When suddenly, they all heard a familiar 'bamf.' Then in a puff of sulfurous smoke, Kurt appeared before them.
"There you are! Hurry everybody! The X-jet is ready!" said Kurt with a great deal of urgency in his tone.
"And not a moment too soon Kurt!" yelled Raven in response, "Hurry! Get us out of here!"
"But vhat about Scott and Jean?" replied Kurt as he quickly looked around for them.
"We got separated!" answered Kitty, "I think they went down to the south end! You'll have to go back for them!"
The blue teleporter let out a frustrated grunt as the loud sound of bombs, bullets, and mortars continued to echo through the air. The sounds of war were getting closer to them as time continued to tick away and countless soldiers closed in on them.
"Right...I'll find them...But first things first!"
As another mortar exploded near them, Kurt grabbed onto the shoulder of Kitty and his mother while he wrapped his tail around Wanda's leg. While teleporting more than two people was a strain on his endurance...At a time like this when adrenaline ran high it didn't seem to matter to him.
In a puff of smoke, the four mutants disappeared and appeared within the waiting X-jet, which was now humming with activity from the engines. However, the noise was nearly unnoticed due to the incessant sounds of war echoing outside. The cloaking device was still up, but with so many soldiers and vehicles closing in on them from all directions, it was only a matter of time before they were found. Such an inevitability provided all the more incentive to get out of this place as fast as possible.
"Everybody get strapped in! I have to find Scott and Jean!" said Kurt as he prepared to teleport back into the thick of the fighting and search for his friends.
However, before he could leave, he was abruptly stopped by his mother.
"Kurt, wait!" said Mystique urgently as Kurt turned his attention back towards the shape shifter, "Just 'call' Jean."
Kurt felt deadpanned for not thinking of that sooner. Jean was a telepath...He didn't need to search for her or Scott for that matter since the guy never left her side. It was a good think that Mystique had stopped him...Otherwise he could have been in for a rather long and dangerous search.
'Jean! It's Kurt! Are you and Scott okay?' said Kurt with his thoughts hoping Jean would hear him.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before he got his response.
'Kurt! Thank God! Scott and I are fine, but we're trapped in the cave! Is the plane ready?' replied Jean telepathically.
'Ja...It's ready to go! I just need to get you two back here! Just tell me where you are!'
'No need Kurt...I'll give you our location telepathically. Just hurry! I think their going to bomb the cave any second!'
That was all Kurt needed to hear as a brief image of where Scott and Jean were flashed before his mind thanks to Jean's powers. He saw that they were both trapped now and Scott was frantically firing his optic blasts outside the cave in an attempt to drive the incoming wave of marines back. Not wasting any more time, the blue teenage mutant quickly teleported out of the plane and into the cave where he was greeted with the desperate sight that Scott and Jean were now stuck in.
"Kurt! I'm glad you're here man! Did you get the others?" asked Scott urgently as he and Jean made their way farther back into the cave.
"Ja...They're on the plane now! Ve have to go!"
"No argument here!" said Jean as the three of them retreated further to avoid the gunfire being sent into the rear opening from the marines, who suddenly stopped their advance, "Just hurry! They could bomb this place any minute now!"
"No vorries mien friends! Just hang on!" said Nightcrawler as he grabbed the shoulders of his two friends and promptly teleported them back to the jet.
Then...Just as they disappeared from sight, four heavy 500 pound bombs from two F/A-18s flying in the skies overhead exploded and caused the cave to collapse in a violent cave in.
Scott, Jean, and Kurt then reappeared on the X-jet, poised to make their escape from the military once more. Both older teens had light cuts and scrapes from shrapnel, but this didn't seem to register in either of their minds as Scott quickly scrambled to the cockpit.
"Everybody buckle up and hold on! Wanda, get to the back with Pietro and strap him in!" ordered Scott, "This is going to be a bumpy ride!"
Wanda quickly scrambled back to the medical area where her brother was still lying, while the others wasted no time in quickly strapping into the restraining harnesses located on each of the seats. Scott quickly went through the final preparations and prepared to disengage the cloaking device...Which would make them highly vulnerable for a brief moment to the soldiers on the ground. However, there was no way around this and the longer they waited...The more difficult it would be.
"Okay everybody...I'm going to turn off the cloaking device," said Scott as he looked back one last time to see if everybody was ready to go, "Get ready..."
Every last one of the passengers on the SR-77 Blackbird gripped the chairs and held their breath as Scott prepared to ignite the vertical thrusters shortly after turning off the cloaking device. He would have to be quick, or they would all be sitting ducks for the trigger happy soldiers below. With one last deep breath, Scott quickly flipped the switch and the cloaking mechanism powered down...
Outside the plane, startled marines and tank crews watched with unbridled shock as they saw a massive plane appear in the evening sky right before their eyes. Some of the soldiers actually rubbed their eyes thinking that this was some kind of illusion. However, the field commander and the higher ranking officers wearing Friends of Humanity insignias were quick to react.
"Don't just stand there! Shoot it!" yelled the field captain as he raised his assault rifle and started firing upon the hovering aircraft.
Not wanting to disobey orders, the surrounding marines quickly opened fire at the plane while tank crew scrambled to aim their higher caliber guns at the target. However, Scott was quick with the controls and was able to engage the powerful vertical thrusters quick enough to blast them out of gun range from the soldiers below before they could react. Then, before any other actions could be taken from the soldiers below...Scott powered up the engines and ignited the rear thrusters with all the power he could and the X-jet accelerated into the sky above.
