X-Men Mission: Skull Island 1
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Christian Kane makes an appearance at the mansion and, as always, has a deeply weird favor to ask.
No one ever knew what to expect when Christian Kane called with a request for help. The elder Kane had been one of the world’s most active and effective members of the intelligence community for decades. Even ostensibly retired, he seemed to show up every so often with a situation that defied belief; dragons in the Pacific, death-rays run by deformed Nazis, and international machinations of the Hellfire Club. Garrison met his father at the door and walked him down to the situation room.
“How’s Adrienne?”
“Rehab is going well. Suit seems to work like they hoped.”
“Good, son.” He said, resting his hard on Garrison’s shoulder for a minute. “She’s tough and will be back on her feet in no time.” He gave his low chuckle as the elevator opened and they found themselves heading into the room. It was a small group here. While the X-Men operated without an official leader, there were some that had the depth of experience which helped inform their analysis of an issue which tended to take the lead. Which is why Christian sat down at a table with senior X-Men first, as opposed to the team as a whole.
“Well…” Christian said with a thin smile. “Isn’t this nice?”
Scott glanced up from the table, his fingers idly thrumming a beat against the surface as he let his lips squeeze together in a smile to answer Christian's. "It is isn't it, although I'll be honest, I never figured we'd be meeting in exactly this situation."
"Like we'd ever meet under anything resembling something normal?" Clarice asked, almost rhetorically.
"Well, strange situations seem to be the meat and potatoes for the X-Men and recalcitrant foreign governments." Christian said. "So, I have something of a trick question for you all. What do you know about SkullIsland in the Pacific? Anyone?"
"Ummmm, what you just said? That's about all I know," Rogue answered sheepishly. "Sorry, Daddy Kane. I think you might need to fill us in. Geography ain't never been one of my strong suits."
"I'm not surprised. Skull Island is likely the last place on Earth not fully explored or mapped. And the reason is that there's nothing that interesting about Skull Island other than the fact that it hasn't been fully explored or mapped." Kane put an aerial photo down on the table. "It is a volcanic island here, as you can see, north of major trading routes. Because of its unique placement, it is surround by dangerous reefs and shoals. A strange factor to volcanic venting creates almost perpetual storm around the island. There's no oil or gas reserves even hinted at and the fishing isn't particularly good. It's so useless, even during the Second World War, when Americans were building airfields on every atoll, sandbar and slow moving sea turtle they could find, they never bothered with Skull Island. And, as luck would have it, I need the X-Men to pay a little visit there."
"Why us and not one of your other contacts?" Jean said. Everything about this sounded dangerous. "What's there that makes you need a group of superpowered individuals?"
"No so much what's there as what is coming there. Specially, three squads of Chinese Special Forces. One of them, according to our intelligence, is comprised of mutants." Christian said. "You see, one of our long standing deep cover agents in China was forced to break her cover following the discovery of a cabal of military and business leaders operating a series of shadow programs involving Chinese mutants and others brought in via human trafficking. Black programs for a number of reasons and goals, operating within but hidden from their standard government and military oversight. When our agent fled with the information, Chinese long range interceptors picked her plane up and damaged it near Skull Island. She and her team ejected to the island and dropped the hardcopy information in a separate chute. The Chinese are coming for it and even if the British wanted to, the soonest they could get a team in is at least 24 after the Chinese reach the island."
Scott let his head fall into his hands, fingers rubbing at his temps as a pair of brown eyes glared up through the cage of his fingers at Christian. "So let me get this straight, you're calling on us because the Chinese have mutant soldiers and you need someone who can take them on, but isn't tied to the British government right? So if things go badly you can claim that you have no idea what we were doing there?"
"It would hardly be the first time", Kurt said dryly. "Did anyone see where the information landed?"
"Sadly no. Which is another reason I need the X-Men. I seem to recall several of your people had... enhanced senses. The kind that could find a literal dropbox in a jungle." Christian said with a hearty laugh.
Well, that would be Wolverine, Rogue thought to herself as she sighed heavily. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. All I can do is fly, but I know where to get you your bloodhound....and others. I mean, hey, why not have a tropical vacation to a dangerous island, full of evil creepy things and/or people, am I right?" She grinned.
"Well, don't pack your bikini, Rogue," Clarice grinned, "I've been meaning to check the island out, but eh, never got around to it. Now's a good time. And I do like random places," she excelled at random places.
"So what's the deal, Dad? We do this, what do the X-Men get?"
"British Intelligence is willing to share all of the intel regarding the mutant trafficking groups. Worldwide, semi-endorsed... we're talking thousands of mutants being sold and... well, you don't need to step as lightly." Christian smiled. His hatred of modern slavers was well known.
That got a reaction from Scott, his eyebrow arching up as he turned to face Christian, letting the silence stretch for a long moment before he nodded, "They're really willing to give us carte blanche to handle it? What about international cover? Or just the information?" They could work with it both ways, but it helped to know for sure.
“We would probably not want to declare it to the world”, Kurt said thoughtfully. “But if slavers were to suddenly go out of business, perhaps no one would inquire too deeply into why.”
Rogue looked around the table, but apart from some serious looks on her teammate's faces, she didn't see a single one protesting. "I can't really speak for anyone but myself ...but it looks like you got yourself a team, Daddy Kane. I think we can work together here, but you owe us one hell of a party when we get back." A pause. "I'm talking copious amounts of alcohol. Like ...copious."
"Excellent. I'll have the information we have sent to you and arrange for our team to bring Wu out through surface transport." Christian said, a sly smile on his face. "Welcome to Her Majesty's Service, X-Men. I hope you survive the experience.
