Panther - A Nightcrawler Fanfiction

26) Planning

[Author's Note:

{5.20.2013} Edited through this chapter for errors

X-Men characters in this chapter: Storm (Ororo), Professor X (Charles Xavier), Rogue (Marie), Gambit (Remy), Phoenix (Jean), Boom-Boom (Tabitha), Iceman (Bobby), Magma (Amara), Beast (Hank McCoy), and Nightcrawler (Kurt)

OCs: Panther (Emery) and the Shadow (Marcus).]

Marcus waited until Emery fell asleep to retrieve the dishes from her. He dumped them in the kitchen sink and returned to the living room where he had monitors upon monitors set up. He had at least a hundred that he'd collected before he got separated from his body.

~

The Professor was in the Cerebo room with Ororo, Rogue, and Gambit.

"Anyone have any bright ideas on how we're going t' find her?" Rogue asked.

"If this Marcus Preed does have her, we can only assume that Logan is the one that would know how," Ororo responded.

"What did Hank say?" the Professor asked.

"He said they were all hit pretty hard with some sort of mojo," Gambit spilled. "But, A.J. was just exhausted."

"He means she collapsed from exhaustion," Rogue corrected.

"And the others?" The Professor asked.

"Scott and Katherine had their nerve-endings shocked, as if electrocuted. They should be alright with a few days of rest. Jean was squeezed until she passed out from lack of oxygen. She's already awake. Hank is running a checkup as we speak," Ororo reported.

"Good," the Professor commented.

Rogue continued: "Jubilee has a lot of bruises. It looks like someone tossed her around like a rag doll. Dr. McCoy said the impacts likely caused her to lose consciousness. She's going to be out of it for a while. Logan and Jamie, well Dr. McCoy can't find anything. It looks like they just passed out. He said something about a pressure change, but he's not sure how that is possible."

"Thank you for relaying the information to me."

"Not a problem" "You're welcome" the girls responded together. Gambit just nodded.

"Ororo, would you kindly make supper for those of us who are able to eat?" the Professor asked.

"Of course Charles."

She exited the room.

~

"How are you feeling?" Dr. McCoy asked Jean.

"I have quite the headache, and my ribs hurt a little, but other than that I feel fine. Are the others okay?"

"You're the first one awake."

"Oh."

"I need to run a few tests. Procedure, you know?"

"I understand."

"Then afterwards, we're going to go up and eat dinner. I'm sure everyone would like to hear about what happened out there today."

Jean looked at the ground.

"There wasn't anything any of us could do. He was just so... powerful. I've never seen anything like it before."

~

Marcus had all of his computers going. He was sitting on the floor in front of them all, running search after search, digging in every computerized database he could find. There were so much more than there had been. It seemed everyone from his time was dead. He hadn't found any trace of the person he was looking for though. Either he died and was forgotten, or he was alive still and had disappeared off the electronic grid.

He'd been gone far too long. Everyone was dead. How was Wolverine still alive? He didn't want to kill Logan.

Marcus slammed his hand against the floor. He closed his eyes to calm himself. It wasn't fair. Someone had to pay for his loss. Someone had to die.

The computer made an alerting noise. Marcus looked up and scanned for the computer screen that had made the sound. One computer had no motion on it. That one. He stood up and stared at it. Oh. Oh, he smirked wryly. Fate was on his side. He shouldn't have doubted it. If Wolverine was still alive, of course he was.

Marcus began laughing. How perfect! He'd get his revenge after all.

~

Dr. McCoy, Tabitha, Bobby, Amara, Kurt, Jean, the Professor, Rogue, Gambit, and Storm sat around the kitchen table in that respective order. Jean was at the head of the table, with Kurt and the Professor next to her. They made a u-shaped entourage, instead of their usual full oval.

Jean stared down at her plate. It was saddening to think about. Scott, her, and the others had been completely helpless. They hadn't stood a chance.

"I don't know much about what happened," she started talking. She knew everyone was listening, and watching. She had given the Professor permission to project her memory into her allies’ minds. They'd have to fight this Marcus Preed at some point. Every piece of information was useful, right? "There was a guard outside who was down outside the room. In the room, A.J. was passed out on the floor behind Marcus. Scott and Kitty took the left flank. Jubilee and I covered the right. Jamie was behind Logan in the center. Logan told him to get A.J."

She paused to take a sip of water.

"Marcus sent some sort of dark, electric wave at us. I pulled up a shield. Logan and Jamie ducked. I thought Kitty had phased her and Scott out, but the wave hit them both. In an instant they were down. I... I yelled. It drew his attention to me. He used his powers to wrap something dark around me, and squeezed, and squeezed..."

She stopped. She didn't know what happened next. She'd been unconscious.

"You slid unconscious," the Professor finished for her.

Jean nodded.

"It's okay," the Professor tried to comfort her. "Thank you for sharing. It may not seem like much, but it gives us a little more information about who we're dealing with."

"Emery," Kurt murmured.

"What was that Kurt?" the Professor asked.

"Emery," he said louder.

"What about her?" Jean asked.

"Did he remind you of Emery? Her powers I mean?"

Everyone that knew Emery stopped to think.

Amara asked, "She's the new girl right?"

"Yeah," Bobby answered.

"You know, I think you're right Kurt," the Professor said after a moment. "They seem to have a similar mutant power."

"How does this help us?" Tabitha asked.

"I think it's time to pay a visit to the people that we rescued Emery from, don't you think Kurt?"

"Absolutely."

[Author's Note: Who do you think Marcus found on the computer?]