Higher Than Hope: The Chase

[x-trance.livejournal.com]

The rest of the team tracks down the Archduke's remaining people.



Small explosions could be heard in the distance. But that was the only sign something was up. The ground was not shaking and no one could be seen.

CJ- she didn't want to acknowledge her other name- moved down the corridor a bit faster after hearing the first explosion- the group that had attacked them at the gala could be here and if so, perhaps they were her ticket out of this mess. The halls of the compound appeared abandoned as she headed toward what she hoped was the action. Uncharacteristically nervous- and showing it- she wasn't paying attention to where she was going while rounding a corner and nearly collided with a classmate-nee-fellow-captive.

Ian caught CJ as she fell back. He'd been separated from the two commandos he'd previously been in the care of during the fighting, and was now looking for the other students, hopefully to convince them to come with him. He kept his hand on CJ's shoulder, checking her over for wounds. "You alright?" It was simple and terse, but cut with a lot of sympathy from the precog.

Allowing her teammate to help her to her feet, CJ nodded, "What's going on? Do you know where the others are?" There was an uncharacteristic undercurrent of panic in her voice.

"If they have any sense at all, they're currently surrendering." Ian was brusque in his voice, but his eyes were tired. He kept CJ in a corner, letting his eyes scan for anyone else coming. He would swear he...felt...someone nearby. "I actually tried to surrender to the group earlier." he was matter-of-fact about the whole thing, "It's time to face facts. There's no one here who cares about us past weaponry, Ceej..."

An uncharacteristic smile broke the usually placid mask of CJ's face, "I was worried I was the only one who felt like that!" She looked down the hallway, "Can you use your powers to see where we can surrender?"

Jean scoured the first level. It was sort of like playing a game of hot and cold at the moment when it came to finding Laurie and Hope. Sensing two people that were definitely not them, she slid up behind a wall, listening to the two people talk. They were young. They sounded, and felt scared.

Deciding to take a chance, Jean stepped out from behind the wall and held up her hands. "Hello. I'm Phoenix. I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me. We're just here for our friends. Can you tell me where they are?"

Ian made no aggressive moves, but stood between Jean and CJ before speaking, "We aren't fighting, but I could not say for sure where your teammates are, ma'am. Though, if I had to guess, I'd say somewhere near the library..."

Jean kept her hands up as a show of good faith, nodding a little. "Thank you. Can you tell me where that is?" she said. Her attention flickered back to the girl. She smiled softly.

"We can help you both too. Do you want us to help you?"

CJ nodded eagerly, her eyes wide with concern, "Forget about them though, they've all drank the Kool-Aide. We have to get out before His Grace, or worse Goose, find us."

Eyespy had happened upon the conversation completely by accident. She held back, frowning as she listened to the conversation, and her eagle eyes widened when she heard CJ's declaration. Traitors! She stepped around the corner, far enough back that none of them would be able to reach her in time, her fists clenched.

Seeing Amy round the corner, CJ's senses kicked into high gear- she could tell that the girl's calm demeanor was an act, she was mad, and was hiding something. "Oh, no..." she whispered.

The young woman suddenly froze, like she were a mouse spying a waiting cat. Sensing another presence nearby, Jean slowly turned.

"It's alright," she assured them, glancing back to CJ and Ian. She returned her attention to the other girl. This one wasn't friendly, judging by the woman's reaction.

"Like I told them, I won't hurt you if you don't hurt me. We're just here for our friends. Stand down and we will be on our way."

First she would try reason. Usually this didn't work but hey...it was worth a shot. It did on the first two.

Still, she wasn't expecting much.

A slight twitch of her jaw was the only reaction Eyespy gave to Jean's words before she pulled the gun she'd tucked into her belt, aiming at the redhead. The shots were sloppy and clearly unpracticed -- excellent eyesight could only get her so far. But the target was obvious.

When Jean saw the woman's hand reaching down for the gun she barely batted an eye. Frankly, if she had surrendered she might have been astounded. Two was unheard of, three would've been a miracle. But usually when someone tried to hurt her there was some sort of mutant ability involved.

Guns were almost refreshing. Almost.

