With Odd Ends of Holy Writ
Posted on Sun Dec 3rd, 2023 @ 10:15am by Charles Xavier & Scott Summers & Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Cameron Hood & Jade Farwynd & Elias Buckley & Tammy Thompson & Bliss Hawkins & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers
5,431 words; about a 27 minute read
Mission:
Episode 3: X-Tra Ecclesiam
Location: JFK Presidential Library & Museum | Columbia Point, Boston
Timeline: August 20th, 1990
The heat of the day was already passing by the time the event was underway. What had originally been an informal invitation between ideological opponents quickly festooned into a proverbial three-ring circus. In the parking lot were private security personnel guiding traffic and pointing cars to their spaces while food truck vendors hawked their food to passersby. Further up the circular steps, the crowd was funneled into lines leading to multiple security checkpoints. The only way the venue had been agreed upon was for attendees to register at the door.
Those who refused to register or who arrived too late to gain admission to the jam-packed building could watch the debate live from the outer courtyard as it would be projected against the dark side of the library.
As a result, the crowd within the JFK Library interior had dwindled from the idly curious to the intentionally purposed. There were erudite members of society's intelligentsia who resented the fact they weren't going to be part of the debate sitting alongside religious extremists who couldn't profess their support for the Reverend Stryker early or often enough. Among them were reporters, photojournalists, and assorted members of the media mixed with political lobbyists, university students, and even the occasional pickpocket.
Sitting in his chair near the back of the dais which overlooked Dorchester Bay, Professor Xavier kept his mind at ease. So many minds all broadcasting their diverse views was a silent cacophony which he was shutting out with practiced effort. All of his energy would need to go toward winning this debate. In many ways, the televised status of this debate would make it as important as any combat mission the X-Men had faced. He could only hope they would arrive in time. Part of his argument would hinge on their example.
At last, the control panel in Xavier's chair let out a ping. The Blackbird had arrived. A faint smirk teased at his mouth.
Beyond the floor-to-ceiling glass panels that overlooked Dorchester Bay, the Blackbird came from the sea as per standard approach protocols. Stealth systems were engaged as they switched to VTOL mode and came to hover over the water of Old Harbor.
"As per the instructions left by the Professor, we're leaving the Blackbird here in silent running while we go in on foot," Cyclops said. He was in his classical blue uniform with a full headwrap that obscured his hair. All business. No personal names. This was a mission, no matter how it might look. "Iceman and I will take point through the front door along with anyone else who doesn't want to make their own way to the observation level. It's a march, so don't interact or respond to anyone. We all convene outside the large window that overlooks the dais. From there we can have eyes on the entire place, inside and out. If the Professor needs help inside the main room, he will let us know and we'll smash a window panel or two to get inside." Looking around, Cyclops felt a pit in his stomach. Even with Bobby at his side, this wasn't his team. Not really. He was just the honor guard leader, the guy the public knew and recognized. The decoy. And he would just have to be fine with that. Today was bigger than him or any one person. He would deal. "Otherwise, we are to be mannequins. That space will be an open-air fishbowl that the entire world is watching. Everyone is already judging you before you even set foot in the limelight, so wear your uniform with pride and let it be a shield if needed."
With that said, Scott gave Cameron a nod. Professor Xavier made Armoury the leader of the new team during Scott's sabbatical and that had never changed. He stepped aside to allow the other man to give his directions and to lead them out.
"Thanks, Cyclops," Cameron said as he stepped next to the monocular man. "If the powers that be smile upon us, the worst thing we'll have to fight will be boredom. It's a dangerous foe to fight when you need to stay alert." Cameron looked across the multi-coloured members of his team. "But just in case Magneto decides to throw another warship through the city, we'll need to stay alert."
His eyes landed on the pilot seat, knowing Iris would be somewhere there. "Hoodwink and Surge will be going in with the honour guard, but using their powers. Hoodwink, I'd like you to listen to the whispers, and read the body language." His eyes moved to Tammy. "Surge, you should be doing the same, but in the electrostatic range. You two are our early warning system."
"Right! I can scan the radio frequencies and keep tabs on what I hear! I'll let you know if I hear anything!" Tammy replied. "Here's hoping nothing comes up but I'm not betting on it!"
“That’s what I’m best at!” replied Iris happily. “Hiding and spying!”
