Morlock Capture

Posted on Mon Apr 15th, 2024 @ 2:49pm by Jean Grey & Scott Summers
Edited on on Mon Apr 15th, 2024 @ 3:02pm

2,506 words; about a 13 minute read

Mission: Episode 0: X Lang Syne
Location: Sewers of New York City
Timeline: October 1986

Jean leaned forward from her position on the edge of the subway platform so that she might get a better look down the dark underground tunnel. She crinkled her nose in disapproval at the bleak view.

“I don’t know, Scott, it feels weird just going down there.” Jean stood up straight and took a step back away from the edge. “Are you sure that’s the best way possible?”

“It's the most direct way,” Scott said. “These people have made themselves hard to find on purpose. There is no direct way down to their community.” He looked at Jean and offered her a grin that was both reassuring and provocative. “No risk, no reward, right? Just avoid the third rail.”

“Yeah, yeah… and you can’t win if you don’t play.” Jean replied with her own colloquialism, neither of which did anything to make her feel better about this.

The Professor had asked Scott and Jean to locate and possibly make first contact with a group of intercity mutants who went by the name ‘The Morlocks’. Little was known about them other than their numbers were growing yet they still remained elusive and hidden in the supposed sewers of New York City. It wasn’t much of a lead nor did The Morlocks prove to be any real threat, so only Scott and Jean had been sent to investigate.

“I’m not looking forward to having to burn my clothes and scrub every inch of my body when this is over.” It was the sewer part that really concerned Jean. She wasn’t exactly sure what to expect but nothing about the word ‘sewer’ created a positive connotation for her. But of course, she would trek the underbelly of the city if she had to.

Scott shrugged. “They manage to live down there. It can't be as bad as it sounds.” But his words didn't sound convincing even to him. “Come on, let's go.”

“Here, take my hand.” Jean offered him her own and waited for him to hold it. She worked twofold after that, using her psychic abilities to mask their dangerous and illegal jump off the platform from passersby and then her telekinesis to allow them to float rather than fall for the five foot drop down onto the tracks.

Once they had cleared the station and were alone in the gloomy tunnel she relaxed a little, no longer needing to hide them in plain sight from anyone who might have seen.

“Okay, lead the way.” Jean continued to hold Scott’s hand despite it no longer being necessary.

Scott led Jean along in silence while he quietly ticked off each ventilation shaft in his mind. After nearly a quarter mile and several turns off the line, they made it to the first obstacle.

“This should be the one,” Scott said, running his gloved fingertips over the ventilation grill cover. Grit wiped off to reveal its grid ID number which matched the one from the map he memorized. “Hopefully this will be the worst of it. This shaft intersects with a utility access that should run parallel with the sewer line in this section. With any luck, we'll avoid any actual sewage…”

“With luck.” Jean muttered, she was too nervous to be optimistic about their decision.

After wrestling with the grill for a moment, Scott dialed his visor down to a pinpoint beam. The narrowest of laser-like beams shot from his visor and obliterated the mounting bolts that held the vent in place.

“They were probably rusted out and needed replaced anyway.” He smirked at Jean with the flimsy rationalization for his hasty action.

“You’re doing them a favor by taking them off.” She matched his smile and leaned into the humorous rationale.

The removal of the vent cover showed a rather confined space that would not be easily traversed. A steady belly crawl would lead them to the next leg of their descent into the underbelly of the city's substructure. Scott had no intention of letting Jean go first.

“Allow me,” he said, already kneeling down on all fours.

“By all means.” Jean said with a smirk at his chivalry, a trait about him that she always adored. While Scott had to resort to physically crawling through the utility shaft, Jean utilized her telekinesis to levitate and move herself through the narrow space. Like an astronaut navigating a space station, she moved through the confines like gravity ceased to exist.

“You memorized the map so quickly.” Jean commented as they traveled. The request for them to travel to New York had been a last minute one, giving Scott only a couple hours to prepare. “Then again you’ve always had a head for numbers and spatial awareness.” They were the same skills that helped him use his powers and to be a good pilot.

