Time to save the professor whoop whoop

~

Scott sat next to River on the plane, very very nervous. He fidgeted in his seat slightly. The tight seat belts restricted him from moving much. River noticed from across the aisle and waved at him to get his attention.

"We'll be ok," she mouthed with a playful smile. He nodded, still anxious. She put her hand down, and he saw her fingers tapping on her leg rapidly. She's nervous too. He took in a breath and looked at the other mutants plus Moira.

Hank and Moira were in the front flying the plane together. Hank was still in his blue form, fur sticking out of his sleeves. He had stuck his glasses into a drawer, along with all their other clothes. The rest of them (Jean, Kurt, Mystique, River, Peter, and himself) were strapped down in the back. All the teenagers looked anxious in their new suits, but Peter was chewing gum and blowing bubbles. He didn't look that scared, which Scott found interesting. Mystique had transformed into her human form. She sat next to Jean, who sat next Scott. On the other side of the plane, Scott sat across from River, Jean across from Peter, and Mystique across from Kurt.

There was a deathly silence; everyone was thinking about the outcomes of the mission. There were too many thoughts rolling around in Scott's head for him to relax. He closed his eyes and leaned back as much as he could, wishing he could hold River's hand.

"So you think she's cute, eh?" Alex said in his head.

"No," Scott said back. He could see Alex roll his eyes with a laugh and could feel the blonde pat his back.

"Sure, Scott, sure." Scott smiled slightly. Alex... Scott took a deep breath to try not to start tearing up again. He wondered what River was thinking about. He had wanted to sit next to her, but Hank said that four by two messed with his brain, and it made more sense for three by three. River had volunteered to sit next to Peter.

"Were you scared?" Jean asked, breaking the silence. She looked at Mystique. "That day in DC - were you scared?" Scott could see Mystique think.

"No." All of the teens' faces fell slightly. Mystique sighed. She spoke again, "But I was scared on my first mission." She looked at the teens around her, and Scott could see the nostalgia in her eyes. "We were about your age. Called ourselves the X- Men." She turned at Scott. "Your brother was there too. We used to call him Havok." She laughed, and tears threatened to appear in Scott's eyes. He saw River smile despite the silent atmosphere. "He was a handful, but when it came down to it, he was very brave." Scott held back his crying, but he felt a swell of pride in his chest for Alex.

"What happened to the rest of the kids that went with you?" asked Kurt. "The X-Men?" Hurt flashed before Mystique's eyes, gone before it had appeared.

"Hank and I are the only ones left. I-I couldn't save the rest of them. I told you - I'm not a hero," she said softly.

"Not true," River countered. "You are one to us." Mystique smiled slightly. Jean nodded.

"You're a hero to all of us at the mansion, including me," said Jean. "Seeing you that day at DC changed my life. In the best way possible."

"Mine too," Kurt said. Scott nodded. It had changed his life even before he had found out he was a mutant.

"Me too," said Peter. He chewed his gum with a grin. "I mean, I still live in my mom's basement, but everything else is...well...pretty much the same actually." He laughed. "I'm a total loser." River and Scott laughed a bit, and Jean and Kurt smiled. The air was immediately lightened. Scott guessed that Peter had that way with people.

The plane ducked a bit as Hank maneuvered it closer to the ground. Raven unbuckled to look out of the main window.

"Eighth wonder at 12 o'clock," Hank announced. The people in the back strained against their seat belts to see out the window. River gasped as a huge pyramid came into view.

"What the hell..." Moira muttered. Jean narrowed her eyes as if she was searching for something.

"He has the professor in the center of the pyramid!" she exclaimed.

"What is that?!" Moira pointed to a huge ball of shredded metal parts and chunks. It seemed to encircle a person, but Scott couldn't see for sure. Peter seemed to be more nervous all of a sudden.

"It's Erik," Mystique said. Her voice had hardened. "You guys help Nightcrawler into the pyramid. Get Charles," she told the teens. "I'll get Erik."

"How are you getting through that?" Hank asked, gesturing towards the magnetic field around the man named Erik. Scott remembered him as the guy they had learned about history who had almost killed the president. He also remembered Alex saying something about him on their drive to the mansion. Scott hadn't been listening much, but it was something bad.

"I can get you in there. I came here for him anyways. Let me help," Peter spoke up. River put a hand on his shoulder, and he smiled at her. Something passed between them, and she put her hand down. What was that about? Scott was tempted to ask Jean to read their thoughts.

"We're not leaving without you!" Kurt said. Mystique gave him a look that was sort of...motherly? What was that about?

"Don't worry," Peter assured him. "We'll catch up." He grinned.

The plane landed, and dust blew up all around the windows. The teens unbuckled hastily, Peter more calmly. Scott stood up with a deep breath. He was still very very nervous. River noticed and went over to him. She made a face, trying to make him laugh. It resulted in him smiling, and him feeling a little better.

"Hank," Mystique said. Hank looked at her as he adjusted the straps on his sleeves. "You go with the kids. Moira will be waiting on the plane." Moira and Hank nodded. Mystique had suddenly turned into the leader of the team.

They walked out into a desolate wasteland. There was dust and sand everywhere. Litter and broken metal blew around the dirt ground. There were crumbled buildings, some with holes and some barely standing. Cars were flipped over, and gusts of unnatural wind rippled inconsistently from the giant magnetic field that was slowly building.

