「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(274) Bluff

Lynn's POV

Stunningly, a ton of events had packed into the relatively short time we went awol while being abducted by Stryker.

In remarkable detail, Jean shed light on how their straightforward mission to escort Kurt back to the mansion nearly ended all of them in shreds.

Their expedition to the debilitated church was strangely the easiest part of their task and complications steadily emerged with Logan's frantic call for assistance.

After escaping the attacked mansion in Scott's RX-8, Logan and the three teens drove off towards the north to seek refuge. As they arrived in Bobby's home with his family wholly unaware of how gifted he truly was, his parents were still soaking up the shock of his mutant identity when his brother mercilessly phoned the police.

Patrol cops were readily dispatched but the trivial situation that could originally be handled in a cordial manner undesirably escalated into a destructive affair when John frivolously flaunted his powers.

Although Rogue duly absorbed his abilities and contained the wildly spreading flares, the scene of devastation was one they expeditiously fled. Rushing into the cabin of the majestic X-Jet that landed on the neighbourhood porch, they were mildly bemused by the new addition to the team who only remembered his name and childhood identity, comically introducing himself as 'The Incredible Nightcrawler' from the Munich Circus.

Despite the atmosphere bursting with astonishment, Storm hurriedly piloted them away from the charred environment but the calm was not permanent. Two F-16s soon flanked them, showering them with relentless threats. Without compliance, the X-Men surely earned themselves a sticky situation as their plane was plainly marked by the military jets.

Jean recounted that the clear skies were rapidly shrouded under a thick, hazy veil, from which bolts of lightning struck conspicuously against the dark curtain. Rumbling behind the massive fog were intimidating drums of thunder and the concentration of dense clouds began to swirl into towering, thin funnels.

After much tossing and rolling, both aggressive aircrafts finally succumbed to the violent weather and disappeared from their radars but the serenity was merely transient. As Storm courteously dissipated the obscuring layers of gloom, the cabin once again echoed with a piercing noise that alerted them to the couple of projectiles dangerously sailing their way.

Repeated efforts of Storm to swerve their plane was futile to unburden themselves from bombs adamantly locked onto the unique shape of our jet. Consequently firing up Phoenix, Jean channeled the main bulk of her telekinesis to impede the explosives travelling at hypersonic velocities and began disintegrating them once they had been sufficiently slowed and deviated.

Storm observed attentively as the wildly flashing spots faded into mild flickers gradually veering away from their ship's track but no one could possibly anticipate the level of devastation generated by the stray fragments. Ripped from its original shell, a large shard of metallic debris accidentally clipped the rudder of their jet, splitting a gigantic hole in the rear portion.

Air whisked out of the cabin expeditiously, eager to equalise the differing pressures of the variant environments now blatantly exposed to each other as the plane crashed uncontrollably. Enormous currents conceivably discharged outwards, developing a vigorous suction that effortlessly vacuumed loose items from the interior. Unfortunately, one of those happened to be Rogue who did not have her seatbelt properly fastened.

Panic overwhelmed them all, students and adults alike, but Kurt maintained the courage to be kind. Bravely teleporting from the chamber, he grabbed the girl whilst both of them plummeted unsteadily through the air and swiftly returned to the company of the others but the aircraft was still critically losing elevation.

Requiring the meticulousness of Jean to mend the severe gash, Phoenix was suppressed while Storm focused to manage the descend but before any of them were successful, the breach miraculously sealed itself and the plane jerked abruptly to a halt.

Startled that it was none of their doing, Storm and Jean stared blankly through the glass panes before them, noticing a strange lime glow around their jet. Upon closer scrutiny, they realised they had been suspended frozen above the X-Mansion with four miniature figures rooted to the grasses beneath, half of whom had their arms extended towards them. 

"You're kidding, Jean," I scoffed in a lighthearted tone, jokingly calling her bluff, but when no one else laughed along, what settled from my dwindling giggles was my heart dying in dread and repugnance.

"Erik. Fucking. Lehnsherr?!" I growled with my eyes widened in disgust and Jean nodded quietly, sheepishly shifting her gaze to Raven.

"That's impossible!" I screeched agitatedly, glaring at all of them in pure disbelief.

"I just saw him in the cell! I don't know what he said to Charles but whatever it was frightened Charles so much he wanted me to get out of there! This is not happening! This is crazy! This is nuts! This is-" I raved, distraught, unintentionally cutting myself off when my dramatic hand gestures complementing the excited speech fired another wave of pain through my arm.

"Lynn, please! Just relax!" Raven exclaimed, fretfully cradling my throbbing wrist as she wrapped my body dearly in her embrace.

"It was my mistake, not theirs. Just hear me out, alright?" Raven coaxed and gently stroked my back, soothing my upset nerves, as she progressively finished the balance of the narration.

"I am so, so, sorry," I mumbled sheepishly, albeit hardly burying my shameful face in one palm, as I was reminded of my horrendous deeds.

"It's alright, Lynn. You didn't know," Raven consoled sincerely, drawing me into a comfortable hug, as the others gave me sympathetic and encouraging smiles.

"I did. I just couldn't stop myself," I admitted in a meek tone but Raven smiled at me, full of understanding, as she docked my listless head gently onto her shoulder.

"I can only imagine your pain..." I lamented, grimacing.

"Didn't you feel it?" Raven prodded and we basically stared at each other, confused.

"Charles gave me his helmet," Raven unveiled plainly and I gasped, astounded not by the fact but by my negligence.

"How could I not tell it was coming from him," I scoffed, mocking myself, as I recalled the sudden influx of agony I foolishly conceived to be resultant of my own exhaustion.

"Don't worry, he's strong. And it was just awhile," Raven genuinely soothed.

"Luckily Erik had his helmet too otherwise he would never have intercepted you in time. None of us were permanently hurt but Lorna, I think she couldn't cope with all of that after the overexertion," Raven explained softly and all of us stared at her, baffled by the ambiguity in her statement.

"Charles said she collapsed outside Cerebro. Almost dead. Erik and Wanda went crazy, as if they not already are but... Instead of saving you, Erik reversed the configuration and Wanda instigated Jason to kill all the humans," Raven elaborated in a cheerless tone.

"If not for Kurt, I'm not sure we'll all still be here," Jean commended, grinning proudly at her aunt whose lips twitched into a small curve.

Love, everything alright back there? Charles sounded abruptly, startling me, albeit positively.

We're fine. Have you arrived? I asked with a curious smile.

Yes. We're going in soon. Do you think we should broadcast this to the children? Charles challenged in a tentative tone.

Of course, they deserve to know. I'll get to it, I asserted politely and looked up to the crowded couch.

"It's starting. We should go," I announced.