Uncanny X-Men 1943

Chapter 3

"He'll have gone back to base. I saw him."

"I punched the bastard in the face," Warren said, "It is Marius St Croix we're discussing, right?"

"We gotta get off the streets."

"Monet - "

"He won't go for her alone. Not now," Rogue said.

"But he'll know we were with her, he - " Elizabeth said.

"You gotta trust me, sugah," Rogue said, taking Elizabeth by the arm. "Come on boys, let's go. And Psylocke, you have got to teach me that glowy-sword trick."

...

The team spent the day locked down in their respective accommodation, sleeping, waiting, and preparing, leaving their accommodation only to purchase what few supplies they needed for their escape, knowing that Marius St Croix would now be on their tails, especially now that he knew there were more mutants in town, and English-speaking ones at that.

...

Monet walked as fast as she dared down the rue Victor Hugo, which was all but empty at 6:25pm. Curfew was horrible. It destroyed the city's once bustling nightlife which she had so enjoyed. If anyone looked out their window now, they would see a lone girl wandering down the street, in a plain black coat and a nice, pre-war hat, her satchel across her body. Part of Monet wanted to sit down and cry at the unfairness of it all, or to simply run. The second arrondissement was dangerous, as the Gestapo could easily block of the roads, and without the hidden traboules of the Old Town, Monet would be trapped. But if the Gestapo closed in on her now, she would go out in a blaze of glory. She'd heard enough of what happened to mutants in the camps to know it was not a fate she wanted. She would rather die in the streets of her city, a martyr to the Resistance, than end up in a mass grave in some frozen muddy pit in Poland.

As she walked in the dark, Monet realised that she wasn't alone. She didn't want to reach her mind out to find out who, less it be her brother, as any hint of her poking around in his head would surely lead to him pouncing on her, or punishing her in some other way. Monet quickened her step. She had to meet the others at the Andre Marie Ampere monument. She checked her watch but it was too dark to see the hands. Would they wait if she was late? How much leeway would they give? Monet wanted to break into a run, but that would give her away to anyone watching. This was stupid. Someone would see her. Someone would know that the remaining St Croix girl was wandering the rue Victor Hugo alone after curfew. Someone would tell the Gestapo and Marius would find her and he'd -

"Keep walking. Look briefly at Logan and I and nod if you need to, but keep walking."

"You scared me half to death," Monet said, her heart in her mouth as the others fell into step with her. She looked briefly at Elizabeth and Logan, but did not break her stride, or dare show just how frightened she was. "Why not meet me at the monument?"

"We've been compromised," Elizabeth said, looking straight ahead, "There isn't time to be seen standing around."

"Where's Rogue?" Monet asked.

"We're all meeting up back at the plane," Logan said, "It's safest, kid. We all gotta get out of the city, and it's easiest to do that in smaller teams."

"Well why didn't Rogue come to get me?"

"Rogue and Angel will be walking this same route in five minutes, and Remy and Fantomex did the same, five minutes earlier. It was luck of the draw as to who found you. Hold onto this, will you," Elizabeth said, slipping a small box into Monet's bag.

"All right, I just - where's the plane?"

"We have to catch the train," Elizabeth said, not breaking stride as they passed the monument, and headed towards the Gare de Lyon-Perrache.

"But the last train - "

"Leaves in ten minutes," Elizabeth said, tucking her hands into her pockets, "We already have tickets. We'll make it."

...

Elizabeth used her telepathy to have the few others on the train ignore their presence, and the ride out of the city was uneventful. No one looked twice at the little group when the alighted the train, or made their way to the back to the village and out into the fields beyond. It was a bit of a walk through the paddocks, but they soon saw the plane sitting by the trees.

"Someone's there," Monet said, certain that it must be Marius. He must have followed her and got ahead and found the plane and -

"It's Remy and Fantomex," Logan said, sniffing the air. "No sign of the others."

Elizabeth sent out a psychic call to let the men know they were approaching, so as not to be accidentally attacked when approaching their own aeroplane.

"Ah, mes bons amis," Remy said, holding open the door.

"Oui, la jeune demoiselle, le Canadian, et la belle Betsy," Fantomex said.

"I see you've warmed my seat for me, Fantomex," Elizabeth said, climbing in. Fantomex reluctantly removed himself from the pilot's seat.

"Just incase you did not return, I wished to be in position."

"How thoughtful," Elizabeth said in a tone that could freeze hell, sliding into the pilot's seat. She pulled out her goggles and slipped them around her neck. Logan sat beside her in the co-pilot's chair. The moment Warren and Rogue were aboard, they would depart.

Half an hour passed, then a whole hour, then two. Monet sat as still as a statue, as though any movement would alert her brother to her presence, Remy picked at loose threads on his coat, Fantomex closed his eyes and tried to replace what he had seen of his country over the past two days with the land he remembered. Elizabeth tapped her fingers on the dashboard. Everything was ready, the conditions were favourable, the sky was quiet, they just needed the final two members of their team. She angled her wrist so as to catch the moonlight on the face of her watch to check the time. Almost three hours since they'd arrived at the plane, and now they were running out of time. To save those already on board, they needed to be back across the Channel before first light.

"I'll do it," Logan said.

"Pardon?" Elizabeth asked.

"If they're not here in ten minutes, I'll take command of the squad and make the call."

"I - I'm know I'm not projecting."

"Ya not, but I don't need to be some psychic to know what you're thinking. If you can't do it, I'll take command."

"Logan..."

"In ten minutes. It's a fairly clear night, so first light will be early."

"I could reach out to Miss Frost, let her make the call..."

"Even if you reach her, and she wakes up and hears you, and responds, you'll still knock yourself out. The dampers across the channel will sap everything you got. We need you conscious. We need a pilot, and you're the best of us."

"I know." Elizabeth exhaled, her stomach in knots. She turned around and looked at the other three, waiting awkwardly for something to happen. "All right."

"It ain't easy, I get that, but - wait."

"What?" Elizabeth said, sitting up.

"You hear that?" Logan lent back. Remy, Monet and Fantomex all sat up straighter and listened.

"Is that a - " Remy began.

"Motorbike?" Fantomex asked.

"Trucks!" Logan said.

//Elizabeth, go! Rogue and I are both flyers, and they're on our tail. We stole a motorbike. We're coming, just get going!//

"We're going!" Elizabeth called verbally and psychically to Warren, and started the engines. "Everyone hold tight."

BANG! BANG!

"Shots fired!"

"They're firing at Rogue!" Remy yelled, lurching towards the door, Monet behind him. "We have to help."

"Do not leave the plane!" Elizabeth yelled over the engines as they came to life. "Angel and Rogue are coming."

BANG!

"ROGUE!"