"We made it!" yelled Scott as he let out a powerful sigh of relief as the plane quickly exited the doomed area that they had held up in for the past few days.
A cheer from everybody in the back erupted as they all started breathing again after such tense moments. Soon, the surviving group of mutant sunk into their seats as they felt the vibrations of the engines take them away from the battlefield below.
Back on the ground, however, the field captain let out an angry grunt as he watched the X-jet disappear into the evening sky. He did not look forward to informing the general as he quickly picked up his communicator and radioed Washington.
"General Stryker, sir...I have grave news. All seven of the targets got away in that jet of theirs! We couldn't stop them!"
Back at the Pentagon where the general that had orchestrated these attacks commanded the most powerful military on Earth, he simply watched the large monitors in the central control room with a rather indifferent look on his face. The distress in the words of his field captain didn't seem to faze him in the slightest as he looked back at the images that had been broadcasted via air and ground reconnaissance. Then...A sudden grin appeared on the man's face...As if he relished in his enemy's resourcefulness.
"My dear enemies..." said the general as he looked back at the screen, "You're a crafty bunch, that you are. But it will only make my victory that much more savory in the end."
Stryker then turned to his communications officer and activated his head set so that he could talk back to his weary field captain.
"Calm yourself captain, those freaks are not out of this yet. Order all F-15E and F-16 aircraft in the sky to engage that plane before it gets out of range. If they get close enough, it should show up on radar."
"Sir, yes sir!" responded the field captain mechanically as he quickly radioed the flying fighters above them.
As the remnants of the X-men and the Brotherhood struggled to catch their breath after such an intense battle and escape, but no sooner had they caught their breath did a sudden alarm go off in the cockpit that echoed all throughout the plane.
"Uh oh..." said Scott with a grave look on his face as he looked at the radar screen.
"Oh no...What is it this time?" said Kitty from the back, not at all liking the prospects in Scott's tone.
"We have incoming..." said Scott as he adjusted the radar screen to get a better look, "Seven aircraft...3 F-16 fighting falcons and 4 F-15E strike eagles if I'm not mistaken...All of them packing heavy ordinance..."
"Can't this thing outrun them?!" yelled Mystique from the back, not liking the prospects of having to make another escape.
Scott's expression simply grew more anxious as the alarm continued to echo through the plane.
"Yes...But they're already locked on and firing missiles at us! Hang on!"
Then...Everybody felt a sudden jolt as Scott immediately took the X-jet into an evasive barrel roll and quickly started to descend altitude in an effort to avoid the incoming missiles. Like last time, these were heat seekers...But despite the intense G-forces pushing back on them, Scott managed to fire another round of flares. This caused two of the missiles to divert from their targeted path and explode...But the six other missiles merely continued on their path towards the X-jet.
"Shit! Those other missiles aren't heat seekers!" said Scott as the alarms continued to blare.
"Can you avoid them?" asked Raven as the deadly ordinance drew nearer.
"In a few moments...We'll know!" answered Scott.
Kicking in the afterburner, Scott accelerated the X-jet to higher speeds in an effort to get away from these missiles. However, three of the F-15E fighters had flanked him and were now directly in his path. The three F-15E pilots soon got a brief lock on the stealthy plane's signature as it continued to barrel roll away from the incoming missiles.
"We got em now!" said the lead pilot as he and his two wingmen stayed in formation and prepared to fire what they hoped to be the final blow, "Hawk 1...Fox 2!"
The missiles located on the wings of the plane then ignited and quickly began to speed towards the target. The other two planes quickly followed...Firing their missiles as well. This act was quickly picked up by the scanners on the X-jet as Scott still struggled to avoid the incoming projectiles.
"Oh crap! Now there's more coming at us!" said Scott as he bought the plane into another sharp turn, "Jean...Can you deflect them!?"
The G-forces were making it hard to focus for everybody at this point as the powerful missiles neared the plane, but this wouldn't stop Jean from giving it her best shot.
"I'll...Try!" struggled the redhead as she tried to filter out the intense vibrations from the plane.
Three missiles were coming at them from the front...Four from behind...And it would only take one to knock them out of the sky. Jean Grey would have to test all the skill that she had learned over the years as a telekinetic. The intense forces caused by the high speed and quick maneuvers of the plane were already putting a strain on everybody...But if these missiles weren't stopped then it would be the last strain they would ever feel. Jean then closed her eyes tightly as she focused on the incoming missiles in front of them.
"Come on Jean...You can do it!" urged Scott as he continued to tap every ounce of flying skill to avoid the deadly weapons.
"Yeah Jean! You're strong enough! Knock them out of the sky!" said Kitty, adding her support as well.
Hearing more words of encouragement from both her friends and her boyfriend, Jean extended the limits of her abilities and unleashed a telekinetic burst outside the plane that deflected both missiles away from the plane with only inches to spare.
"YES! Way to go Jean!" said Kitty as he and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.
However, there were still the missiles coming at them from behind. In the heat of the moment, they had almost forgotten about them...But the continued sound of the alarm in the cockpit quickly reminded them.
"Wait...The alarm is still going off! There are still more!" yelled Raven over the loud blaring noise.
"I know...And I can't avoid them..." said Scott gravely as he looked over at the tired Jean as she collapsed into her seat from the strain that she put on herself in both using her power and fighting the intense G-forces.