Christian Kane makes an appearance at the mansion and, as always, has a deeply weird favor to ask.
No one ever knew what to expect when Christian Kane called with a request for help. The elder Kane had been one of the world’s most active and effective members of the intelligence community for decades. Even ostensibly retired, he seemed to show up every so often with a situation that defied belief; dragons in the Pacific, death-rays run by deformed Nazis, and international machinations of the Hellfire Club. Garrison met his father at the door and walked him down to the situation room.
“How’s Adrienne?”
“Rehab is going well. Suit seems to work like they hoped.”
“Good, son.” He said, resting his hard on Garrison’s shoulder for a minute. “She’s tough and will be back on her feet in no time.” He gave his low chuckle as the elevator opened and they found themselves heading into the room. It was a small group here. While the X-Men operated without an official leader, there were some that had the depth of experience which helped inform their analysis of an issue which tended to take the lead. Which is why Christian sat down at a table with senior X-Men first, as opposed to the team as a whole.
“Well…” Christian said with a thin smile. “Isn’t this nice?”
Scott glanced up from the table, his fingers idly thrumming a beat against the surface as he let his lips squeeze together in a smile to answer Christian's. "It is isn't it, although I'll be honest, I never figured we'd be meeting in exactly this situation."
"Like we'd ever meet under anything resembling something normal?" Clarice asked, almost rhetorically.
"Well, strange situations seem to be the meat and potatoes for the X-Men and recalcitrant foreign governments." Christian said. "So, I have something of a trick question for you all. What do you know about SkullIsland in the Pacific? Anyone?"
"Ummmm, what you just said? That's about all I know," Rogue answered sheepishly. "Sorry, Daddy Kane. I think you might need to fill us in. Geography ain't never been one of my strong suits."
"I'm not surprised. Skull Island is likely the last place on Earth not fully explored or mapped. And the reason is that there's nothing that interesting about Skull Island other than the fact that it hasn't been fully explored or mapped." Kane put an aerial photo down on the table. "It is a volcanic island here, as you can see, north of major trading routes. Because of its unique placement, it is surround by dangerous reefs and shoals. A strange factor to volcanic venting creates almost perpetual storm around the island. There's no oil or gas reserves even hinted at and the fishing isn't particularly good. It's so useless, even during the Second World War, when Americans were building airfields on every atoll, sandbar and slow moving sea turtle they could find, they never bothered with Skull Island. And, as luck would have it, I need the X-Men to pay a little visit there."
"Why us and not one of your other contacts?" Jean said. Everything about this sounded dangerous. "What's there that makes you need a group of superpowered individuals?"
"No so much what's there as what is coming there. Specially, three squads of Chinese Special Forces. One of them, according to our intelligence, is comprised of mutants." Christian said. "You see, one of our long standing deep cover agents in China was forced to break her cover following the discovery of a cabal of military and business leaders operating a series of shadow programs involving Chinese mutants and others brought in via human trafficking. Black programs for a number of reasons and goals, operating within but hidden from their standard government and military oversight. When our agent fled with the information, Chinese long range interceptors picked her plane up and damaged it near Skull Island. She and her team ejected to the island and dropped the hardcopy information in a separate chute. The Chinese are coming for it and even if the British wanted to, the soonest they could get a team in is at least 24 after the Chinese reach the island."
Scott let his head fall into his hands, fingers rubbing at his temps as a pair of brown eyes glared up through the cage of his fingers at Christian. "So let me get this straight, you're calling on us because the Chinese have mutant soldiers and you need someone who can take them on, but isn't tied to the British government right? So if things go badly you can claim that you have no idea what we were doing there?"
"It would hardly be the first time", Kurt said dryly. "Did anyone see where the information landed?"
"Sadly no. Which is another reason I need the X-Men. I seem to recall several of your people had... enhanced senses. The kind that could find a literal dropbox in a jungle." Christian said with a hearty laugh.
Well, that would be Wolverine, Rogue thought to herself as she sighed heavily. "Always the bridesmaid, never the bride. All I can do is fly, but I know where to get you your bloodhound....and others. I mean, hey, why not have a tropical vacation to a dangerous island, full of evil creepy things and/or people, am I right?" She grinned.
"Well, don't pack your bikini, Rogue," Clarice grinned, "I've been meaning to check the island out, but eh, never got around to it. Now's a good time. And I do like random places," she excelled at random places.
"So what's the deal, Dad? We do this, what do the X-Men get?"
"British Intelligence is willing to share all of the intel regarding the mutant trafficking groups. Worldwide, semi-endorsed... we're talking thousands of mutants being sold and... well, you don't need to step as lightly." Christian smiled. His hatred of modern slavers was well known.
That got a reaction from Scott, his eyebrow arching up as he turned to face Christian, letting the silence stretch for a long moment before he nodded, "They're really willing to give us carte blanche to handle it? What about international cover? Or just the information?" They could work with it both ways, but it helped to know for sure.
“We would probably not want to declare it to the world”, Kurt said thoughtfully. “But if slavers were to suddenly go out of business, perhaps no one would inquire too deeply into why.”
Rogue looked around the table, but apart from some serious looks on her teammate's faces, she didn't see a single one protesting. "I can't really speak for anyone but myself ...but it looks like you got yourself a team, Daddy Kane. I think we can work together here, but you owe us one hell of a party when we get back." A pause. "I'm talking copious amounts of alcohol. Like ...copious."
"Excellent. I'll have the information we have sent to you and arrange for our team to bring Wu out through surface transport." Christian said, a sly smile on his face. "Welcome to Her Majesty's Service, X-Men. I hope you survive the experience.