“Guess all that math homework really paid off.” Scott tried to chuckle but it came out as a cough. “Don't, uh, don't open your mouth wide.”

The rancid stench of sewer gases became unavoidable. Scott paused for a moment to recenter himself and his stomach before moving onward.

“Should be better once we clear the vent,” Scott said as they neared the end. While he worked to release the vent cover on this side, he focused on the science of the ventilation system and air exchange so that Jean could glean any details she might not know without any need for him to explain what she already did.

From the inside, Scott was able to force the grill cover away from the shaft without need for an optic blast. He was immune to his own power but not to any shards or fragments blown back in his face at a point blank range. The cover hit concrete with an echoing clang despite Scott's best attempts to keep it from slipping.

“Oops,” he said as he shimmied out of the vent. He'd rolled onto his back so he could hoist himself up with his hands and land on his feet. Upright once more, he offered a hand to Jean only to see she hadn't needed any help at all, having levitated herself the entire length of the vent. “Oh, is that how it is?” he teased.

She chuckled a little as she gracefully exited the ventilation shaft, her feet gently returning to the ground. “You would if you could.”

Jean surveyed the utility access point. Half a dozen differently colored tubes and cables lined the space making it feel like organized chaos. She mentally scanned the space and its immediate area, searching for any signs of human life. “There isn’t anyone here.” She confirmed before taking a few steps in the right direction. “So I guess we walk…”

They continued down the corridor for several minutes in silence, letting them both acclimate to and observe the location. “Why do you think they want to hide down here?” Jean finally dared to speak once it felt like the area was safe. “It seems like an awful lot of effort.”

“Mutants hide wherever they must,” Scott said. “Could be anything from criminals to uncontrollable powers. We'll just have to watch our step.” He looked down at the squishy noise that came up from his boot. “For crying out loud…”

Jean telekinetically leapt into the air at the very idea of stepping in raw sewage. Her feet left like the ground like someone standing on a chair to avoid a mouse. “Oh no!” She covered her mouth in horror and shock over Scott’s discovery.

Scott pressed his hand against the cement wall and felt a squish beneath that too. At least his worst fears weren't realized.

“Mushroom?” Scott said in surprise. “At least it's not… what I was afraid it was.” He heaved a sigh of relief. “Still kind of gross…”

“Yeah, that’s better but… also upsetting when you think about what it’s eating to survive.” Jean winced as she spoke. “Sorry.”

The utility access tunnel ceiling was lower than the subway by a far cry. Scott had to dip his head more often than not. Fortunately there were fewer twists and turns, which meant they could set a good pace.

Eventually the cement began to give way to old style brick. “We've reached the oldest part of the old system,” Scott said. “Do you sense anything yet?”

Jean’s focus drifted away from him as she stared off into the distance for a long moment. Her eyes narrowed as if she was listening to something.
~* ‘There are some people further down, I hear four. Their conversation isn’t anything of merit, it’s casual and they’re relaxed.’*~

She started taking a few more steps down towards the voice. -* ‘We should be careful and only talk telepathically. Let’s get closer so we can figure out who they are. Okay?’ *~

~Agreed~ Scott still took point, walking forward with slower and more deliberate steps. Two on four wasn’t bad odds, but the confined space could work for or against them depending on the details. The devil was always in those.

As he took another step, Scott felt the brick beneath his lead foot shift, then make a soft click when he put weight on it. He stopped and crouched, fully alert for whatever might happen next.

~It might be nothing but loose mortar or it might be a pressure switch~ Scott told Jean. ~No immediate effect. If it was something, then it’s probably a warning system of some kind. Someone might know we’re here now. Be ready for anything~

~* ‘I’ve sent The Professor an update on our location and situation.’ *~ Despite Jean’s calm tone Scott could feel the tension that moved through her, she too was worried.

They both could hear the mutant’s conversation now. They spoke in hushed voices as if whispers were the only acceptable tone, making it hard to tell if they were alarmed or still just talking.