The seven planes that had encircled the X-jet now watched eagerly as the missiles neared their target. The occupants of the plane were now forced to hold their breath as the intense vibrations became more violent.
"Come on...Scott..." said Kurt as she felt the air being forced out of her lungs from the intense G-forces, "I know ve can get out of this...I know ve can..."
However, before Kurt could finish those words, Scott answered with great dread what he now knew was inevitable.
"It's too late now...They're gonna hit! Brace yourselves!"
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AN: To be continued for now! I know...Kind of a cliffhanger at the end, but don't worry! I'll update as soon as I can with the next chapter! I know that some of these are a bit long, but I wanted to go for more of a bookish feel rather than a fanfic feel with this story. I don't want this to end up being longer than I already plan for it to be, so I've had to condense a few chapters. So what do you think? How do you like the story so far? Did you enjoy all the action I wrote into this chapter? And there IS more to come! If you want to see what happens next...Stay tuned! And in the mean time, don't forget to review! Send your feedback to me via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I love getting feedback and I appreciate any sentiment that you can give me! Well, that's all for now folks! Until next time, best wishes to you all!
REVIEW! THE MORE I GET THE FASTER I'LL UPDATE!!!
Chapter 14: Assault
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An entire army now surrounded an area no more than 20 square miles. Every conceivable route of escape was now completely closed off as hundreds of fully armed marines, special forces, assault vehicles, Apache helicopters, and F/A-18 hornets guarded the entire region with F-16 and F-15E air support. There were only seven targets...But given what they had survived last time, it was clear that there could be no underestimating their reliance this time around. The sun had almost set over the horizon as every soldier remained stealthily hidden from sight. The only communication now was between the field captain and General Stryker back in Washington. The captain was closet to the cave and using his long range binoculars to observe the area that the general had found to be so intriguing. He was in full camouflage along with the rest of his fellow soldiers as he carefully scanned the area for any signs of the targets. Daylight was fading fast and they didn't want to give the enemy the cover of darkness as a possible method of escape. Then finally...As he and his soldiers lay low on the moist ground below...Something caught his eye. Through his binoculars...Two figures were seen near the entrance of the cave. They both were casually talking...Completely unaware of their presence. One was a young teenage girl and the other one was a blue skinned older woman. This was the sight that the captain had been looking for and with a quick hand signal to his supporting marines...They all readied their weapons as he silently contacted the general.
"General Stryker sir..." said the field captain silently called his superior back in Washington over an encrypted line.
"Captain...Do you have confirmation?"
"Affirmative sir...It's just like you said."
"Excellent," said William Stryker with a grin upon hearing that his hunch was right on target, "Are the sniper's in position yet?"
"Negative sir...The terrain is a bit trickier than we had hoped. We'll have them ready in no more than 20 minutes."
"Too long..." responded Stryker as he quickly dismissed the initial idea he had of using snipers to take out the mutants from a distance, "We may not be able to stay concealed long enough and if one of them falls, it may alert the others. We need to hit them all...Prepare for an air strike."
"Sir, yes sir. I'll radio the F/A-18s overhead and synchronize their blasts with the Apaches," said the field captain, "It should take no more than two minutes."
"Be sure that it does captain...Because I don't want any more of these freaks left by the time the sun sets over the horizon," said the general in his usual calm, but stern tone.
"Sir, you have my assurance, sir. There will be no survivors this time."
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As the military prepared to strike, the seven surviving mutants of the initial attacks several days before remained more or less oblivious to the fevered activity in the area around them. Kitty and Mystique were still outside near the cave talking and Kurt and Wanda were still looking over Pietro. In the cockpit, Scott and Jean were finally starting to nod off after a long, hard day...When suddenly, an alarm on the central control panel went off.
Upon being jolted from their sleepy state, Scott and Jean immediately took in the situation as the radar screen suddenly caught their eye. Then...Scott's face went pale.
"What is it Scott?" asked Jean anxiously as the alarm continued to blare.
"Oh shit..."
Scott's expression grew grimmer as he suddenly bolted out of the pilot's chair and ran towards the exit to the plane.
"Scott...Scott! What's going on?!" yelled Jean, now unable to hide her fear over what he had seen.
Wanda and Kurt soon noticed this as well as they saw the two older mutants make a mad dash towards the exit.
"Hey! Vhat's happening?" said Kurt as he quickly felt the tension in the air.
"They're coming..." replied Scott as he jumped out of the concealed hatch onto the ground below.
"What?! Who's coming?" asked Jean, not knowing if she wanted to hear the answer.
Then, as Scott finally made his way over to a confused and unaware Mystique and Kitty, he explained.
"We have to get out of here! They found us! I don't know how, but they found us!" said Scott breathlessly as Kurt and Wanda caught up with them.
"Who? Who found us?" said Mystique, knowing this was definitely something to take seriously.
"Whoever tried to take us all out before! The scanners picked up incoming aircraft all around the area! We have to get out of here now!" urged Scott.
But before any one of them could respond...Jean's expression soon went pale as well as she clutched her temples. Then...Everybody turned their attention towards her...Only to see a look of sheer alarm in her eyes.
"EVERYBODY GET DOWN!"
Suddenly...A fiery explosion engulfed the area around the six mutants as they all hit the ground and shielded their eyes from the bright light. They all braced themselves for the seemingly inevitable fire that seemed poise to engulf them all...But it never came. A powerful telekinetic shield had saved them all as Jean's mutant abilities immediately kicked in.