Then his eyes shifted to Aurora and Bliss. "Escapade, Engima, I'd like you two to join Cyclops and Iceman. You should serve as a visual counterpoint to the guys. Escapade is the physical muscle, and Enigma will be tasked with crowd control to get the civilians out in an orderly fashion."
"Copy. Show the flag, and win hearts and minds. On it "
Escapade was all business, she knew this whole situation could blow up in their faces. She pulled her helmet/mask into place.
Aurora smiled and nodded to Scott and Bobby, was glad to be going in with their team, but she wasn’t overly amused with being crowd control. However, that wouldn’t prevent her from keeping her senses alert for trouble, just as Scott had told her the night before.
"Fable, Sanguis, Caveman. You're our primary extraction team. If things go sideways Fable will port you three in behind our Principal, and teleport you straight to the Mansion." Cameron made eye contact with each member. "Listen to me, until X is back at base, you're not heroes. You do not help civilians, you get him out of there. When X is back at base, Fable and Sanguis return to Boston, while Caveman stays with X as added security."
Connor thumped his chest twice. "NOBODY TOUCHES THE PROFESSOR." The words came out of his chest while he hand-signed them which made him grin.
Jade nodded, her hood and face cover up. "Understood."
Elias silently took in the landscape around them, the feel of the crowd, the mood of the moment. He listened intently to Cameron, paid careful attention to the resonance of Jade and Connor and aligned himself internally to the mission ahead. "I should be in there with him already," Elias said, in quiet disagreement of this whole two stage process. He dusted the shoulder of his new, dark blue uniform and let his gaze meet Cameron's for a long second. "And," he added, pedantically. "I will need to touch the Professor to extract him."
There was a millisecond of silence, then Fable gave a curt nod. "But fine. Port in. Port out."
"Finally, Gryphon, Flux, and I. We're the secondary extraction team. We'll be at the right-hand exit, keeping a clear path for the extraction. If Primary Extraction fails, Cyclops' team will secure X and move to our exit. Once outside Gryphon will take to the sky and call out any threats he sees approaching, and take out any threats out of Flux or my range. We'll have the Blackbird auto-pilot to the parking lot from where we'll extract X back to base. Cyclops and Iceman will serve as his security." Cameron finally concluded.
"I'll stay out of sight until called on," Jace said. Every poker hand needed an ace in the hole and he preferred sticking to the shadows anyway.
"We don't know where the dangers are going to come from, Gryphon spoke up and there is a good chance that someone with bad intentions is going to show up. Or they're already here and in hiding. I'm concerned about what's going on in there, but you've got more than enough people to handle that. Especially since we're the secondary extraction team."
"I'll follow your orders if you insist, but I think it would be a better idea for me to fly overwatch out here. I've got the best skillset of anyone on the team for that and I can handle myself in a fight if I have to. It might keep us from being ambushed. What do you say?"
Cameron took note of what Gryphon said. "If we were to be outside for this operation, I'd agree with you. But right now there are a couple of thousand people outside, including dozens of police officers. We're already monitoring law enforcement radios, and if Magneto shows up with a floating battleship the noise of the screams will alert us." Cameron hoped that Gryphon agreed, "When we need to push through exit two, you're the outrider for us. Until then it's best if we're not seen."
Gryphon nodded his head. "I suppose that makes sense. I'll do my best to stay as inconspicuous and hidden as I can until it's time."
While the event coordinators were conducting their opening formalities, Cyclops marched shoulder to shoulder with Escapade, Enigma, and Iceman. Eyes turned and mouths gasped at their confident stride that gave no regard for security lines. The crowd gave way before them, particularly due to the frosty aura the Iceman carried about him due to his ice form.
"Go to Hell, mutants!" shouted someone with a sign.
Iceman turned his head to look at the protester. Frost crackled around his hands while fog fumed from his nostrils like smoke from an aggravated dragon. A warning came from Cyclops who cleared his throat and imperceptibly shook his head when he caught a darting glance from Iceman. Taking a breath, Iceman kept his composure while the four mutants made their way toward the main entrance where they could access the upper outdoor area through a service stairwell.
Enigma kept her composure just as Scott advised her to the evening before, she was part of the X-men now she needed to maintain the air of respect other mutants had for them. “Lovely crowd aren’t they?” She smiled a wry smile.
Escapade, even with her pink and chrome white suit turned to "not a threat" color intensity, was still walking with the team. She refused to show any fear to these idiots.
