ISSUE #115

The next morning Ian woke up early and, along with Colossus, Nightcrawler, Angel, and Wolverine, went out to find the Marauders. Wherever they may be, and by any means necessary.

" Why didn't Scott tell me the Marauders were holding Rogue captive?" Warren asked as he flew over the area.

" And why didn't he tell us, Gambit was running with Sinister now? This would have been important to know." Ian stated.

" What am I, Dear Abby? Talk to Summers about it..." Logan told the two. " My guess is he wanted ya focused on the mission last night. Just like I want ya focused now. Finding these ex-Acolytes is out best chance of getting a lead on the Marauders... You got the location in sight?"

" Yeah... But I think I might've been... Spotted." Warren replied. He turned his head and very nearly lost it when Gargoyle attacked him. " It's Gargoyle!" Warren yelled. " They're here! Go! GO! GO!"

" Right, let's go big guy." Ian told Colossus.

" Da!"

Colossus and Ian burst into the warehouse that the former Acolytes were using as a base.

" Both of you, stay right where you are." Colossus told the two men.

" Yeah."

" Right."

One of the acolytes phased into the floor and Ian chased after him, while the other raised his fist.

Green energy erupted from his hands, and he hit Colossus in his chest so hard he was sent flying.

" Wolverine, they're on the move. Colossus just got sent flying. Neophyte phased into the ground. I'm chasing him to your location now." Ian radioed to the man.

" Alright." Logan replied. " That means he could be..." Logan sniffed the air and then turned to Kurt. " Elf, now!" Logan yelled.

Kurt dodged out of the way, as Neophyte exploded out of the wall. He grabbed the man by his arm and neck and teleported him high into the air.

" You see? There is nothing up here... For you to phase into." Kurt told the man.

Neophyte yelled in terror as Kurt played with him, while Logan down below continued chasing the others.

" Might as well come out, projector... I can smell you from here..." Logan told the man. " Anyway, we just wanna talk."

Logan was suddenly hit in the face by a long pink arm made of energy.

" You've got a funny way of getting that across." Projector told the man.

" We sure do, don't we?" Projector turned around and Ian grabbed the man, shattering his psionic arm.

" What can we say? These are complicated times, Bub." Logan told the man. " Now then... Feel like talking?" Logan asked.

" URGH! What? My powers? They aren't working. What did you do?" Projector asked.

" Psionic energy, is still energy. And I control energy. Meaning two things are about to happen. You're going to tell us exactly what we want to know. Or you're going to have a very bad day." Ian told the man.

" I ain't tell you nothing." Projector replied.

" Okay then. The hard way." Ian tossed Projector into the air.

" Now why'd you do that?" Logan asked.

" Shock and awe. There's the shock. Now, here's the awe." Ian grabbed Logan and flew after Projector.

Projector screamed in terror as he fell towards the warehouse. Luckily for him, Ian was no longer inhibiting his powers. Projector raised his arms and felt the energy returning. He quickly reformed his armor and blew a hole in the roof of the warehouse, unknowingly hitting his own partner.

" Look out Pete!" Logan yelled. He and Ian came crashing down on top of Colossus and Projector. " Look at that, you hurt yer own teammate, Projector." Logan told the man.

" So, what? I got others." Projector told the man.

" I got Gargoyle!" Kurt radioed.

" I got Neophyte!" Warren also exclaimed.

Logan laughed and then looked at Projector.

" Would you look at that, Bub. Looks like you just ran out of options." Logan told the man, Logan walked up to Projector and placed two of his claws on either side of the man's neck. " You don't wanna find out what happens when I pop the third. Not for a guy like Exodus. Not for a guy you didn't want to follow in the first place."

" ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT! ALL RIGHT!" Projector yelled in terror.

" See, the shock. And now the awe." Ian joked.

Logan grunted and then turned his attention back to Projector.

" Now then... What were you saying?" Logan asked Projector.

Later.....

" Logan just reported in. Looks like they got a lead on tracking Exodus... And hopefully the Marauders he joined up with." Scott told Emma.

" Good." She replied. " You should take some time to speak with the students, if you can. They're complaining about sitting this out... This means a lot to them. A new Mutant birth... It means they might not be the last generation."

" I'll talk to them soon. I have to finish a field report for Forge, and then Hank needs to show me something..." Scott told the woman.

" I like it when you're like this... All in charge. It suits you." Emma spoke.

" I don't know about that. I still feel like there's something big I'm missing here....."

" Hey, Cyclops. We're coming in."

" Right, meet me in the Hangar, Onslaught." Cyclops replied to the man's message. " Looks like it's back to work."

" Right." Emma replied.

.....

A little later.

Scott had gotten dressed and met with Ian down in the Hangar of the mansion to inform him of what would happen next.