The bullets bounced off an invisible shield, as Jean went for cover. She didn't want the two who had surrendered to be hit by stray bullets. Sensing Kyle nearby, her mind reached out.

~Wildchild, are you busy? I'm under fire. Possible mutant with a rifle. She's firing too erratically for me to get a steady sight and not risk hitting others trying to take her down.~

~Lost two kids.~ Kyle replied, mental 'voice' tight with the familiar feeling that he was healing something. ~You sure it's a girl? I got shot by the one with the persuasion power that Cypher told us about~. His thoughts were briefly accompanied by the feeling of a cramping, itching arm, and the cleaner ache of sore muscles. ~I'm on my way to you, do you have any kind of range on her?~

~Her range is about...7...~ A bullet bounced off her shield, aimed at her head. ~8 yards. You should be coming up behind her if you keep on your current path. Definitely a girl. ~

Eyepsy growled as she fired again and again, as if she could somehow get through the shield. Traitors, traitors, traitors. The word echoed in her head with each shot. Traitors. Everyone was a traitor. CJ and Ian were traitors. Hope was a traitor.

They all deserved to pay.

~Oh yeah, I can smell gun.~ Kyle sounded fifty kinds of unamused in his head, which came with a clear sense that he was particularly unamused at kids having guns.

Jean gritted her teeth as she erected a hasty shield in front of the two teenagers to keep them from being struck by the ricochet right after the girl sent off another shot at her.

~Use caution. This one is...not exactly reasonable. And by that I mean mixes her M&Ms and Skittles together insane. ~

She thought about just shutting off the girl's mind to knock her out but she wasn't quite sure if she was fully up to par to do that after the Fury mission. She didn't want to overdo it and kill her instead. Too many variables.

Another shot rang out. Where were all these bullets coming from? Was she the daughter of Rambo?

~Faster would be better please.~

Kyle didn't wait for the thought to even finish, he was in motion as soon as he heard the shot ring out. He sprung out from around the corner, putting every bit of coiled muscle and tension into making sure he was fast. Fast enough to take her by surprise, fast enough to clip the girl in the head with his elbow, and fast enough to grab the barrel of the rifle and pull it sharply up. ~Got her, am going to need you to look at my hand after this~ He'd used the already injured hand to grab the gun, and the hot metal was searing his palm. ~It'll heal though.~

Eyespy saw the flash of movement, but she wasn't nearly quick enough to react - the elbow connected with the side of her head and she went down, stars bursting to life before her eyes. Oh that hurt. She managed to drag herself up, blinking rapidly as she tried to focus on the blonde man. "Stay away from me," she spat, leaning against the wall to support herself. "Bastard."

With the threat contained, Jean made her way over to Kyle and the young woman. "Thank you, Wildchild," she said, studying Eyespy carefully. She pulled out a pair of handcuffs that she'd gotten from Garrison.

"You look like you might have a concussion. We'll see about getting that looked at," she said to the woman. Just because she was crazy didn't mean they couldn't treat her fairly.

Her attention flickered back to Kyle. ~Are you okay?~

Kyle snorted, and shook his head. "No, but give me two hours and about eight cheeseburgers and I'll heal the physical stuff." He paused, and turned to look at the girl Jean was handcuffing. The rest he'd have to deal with as it came. "Please tell me someone's found Laurie and Hope though?"

"One of the teenagers said they were close to the library. Once I figure out where that is we can head that way," Jean said.

"I don't suppose fantatical gun girl here is thinking where the library is real loud right now?" Kyle asked, hopefully.

Jean glanced to the girl, whose glare would have melted her face off if she had heat vision. "Nope. Mostly just 'traitor' over and over...and over and over. She--"

Teleporting from the medlab, Clarice pushed her hair out of her face, "I've got Hope and Laurie, they're relatively okay and in the medlab," she didn't even bother to see if she was interrupting. "I'm going to assist Cece."

Kyle sagged against the wall after Clarice ported back out and raked both hands through his hair, leaving a smear of blood from his wounded hand. "Thank God." He looked at his hands and grimaced at the burned skin on his palm that hadn't quite healed from the earlier gunshot. "At least something about this hasn't totally sucked."