"I hate bullies. That's all these idiots are. I just need an excuse, and I'll be happy to educate them."
She smiled and waved to the hostile crowd.
Cyclops smirked at the quiet banter from the ladies and led them through the metal detectors and immediately cut to one side for the service stairwell. They were out of the woods. For now.
"Welcome, everyone, to a historic event where two famous men of renown on opposing sides of a singularly important issue of our day have agreed to come together with a sharing of the minds. The JFK Library is proud to host this event, along with our generous sponsors including the Life Foundation, the Friends of Humanity, the Mutant Research Center, the office of Senator Robert Kelly, and a generous endowment from the Canadian Department of National Defense." The man paused to allow for polite applause before continuing. "I am Scott Bush with the National Register and I will be moderating this evening's proceedings. Our two guest speakers need no introduction. Join me in welcoming the Reverend William Stryker and Professor Charles Xavier."
As the moderator stepped down from the dais in order to take his seat at a table below, Professor Xavier took his cue. He guided his chair to centerstage where he got within spitting distance of Stryker for the first time. In a shocking display of hubris, Reverend Stryker had chosen to stand at his podium rather than sit as Xavier would. Well, then. That's how this evening would play out.
Stryker smiled and waved at the crowd, but when he turned to face Xavier, his face contorted into an image of rage. "God-damned mutant lover," he whispered at Xavier before the microphones were activated.
Ignoring the insult, Xavier offered a polite wave to the crowd but did nothing more to hype them up. His reputation would either speak for itself or it wouldn't.
"Gentlemen, you will each be given an opening statement that will directly speak to the question of the evening: are mutants dangerous? As the result of a coin toss, Professor Xavier will go first, followed by Reverend Stryker. We will proceed with rebuttals in what is to be a respectful dialogue." The moderator nodded at Xavier. "The floor is yours, Professor Xavier."
After softly clearing his throat, Xavier spoke confidently into the microphone. "The question before us today is whether or not mutants pose an intrinsic threat to public safety. As a preeminent genetic researcher, I unequivocally maintain the position that they do not. Mutants are merely the next stage in the chain of human evolution which brought us from single-celled life forms to the dominant lifeforms on this planet and which will lead us into the unknown. To deny the human rights of mutants is to deny the rights of every man, woman, and child simply because the existence of the X-Gene is not a new phenomenon. We've found evidence of its markers going back centuries, perhaps millennia, for as we know evolution is not a sudden process. Mutants are, therefore, no more intrinsically dangerous to public safety than Nature itself." He looked at the moderator. "I cede my remaining time."
A mild level of applause rose up, though not loud enough to drown out a few heckles.
With an expression that was somehow both arrogantly haughty and piously humble, Reverend Stryker tugged at the lapels of his tweed jacket. "Dearly beloved," he began with a fawning smile. "I come to you in the name of the Lord. Make no mistake, my brothers and sisters. We cannot allow so-called scientific rationalism to rationalize away what is plain to see: Mutants are simply not natural! They represent a deviation from the natural order divinely established by Almighty God!" He stuck a finger in the air and pointed to Heaven in divine invocation. "Their powers, often used for destructive purposes, are evidence of the corruption of our world, yea, even the sin in bloom thereof! Scientific researchers and Occult practitioners before them have tried to subvert good morals for centuries. When will man learn it is not our place to play God and tamper with what the Lord hath wrought? Mutants, with their unnatural abilities, pose a threat to the moral fabric of society and by that virtue the very sanctity of life."
"Reverend, your time is up," the moderator said. Jeers from his supporters rose up in protest of him being cut off.
"We must not allow their existence to continue unchecked, for their scourge is a sign of the times!" Stryker added, encouraged by his supporters.
Gryphon could hear every word that was being said through his radio and he was bristling inside. He had some very unflattering and unprintable thoughts about the good Reverend. He'd heard much the same rhetoric espoused by clergymen and church attendees about how being Gay was unnatural. No doubt earlier in the nation's history it had been applied to other minorities.
He kept his cool though. His only open, but subtle act of defiance was to disengage the cloaking control on his uniform so there was no mistaking who he was, or at least what people perceived him to be.
