Chapter 15: And So It Begins

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1973


A Colonel wanders through a camp in Saigon, Vietnam making his way over to a tent guarded by several soldiers.

"Can I help you, Colonel?" One of the soldiers asks steping in front of the colonel proventing him from intering.

"Just here to give our boys a proper send-off." The Colonel Answers.

"I'm sorry, sir, but we have orders. This is a quarantined area." The soldier replies.

"Stand aside, solider. That's an order." The Colonel orders.

The guards stand aside and open the doors letting the Colonel through to the tent.

"Atten-hut!" One of soldiers shouts causing all the other soldiers to rise.

"At ease." The Colonel says as he walks through the tent looking at the mutant soldiers.

As he walk the Colonel recognises two mutants, Alex Summers and Feliciana Delacour who's tending to a wound on Alex's arm. As the Colonel walks past the two he winks at them causing Alex and Felicia to looks at him with confusion, before looking at each other. The Colonel then makes his way to the back of the tent where a few soldiers are packing up vials and files.

"What's all this?" The Colonel asks.

"Lab reports, blood tests." One of the soldiers answers. "It's all getting packed up and shipped back."

"Where is it going?" The Colonel asks.

"Same place they are. Trask Industries." The soldier answers causing the colonel's blood to boil.

"Let's go, gentlemen. I'm taking you out of this shit show." A soldier says entering the tent followed by more soldiers.

"Shipping home?" Alex asks.

"Not just yet." The soldier replies as another solider opens a case containing vials of drugs.

"What are you doing with those?" A mutant named Mortimer Toynbee also known as Toad asks.

"Something to make the ride a little smoother. I'm transferring you to a private facility... where we can run a few more tests." the soldier explains.

"Your men are not military." The colonel says walking over to the suspisious soldier.

"Private outfit." The soldier grins handing the colonel his paperwork. "We're authorized to remand these men."

"These troops are going home." The colonel says not giving a damn about the paperwork.

"Well, Colonel, I don't believe you have jurisdiction in this matter." The soldier replies.

"I'm afraid I do, son." The colonel says taking a step closer not backing down.

"I'm sorry, who are you?" The soldier asks.

"The question is, Major..." The Colonel says as he turns the soldier's dog tags around revealing the soldier to be William Stryker Jr. "...who are you?"

The colonel then angrly pulls the dog tags off Stryker before quicly changing into their true form revealing them to actually be Raven.

Raven then quickly begins fighting off all the soldiers alone, kicking one in neck knocking him out and then strangling Stryker while kicking another aginst a locker and two more to the ground. Raven the flips over Stryker knocking him to the ground before taking on a soldier who'd managed to get his gun out. Eric Glitter also known as Ink then uses his powers to take out two soliders making them vomit uncontrolably while Evan Daniels also known by Spyke uses his powers making the eyes of two soldiers turn compleatly black before they stumble over the desk falling unconcious.

Raven then begins fighting off another soldier, still on the ground braking his arm all while another soilder sits up from behind a bed and aims his gun at Raven. Felicia spots this and uses her powers to pull the gun into her hand and disarming it before roundhouse kicking the soldier in the head knocking him unconsious. After Raven knocks out the soldier who's arm she broke she spots Striker getting up and grabing a gun so in a very quick motion Raven grabs his hand stopping him from firing the gun while also grabbing him firmly by the neck.

"Raven!" Alex calls as Raven strangles Stryker.

"That's not my name." Raven replies as she refuses to stop strangle the man.

But before Raven can kill Stryker Alex uses his power to release a plasma blast at Stryker who goes flying over a desk and landing uncolsious on the groud.

"I had that." Mystique snaps.

"I know." Alex replies admitting what he did was not to help Mystique but to prevent her from killing Stryker.

Not caring in the slightest what just happened Felicia runs past Alex and pulls Mystique into an embrace.

"I'm so glad to see you." Felicia smiles.

"Felicia, what are you even doing here?" Mystique asks not have expected to find her old friend at an army base.

"When we found out the army was purposly recruiting mutants I decided to go undercover as nurse to find out what was really happening." Felicia explains as she and Mystique let go of one another. "B-But their was a... mishap, and..." Felicia pauses trying to find the correct words to say. "A-And they found out I was a mutant. But enough about me we need to get out of here."

"You're right." Mystique replies before addressing the others. "Let's move out. Come on, let's go."

"Where's Erik?" Alex asks as they go to leave.

"I'm on my own now." Mystique replies before transforming back into the colonel.

Mystique disguised as the colonel, guides the mutant soldiers towards a plane that is about to take off.

"Hold that plane!" Mystique disguised as colonel call out. "Wouldn't wanna leave these boys in this god for saken country."

"Yes, sir." One of the soldiers replies before bording the plane leaving only Alex, Felicia and Raven as the only ones who've yet to bord.

"You're not coming with us, are you?" Alex asks.

"My war's not over." Mystique still disguised as the colonel answers. "The enemy is still out there."

"Who?" Felicia asks curious to know who her friend is after.

Raven leans closer to Felicia whispering in her ear the name of a man who makes Felicia's blood boil with so much anger steam might as well be coming out of her ears. Her knuckles turn white from clenching her fist too hard, and her face begins to turn red as she gritts her teeth trying to supress her anger.

"Let me come with you." Felicia speaks up unclenching her fist. 

"No, I work alone now." Raven replies.

"Please." Felicia begs as her eyes become watery. "I need to find that man."

Raven stares into Felicia's eyes not falling for sad pouty face but the longer she look the more she realises Felicia's eyes are full of genuine sadness and fear causing Raven to sigh in defeat.

"Fine." Raven concedes feeling genuine worry for her friend.

"Thank you." Felica croaks.

As Felicia steps over to Raven standing by her side as Alex looks at the two women one last time before walking onto the plane.

"Alex!" Felicia calls out causing Alex to hault and turn to face his friend and mentor. "Please don't say anthing to Charles."

"I promise." Alex replies.

"Oh and say hello to your little brother for me." Felicia smiles before waving goodbye to her friend.

"Felicia, lets go!" Raven calls out bringing Felicia back to the task at hand.

The two women then take off walking in the oppostite direction to the plane, Felicia grabbing a cap along the way to hide her hair.

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