Uncanny X-Men 1943

Chapter 14

Emma and Rogue climbed out of the truck, which was parked alongside the fence, far from any of the entrances or lookout towers. Not that there was much to lookout for here. They were in the very definition of the middle of nowhere, surrounded by forest. There were no villages for miles and miles, not a farm nor a cottage. Nothing here but trees, muddy roads, and the camp. A quick look at the fence told Emma that the flat, quarter-inch, thick grey wire with the copper wiring facing inwards towards the camp was the one conducting the energy which reduced their powers. Something rather similar ran alongside the electrical cables inside many of the Whitehall offices, but that only blocked telepathy. This seemed to block everything. It sat between the mesh fencing and the miles and miles of coiled barbed wire above.

"We need wire cutters," Emma said, going around to the back of the truck, popping her coat collar up against the breeze.

"Why are there so many huts?" Rogue asked. Their eyes were well adjusted to the night, and there were lights scattered throughout the camp. The flat ground allowed Rogue to see that the rows of huts seemed to go on for miles. No one could been seen though. Curfew.

"Why do you think?" Emma grumbled, sure they were being to loud. Someone would hear. Someone report them. She didn't want a fight unless there was no other choice.

"Is this where they're keeping all the people they take? But - there's so many."

"Yes," Emma said, flicking on her torch as she peered around in the back of the truck. The boys and Betsy had taken the standard truck, she'd taken the one with the radio equipment in the back.

"What are they doing here? Is this a factory or something?"

"Or something," Emma replied. The batteries on the torch were running low. She shook the torch, and it emitted a little more light.

"Do they use slave labour to make weapons and the like?"

Emma bit her lip and forced herself to breathe. She wanted to turn to diamond form, but the damned dampeners were messing with her head and she felt as though she couldn't remember how to change. Rogue didn't know. The rest of the team hardly knew. There were rumours, of course, but they didn't know. Emma hadn't known. Not for certain. "Come and help me find the wire cutters," she said, praying that her voice didn't crack. Emma felt nauseous, and could feel a migraine coming on, only she wasn't sure if the pain was entirely hers or was being projected from inside the fence.

"Ah thought Warren was put in prison. This - this isn't what Ah was expecting."

"I know. Look, Rogue..."

"That's a lot of people they've taken. There must be thousands. Are - are there other places like this?"

"Stop talking and help me look," Emma said, shaking the torch again. "Everything's all over the place back here. Bloody Jean-Philippe couldn't have driven over any more potholes if he'd tried. For God's sake..."

"The smoke over there is from the factory, isn't it, Emma?"

"Rogue, will you help me look."

"The smell is - smelting metal? Right?"

Emma could hear growing panic in Rogue's voice. "Rogue..."

"Is this the only place like this?"

"Dammit, Rogue!" Emma snapped, snatching up a rag to wrap around the handle of the cutters once she found them, hoping to reduce the risk of electrocution.

"What is it, Emma? Why are here? What is this place?"

"Help me, will you?" Emma said, before catching a glimpse of the wire cutters underneath an overturned toolbox.