Enigma monitored the crowd as she watched from her vantage point, commenting over the open comms. “I don’t know about anyone else, but I don’t like the way this crowd is feeling or acting.” She was trying to focus on blocking out the volume of voices in her head, but she was finding it difficult due to the sheer level of high emotion driven thoughts. This was no place to get overwhelmed, if she did she’d only end up proving Stryker’s point by bursting into flames in front of a crowd.
Escapade shook her head with a frown behind her mask.
"They were bad before, it's worse now. He's got them winding up into a mob. Once they hit peak excitement, all they'll need is a spark to go nuts. When that happens, it's going to be survival of the fittest in record time. "
“Agreed” Enigma responded. “Crowds like this don’t take much to become a mob, they’ll see us as the threat and gang up on us.”
Sanguis cut in from the extraction team's position, as they were listening in. "Cut the chatter and focus."
The Professor kept his poise while the moderator managed to restore order. He glanced up at the hundred-foot-tall windows and smiled at the X-Men who were partially silhouetted by the setting sun and outdoor house lights. He could sense the others nearby, though he would have to let down his mental shields to pick out where each one was with precision. The general knowledge was comforting enough. When directed by the moderator, he gave his rebuttal.
"Reverend Stryker, on what basis do you make a moral accusation against someone's biology? If we are all the products of divine creation, then would not mutant biology be part and parcel of the same? The mutant gene is a natural process, neither man-made nor driven by man. It must, therefore, be included in your god's plan. It is for this reason that many mutants choose to use their abilities for selfless acts, even at great personal cost." He paused for effect and pointedly looked up at the X-Men who stood like silent guardians over them all. "How can that be evidence of moral degradation to justify your devaluation of mutant life?"
Whispers from the crowd showed that Xavier scored some points with that one. The X-Men weren't world-famous per se, but everyone in the room certainly knew who they were. Their reputation lent credence to Xavier's argument.
"Professor Xavier, while it is true that all life is a part of God's creation," said Reverend Stryker, trying to hide his chagrin, "the mutant gene represents a deviation from the natural order."
Shouts of "Amen!" came up from a few audience members.
Reverend Stryker continued in all boldness. "The Bible teaches us of the sons of hell, yea, even the children of the evil one, stand in the way of the Kingdom of Heaven. Even the blind can see how mutants are using their wondrous demonic power to hasten the end of days. What you call biological makeup cannot account for the original sin of the world which has come to full bloom in the form of these spawns of Satan."
Several gasps went up from the audience. One woman shouted, "Hallelujah!" Reporters were frantically taking notes and double-checking the live camera feeds.
“There’s nothing like appealing to the religious zealots in the crowd is there?” Enigma was getting more worried by the moment. “There’s something odd going on here, the good old reverend down there is running random thoughts through his head. He’s projecting them so much I’m picking them up from here. Something isn’t right.”
"Interesting! Ok keep an eye out! I have a feeling he's up to something. I don't think he's going to play fair!" Tammy said as she continued scanning all the frequencies for anything that could mean trouble!
Ignoring the ignoramus on stage, Connor observed the crowd and noted that crowd members were repositioning. The new pattern didn't reveal anything yet, but as surely as the twists of a Rubik's cube, they would lead to something. He didn't say anything because he had no way of doing so discreetly. Besides, wasn't it obvious to the others?
Gryphon didn't ignore the words the man was saying, he couldn't. But he tried to push them as far down in his mind as he could. He wasn't as worried about those under Stryker's spell as he was something that had been preplanned, whether from the Reverend's side or from the Brotherhood, or other mutant group. His eyes swept all around him, looking for anything unexpected.
"This sucks. We defend ourselves, we create martyrs. We don't defend ourselves, we're gonna get lynched. All I'm saying is these guys try to kill me or mine, I'm gonna make sure there's a lot fewer to celebrate at their party."
Escapade smiled and waved at the people screaming for her blood. "Hi there, you slope-headed mouth-breathing sonsabitches..."
"Focus. Ignore the chatter and focus." Jade cut in again. "We are going to miss the tell." She was also saying it as much for her as she did for her teammates. So many bloodstreams in one place was highly distracting to her senses. Thank god for her noise-canceling earbuds, she didn't think she could cope with it otherwise.
“Understood” Enigma focused her attention between the crowd and Stryker, there was something about him that was ringing alarm bells for her, and it wasn’t just his attitude toward mutants.
Gryphon felt the hair on the back of his neck prickle, but neither his ears or eyes were catching any sign of immediate danger.