The sound of soft music began to play, from a flute or another woodwind. It filled the small space and made their voices even harder to make out. In a moment’s time a dozen rats approached them. The animals fearlessly sniffed and examined them and were even bold enough to run across their feet.

Jean had to cover her mouth in order to keep herself from screaming. The rats of New York were large and fat from a lifetime of eating city trash. The feel and weight of their tiny hands on her foot was unnerving.

Once finished with their examination, the rats left them and ventured toward the music being played.

~* ‘We’re in trouble.’ *~ Jean mentally confirmed what they both already knew.

“Children don’t be afraid.” The voice of an elderly woman called out to them. “There’s nothing to worry about, come out and see me.” A sudden twinge of trust and comfort pressed against them. A false feeling of ease that directly conflicted with their own tension and hesitation.

~* ‘Scott! Fight it.’ *~ A simple warning from Jean that they were trying to be manipulated.

“Friendly!” Scott called out, abandoning stealth and pushing on with their mission. That’s why they were there. “We come in peace. We’re here to help. We…”

What were they doing again? Scott closed his eyes and shook his head. Professor. X-Men. Help. Those thoughts turned from a mission almost to an outcry. But he held fast to their purpose… so long as he could remember it.

“X-Men. We’re X-Men.” Maybe he should sit down and rest. That sounded… No. Scott shook his head again. The force of will required to stave off confusion brought Scott to a standstill. “We found out about the Morlocks and want to help.” He took a step forward and fought for his bearings. “Do… do you have a leader we can talk to?”

While Scott had attempted civil negotiations, Jean couldn’t help but focus on the needling manipulation the old woman was still attempting to perform. With a forceful push, Jean telepathically countered her advances.

“Ouch!” The old woman cried out “You little witch! Ape, go and fetch Leech. It appears we have trespassing mutants on our hands.”

“Oh we have a leader.” Another voice responded to Scott. “And you’ll be meeting her very soon. But The Morlocks need no help from the X-Men, we ask for nothing but to be left alone. Of course, now that you have found us, you cannot return to the surface. That is unless you submit to Callisto and pledge allegiance to The Morlocks.”

Jean had a strange sinking feeling that started to come over her as the subtle humm of people’s thoughts began to fade. “Cyclops, something is wrong.”

She placed a hand on her temple as she telepathically reached out to him but still continued to slip away. A deafening silence consumed her thoughts as her psychic abilities left her. “I can’t hear you!” Jean gasped and he no longer felt her fear, only heard it in her voice. She tried to telekinetically shove the now bold Morlocks that were advancing on them but nothing happened. Jean began to panic from the realization. “My powers are gone!”

“Stay back!” Scott's hand flashed to the side of his head. His warning would not be repeated. “I don't want to hurt you!”

With his warning unheeded, Scott put himself between Jean and the mob and let loose an optic blast. Except it never came.

“Huh?” Scott pulled down his visor and opened both eyes at the first attacker. Nothing happened. “Jean…” he said, falling into a defensive stance. “Run. I'll be right behind you.”

She didn’t want to leave him, not when they were so vulnerable, but at the same time Jean trusted Scott and his abilities. Turning her back to him, she began to run as fast as possible down the opposite tunnel from where they had come. Built more for speed than for strength, Jean moved quickly down the old brick tunnels until she was suddenly consumed by blackness. All light vanished around her and she was alone and disoriented in inky darkness. Unable to navigate her surroundings Jean was caught completely off guard by the hands that grabbed her.

Scott heard her scream, no telepathic connection to confirm or deny what had happened. A sound of fear and distress then the unknown.

“We told you no one leaves.” A woman with greasy blonde hair started to approach Scott. Her smile was confident and cocky, she knew they had him. “Ape! Grab this ‘X-Man’ and tie him up. Callisto will definitely want to see them.”

“Sure thing, Skids.” The man known as Ape didn’t remain a man for long. His posture dropped and his size increased as he turned in a Silverback Gorilla before reaching out for Scott.

There was one thing Scott knew for sure. He wasn’t hip-tossing a gorilla.

- To Be Continued -

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