Summary:Discovering a mutant, the X-Men launch a rescue mission. Log Info:Storyteller: None |
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THREE YEARS AGO
It had taken some time to locate the Dream Walker that had been plagueing peoples dreams over the last few months. It had been fluke really the X-Men Telepath had found her - they're pretty certain it's a her at any rate. Tacking her had been hard but eventually they'd done it, to a facility located in the back of nowhere America.
The X-Men had reached out to one Nick Gleason, aka Wolfcub, asking for assistance on the raid citing a 'unique mindset'. Who knew what that meant.
The blackbird is currently hovering a little distance from the facility. This is going to be a multiprong attack. There's every indication this is a research facility of some sort - but that's not been confirmable.
Nick Gleason, aka Wolf Cub, hadn't been easy to find. He's been living off the grid thanks to registration. Things look like they're starting to thaw though and in any case a request by his old schoolmates to help rescue another mutant isn't something he'd refuse.
The big brown wolfman is looking a bit shaggy. His clothes have seen better days - he doesn't have a uniform since he never actually JOINED the X-Men, but his eyes are sharp and so are his claws.
Just, you know, ignore the stains on the slightly ragged edged grey sweatshirt he's wearing.
"Well this looks fun…" His voice is gruff and deep but he's grinning a little when he looks over at whomever happens to be ready to make the jump with him. "Ready to go, just say the word."
Nick came quite willingly. But he's most definitely not leading this little adventure.
When Piotr graduated the school, he never assumed he'd ever be in any kind of leadership position in the school. With his sister missing, he found himself back again within the folds of the X-Men. It's not something he was terribly eager to do - but he agreed to take on the smaller missions in the hopes that it would give him so clue on how to find his sister again.
He's dressed in the familiar red and gold unitard with the large shoulder pads as he steps towards the back of the aircraft, and moves to wait for the vehicle to go into it's hover. "The rest of the team will be going in for the more stealthy approach. You and I, tovarish," he offers to Nick as the mutant's large form grows even larger as he shifts from flesh to bonded organic steel. "..is to draw the attention away from the others. Though if we are able to make our way in to this mechtatel', the so much the better."
With that, he steps from the edge of the deck, into the air above, dropping like a quarter-tonne boulder as he slams into the ground, kicking up ground and ripping down smaller trees and larger limbs as he comes to a stop, and rises to his full height.
"Wolf Cub and Colossus, have the distraction. Alpha team takes the front, Beta the back, Charlie the east entry, Delta the west. Go and be careful out there." A group of red and gold clad X-Men follow Piotr down, some rendering themselves invisible, some getting larger, others … remaining the same. They soon scatter.
When Colossus and Wolfcub hit the ground, it takes a few moment to get a reaction. But what a reaction it is. Men dressed in yellow uniforms burst from the doors, strafing the ground with bullets in front of the metal man and the lycanthrope.
They mean business too.
Through the comms comes something the two hadn't expect to hear. "OMG OMG make it stop." That sounds Charlie team and they sound scared.
If Nick is honest, Colosses is a damn good distraction. His entrance is impressive and from what the wolfman hears, he can back it up with more than just his shiny looks.
Wolf Cub drops down behind Piotr, landing much more lightly in a three point stance. He rises with a grace that belies his great bulk. Not for the fist time he wishes he'd taken some of the Paragons old kit when he fled to Monster Metropolis. He could really use his flack vest about now, he's only marginally bullet proof.
Still. They're meant to be a distraction so he's going to do his part.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"
"That should get their eyeball- Charlie team! Charlie team?!" Nick taps his earpiece a couple of times but he's not getting anything right away.
"Trouble." He says to the big shiny man, though Piotr can probably tell without Nick saying so. "You've got this. I'm right behind you." And he will be, but again… he's not nearly as bullet proof.
And right now they've got team mates in trouble and a mutant to rescue, so it's no time to let ego get in the way. Not… that Nick really has one at this point in his life. Not after all that's happened.
"/Stay/ behind me." If Piotr had thought about it, he'd realized he was telling a lyncanthrope to stay, and that would be marginally amusing. But instead, the Russian's mind is completely in the mode of business. As he approaches the fence, he can feel the pangs of bullets slamming into his armored hide, and ricocheting or falling uselessly to the ground when they failed to penetrate.
Grabbing one of the trees that fell when he landed, Colossus hefts it up. He can hear the calls from the other team, and his lips pull into a frown. "We must work quickly to rescue the others once we have met our objective." Chuucking the tree forward in a lateral toss, he means to use it to bulldoze down the fence and the first line of defense. Once he clears a hole, he gives a grunt.
"Go!" he says to Nick. "I will be right behind you after I make sure that we will not be shot in the back."
They're a good distraction, Nick and Piotr. It's not just the four guys now, there's another four piling out of the door. Which is probably a good thing, at least from the facilities perspective, as the first four guys go down like ten pins.
From Charlie team in answer to Nick, it's a series of terrified garble that soon starts to settle. "I've got the team stabilised. Be careful there's a power Empath." That's Veronica, one of the telepaths. "I can keep them shielded for the moment, but that was close thing."