The weight of 'god' wrapped around Reverend's words didn't mean much to Fable, but he understood the dynamic of stirring up trouble in a large crowd well enough. It only needed enough aggitators to cause that ripple effect, to start raised voices and punches being thrown around and all hell would break loose. He wanted to move now, to stand in close enough to remove X from the equation, but the threat wasn't physical yet, only verbal and that wasn't a big enough excuse.
With each round of repartee, the crowd was getting more difficult to rein in back to silence. Professor Xavier could feel the rising tension not only from the audience but also from the moderator and the crowd outside. His X-Men were also anxious but at least their vigilance was equal to the task of keeping order and inspiring for those who did not wish to argue back with Stryker's more vocal supporters.
When order was restored, the Professor gave a response.
"Nobody is denying that some mutants choose the path of violence and destruction, Reverend Stryker, but what better way to address these problems than by the very same solutions used to address the same evils perpetrated by mankind for all of recorded history? The virtues of every philosophy, every religion, every creed which has benefited the world could not have been brought forth without the potential for vice. Doing away with the potential for evil will also erase the capacity for good. And imagine if the Neanderthals had sought to destroy the emerging Homo Sapiens. Evolution would have been thwarted and so much beauty and progress brought forth by humans would never have been. Let us not make the mistake of believing fear to be a virtue, Reverend."
Applause broke out at that point. Even some of the audience members in the proverbial middle ground found themselves persuaded by such principles.
Reverend Stryker couldn't stand for that. "I speak the truth as revealed by Almighty God! Mutants are a threat to the soul of this nation and must be expunged. Resist the devil and he must flee!"
"The floor still belongs to Professor Xavier," the moderator interrupted. "Please continue, Professor."
With a nod of thanks, the Professor continued. "By what standard would you measure and justify your extremist vigilance, Reverend? If your own measure were to be used by society against you, then would you not take up arms and revolt with just cause? What you propose is decidedly immoral and resoundingly condemned by virtually every philosophical treatise in this very library."
When the moderator recognized Reverend Stryker, a twisted smirk came over his haughty face. He thrust his finger toward the ceiling once more.
"And it is written:
‘None calleth for justice, nor any pleadeth for truth:
they trust in vanity, and speak lies;
they conceive mischief and bring forth iniquity.
They hatch cockatrice eggs, and weave the spider’s web:
he that eateth of their eggs dieth,
and that which is crushed breaketh out into a viper.
Their webs shall not become garments,
neither shall they cover themselves with their works:
their works are works of iniquity,
and the act of violence is in their hands.’"
The sheer smugness on the Reverend's face glowed with self-righteous victory. "Look no further than the blood spilled on the streets of Baltimore, Professor Xavier, for the truth of what I proclaim!"
From her place in the midst of the crowd, Iris quirked an eyebrow. Up until now, she had been able to see where his ideas were coming from even if she didn’t agree with him. But this one just made no sense. She was pleased to see those around her looking just as confused as she felt. While a good deal of the crowd seemed to agree with Stryker, it seemed that a little more than half around 55-60%- seemed to be siding with Xavier. Silently, she wondered if Stryker was himself a mutant or at least involved in something serious like adultery or something. It always seemed that the only people who protested this hard were doing something immoral themselves. Deflecting, she thought it was called.
Well, there was nothing she could do about it now. She pressed her earpiece, activating the radio. “More than half the crowd is with Xavier,” she reported. “And that last reference from the Reverend is confusing them. And me. It doesn’t make sense.”
Enigma joined in on comms. “That’s what troubles me. Stryker is hiding something and I can’t tell what. You can bet it isn’t good!”
Cameron's voice came over the shared comms. "Honour guard, drift close to our Principal. Iceman, be ready to throw up an ice wall around him for cover. Hoodwink, find a knot of idiots, and listen closely. Exfil teams stay sharp."
He then turned to Gryphon off comms. "Make sure you're ready to burst out the door explosively if we need to go. Don't hesitate but get airborne right away."
"I'm ready," the non-mutant responded grimly. "I can take the door down and be up in the air in three seconds."
Cameron's eyes turned to Flux. "When we rush into the auditorium, I need you to make sure we have a clear path. If that means we push a few people over, so be it."
"Not a problem," Flux said. He could move through a crowd as if it wasn't there.