"Stay down everybody! More is coming!" grunted Jean as she slammed her eyes shut and increased the force of her shield around her friends.
Another round of explosions rocked the area as the intense heat nearly singed some of their clothing. Kurt protectively flung his body over Wanda the noise and fury of the blast threatened to destabilize her powers, while Scott sent his urging support to Jean through their link. Finally...After a tense few seconds, the explosion stopped.
"YES! We got em General!" said the field captain over his communicator as he saw the bombs fall over the targets and engulf them in flame.
Over the communicator, Stryker was not convinced. He quickly ordered one of his subordinate officers to switch to a real time field view so that he could see what was going on and quickly saw the smoldering area.
"Captain...I need visual confirmation of that claim," responded the general, "I repeat...I need VISUAL confirmation that the targets were destroyed."
Obeying his commander unquestioningly, the field captain and his group quickly moved in closer to get a better view through the binoculars. While he didn't see how it was at all possible for anything to survive those blasts...He still sought the confirmation that his superior required. There was still a great deal of dirt and debris in the air from the blast...But as it cleared, he finally began to see human figures.
"Sir...I have a negative confirmation. I repeat...The targets are all still alive!" yelled the captain disbelievingly.
Back in Washington, the general's demeanor didn't seem to change as other officers of both military and Friends of Humanity looked at the screen in disbelief. While their expressions were all one of bewilderment...General Stryker, on the other hand, actually smiled.
"Ah my most dubious enemies...You didn't disappoint me," said Stryker under his breath as he switched back on his communicator and contacted the captain, "They must have the telekinetic mutant with them. And if the Scarlet Witch is still there, then they'll have even more protection. There's only one solution to a problem like this...Divide and conquer. Order attack plan 18 and launch smoke grenades. Then...All Apache helicopters are to move in and take them all down with marine support behind them."
"Sir, yes sir!" yelled the field captain in response as he immediately began to carry out his orders.
While the trees began to rustle from the blades of the advancing helicopters, the six mutants standing within the area that had just been bombed managed to wearily return to their feet in a dazed, yet vigilant state.
"Is everybody okay?" said Jean as she rested her mind after the abrupt surge in her power use.
"We're fine..." replied Scott as he helped Kitty and Mystique up, "But we have to move fast!"
"I'll teleport everybody to the jet!" said Kurt as he prepared to use his powers, but Scott quickly stepped in.
"NO! We can't do that now! We have to lead them away from the jet first! Because if the X-jet is destroyed...Then we're all done for!"
Suddenly, the sound of distant mortar shells and grenade launchers echoed in the distance. Seconds later...A thick smoke began to fill the area around them. The choking gas quickly inundated their lungs and everybody was forced to scramble away from the area. Knowing that separation was a bad thing in a situation like this, Scott managed to get one last message out before the smoke completely obscured his vision.
"Kurt! Get back to the X-jet and start the main controls, but KEEP THE CLOAKING DEVICE UP AT ALL COSTS! Once you do, come back for all of us!"
"Come back for you!?" questioned Kurt, not liking this plan at all.
"We'll lead them away...But you HAVE to get the X-jet active before it's too late! Go now!"
Kurt still hesitated briefly, but then Wanda looked back over at him and gave him one last piece of assurance.
"Go Kurt...We'll be fine," said the Scarlet Witch as her eyes began to glow.
Not wanting to waste any more time, Kurt simply nodded and prepared to leave.
"Right! Be careful..."
Upon teleporting back into the jet, the rest of the X-men and Brotherhood remnants were quickly forced to make their way over to the east side of the area away from the jet. It wasn't long before the Apache helicopters quickly flew over them with great speed while flashes from marine gunfire were seen in the distance.
"It's payback time!" grunted Mystique as she saw the countless military forces around her...The same forces that had destroyed her home and murdered her daughter.
Shifting into a small black raven, Mystique flew up past the gunfire and forced herself into the open side of the helicopter and surprising the soldier mounting the machine gun. As she shifted back into her normal form, she kicked the gunner out and knocked the two pilots off of their seats and out tumbling into the trees. With the helicopter now at her disposal, Mystique turned the gun toward the surrounding Apaches and fired upon them with unrelenting fury.
"YOU ALL MUST PAY FOR YOUR CRIMES! YOU ALL MUST ANSWER FOR YOUR ATROCITIES" yelled the angry shape shifter as two Apaches went down.
Then, as the guns ran out of ammo, rifle fire from the marines below began to tear at the aircraft. Upon turning towards the area where the flashing guns were seen, Mystique fired one of the hellfire missiles along with several rockets at the trees. While this didn't stop all of it, it did cause some to retreat. Suddenly, smoke began to form in the cockpit as the bullets from the guns began to tear the aircraft apart. Wanting to make one last move before she abandoned the craft, Mystique set the smoking helicopter on a collision course with the woods where the marines were currently fortified in.
"Everybody move! It's coming right towards us!" yelled the field commander as he and his group of soldiers quickly retreated as the smoking Apache helicopter neared the ground.
Mystique had shifted back into a raven and made her escape as the helicopter erupted into a massive fireball...Forcing the marines in that area back.
Over with Scott and Jean, more smoke grenades were fired at them from a distance from mortars and Apache helicopters continued to bear down on them, firing countless rounds of bullets towards their position. Jean fought to keep her shields up while Scott removed his glasses and began to fire back.
"Jean! Can you keep it up?" yelled Scott as some of the telekinetic force field around them began to crack from being hit from so many different sides all at once.
