Splitsville

Posted on Sat Mar 30th, 2024 @ 2:58pm by Connor Bruin & Bobby Drake & Iris Walker & Shinobi Shaw & Ethan Hale & Aurora Summers & Kennedy Kelly

1,430 words; about a 7 minute read

Mission: Episode 4: The Savage ConneXion
Location: City of the United Tribes | Savage Land
Timeline: September 1, 1990

What passed for dawn in the Savage Land, at least this time of year, was really just the night giving up on itself and letting daylight have a turn at play. The sun's fingers poked like a timid child's grasp, gently stirring the Fall People and their refugee alliance awake. At least those who had not stood watch.

Ka-Zar was on his feet and full of vigor. Had the burly blonde giant even slept? The way he roused the X-Men and rallied them to meet suggested either possibility.

The fire pit in the center of the village held simple seating for a large group. Ka-Zar stooped upon the rock of meeting and waited for everyone to show up. While he waited, though, he had to contend with a frazzled Connor who was full of questions.

"DID THEY FIND HER? WHERE IS SHE? WHERE IS BLISS? WHERE DID THEY TAKE CARE? TELL ME WHERE SHE IS."

The first round of questions were answered graciously by the Lord of the Savage Land. "Have care, X-Man, and await your friends."

But after Connor wasn't in a waiting mood. By the time the others came together, Connor had turned incessant while Ka-Zar just ignored him with the patience of a man who faced down dinosaurs.

Aurora had arrived in time to see Connor in a state she'd never witnessed before. “Connor!” She moved quickly to his side trying to calm him down. “Connor, relax. If you go rushing off to save Bliss, you could end up making things worse for her. That and end up being captured yourself, then what would you do?”

“We’ll come up with a plan,” added Iris. “We’ll get her back!”

The look on Connor's face held no doubt. "Duh," he said almost curtly. Getting her back wasn't the problem. Getting a move on was. How could these people have slept at a time like this? Connor quietly huffed and tried to be more patient.

Ethan moved to stand in front of his teammate. "Connor," he said keeping his tone neutral. "Take a breath. You're not going anywhere right now. I'm probably the last person to warn anyone about going off half-cocked, but that's the right move here. I like her too. We're going to find her."

“Let me try something...” Aurora reached out her hand to Connor. “Connor take my hand and think of Bliss, the two of you have a connection, it’ll help me to focus in on her.”

"O-K." Connor did so. He thought of Bliss. Her melodic voice hitched high and low with her mood. Her bright eyes twinkled like the evening star at sunset. Her vivid smile flashed him like the noonday sun. Her pert breasts bounced when she walked. The primal scent of his deep dive into her undercarriage. The press of her full lips wrapped around his — It wasn't until Connor started breathing heavily that he realized his thoughts about Bliss had run away from him and that he had almost certainly projected the wrong sorts of thoughts about Bliss into Aurora's mind. "SORRY," said his device as Connor made the hand sign.

Aurora couldn’t help but give Connor a wry grin. “It’s fine Connor, don’t worry. Let me just...” she closed her eyes focussing in on Bliss. “I can...sense Bliss, she’s okay, Connor... for now at least.”

"THANK YOU." Connor's hand flipped out from his chin.

Jace showed up and paused just outside the group. He hadn't heard any of the exchange and just stood there with his head slightly tilted to the side. After a few seconds, he shook it off and walked up to join them. "So anybody decide on the best route to Skull Mountain? Riding a dinosaur wouldn't take as long as walking and we'd still have energy to climb."

So far, Kennedy hated the Savage Land. It was hot and chokingly humid, the bugs were massive, and half the time she wasn’t sure what animal the meat was coming from. Begrudgingly crawling out of bed, she made her way to the campfire. Her once soft blonde waves had turned into a frizzy mess that could only be plaited to keep it under control. She approached Jace who stood on the edge of the group, hearing his comment on riding dinosaurs. “I’d settle for a horse.” Kennedy chimed in “That is, if a horse can take us to where Bliss is being held.”

"Or there," Jace said. "Magneto or Bliss, Bliss or Magneto. Do we take a vote or does someone issue orders?" This was a new land with a shitload of new threats. Everything from animals to plants could probably do them in.

Ka-Zar let out an animalistic shout that could have been some kind of large cat or even a monkey. Once he had everyone's attention he said, "An outsider, a girl matching your friend's description, was seen among a retreating band of Swamp People headed in a westerly direction. There could be only one place they are headed." He paused before dramatically saying, "The Altar of Death."

"Oh shit!" Bobby exclaimed.

"WHAT IS THAT?" Connor asked, the words already coming out of his device alongside Bobby's exclamation.

"It is exactly what it sounds like," Ka-Zar said. "The Swamp People execute their fallen foes on an altar to their heathen gods. We may be able to get there before them, but it will require a perilous path. We can make provisions and leave immediately. It will take several days, so we should leave now."

Bobby looked conflicted. As someone who had been left behind for dead, the last thing he wanted was to do that to someone else, even a bitch like Bliss. But they were here to save the world. Connor and the others seemed ready to come to Bliss's rescue. For Bobby's part, he hadn't felt like part of the X-Men ever since his return. The stakes couldn't be clearer to him now though. He knew what he had to do.

"I will find Magneto and let him know what's going on," Bobby said. "Without him, we can't shut down his Citadel, and this whole mission is a bust." He looked around at the others. "It would be nice to have someone go with me, but I'll do it alone if I have to."

"WE HAVE TO SAVE BLISS," Connor protested.

"Then go save her, you big ape!" Bobby shouted. "No one's stopping you. I'm doing the hard thing. Don't make it any harder."

Ka-Zar exchanged dialogue with Shanna and Zabu the tiger in their primitive language. Nods happened as an agreement was made. "Shanna and Zabu will go with you as said before. Everyone else needs to decide quickly."

Iris debated for a moment. On one hand, she wanted to help find Bliss, but she also knew that they may need someone sneaky to help with the Citadel. “I’ll go… I’ll go with Bobby,” she said finally, “in case you need someone who can get past almost anyone.”

“I have to go find Bliss,” Kennedy said while stepping towards Connor. Bliss was her roommate and her first friend at the mansion, Kennedy couldn’t live with herself if something happened to her. She had already experienced so much personal loss, no more. “We can meet up with everyone else at the Citadel once she’s rescued.”

Aurora was stuck between helping Bobby and helping Connor. "I want to help both of you, but I don't know which of you needs me more."

“Probably Bliss,” Iris advised. “You’ll be able to zero in on her. Or at least get a telepathic message to her.”

Aurora nodded. "Thank you, Iris" She looked to Connor. "We'll bring Bliss home."

If Iris had not volunteered Ethan would have gone with Bobby.

"I'll go help find Bliss," he said, but the best way to do that is for me to fly. I can handle myself."

"Looks like quite the group for search and rescue," said Jace. He glanced at everyone before stopping at Bobby. "I'll go with you guys to get Magneto. He's probably up to no good anyway. Should have a babysitter."

Bobby nodded in agreement. He saw what Jace could do at Niagara Falls against those Phoenix Academy guys. That would be helpful in getting through whatever might be between them and Skull Mountain.

Once the team had decided how to split up, Ka-Zar stood atop of the center rock. "Let us be away on our separate paths, X-Men. Time is against us!"

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