Enigma’s eyes fell on the crowd planning a strategy to clear people, if she had to, without hurting anyone. Plans formulated she kept watch in case trouble reared its ugly head.
Jade never thought that growing up in a mostly Catholic community in Saint Arnaud in Victoria, Australia would ever come in useful to her. Ever. "It's an obscure Bible quote. It's meant to incite a riot. This is a setup!"
“A setup for us most likely!” Enigma responded. “Stryker is keeping his thoughts shrouded, but what better way to prove mutants are trouble? He wants us to rush in there! To prove we’re the ones out of control. A perfect setup!”
There was definitely something afoot, Fable considered. Of course. Unlikely anyone of the Reverend's calibre would waste an opportunity in a gathering this large or a stage this public. What was he up to? What was his move? It was honestly intriguing to consider at this point. Words were pretty, but action would speak far louder. He was ready to move, senses focused predominately on that immediate space around X.
Sidebars throughout the audience led to quiet tumult of dozens of people conversing or even arguing amongst themselves. The moderator had turned away from the dais and was attempting to restore order, even going so far as to signal event security. With the event rapidly deteriorating, Professor Xavier considered his options. He could take the high ground and say nothing, but was silence in the face of tacit genocide truly the high ground? He could sink to Stryker's level, but that was off the table as well. In the end, the Professor decided to declare the truth as best he knew it and allow the people as well as history itself make their own determination.
"Respectfully, Reverend Stryker, you have labeled innocent souls the 'spawn of Satan,' declared untold multitudes to be enemies of humanity, and have incited violence against them through your rhetoric. That is not truth or justice. It is subjugation. It violates the natural inalienable laws upon which this country was founded. It is moral evil through and through, a detestable brand which a man of the cloth such as yourself ought to oppose rather than champion."
While a few more ardent critics continued to argue amongst themselves, everyone who heard Xavier's final words stopped talking and looked expectantly at the dais. One after another, eventually all eyes fell to Reverend Stryker to see what he would have to say to that.
Hands slipped behind the podium, trembling with rage, the Reverend Stryker forced a smile that looked more like a death's head grin. "My brothers and sisters, at this juncture it is incumbent upon me to turn the other cheek against my adversary and make my appeal to Heaven where justice reigns supreme."
~What are you planning, Reverend?" Even the Professor was having a difficult time probing the other man's thoughts. That was... unusual, to say the least.
Just as Stryker made to descend from the dais, the high vaulted roof of the building erupted in an explosive fanfare of debris which rained down on the audience. What looked like a small boulder had crashed through at high speed and slammed into the dais. The impact smashed it to pieces which kicked up in the air, obscuring the visibility of the entire area.
Into that obscurity, with a view to the intregrity of the universe behind, around and in between the dust and broken pieces of the intruding debris, went Fable. Recon first. Pull the Professor out if he could do so at the same time.
"Professor!" Cyclops shouted as he sprang into action. "Everyone follow their orders. I'm going for Xavier."
“Heaven help us!!” Enigma sprang into action doing what she was tasked to do, focussing her telekinesis on protecting the crowd from the falling debris, while they escaped from the venue.
"Exfil One, go, go, go," Cameron called loudly over the radio to Fable, Jade, and Caveman. Then he took the half dozen steps to the door leading into the large chamber, pushing them open for his own Exfil Two team to get into the area.
Gryphon took the door out in a single high kick, then jumped into the air and flew into the room. He wasn't focused on the stage, the others could handle that. He was under the assumption that this was all faked anyway. So he stared around the room looking for the source of the attack and looking for any other danger.
Escapade had been paying attention to the crowd as well as Stryker's diatribe. She would bet the bank he's either a mutant himself or doing like hypnosis with his hateful biblical quotes.
She was ready to go when the word came down. It wouldn't matter who would go first, the match would ignite the conflation, that's all the preacher wanted.
Jade looked over at Fable. "Come on, Portal Boy, let's go!"
Fable blinked back into place as Jade's gaze turned to him, freshly returned from a couple second recon of the room beyond. "X is down," he said, "visibility is bad. Someone hit the stage."
That last sentence was still being spoken as the four of them stepped instantly from one location to the other to stand then amidst the chaos.
"This is as close as I can get," noted Fable, as dust, debris and smoke surrounded them. He ducked down, boots stomping uncertain, uneven ground. "He's definitely here..."
"Fan out and find him!" Cyclops ordered. But no one had to be told.
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