A trap

AN: Starting next week instead of 7-8 chs, you'll get 5 chs till I manage to stockpile some more chs.

----

The rendezvous point was deep in an abandoned warehouse district, shadowed and silent. Jean and Kitty walked a few paces ahead, scanning the area, while Logan, Scott, and Psylocke brought up the rear. Psylocke's purple hair glowed faintly under the moonlight, her katana sheathed but ready, her psychic senses on high alert.

They had received intel on a mutant smuggler operation in this location.

"Anyone else getting a bad vibe here?" Logan growled, his eyes narrowed as he glanced at the empty windows around them.

"Yeah," Kitty replied as she glanced at Jean. "I was just thinking the same thing."

Jean stopped, placing a hand on her temple as she reached out with her telepathy, searching for any hidden minds. Her expression grew dark as she lowered her hand. "It's too quiet. I'm not sensing anyone… but I can't shake the feeling that we're being watched."

Scott, always prepared, adjusted his visor. "Let's stay sharp. They are probably using telepathy-blocking tech. Besides, if this is a trap, they won't keep us waiting for long."

[Clank!] Just then, a loud metallic clang echoed through the warehouse, causing everyone to tense up.

Out of the shadows, several figures emerged. Standing at the forefront, a familiar face sneered at them with feral excitement: Sabretooth. His towering figure was intimidating as ever, his claws extended, eyes gleaming with anticipation. Behind him, Lady Deathstrike's fingers stretched into razor-sharp blades, while Pyro lit up his palms with bright flames, illuminating a few other hostile mutants in the background, each one itching for a fight.

"Well, well, looks like the X-Force decided to join us for a little midnight fun," Sabretooth growled, baring his teeth.

Logan's eyes narrowed, recognizing his old nemesis. "Sabretooth," he spat. "Figured you'd be lurking in the shadows, coward."

"Oh, don't worry," Sabretooth replied with a grin. "I'm here for more than lurking." He signaled to his team with a jerk of his head. "Take them down!"

Before anyone could react, Pyro shot a burst of flame toward them, forcing the team to scatter. Kitty grabbed Jean, phasing them both to avoid the blazing inferno, while Logan and Psylocke dodged in the opposite direction. Scott lifted his visor slightly, firing a blast at Pyro, who deftly ducked behind a stack of metal crates, cackling as he fired back.

Psylocke was the first to make a move. With her katana flashing in the dim light, she charged at Lady Deathstrike, who met her attack with a swipe of her elongated adamantium claws. The two clashed in a flurry of sparks and steel, each blow deflected by the other's skill. Psylocke dashed around her opponent, her movements fluid and graceful, striking from all angles, but Deathstrike's speed kept her on the defensive. Then she plunged the sword into Deathstrike's stomach, but she used her claws to break Psylocke's sword. Her regeneration kicked him after she pulled out the sword.

"Well," Psylocke smirked as she made a psionic blade, ready to continue the fight. "That annoying healing... I wonder what will happen if I were to destroy your brain nerves?"

"Why don't ya come and find out?" Deathstrike said before cracking her neck and rushing in.

Kitty, meanwhile, had her own challenge. One of the mutants—a brawler with thick, armored skin—came charging toward her. She phased just in time, letting him pass through her before solidifying and delivering a quick punch to his side. "Oouch!" She flinched. 'That was a bad move.' Her strike did little to his armored hide, but it was enough to catch his attention.

"Heh!" The brawler grinned before rushing at her.

Kitty darted away, using her agility to stay out of his reach, looking for an opening.

Scott and Jean worked in tandem. Scott aimed his optic blasts at Sabretooth, trying to keep him at a distance, but Sabretooth was relentless, dodging with surprising agility and lunging at him with a roar. Jean focused, using her telekinesis to hurl nearby debris at Sabretooth, giving Scott enough time to reposition and get a better shot.

"Nice teamwork, Summers," Sabretooth taunted, even as he dodged another blast. "But it won't save you."

"You talk too much," Scott replied, firing another blast that hit Sabretooth square in the chest, sending him skidding back.

Jean moved quickly, using her powers to lift a piece of heavy machinery, throwing it toward Sabretooth with a flick of her wrist. He managed to slice through it, but the force threw him off balance, allowing Scott to fire a concentrated blast at him, which landed with a resounding impact.

"Stay down," Scott ordered.

But Sabretooth only laughed, getting back on his feet with an unnerving grin. "Oh, I'm just getting started."