"Yes...I can...But there's too much smoke! It makes it harder to concentrate!" said Jean with a cough as she struggled to repel the smoke almost as much as she struggled to repel the bullets.
"You can do it Jean!" urged Scott as he fired another optic blast into the woods where gunfire was coming from, "Just keep moving! No matter what we have to keep moving or we'll be sitting ducks!"
The noise of three low flying Apache helicopters grew louder as they drew nearer to the ground. They were all closing in for the kill as the pilots aimed their machine guns and missiles at the two mutants below as they fought for their lives. Both Scott and Jean struggled to keep moving as they kept trying to lead all attention away from the X-jet so they could make their getaway. However, the forces that they were dealing with were no pushovers...They knew what they were doing and they knew how to take them down. Jean's telekinetic shields continued to falter as she kept coughing from the smoke and Scott's optic blasts weren't hitting anything because of the obstruction caused by the smoke.
"We got em now!" said one of the pilots of the Apache helicopters as he switched to hellfire missiles to finish the job they came here to do.
Then...As the thick smoke began to clear as a result of the wind caused by the helicopter blades, two hellfire missiles shot out from the lead Apache and made their way towards their targets. Jean still had her eyes closed as she kept trying to hold her focus and keep the incoming bullets and mortars away from them, but the clearing smoke allowed Scott to see the two deadly missiles speeding right towards them. Acting on pure instinct from his years of experience in the Danger Room, Scott immediately went into action.
"JEAN GET DOWN!" yelled Scott as he forced her to the ground and removed his glasses.
Then...With two, well placed shots...Scott managed to knock out both hellfire missiles before they could get any closer. The blast was intense and the shockwave cleared the air around them of any more smoke. Both Scott and Jean took light shrapnel from projectiles as they remained on the ground, taking cover from the deadly barrage. However...Now the smoke had cleared and the three helicopters could no longer hide from them.
"It's clear...Time to fight back!" said Scott as he rose to his feet and prepared another blast.
Despite the sting of the shrapnel wounds, Jean did the same and now that the smoke wasn't choking her...She was ready to unleash the full power of her telekinesis. Upon taking close aim, Scott unleashed a powerful blast at the upper area of the helicopter blade apparatus and shattered it with easy. The resulting tailspin caused by the sudden disability of the aircraft ended up crashing into the helicopter right next to it, forcing the pilots and gunmen to ditch.
"Bail out!" yelled the pilot as the two Apache's erupted into flame.
Upon seeing this sudden turn of events, the third Apache quickly aimed it's machine gun directly at Scott.
"Hurry up! Take that guy down before he hits us!" yelled the pilot to his gunner as he quickly turned to get a clear shot.
However, this action did not go unnoticed by Jean as she sprang into action with renewed energy.
"I don't think so!" yelled the redhead as she used her mind to unleash a wave of telekinetic force sent the powerful helicopter flying backwards and rupturing the blade control mechanisms.
Sparks began to fly on the main control panels of the helicopters primary components and all systems quickly went haywire as a result of such a powerful wave of force. It wasn't long before the internal alarms went off within the craft and the crew began to panic.
"Shit! Jump!" yelled the inhabitance of the Apache as all three soldiers bailed out just before their helicopter crashed into the ground and burst into flame.
With the three helicopters out of the way, Scott and Jean quickly started moving again despite their light wounds from the hellfire missiles. With clear air, Jean had less trouble keeping up the shield and Scott had an easier time aiming his optic blasts. However, the sound of more Apaches in the distance prompted them remain vigilant as they struggled to get away in a fight for survival.
"Come on Jean...We have to keep going!" said Scott breathlessly as they made their way towards the rear area outside the cave.
"I know...But there's so many of them! We have to get out of here soon!"
"We can do it Jean...We just have to hold out a bit longer!" said Scott over the noise as he and Jean both hit the ground again in wake of a new barrage of gunfire from the trees.
Over with Wanda and Kitty, they were taking cover in the thick woods directly off to the east side of the cave. They had both gotten separated from Mystique after she took down two of the Apache helicopters that had been trailing them. Now, four more were starting to near the area and elite marine squads were inching their way through the cover of the woods towards the unsuspecting girls.
"We have to stay down Wanda..." gasped Kitty as she and the Scarlet Witch tried to keep clear of gunfire, "There's no telling how many soldiers have surrounded this place."
"From the looks of it...There's enough of them as it is..." said Wanda as she began to feel her anger start to consume her.
Wanda's eyes were now beginning to glow as she heard the Apache helicopters draw nearer. The tree branches around them and the dead leaves that they were forced to lay on were now rustling incessantly from the wind. The helicopters tried to launch smoke grenades, but the obstruction from the branches diverted them from the targets and Wanda and Kitty were lucky enough to be spared from being choked to death. It also allowed Wanda to stay focused on her powers as two of the helicopters now had her in their sights.
"I see them!" yelled the pilot in one of the helicopters, "Fire rockets!"
Both aircrafts proceeded to unleash several high powered rockets into the woods towards the two girls. However, Wanda's powers were now running on high as her anger over the people that had destroyed her home and nearly killed her brother now stood before her. As the rockets drew near, the hexing power of the Scarlet Witch caused them all to suddenly fly off course and away from their intended target.
"Damn freaks!" grunted the pilots as the two other Apaches quickly joined them and prepared for a four pronged attack.
However, Wanda was not about to let it get that far as both of her hands now were now engulfed in a bright, purple light.