More bullets strafe in front of the pair, bouncing off Colossus' gleaming chest. They soon grow wise to that and try to flank the pair, getting shots at Wolf Cub as they make the facility.
Nick vaults over the tree that Colossus uses to knock down the fence and makes for the facility wall. The big guy - well, the bigger guy - is still drawing the lion's share of the gunfire and that's just fine with him but when he starts getting his own attention it's time to switch tactics.
There's no doors or windows in the section of wall sheltering Wolf Cub, so he just makes his own. A couple of claw wipes, a kick, and viola! A new entryway.
A new entry way for gunfire to come out of. Nick makes a face as he ducks back, picks up a couple of bricks and silences two gunmen. Then he steps inside…
Only to be ejected again by some kind of sonic blast. This is AIM, after all and they do have nifty toys, not just powerful telepaths. The blast sends him tumbling down by Piotr.
"Whuff… ow." He says picking himself up. "He's in there…" He points a claw at the hole in the wall he was just tossed out of.
With the bullets panging and bouncing off of his armor, Piotr was more than willing to hold the fort out here while Nick took care of what was within. That is until Nick comes flying back out, tumbling ass over head and lands next to him. "Hnh. A sonic weapon. This will call for a different approach."
That's when he's glances upwards, and then at Nick. "I am expert at this."
It's all the warning that Nick gets before Colossus grabs Wolfcub by the front of his clothing and turns and heaves the other man towards the rooftop. There's no real target, so it is not a fastball special - but it will do the trick of getting Nick /above/ the action.
With that, Piotr wades back forward, even as the sonic weapon slams into him, and he growls, dropping to a knee. "Boishe Moi, you are very loud!" he grouses, looking for something nearby to throw.
"Get Nomad out here …" Wolf Cub and Colossus hear one of the yellow clad figures calling into his comms as Nick is man handled (mutant handled, perhaps?) onto the roof. "Get Nomad out here now…"
The two mutant men - well, mainly Piotr at the moment - are beset by another squad of yellow clad men. The calibre of weapon has just increased - it's not just sub machine guns any more. There's sonic weapons being bought to bear at the least.
There's a few things that Piotr can throw - the least of which is the men he downed in his first sortie. There's the pieces of door that Nick ripped open and now pieces of wall as the sonic weapons do damage to the structure of the building.
It's then that it hits the two of them, the wave of terror and fear that comes from within. It's strong and being completely unexpected, might well throw them.
Nick spreads out his impact so that he doesn't penetrate the roof when he lands, though he does slide a bit before he gains purchase knocking off several red clay tiles in the process.
"Colossus. They're bugging out. When you're done with the screamer down there I might need some help." He can hear the fighting elsewhere. He can smell the ozone and the cordite. The other teams are too tied up to get here in time.
He's about to move in closer when he's hit with that wave of emotion. Fear. It takes him off guard and off balance. The other X-Folk, like Colossus, might have better luck as they'll have had training to deal with that type of thing. Not Nick.
And Nick's brain is just weird too. He has the instincts of a predator and predators don't cower. When they feel backed into a corner… is when they bite.
"ARRRRRRRRRRRROOOOOOOOOOOOOO!" That one is louder. With a snarl, Wolf Cub turns to rip a portion of the roof frame out and then chucks the chunk of two by four like a javelin right at the man who is trying to drag 'Nomad' off. It's not sharp enough to really spear anyone but since when is getting hit by a two by four pleasant regardless of whether or not someone sharpened it?
"I will be there /momentarily/!" comes the yell from Colossus, who is quite literally getting an earful at the moment. "You are too loud!" he shouts at the men with the sonic weapons, before picking up one of the yellow suited men he downed.
With that, he heaves him at the men with the weapons, looking to knock them down and clear a path.
Just a little one is all he needs as he runs forward, and lowers his shoulder, looking to slam into the side of the building, and collapse that part of the structure, already weakened by the sonic blasts from earlier to collapse upon the sonic weapon users.
Wolf Cubs spears pierce two of the yellow clad Soldiers. One of them who has a young woman, a girl really, by the arm. She's small feline ears on the top of her head and Nick will see the green slitted eyes as she looks at him and then out towards to Colossus as he crashes through that wall.
With a slight growl, the girl launches herself at the big metal man, claws extending from her fingers and raking at the Colossus's chest. They scratch him but can't harm him. That's not the biggest threat though. She's quick, not stopping as she hits the mutant, tumbling and then skittering between his legs.
That's combined with another push of emotion, this one wild and tempestuous. It may well put Piotr on the back foot. It will drive Nicks Instinct though - to just … attack.
Anything.
Nick does attack. There's only one reason to haul someone up to a roof like this and it's coming in right now. A helicopter. Well, okay an experimental roto-copter really. It's AIM. Nick looks up at the big metal vertibird and takes a flying leap at it. His claws dig into the skin and he tears his way in. One of the passengers promptly flies out and the chopper starts to spiral and gyrate wildly.
They won't be getting her out like that. But that does leave Colossus momentarily alone to face the potent empath.
But he's got this, right?
