Kitty Pryde, once known as the X-Man Shadowcat, peered through the periscope out at the decimated landscape above them. In only a few years, the entire Earth had become a war zone, with both humans and mutants living underground, in hopes to protect them from each other. Even the rays of the early morning sun couldn't brighten the scenery that had once been Northbrook, Illinois. She sighed, and retracted the periscope, relived to find the area clear of Sentinels, for the moment at least. Hearing a noise behind her, Kitty turned, instinctively taking a defensive stance. She relaxed only when she saw that it was Kurt Wagner, her longtime friend and partner.
"Ah, Kitty, vat is it like outside?" he asked, but his tone of voice betrayed him…he knew exactly what it was like. It was the same war-torn landscape it had been for seven years, when the humans had started a war that neither side could hope to win.
"All clear for the moment. Any news?"
"Actually, yes. Ve have found some of ze others. Rogue, Scott and Ororo are being held at a military compound in upstate New York."
"My god, after all this time…" her voice trailed off to a choked sob. It had been years since she had seen her old teammates. The government had broken into the Xavier Institute and just taken them, and only she and Kurt had escaped with the aid of their mutant abilities. "Any idea on what else is there? What kind of defenses they have set up?"
"Not yet, frauline, but ve are vorking on it. Ze only other thing I know is zat zere are more mutants zan just our friends being held zere. Children."
Kitty nodded. Who knows how long the kids had been held there, and what was being done to them. It was known that the military had been experimenting on captured mutants in hopes of harnessing their powers for themselves, and Kitty shuddered to think of that being done to mere children. "All right, I'll hack the system and see what else I can dig up. We'll need more information before we can move on any rescue attempt."
"You're ze boss, Boss," said Kurt with a wide grin.
Kitty couldn't help but smile. When Kurt grinned, she couldn't help but be transported back to before the war…back to when things were better, simpler; back to when she hadn't been in charge of the lives and fates of the tens of mutants now under her leadership. Her smile vanished as soon as it had come when she thought about the refugees. Some they had rescued from the government, others had sought them out in a desperate hope for some semblance of safety…and Kitty felt responsible for them all. She protected them and saw them fed and clothed…and some she trained to help free others.
"Kitty, are you okay?"
"I'm fine, Kurt. I just need some time alone for a bit. I'll check into that base, see if we can't figure a way to get our friends back."
He nodded. "Okay. But don't be afraid to call me if you need me. I get vorried about you, Kitty." He walked out before she could give her usual reply. Don't worry about me, Kurt. Worry about the ones who are still out there. With only one backwards glance he walked out the door, and Kitty was alone in the control room once more. Her hand clenched involuntarily into a fist. She forced herself to take a few deep, calming breaths before sitting down at a computer console to try to track down some information on this military installation where their friends were being held.
**
The announcement came over the PA system a few hours after Kurt had left. "All fighters convene in the control room at 1100. We've got a mission."
Kurt checked his watch. He was amazed Kitty had found enough information in three hours to base a mission on, but he shouldn't be surprised. She'd done more with less, and that was why she was in charge. He had about fifteen minutes until the meeting, and decided to check on some of the refugees, who were probably just sitting down to lunch in the cafeteria.
The bunker's mess hall was a large room, designed to hold many more people than were currently present. Perhaps only a third of the room was filled, mostly with teenagers and young adults, and sometimes their human parents. The older mutants were mostly among the strike force that ventured above to free more of their kind. Kurt's heart went out to everyone present, and a prayer for their safety touched his lips. He knew that he and Kitty would do everything in their power to keep them safe from a world that wanted them enslaved or dead.
"Hey, Kurt!" called a voice from behind him. Kurt turned and faced a twenty-something mutant named Lorna Dane, who also went by Polaris. She had the power of magnetism, much like Magneto had, before his disappearance, and she just loved to make Kurt's life miserable.
"Ach, Lorna. Greetings," he replied, politely enough.
"What's the deal with the mission? Kitty got something big planned?" The inquisitive girl innocently brushed a lock of curly green hair from her eyes.
"I suppose you'll find out in a few minutes, nein?"
The girl made a rude noise and threw her arms in the air. "You know you're hopeless, don't you?"
Kurt grinned. "And proud of it. Now, let us go see vat Kitty has found."
A few minutes later found them in the control room, greeted by Kitty and seven other mutants…the soldiers, as it were.
"Kurt, Lorna," said Kitty, nodding at them to take a seat, "you're the last ones. All right, listen up everyone. Kurt and I have come across the location of more imprisoned mutants, among them some of the X-Men who were captured seven years ago. They are our priority here, but we rescue as many as we can. I'm sure you all know the drill by now: easy in, easy out. We run into something we can't take, don't be afraid to clear out as fast as you can. You'll be no good to anyone if you get caught yourself.
"The facility is located in New York, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, so there's plenty of forested area for cover. The mutants are being held several floors down, so stealth is of the utmost importance. We'll split into two groups. Kurt and I will lead squad Alpha, while squad Beta will guard our escape route and cover our retreat. Any questions?"
A sea of serious faces greeted her. They all knew of the danger; they'd faced it all before. Kitty had the feeling that this time would be different, though she couldn't say why. "All right, we'll take the Blackbird II a few miles from the site of the base; we can't risk being seen. Jewel and Rick are with me and Kurt, and the rest of you will make sure we all get out alive. We move out in two hours, so get something to eat and then meet in the hanger and get suited up."
Nods from the young mutants, before they filed out and headed toward the mess hall. Only Kurt stayed behind. "I have a strange feeling about zis one," he said quietly.
"Me too, Kurt. Me too."