Meanwhile, Logan and Pyro were locked in a dangerous dance of flame and claws. Logan lunged at Pyro, who shot a column of fire directly at him, forcing Logan to dodge. He rolled out of the way, growling with frustration as the flames followed him.

"Come on, old man!" Pyro taunted, waving his hands and sending flames twisting through the air. "Too hot for you?"

Logan grinned, leaping to a metal beam above and launching himself down onto Pyro with terrifying speed. Pyro stumbled, momentarily stunned, as Logan's claws sank into his shoulder. "ARGGGG!! FUCK!" Pyro screamed, but Logan was relentless, landing punch after punch until Pyro managed to break free, staggering back with burns of his own.

"Not so cocky now, are ya?" Logan growled, advancing on the wounded Pyro.

Pyro grabbed his right shoulder and staggered, trying to stand up. "Shit... Damn you!" He gritted his teeth before unleashing a torrent of fire from both hands.

"Bad move, Bub," Logan said before charging in. As Pyro's flames engulfed him. His healing factor immediately kicked in, healing his burnt skin. He jumped forward at a blinding speed, punching Pyro's stomach, and knocking the air out of him. Pyro flew in the air before slamming hard into a pile of wooden crates.

"Arrrgghhh!"

As Pyro fell to the ground, Logan picked him up by the collar of his costume, staring him down. "Coward and traitor, that's what ya are!"

"Fuck you, old man!" Pyro coughed before spitting blood onto Logan's face.

Logan just wiped it off with his sleeve and headbutted Pyro. The younger man grunted as his nose was broken and he was knocked unconscious. Logan threw him to the ground and turned to the other enemies.

Amidst the chaos, Jean's eyes narrowed as a powerful telepathic signal suddenly bombarded her mind. She gritted her teeth, trying to shield herself from the invasive presence. It was then she realized—someone was dampening her powers, weakening her telekinesis and telepathy.

"Scott!" she called, barely managing to send him a mental warning before the dampening force surged again. "They're using a power suppressor. I can't… I can't hold them off."

Scott turned to her, worry flashing in his eyes. "Jean, focus on staying safe. We'll get through this."

But before she could reply, Sabretooth charged her, taking advantage of her weakened state. He knocked her down, pinning her to the ground with a wicked grin.

"Looks like the redhead's out of her league," he sneered, claws raised.

Just as he was about to strike, Scott aimed his visor directly at Sabretooth's face, blasting him off of her. Jean scrambled to her feet, clutching her side where Sabretooth's claws had grazed her.

"You okay?" Scott asked, steadying her.

Jean nodded, grimacing in pain. "I'll manage."

Meanwhile, Psylocke was in a fierce struggle with Lady Deathstrike. With her telepathic abilities partially suppressed, she relied on her martial skills and instincts. She dodged a swipe from Deathstrike, flipping backward before launching a psychic knife toward her opponent's mind. Deathstrike barely flinched, her own resilience deflecting much of the mental attack.

"That's all you got?" Deathstrike taunted, striking back with her claws.

Psylocke ducked and slashed with her psionic blade, managing to graze Deathstrike's arm. "I don't need much to take you down."

Before Deathstrike could retaliate, Kitty joined in, phasing through the ground and grabbing hold of Deathstrike's legs. She phased them partially, disrupting Deathstrike's balance, giving Psylocke the opening she needed. With a quick slash, she managed to land a solid hit on Deathstrike, causing her to stumble.

Kitty smirked, tightening her grip. "Not so tough when you can't touch me."

Deathstrike snarled, thrashing in frustration as she struggled to break free.

As Psylocke advanced on Lady Deathstrike, a sharp crack echoed through the air—barely noticeable amidst the clamor of battle, but unmistakable to those who had heard it before. In an instant, Psylocke's body jerked backward, a sniper's bullet piercing her shoulder. She staggered, clutching her wound as crimson blossomed across her uniform.

"Psylocke!" Kitty cried, darting forward to catch her as she collapsed to one knee. The wound was severe, blood seeping through Psylocke's fingers as she pressed them tightly over it.

But the danger was far from over. Another shot rang out, then another, each bullet aimed with deadly precision. Jean, sensing the growing threat, reached out with her mind, straining against the telepathic suppression to detect the hidden assailants.

***[POWERSTONES & Reviews]***

Support link: patr eon.com/UnknownMaster

[13 advance chapters] [No double billing]

-------