CHAPTER NINE
THE RESCUE
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She was nervous, to say the least. Brianna rarely ever leaves the mansion as it is, but now she has to go to war. She doesn't even use her powers that much, but she has used them enough to know that she couldn't possibly fight with them. She heals people. How are you supposed to use that in battle?
Everything is being ripped apart in Cairo. Bits and pieces of the buildings and pyramids are swirling the air.
"He has the Professor in the center of the pyramid," Jean says suddenly. Raven whips her head around. "He's going to... transfer his consciousness into the Professor. If he does that, he'll have the power to control every mind in the world."
"What the hell is that?" Moira asks from one of the pilot's seats, looking down below.
"It's Erik," Raven answers, and Peter is out of his seat so fast that Brianna doesn't even see it coming. The silver haired boy is now standing right behind Hank, peering down to where his father is, looking a little confused.
Raven glances back at the mutant kids before forming a plan and passing it along to them, "You guys help Nightcrawler get into the pyramid." Each of them shares a glance. "Get Charles. I'll take care of Erik."
"How are we gonna get through that?" Peter asks Raven, referring to the giant circle of metal encircling Erik. "I can get you in there," he says suddenly, making up his mind. "I came here for him. Let me help you."
Raven nods. "The rest of you, get Charles on this plane and get him out of here."
"We're not leaving without you," Kurt argues.
"Don't worry," Peter assures. "We'll catch up."
"Hold on," Hank says from the pilot's seat before the plane begins to swerve before slowing and lowering to the ground.
"Hank, you go with the kids," Raven says, once they are out of the plane and on foot. Brianna tries to avoid any small chunks of metal on the ground as she tries to keep up. "Moira will be waiting on the plane."
"Wait," Scott says, stopping Hank, Raven, and Peter in their steps.
"What?"
"Not all of us can fully control our powers," he explains. Raven takes a glance at Brianna, who looks a little worried.
"Then don't," comes her answer, "You need to embrace them. We all do." Then, right in front of them, she changes from the blonde haired girl to the blue girl with yellow eyes.
Peter slides his goggles over his eyes, readying to go. At the last minute, he turns to Brianna. "Be careful." She just nods her head once and then Peter takes off, bringing Raven along with him.
The kids follow Hank through the rubble, before stopping just short of a small entrance in the side of the pyramid. "There's an entrance. It's clear," he announces. Right before another mutant, one with metal wings, comes towards them. "Kurt! Get in there!"
Kurt disappears into the pyramid. The boy sends metal knifes in their direction, which seem to have come from his wings. Jean lifts pieces of debris with her powers and stops the knives from getting to them.
The boy with wings swoops down into the entrance of the pyramid. "In the pyramid! Move, move," Hank ushers, as the three remaining children rush into the pyramid to protect their friend.
They rush forward, but are stopped once again by tiny bolts of lighting raining down in front of them. Then, a girl appears, wearing a suit not so much different than theirs. Lighting seems to be going through her. She has short white hair and dark skin.
Her eyes turn white as she gathers up energy and lifts a nearby car, throwing it towards them. The duck so it goes right past them.
Scott removes his glasses and opens his eyes, sending deadly red laser beams in her direction. She quickly goes out of the way and hides behind a huge chunk of debris.
Hank throws the car back at her, causing the kids to duck again. The care almost reaches her before it is sliced in half with something that glows pink.
Another girl, holding two swords — one which is glowing pink — comes down from midair, landing in front of the kids. Her dark hair has slight purple highlights grazing its tips.
"Split them up," she says, and the girl who can control the weather rises and begins to shoot lighting at them again. The kids begin to run in the other direction again.
"You know, some help would be great," Scott says loudly to Brianna over the ruckus of the lightning. She cannot hold back her eye roll.
"I heal people," she replies, "It's not useful in a fight."
"So think of something else!"
Scott, Jean, and Brianna each duck into their own hiding place. Bree gets energy to her fingertips, the blue white color spreading across her hand. Normally, she does this right before she heals a wound. But if she can do that, there's gotta be more she can do, right?
Without her full control, a sudden wave of light emerges from her palm and rushes forward, cracking the wall of debris across from her. For a moment, her eyes widen. She takes a few more practice shots, trying to get the hang of it, before she leaves and goes to find Scott and help him.
Since Scott seems to be working well enough on his own, Brianna goes to find Hank. He is being dragged across the ground by the girl with purple swords. Brianna takes a few weary steps, approaching her from behind.
She extends her hand, gathers more energy than she probably needs, and releases it. It flies towards the girl, hitting her hard in the back, throwing her off guard. Her swords retract and she spins to face Brianna.
Well, that's something, Brianna thinks, proud to have found a new power. Before she can do anything else, Hank flips himself up off the ground and begins to fight the girl, eventually sending her flying in the other direction.
Brianna sends a glare at Hank. "I had that," she says, starting to walk away, followed by Hank.
"I know you did," he answers as they begin to jog away to find Scott and Jean.
Suddenly, Kurt is beside the two of them, teleporting them back to the plane. A pinch of worry swirls through Brianna as she sees Charles lying on the floor of the plane, unconscious.
Brianna watches with some kind of envy flashes through her as Jean dabs a wash cloth at a wound on her father's head. However, she thinks the better of it and shakes her head.
A thud hits the plane. "What the hell was that?" Moira asks. Suddenly, little pink laser beams poke through the ceiling, and Brianna can't help but roll her eyes.
"Aye, this girl again," she says in annoyance under her breath, waiting for a chance to hit the girl again.
"Kurt," Jean says, coming up with a quick plan. "Everybody, grab hold of Nightcrawler."
"I've never done it with this many people," he tells Jean, crouching slightly so everyone can grab hold of him.
"Get us out of here," Jean presses. A hole is produced in the ceiling at the far end of the plane, and the winged boy swoops in.
Before Brianna can do anything, Jean moves some handles forward up front and sends the plane in a circle, effectively pushing the boy back into the wall.
"Kurt, hurry!" Jean says. Nightcrawler seems to be struggling. He can hardly teleport with this many people.
Finally, Kurt teleports all of them out of the plane and into a church down below. "Is he okay?" Scott asks, looking at an unconscious Kurt.
"Its his energy," Jean says, "he's drained." She is still crouched down near the Professor.
"Get out," he mumbles, waving his arm around, "get out!"
"Professor, it's okay," she says calmly, "you're with us." Brianna stays standing near the wall, unsure of what to do.
Her teary gaze meets Charles' for a moment, but then she looks away.