Morlock Rescue

Posted on Sun Apr 21st, 2024 @ 2:15pm by Charles Xavier & Bobby Drake & Hank McCoy & Warren Worthington III & Alex Summers & Lorna Dane
Edited on on Thu Jun 27th, 2024 @ 3:22pm

1,203 words; about a 6 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: Mansion - War Room
Timeline: October 1986

~TO ME, MY X-MEN!~

Professor Xavier's ghostly, disembodied face appeared to all five wherever they were located. His telepathic voice summoned the remaining team members on campus to the War Room where he sat with Cerebro's helmet over his head. The worst had happened and he needed everyone together in order to form a response. But first there needed to be a full briefing. If Jean and Scott came to harm through a lack of knowledge, then Xavier would ensure the same did not happen to the rest.

Warren was the first to arrive, while he didn’t have full details about where Scott and Jean had ventured off to he knew that they had been dispatched on a mission earlier that day. With Scott gone, Warren became the active leader of the X-Men. A role he took seriously whenever the he was called to duty. With a somber look on his face, he took a seat in the chair normally occupied by Cyclops, a subtle reminder to the rest that he would fill this role today.

“Professor.” Warren nodded his head in greeting as he sat, his tone matched the mood of the War Room. There was trouble, something had happened. Folding his arms across his chest he waited for the others to arrive.

The person least likely to care where Warren sat was next to arrive. Hank said nothing as he slipped into silently into the room and automatically occupied his customary place, though he noted the absence of Scott and Jean. No doubt this would be mentioned later. This was probably the reason for the meeting, after all.

Warren was about to say something to Hank when the sound of popping and then snapping gum filled the War Room. He turned to the doorway and found Lorna sauntering in.

“Where are, like, Scott and Jean?” Lorna noticed the lack of two of the senior X-Men. Both of them were always present and seated before she arrived so their absence was immediately noticed.

“That’s why we’re here.” Warren commented. “I think the Professor is waiting for everyone to arrive before he explains.”

“No way…” Lorna’s eyes went wide. “That’s a total bummer.”

Bobby emerged from the rapid transit tube and gasped, "SORRY I'M LATE!!!" at the top of his lungs. He took a seat, gasping for air like he'd been in a dead sprint.

"That's all right, Bobby," the Professor said, removing the Cerebro helmet from his head and letting it retract to its resting position. "I want to thank everyone for making all due haste, but I'm afraid that's where formalities end. We have a problem."

Drawing up a sky-view image of New York City on the War Room computer, Professor Xavier descended to street level and finally to the substrate layer where sewer lines ran.

"Early today, I sent Scott and Jean as emissaries to a community of sewer dwelling mutants whose location I had finally ascertained. We had no reason to believe they would be hostile, so the entire team was deemed an overwhelming force. However..."

The Professor's voice trailed off for a moment. GPS coordinates flagged a location about halfway between a subway mainline and the Hudson River. "... a couple hours ago, I received a desperate telepathic outcry from Jean. Something was interfering with their minds and even clouded the area for Cerebro. If there isn't a telepath present, then they have some other means of dampening cognition, so remain on your toes."

"That means we're going in?" Bobby confirmed.

"Yes," the Professor said. "But you will have to find another point of entry. The route Scott and Jean took would be untenable for a number of reasons." One of them had to do with size, but the Professor saw no reason to point that out specifically. There was no way Warren or Hank would be able to negotiate the tight spaces that Scott and Jean had. "Not least of which is distance. A more direct approach closer to the place where they were taken and with more space for a small team can be found from one of the primary storm drains. Take the Blackbird and dock it to the storm drain with stealth systems engaged. From there you can make your way up the overflow tunnel, which is quite large because it's used to prevent flooding in the subway system, until you reach the original sewer systems of the old city. It appears our friends are being held there."

"What if it floods while we're in there?" Bobby asked.

While the Professor's face and voice were modulated, it was clear that he found that question surprising from Bobby. "Then freeze it, evacuate, and we'll try again."

"Oh..." Bobby bit the inside of his cheek, embarrassed at asking a stupid question he should've figured out on his own. "Right."

“I doubt they would choose a place that floods easily, anyway, Bobby,” Hank pointed out. “It would put them in danger too frequently.”

"But choosing a central location surrounded by flood zones would create a natural moat," the Professor pointed out. "If nothing else, this community is savvy about the underworld beneath the streets of New York."

“That is a fair point,” agreed Hank pensively. “I suppose either scenario is plausible. However, being prepared for the worst is always laudable.”

“Enough of a telepathic presence to disarm Jean and then obstruct Xavier’s efforts. Nothing about that sounds reassuring.” Warren frowned at the additional information as he studied the map and the tactical plan that had been provided. The odds weren’t in their favor and everything about this location felt like a trap. “If we go in and are overwhelmed, we should withdraw back to this overflow tunnel and create a choke point. Worst case scenario, Bobby creates an ice wall and we retreat.”

“Or,” offered Hank gravely, “Whatever is blocking Jean and the Professor will block our powers, too.” It was a grim thought, but one worth speaking.

The Professor canted his head with concern. "While Cerebro has detected mutant activity within the vicinity, Hank raises a valid point nevertheless. Your gifts may not be reliable on this mission. Be sure to trust each other." He looked back and forth at them. "If there aren't any other questions, then you should head to the hangar. I've taken the liberty of remotely activating the Blackbird's engines. You ought to be able to leave in all due haste."

Alex appeared in the doorway with me confused look.
"What did I miss?"

"Warren..." The Professor couldn't hold back his sigh. "Fill him in on the way while Hank takes the pilot's seat. He has the second most flight hours next to Scott."

“Yes, Professor.” Warren sounded just as disappointed as Xavier. Alex had been extended an invitation to the X-Men simply because of who he was, a relative of Scott’s. His participation was halfhearted and his behavior bizarre at times. Warren wasn’t really sure why he had agreed to join when he acted like this but they would have to work together if they wanted to rescue Scott and Jean.

Warren stood and started heading towards the door.
“X-Men, Assemble.”

 

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