" Alright when storm and the others get back, you and Logan head out as soon as you can." Scott told Ian. He then paused as he was getting another message from one of the field teams, Siryn and Wolfsbane.

" Do you copy, Cyclops?" Siryn asked.

" Loud and clear, Siryn. How's wolfsbane?" Scott asked.

" Complaining that the squibs hurt." Sirun told the man.

" Bullets would have hurt more." Scott replied. " And Rictor?"

" He's in. They totally bought it." Siryn told the man.

" Good." Scott replied.

" Way to go ladies." Ian stated. " Looks like things are going as planned." Ian spoke.

" Right, now we just-"

" Yo, Scott." Scott was speaking, but he quickly found himself interrupted by Santo and Laura.

" Uh oh." Ian muttered.

Santo, Laura, Julian, Cessily, and Noriko all walked into the Hangar where Scott and Ian were.

Ian looked around and could practically feel the tension in the air.

" What is it?" Scott asked.

" What's going on? You still haven't told us anything." Noriko asked the man.

" What do you want to know?" Scott asked the girl.

" What's going on? We know nothing!" Noriko exclaimed.

" Alright, it's simple. Storm and the others are on the way back, right now with information. When they get here Ian will re-join them and they will go after Exodus and his team. Meanwhile Jamie and Forge are working on something to help us find the mutant baby." Scott explained.

" Even Jamie's involved?" Santo asked.

" Yes, Rockslide, that's what I said." Scott told the man.

" You hate Jamie Madrox." Laura stated.

" I don't hate him. He's a valuable asset. And he was needed for a mission." Scott told the girl.

" And when are we going to be needed?" Cessily asked the man.

" Yea. Aren't we valuable assets?"

" Surge!"

" Oh joy, you remembered my name." Noriko stated.

" An annoying thing to forget in an emergency." Cessily exclaimed.

" Yeah, but y'know, why give the new kids on the block a chance?" Santo asked. " You let, Sinclair in on the action, but not us? Do you think we can't take it?" Santo asked the man.

Scott was tired of being drilled aggressively by the students and as soon as Santo got in his face, he blasted the boy right in his chest and sent him crashing into the wall, shocking everyone.

" I am trying to oversee a war that's being fought on half a dozen fronts." Scott exclaimed.

" If you're fighting a war, we can help." Noriko told the man.

" Nori, calm down." Ian told the girl.

" No, we want to help!" She yelled back at the man.

" And you will. But it will be where I say so, when I say so." Scott told the girl. " If any of you have a problem with that, you know where the door is." Scott exclaimed.

" You'd do that?" Julian asked.

" Yes." Scott replied to the boy.

" Just let us go?"

" Absolutely. Then I'd go after you, haul your ass back, and chew you out for abandoning your own species in its time of need..." Scott told the group. " They also serve those who stand and wait. And when your times comes.... You may wish it hadn't." Scott exclaimed.

" So that's it? Just sit and wait?" Noriko asked.

" Yes. Just sit and wait." Ian replied. He wasn't chastising the girl. But genuinely trying to help her.

" What? And do nothing? What about you? Why do you get to be out there and we're stuck in here?" Noriko asked.

" Onslaught is stronger than all of you combined, he works well with Logan and Kurt both of whom are in the field. He can walk through bullets, you can't. And he has more experience than nearly all of you." Scott exclaimed. " You will do as I say, and you will wait!" Scott exclaimed. He then walked away as the others pulled Santo out of the wall.

Ian sighed; he could tell by the look on her face that his words had only made her much angrier.

" Nori, forget about him. Just focus on me, okay? Look, I know you want to be out there, helping. But trust me, this is much more than just about our own egos. We're already behind, and trying to play catchup, we shouldn't be fighting. You'll get your chance, okay. In time. For now, just trust us, we'll make sure the baby is brought back safely." Ian told the woman.

" But we can help." Noriko told the man.

" I know you can, but this is above you." Ian stated.

" Excuse me?" Noriko exclaimed.

" I didn't mean it like that, Nori. This is above all of us. Trust me, it's safer for you guys here anyway. You haven't seen what we're up against. " Ian stated.

" Yeah, because we're being kept locked up." Noriko exclaimed.

" To keep you safe! I promise, you'll get your chance. Just be patient." Ian told the girl. He then raised his hand to his ear, as he had gotten a message. " Okay... Okay, I'm coming." Ian replied. " Look, I have to go. Just hang tight, and you'll get your chance." Ian told the girl. He then quickly left the Hangar and joined Logan and the others in going after Exodus and his Marauders.

" Uh, Nori? You okay?" Cessily asked the girl.

" I'm fine!" Noriko replied. She turned on her heel and stormed out of the room, obviously anything but fine.