"YOU BASTARDS! FEEL THIS!" yelled the teenage girl as she launched several barrages of hex bolts at the low flying helicopters.
The large craft were quickly overwhelmed as the effect of Wanda's hex bolts caused vital components to malfunction. On two of the Apache's the remaining hellfire missiles unexpectedly went of and in the others, the blades were suddenly bent and all sent them both crashing into the ground. The resulting explosions knocked Wanda and Kitty back, but luckily they suffered no serious wounds.
"Not bad Wanda..." said Kitty in awe of the power that she had seen Wanda unleash.
"Thanks..." said the Scarlet Witch breathlessly as Kitty's comment helped her gain control of her powers and emotions.
But before either one of the girls could even begin to rest, movement within the woods was detected as the snapping of branches suddenly echoed through the air. Unknown to either of them...The cause of this was from a group of mysterious, heavily camouflaged marines armed with deadly assault rifles. Their presence went unnoticed as they inched their way closer to the two mutant girls as they desperately tried to stay low and avoid the speeding bullets whizzing around them. The heavily armed soldiers were soon in position as they saw an opportunity to take them both down now that Wanda seemed to be struggling to regain control over her emotions as a result of using her powers. However, Kitty seemed to notice the strange movement in the surrounding woods was quickly overwhelmed with a new sense of dread.
"Oh no..."
Then...With a silent hand signal, the hidden soldiers opened fire on both girls.
"Wanda look out!" yelled Kitty as her powers sprang into action and she quickly made both herself and Wanda intangible.
The bullets would have gone right through her head if Kitty hadn't acted and she quickly phase them behind a tree for cover. However, the powerful bullets quickly began to tear through the tree and more soldiers seemed to follow suite and increase the rate of fire.
"We're surrounded!" yelled Wanda as Kitty kept phasing them through incoming bullets.
"No kidding!" said Kitty as she and Wanda quickly got up and scrambled through the woods to avoid the bullets.
However, the marines didn't lose aim of them for more than a fraction of a second as they kept firing at the two mutant girls. Kitty's phasing powers kept them alive...But she couldn't keep doing it forever and the soldiers knew that.
"Keep phasing Kitty!" urged Wanda as her eyes began to glow once more, "I'll hex these assholes away and teach them not to sneak up on me!"
"Sounds like a plan...But hurry..." struggled Kitty, "I can't keep this up forever!"
Not wasting any more time, Wanda began to launch bolt after bolt of her hexing powers at the surrounding soldiers that had tried to shoot her just like they had back at the Brotherhood boarding house. It was because of them her brother had almost died...And such a though seemed to fuel her powers and her rage as she managed to disable some of the guns and knock back several of the soldiers. However, there were still plenty more around her, each one of them firing round after round at her and Kitty. But thanks to Kitty's phasing, they remained safe. Time was quickly running out as more bullets kept passing by them, but this only seemed to enrage Wanda further as she increased the intensity of her powers. More soldiers fell and were forced to retreat, but other still stayed and kept trying to take the two girls down. One of the soldiers had managed to slip past Wanda's watchful eye and was inching his way closer to her and Kitty. He hoped that both she and Kitty would be too distracted to notice as he aimed his assault rifle and prepared to fire. But before he could...He was suddenly attacked from behind.
"Back off asshole!" yelled and angry Mystique as she kicked the gun out of the soldier's hand and knocked him out with a series of quick and effective punches before he could react.
This caught both Wanda and Kitty's attention as the shape shifter rejoined them after losing them in the woods.
"Mystique!" said Kitty in relief as she finally was able to rest from using her powers, "Where have you been?"
"Sorry...I lost you in the woods. Where's Scott and Jean?"
"I don't know...I think they went towards the south end," answered Kitty, now suddenly worried for her two friends.
"Well then we better find them fast! I saw them sending more reinforcement over in the clearing! If we don't get out of here now we'll be overwhelmed!"
"I thought we already were!" grunted Wanda as her powers continued to fester as a result of her anger.
Neither Mystique nor Kitty could argue that as they heard more gunfire echo in the distance.
"All the more reason to find Scott and Jean and get the hell out of here!" yelled Raven over the noise of mortar explosions near their area.
The three of them were about to make their move...When suddenly, they all heard a familiar 'bamf.' Then in a puff of sulfurous smoke, Kurt appeared before them.
"There you are! Hurry everybody! The X-jet is ready!" said Kurt with a great deal of urgency in his tone.
"And not a moment too soon Kurt!" yelled Raven in response, "Hurry! Get us out of here!"
"But vhat about Scott and Jean?" replied Kurt as he quickly looked around for them.
"We got separated!" answered Kitty, "I think they went down to the south end! You'll have to go back for them!"
The blue teleporter let out a frustrated grunt as the loud sound of bombs, bullets, and mortars continued to echo through the air. The sounds of war were getting closer to them as time continued to tick away and countless soldiers closed in on them.
"Right...I'll find them...But first things first!"
As another mortar exploded near them, Kurt grabbed onto the shoulder of Kitty and his mother while he wrapped his tail around Wanda's leg. While teleporting more than two people was a strain on his endurance...At a time like this when adrenaline ran high it didn't seem to matter to him.
In a puff of smoke, the four mutants disappeared and appeared within the waiting X-jet, which was now humming with activity from the engines. However, the noise was nearly unnoticed due to the incessant sounds of war echoing outside. The cloaking device was still up, but with so many soldiers and vehicles closing in on them from all directions, it was only a matter of time before they were found. Such an inevitability provided all the more incentive to get out of this place as fast as possible.
