"Where's Colossus?" Kitty said.
"I don't know." Mystique was trying to open the Danger Room.
She finally remembered the right code, and it opened.
"I have to find him," Kitty said. "There's too many of them!"
She ran away.
"Kitty!" the kids called.
"Hush," Mystique said. "Get in..."
This idea was mad, and she knew it.
She ran to the control room and started looking through programs.
The only hope here was that if she used the mind illusion that Xavier had created, it might mask the presence of actual people in the room from Psylocke for a while, at least.
But Mystique knew enough about telepathy to know that it wouldn't work if Psylocke knew what she was looking for, so Mystique herself wouldn't be able to hide in there; Psylocke could pick out her mental signature easily.
But the kids might be able to blend in, if she did this right.
She selected a program that wouldn't be too dangerous and turned some dials that would cause the program itself to emit signs of being afraid. It was a sensitivity training course, meant to focus on rescuing people, not just fighting monsters.
[Makes sense, though I haven't seen it in the show.]
It would imitate the signs of fear...so it might work.
The danger was on the lowest setting, and Leech and the other kids should
be able to handle it.
Mystique also reached for the phone and, with her free hand, dialed the number for the Blackbird. The others could also patch in to the communicators and would automatically do so if no one answered it. A handy little thing Hank has implemented for extra precautions.
Mystique only knew that because she'd heard him explain it to Colossus at another time.
No one answered the phone, but she heard the line crackle.
"Hello?" she said, in a low voice.
A moment later Cyclops, who no doubt was outside anyway, answered, "Who is this? Is that Mystique? How did you get on this line?"
"Not important," Mystique said. "Listen, someone is attacking the house. Psylocke is here, and there's more with her. I have seconds probably before they find this room. The kids are in the Danger Room. "
"Why would you put them in there?" Scott cried. "They aren't ready for that!"
"Get back here now!" Mystique lost her temper. "Is this really important now? We're all going to get slaughtered like sheep if you don't get here!"
"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Scott asked. "I--"
The line went dead.
Mystique realized slowly that someone had probably cut the phone lines.
She slammed the phone into the receiver, with a ferocity that it didn't deserve, and ran out of the room and up the hall.
She didn't know if there was anywhere else she could hide, or what good it would do, but to stay put was insanity.
It was a possibility she could lead Psylocke away from the kids if she was her real target, and, after all, her best chance of living through this was if someone was around to tell the story.
She realized, though, that if Kitty was back, the other teens were. What had they done to Proteus? He could have taken half an army with his power if he was able. Had they found a way to neutralize him? Magneto would never kill him--he was too big a prize.