There's the scraping of claws on metal, and Colossus curses. "I am not your enemy!" Not that it seems to matter to the woman as he tries to grab her. She skitters between his legs and then around, the blasted thing is dangerously fast. "Will you let…"
Another attack on him. "I am trying…"
"…could you just…" she attacks him again, before she attacks him empathically.
Now those that are closest to Piotr know that in that thick metal hide of his is the heart of an artist. It's driven wild by the emotions that the young feline mutant is envokes in him, and his eyes flash.
"That is enough!" he finally yells as she makes him step back. Just as she leaps at him, Piotr's arm lashes out and catches her by the back of her neck and yanks her against him. A large arm wraps around her chest and holds her there, the metal armor unaffected by the lashing of claws or teeth. "You will stop, or I will bonk you on head, and you will have terrible headache!"
The roto-coptor is offset and whirls out of control. The lycanthrope is going to have to get free and soon. What's left of the roof top of the facility is approaching fast and he's still being hit by that empathic push. It's lessening though as the young woman focusses her attack on the big metal man.
That might make it make it little easier for Nick to focus.
The young woman is quick and it's like herding a cat, as Piotr finds out. She's there one moment and gone the next. At one point, she's up and over his shoulder, scoring his metal skin with those claws. Anyone watching might think it amusing.
It's not. For either of them.
Caught up by the arms, the woman yowls and growls. Clawing, biting and kicking trying to get free. She doesn't stop but her stamina isn't endless - Piotrs might well be. Eventually she just struggles weakly against his hold.
The threat of getting hit hasn't sunk in.
"Colossus, Wolf Cub, status. We're clearing the facility and we've not found the target. We suspect they've got away with it."
Nick gets a little bit of himself back just before the aircraft crashes and leaps clear onto the roof again. This time when he lands in a crouch he doesn't rise. He just shakes himself and tries to blink away the rage that had suddenly taken him.
"Rrrrr…. Herrrre…" He manages to growl, and then tries again. "We have our rescue. Colossus is handling her now. She's got a mental gift."
To the woman herself the wolf man growls. "He means it. Stop. That."
That might at this point be unnecessary. Colossus seems to have her well in hand.
"She's gonna need your folks help for sure." The School's help, he means. The Morlocks… they've got nothing for her. And with the best will in the world they can't fix whatever AIM has done to her.
So, she'll probably have to go back with the X-Men. Which is probably for the best really. People like Colossus can help shield her from the way the world is right now while she recovers. Which is, in short, not a real nice place for mutants, even if it's looking like that might change soon.
"You hurt?" Nick asks the big metal man. He doens't look it, but not all wounds are physical.
"We have target.. she is.." Colossus is trying to give his report, but it's like a child finding a feral kitten to bring home. Except this kitten probably weighs 100 pounds soaking wet and right now she's lashing out at the large Russian. "This will not work. I have sister." he tells the empath. "She bite harder than you…" And then she's at him all over again with those hard waves of empathy.
And he's give a growl of frustration and pain. "I said /enough/." He uses one hand and reaches up… but instead of /bonking/ her as he threatened, as her struggles weaken, he instead starts to use his free metallic hand to start to pet and stroke the feline mutant between her ears. And he starts to sing and hum in light Russian to her.
"Pussy, little kitty,
Kitty - little, grey tail.
Come to us and stay the night,
To rock our little baby.
I will pay you, cat,
For your job -
I will give you a piece of cake
And a jug of milk."
He really doesn't want to bonk her.
It's likely the combination of Nicks feral aura and Piotr's more gentle approach that has the young woman ceasing her struggles. Her ears twitch as Piotr starts to pet her, feline eyes darting between Nick and trying to see Piotr. She's still growling, occassionally … but they might expect that.
Now they can see her, she can't be more sixteen. One hundred pounds soaking wet is likely a good estimate.
"A Gift. TP incoming…" It's a matter of minutes before Liandra arrives, surveying the girl that Piotr has … subdued and the other two. "I'd ask … but …" A psychic shield settles over Isis and the mental pressure on the two men abates. "Bring her to the Blackbird, we're evacuating. There were a couple of others here."
"Nice job, Colossus." Nick doesn't want to use Piotr's name in the field. There's always the chance someone could be listening. "I'd say 'take good care of her' but I know you will." He looks at the slightly feline mutant. "Besides, I don't think you'll have too much of a choice. Cats, y'know."
Nick is all ready to get out of here. It's a bit sad that he's going to have to go back into hiding when they get back to New York. But maybe, just maybe, 2017 will be a better year…
Liandra gets a nod. Nick's grateful for the psychic barrier. He doesn't need any more nasty surprises. Especially when they get going. 60,000 feet is a BAD place for surprises. Or raging wolf men.
"Da. Have had cats before." Well, Kitty. But she's off in England, and he didn't try to stop her.
"Cats chose their owners. Whether or not they want them." Following after Nick and the others as the feline mutant is settled in, Piotr takes his place to settle down. There's a few marks on his armor, but nothing that was too terrible.
Leaning back in the seat of the Blackbird, he finally releases the mutant only when he's told it's safe, and it'll be nice to get a nap on the way back home.