"Everybody get strapped in! I have to find Scott and Jean!" said Kurt as he prepared to teleport back into the thick of the fighting and search for his friends.
However, before he could leave, he was abruptly stopped by his mother.
"Kurt, wait!" said Mystique urgently as Kurt turned his attention back towards the shape shifter, "Just 'call' Jean."
Kurt felt deadpanned for not thinking of that sooner. Jean was a telepath...He didn't need to search for her or Scott for that matter since the guy never left her side. It was a good think that Mystique had stopped him...Otherwise he could have been in for a rather long and dangerous search.
'Jean! It's Kurt! Are you and Scott okay?' said Kurt with his thoughts hoping Jean would hear him.
Thankfully, it wasn't long before he got his response.
'Kurt! Thank God! Scott and I are fine, but we're trapped in the cave! Is the plane ready?' replied Jean telepathically.
'Ja...It's ready to go! I just need to get you two back here! Just tell me where you are!'
'No need Kurt...I'll give you our location telepathically. Just hurry! I think their going to bomb the cave any second!'
That was all Kurt needed to hear as a brief image of where Scott and Jean were flashed before his mind thanks to Jean's powers. He saw that they were both trapped now and Scott was frantically firing his optic blasts outside the cave in an attempt to drive the incoming wave of marines back. Not wasting any more time, the blue teenage mutant quickly teleported out of the plane and into the cave where he was greeted with the desperate sight that Scott and Jean were now stuck in.
"Kurt! I'm glad you're here man! Did you get the others?" asked Scott urgently as he and Jean made their way farther back into the cave.
"Ja...They're on the plane now! Ve have to go!"
"No argument here!" said Jean as the three of them retreated further to avoid the gunfire being sent into the rear opening from the marines, who suddenly stopped their advance, "Just hurry! They could bomb this place any minute now!"
"No vorries mien friends! Just hang on!" said Nightcrawler as he grabbed the shoulders of his two friends and promptly teleported them back to the jet.
Then...Just as they disappeared from sight, four heavy 500 pound bombs from two F/A-18s flying in the skies overhead exploded and caused the cave to collapse in a violent cave in.
Scott, Jean, and Kurt then reappeared on the X-jet, poised to make their escape from the military once more. Both older teens had light cuts and scrapes from shrapnel, but this didn't seem to register in either of their minds as Scott quickly scrambled to the cockpit.
"Everybody buckle up and hold on! Wanda, get to the back with Pietro and strap him in!" ordered Scott, "This is going to be a bumpy ride!"
Wanda quickly scrambled back to the medical area where her brother was still lying, while the others wasted no time in quickly strapping into the restraining harnesses located on each of the seats. Scott quickly went through the final preparations and prepared to disengage the cloaking device...Which would make them highly vulnerable for a brief moment to the soldiers on the ground. However, there was no way around this and the longer they waited...The more difficult it would be.
"Okay everybody...I'm going to turn off the cloaking device," said Scott as he looked back one last time to see if everybody was ready to go, "Get ready..."
Every last one of the passengers on the SR-77 Blackbird gripped the chairs and held their breath as Scott prepared to ignite the vertical thrusters shortly after turning off the cloaking device. He would have to be quick, or they would all be sitting ducks for the trigger happy soldiers below. With one last deep breath, Scott quickly flipped the switch and the cloaking mechanism powered down...
Outside the plane, startled marines and tank crews watched with unbridled shock as they saw a massive plane appear in the evening sky right before their eyes. Some of the soldiers actually rubbed their eyes thinking that this was some kind of illusion. However, the field commander and the higher ranking officers wearing Friends of Humanity insignias were quick to react.
"Don't just stand there! Shoot it!" yelled the field captain as he raised his assault rifle and started firing upon the hovering aircraft.
Not wanting to disobey orders, the surrounding marines quickly opened fire at the plane while tank crew scrambled to aim their higher caliber guns at the target. However, Scott was quick with the controls and was able to engage the powerful vertical thrusters quick enough to blast them out of gun range from the soldiers below before they could react. Then, before any other actions could be taken from the soldiers below...Scott powered up the engines and ignited the rear thrusters with all the power he could and the X-jet accelerated into the sky above.
"We made it!" yelled Scott as he let out a powerful sigh of relief as the plane quickly exited the doomed area that they had held up in for the past few days.
A cheer from everybody in the back erupted as they all started breathing again after such tense moments. Soon, the surviving group of mutant sunk into their seats as they felt the vibrations of the engines take them away from the battlefield below.
Back on the ground, however, the field captain let out an angry grunt as he watched the X-jet disappear into the evening sky. He did not look forward to informing the general as he quickly picked up his communicator and radioed Washington.
"General Stryker, sir...I have grave news. All seven of the targets got away in that jet of theirs! We couldn't stop them!"
Back at the Pentagon where the general that had orchestrated these attacks commanded the most powerful military on Earth, he simply watched the large monitors in the central control room with a rather indifferent look on his face. The distress in the words of his field captain didn't seem to faze him in the slightest as he looked back at the images that had been broadcasted via air and ground reconnaissance. Then...A sudden grin appeared on the man's face...As if he relished in his enemy's resourcefulness.
"My dear enemies..." said the general as he looked back at the screen, "You're a crafty bunch, that you are. But it will only make my victory that much more savory in the end."
