Genosha: The Unwritten Alliance: The Plan Ahead

[x-gambit.livejournal.com]

The X-Men meet to discuss the plan.



It was one of the few times that the X-Men situation room was full; every chair occupied and more than a few left to stand or lean against the side tables and consoles. The trainees were also with the rank and file X-Men, staring at the 3D map of Genosha with the growing realization that this wasn’t just an elaborate Danger Room simulation, and for all intents and purposes, Xavier’s was at war with a whole country. The only one not part of the team was Sarah Morlocke, who had been sent over to act as the communications liaison between the intel that the others would send from Genosha and the X-Men. As soon as the last person stepped into the room, the door shut, and the senior X-Men stepped up to the table.

“So”, Kurt said flatly, looking around the room. “We have a plan, and almost all the information we are likely to get. Is everyone ready to move when we must?”

Sam did likewise, folding his arms across his chest as he glanced around at his fellow X-Men to gauge the situation. “I’m ready to do my part, as ready as ever at any rate.” Going to battle was never a fun thing in his book but when it was necessary then he’d do whatever he had to do.

Scott’s eyes were cold as he leaned forward to place his hands on the table, “These...people have kidnapped our students and threatened us, I’m good to go as soon as the others find the kids.” he stated firmly.

Angel made sure to keep her face impassive as everyone spoke. But inside, she was in absolute disbelief. She had come back from England to find herself caught up in a war. Of course. She didn’t want to say she was the only person these things happened to, but...seriously. How many people could say they accidentally walked into a war? “I’ll do whatever you need me to do,” she said quietly, though she was pretty sure that went without saying.

“Getting what information we have was like squeezing blood from a stone,” Terry said, irritated by her own awareness of how much they didn’t know. She fidgeted in place, trying to avoid leaning against anything on the wall that was likely to go off. She still didn’t understand how so many so called safeguards to just this kind of thing had managed to fail. Or at least, she tried not to understand.

War. The confusion and devastation of blood shed by those with the will to fight. Lex was familiar with war, it was where he belonged. It had only taken the first few seconds of the briefing for him to remember the comfort of the cold realization that he was about to put his life on the line. For him it wasn’t a matter of right and wrong, it was simply the understanding that people close to him were putting themselves in danger and he could help get them out alive. He didn’t speak, just grunted and nodded in affirmation of the mission’s goals. There would be time enough for words.

Jim, too, was silent. Somehow he'd thought he would feel better once he'd heard the plan. He did not. After what had happened at the rally, he couldn't believe the kidnapping of Moira's daughter was a coincidence. If the Genoshans were going after associates as well, if they were willing to stage abductions in the UK as well as the US . . .

The notepad he'd been using began to crinkle of its own accord. The telepath took a deep breath and gently reasserted control over Jack. Thank God it had been years since Betsy had held a position at the school. If she were even on the list she'd be low, and for the first time he found himself blessing her frequent assignments off the radar. All he needed to worry about was his job. Get the kids back home, get Rachel back to her parents, and make sure the Genoshans never did this again.

Clarice nodded, grim. “Whatever it takes,” she stated flatly. She had killed once before. If she needed to, she was prepared to do it again, but she didn’t want to. She wanted to save lives. “This is why we’re X-Men,” of course, if they hadn’t been this wouldn’t be an issue, but that was one of those chicken and egg debates she wasn’t going to worry her head with. “This is what we’re trained for.” Hopefully.

Kyle shrugged and gave a sort of affirmative grunt. Not out of disinterest or disrespect, but because it was the only response he could manage without losing an already tenuous grip on his temper and suggesting that they just get on the effing plane and fly to effing Genosha and fix this shit now. Not a good plan, he knew that, but it wasn't like he had better ideas.

Jean-Phillipe’s impassive expression and deference to the more senior X-Men as being so new to full team status belied the rage simmering under the surface. He might have abandoned the Brotherhood to become an X-Man, but that didn’t mean the recklessness of a ‘mutant terrorist’ had completely been washed away from him in his joining the side of the angels. Children. They had kidnapped children. “I am more than ready,” he said, his accent flat and clipped. He didn’t know what ‘whatever it takes’ might mean to some of the others, but he knew what it meant to him.

John stood behind the rest, not bothering to say a word. This was another rare instance of him joining up with the X-Men to help stop some disastrous event. Despite seeing many familiar faces, he felt somewhat out of place in the situation room and hated the formality. Was he ready to move out? Yeah. He couldn't wait to get out there on the field.

Sharon was standing in the back as well, tapping her foot anxiously. “Let’s go, let’s go. Saving everyone, bringing everyone home. Let’s do it. Now now now.” Her tail swished impatiently. Humans think too much, she thought, disregarding the fact that she knew full well she was really a human.

Jean sat in one of the chairs, her hands steepled as she stared out, searching the faces of the others: her friends, her loved ones. Yet again the ones they cared about were taken from them. So many. But so many of them had stepped up to get them back. She found some comfort in their unity, but not much. Until the children and those who were with them were safe there would be no comfort, only anger at the ones who’d done this. She would find comfort in their safety, and retribution. She did speak. The others’ words mirrored her own sentiments.

Lorna was sitting next to Jean in one of the chairs, her eyes looked up at the 3D map of the country that made her sick to her stomach. “I’ll do whatever it takes to bring them home and I am more than ready to go into action.”

Standing beside her brother, Paige nodded with the others, her eyes remaining on the faintly glowing map as her teammates spoke up. She leaned slightly into Sam, her arms crossed tight across her chest with palms holding her elbows, and let her fingertips brush against his sleeve. A kind of anchoring and reminder of why this couldn’t fail.

Vance stood against the wall, one of those newly brought in trainees. He stood mostly in shock, not quite sure what to make of this all. It had been under a year since he was under lock and key, and here he could very well possibly going back into one of the very places he had done his time in. But there were children-- not children that he knew personally, but children nonetheless that needed his help. Their help.

Despite feeling that he wasn’t quite sure he was going to be up to this task, he took his eyes off of the display at the center of the room and looked around slowly at all of the rest called to arms. Some familiar faces, and some he didn’t know personally yet. “I’m in,” he said, his voice a little breathless at the enormity of the task before them. “I’ll do whatever I can to help.” He said he wanted to be a superhero? Welcome aboard. Nothing like being thrown in the deep end first.

Sarah felt very out of place surrounded by the Boyscout Brigade, but the partnership was not something she could avoid. Her eyes darted around the room uncomfortably. “Let’s get them home safe, so we can take the rest of these fuckers down.”