Stryker then turned to his communications officer and activated his head set so that he could talk back to his weary field captain.
"Calm yourself captain, those freaks are not out of this yet. Order all F-15E and F-16 aircraft in the sky to engage that plane before it gets out of range. If they get close enough, it should show up on radar."
"Sir, yes sir!" responded the field captain mechanically as he quickly radioed the flying fighters above them.
As the remnants of the X-men and the Brotherhood struggled to catch their breath after such an intense battle and escape, but no sooner had they caught their breath did a sudden alarm go off in the cockpit that echoed all throughout the plane.
"Uh oh..." said Scott with a grave look on his face as he looked at the radar screen.
"Oh no...What is it this time?" said Kitty from the back, not at all liking the prospects in Scott's tone.
"We have incoming..." said Scott as he adjusted the radar screen to get a better look, "Seven aircraft...3 F-16 fighting falcons and 4 F-15E strike eagles if I'm not mistaken...All of them packing heavy ordinance..."
"Can't this thing outrun them?!" yelled Mystique from the back, not liking the prospects of having to make another escape.
Scott's expression simply grew more anxious as the alarm continued to echo through the plane.
"Yes...But they're already locked on and firing missiles at us! Hang on!"
Then...Everybody felt a sudden jolt as Scott immediately took the X-jet into an evasive barrel roll and quickly started to descend altitude in an effort to avoid the incoming missiles. Like last time, these were heat seekers...But despite the intense G-forces pushing back on them, Scott managed to fire another round of flares. This caused two of the missiles to divert from their targeted path and explode...But the six other missiles merely continued on their path towards the X-jet.
"Shit! Those other missiles aren't heat seekers!" said Scott as the alarms continued to blare.
"Can you avoid them?" asked Raven as the deadly ordinance drew nearer.
"In a few moments...We'll know!" answered Scott.
Kicking in the afterburner, Scott accelerated the X-jet to higher speeds in an effort to get away from these missiles. However, three of the F-15E fighters had flanked him and were now directly in his path. The three F-15E pilots soon got a brief lock on the stealthy plane's signature as it continued to barrel roll away from the incoming missiles.
"We got em now!" said the lead pilot as he and his two wingmen stayed in formation and prepared to fire what they hoped to be the final blow, "Hawk 1...Fox 2!"
The missiles located on the wings of the plane then ignited and quickly began to speed towards the target. The other two planes quickly followed...Firing their missiles as well. This act was quickly picked up by the scanners on the X-jet as Scott still struggled to avoid the incoming projectiles.
"Oh crap! Now there's more coming at us!" said Scott as he bought the plane into another sharp turn, "Jean...Can you deflect them!?"
The G-forces were making it hard to focus for everybody at this point as the powerful missiles neared the plane, but this wouldn't stop Jean from giving it her best shot.
"I'll...Try!" struggled the redhead as she tried to filter out the intense vibrations from the plane.
Three missiles were coming at them from the front...Four from behind...And it would only take one to knock them out of the sky. Jean Grey would have to test all the skill that she had learned over the years as a telekinetic. The intense forces caused by the high speed and quick maneuvers of the plane were already putting a strain on everybody...But if these missiles weren't stopped then it would be the last strain they would ever feel. Jean then closed her eyes tightly as she focused on the incoming missiles in front of them.
"Come on Jean...You can do it!" urged Scott as he continued to tap every ounce of flying skill to avoid the deadly weapons.
"Yeah Jean! You're strong enough! Knock them out of the sky!" said Kitty, adding her support as well.
Hearing more words of encouragement from both her friends and her boyfriend, Jean extended the limits of her abilities and unleashed a telekinetic burst outside the plane that deflected both missiles away from the plane with only inches to spare.
"YES! Way to go Jean!" said Kitty as he and the others breathed a collective sigh of relief.
However, there were still the missiles coming at them from behind. In the heat of the moment, they had almost forgotten about them...But the continued sound of the alarm in the cockpit quickly reminded them.
"Wait...The alarm is still going off! There are still more!" yelled Raven over the loud blaring noise.
"I know...And I can't avoid them..." said Scott gravely as he looked over at the tired Jean as she collapsed into her seat from the strain that she put on herself in both using her power and fighting the intense G-forces.
The seven planes that had encircled the X-jet now watched eagerly as the missiles neared their target. The occupants of the plane were now forced to hold their breath as the intense vibrations became more violent.
"Come on...Scott..." said Kurt as she felt the air being forced out of her lungs from the intense G-forces, "I know ve can get out of this...I know ve can..."
However, before Kurt could finish those words, Scott answered with great dread what he now knew was inevitable.
"It's too late now...They're gonna hit! Brace yourselves!"
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AN: To be continued for now! I know...Kind of a cliffhanger at the end, but don't worry! I'll update as soon as I can with the next chapter! I know that some of these are a bit long, but I wanted to go for more of a bookish feel rather than a fanfic feel with this story. I don't want this to end up being longer than I already plan for it to be, so I've had to condense a few chapters. So what do you think? How do you like the story so far? Did you enjoy all the action I wrote into this chapter? And there IS more to come! If you want to see what happens next...Stay tuned! And in the mean time, don't forget to review! Send your feedback to me via email or post it on the fanfiction website! I love getting feedback and I appreciate any sentiment that you can give me! Well, that's all for now folks! Until next time, best wishes to you all!
REVIEW! THE MORE I GET THE FASTER I'LL UPDATE!!!
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