"Woah," murmured River. She held her hand above her head to shield out the sun. All of sudden, clouds appeared. She put her hand down, a bit confused. Her confused face made Scott almost laugh. She saw him smirk. "What now, Summers?" she said. He shrugged but kept smiling.

"Wait," Scott said as Mystique started to walk away.

"What?" she said, a little impatient. He hesitated.

"Some of us...can't fully control our powers," he said, resisting to touch the lenses of his glasses. He saw Jean nod.

"Then don't," Mystique replied. "You need to embrace them." She looked at Kurt and River. "We all do." They nodded. Scott and Jean nodded a little slower. Jean can't control her powers either.

"Over here," Hank motioned. They all crouched over to hide inside part of a building near the pyramid. "There's the entrance." He pointed to a large doorway in the side. "It's clea-" Before he could finish, a figure appeared from above them.

"Hank!" River yelled. Scott looked up. It was an...angel. Kurt gasped and looked sick all of a sudden.

The angel had large metallic wings, blonde hair cut into some sort of mullet, and a slim suit that looked fit for flying. Before Scott could look at him more, the flying mutant stopped abruptly and  twisted his wings sharply. Metal shards quickly came aimed straight at them. Scott put his hands up as a reflex, but nothing happened. He looked up and saw that Jean had telepathically raised boards of wood to shield them from the dangerous shards.

"Kurt! Get in there now!" shouted Hank. Kurt nodded frantically and bamfed away. Scott saw the angel look behind him as Kurt ran into the pyramid and then fly after him. "Move! Go!" Hank ushered them away, and they ran behind the stone structure and out into the open. But before they could run to safety, a flash of lightning appeared and River screamed. Scott impulsively ran to her.

A girl with flashing white eyes and brilliant white hair landed down on the ground dramatically. Her arms and body crackled with electricity. Holy shit, thought Scott. She started to walk towards them, raising her hands and raising gusts of wind. They were all blown away slightly except for River. She stood frozen on the spot somehow. The electricity girl raised her hands higher then flung her hands to the side, using wind to forcefully push a car towards them at a dangerously fast rate. River raised her hands, and all of a sudden, the wind pushed up. The car sailed over their heads, saving their lives. Scott and Jean looked at her in shock, but then at Hank who put his hands in front of him which made the car slow down. He grunted with effort as he stopped it. Scott got an idea as a distraction and pulled off his glasses, aiming right at the girl. Red hot lasers sped out of his eyes. There either wasn't anymore pain or he wasn't paying attention to it. He heard her cry out in hurt. He quickly put his glasses back on to see that the girl had been pushed out of the way and had fallen into a concrete corner. Scott turned around and saw Hank push the car around and yell as he threw it back. River put her hands up again, and a gust of wind pushed the car up. She pushed her hands forward, and it went right back at the white-haired girl. Scott saw her put her hands up in panic, but then a purple blade split the car in half. There's more of them?! Scott thought with a groan.

A lady did a front flip and landed flawlessly. Well, I have to give them credit for their dramatic entries. She was wearing a purple suit, and had a katana in one hand. The other hand seemed to literally be the purple blade. The halves of the car landed around the other girl, who stood up and looked like she was trying to gain her dignity again. River panted - Scott guessed she was tired from all that wind blasting. The purple lady said something to the girl with a smirk, but they were too far to hear it. River looked at Hank with a worried look. She also looked scared, but then again, they probably all did. Scott turned back to the girl to see her raise her hands again, making the wind around her lift her up. The three teens started to run towards Hank in a panic. She thrust her hands forward, and a burst of lightning shot at them, specifically in between Scott, River, and Jean. It pushed Jean to one side, and River and Scott to the other. The lightning girl shot more electricity at them as they ran to cover. One almost hit Scott and made River run the other way.

"Crap!" he yelled, covering his head.

"Scott!" River screamed in worry for him and fear for herself. She had ducked down and was stuck in a kneeling position, lightning flashing all around her. Scott hid behind a truck, but quickly looked over to see River hurrying to run towards the truck, screaming a little and ducking as the lightning almost struck her. She's scared of lightning. He ran out to help her get behind the truck. "Thanks," she said. He nodded. They looked behind and saw that Jean had ran into a small building that was surprisingly still mostly intact.

The purple lady was fighting against Hank. Her purple sword had turned into a whip, and she was trying to strangle him with it. He dodged, but then she jumped and caught him. It wrapped itself around his neck, and the lady threw him into a building, breaking down the walls.

"Dammit Hank, fight!" mumbled River. Scott looked up to see the angel slowly falling. He saw someone blue on top of him, struggling - Kurt.

"Kurt's in trouble," he said. River followed his gaze and nodded as the pair got closer and closer to the ground. "We need to get Jean." All of a sudden, there was a huge gust of wind. "Her again!" Scott muttered. He turned around and pulled his glasses off, trying to hit the white-haired girl with the lasers. He could vaguely see what he was hitting, which was a building. She flew away, looking a bit afraid.

"Hank!" River yelled. Scott put his glasses back on to see her looking worriedly at the blue man. Hank was being dragged along the ground by the purple woman, her whip around his neck. She had a smug expression on her face. She flicked her left hand, and a second whip appeared. She looked like she was about to tighten the whips, when a gust of wind blew her a few feet away. Scott turned to look at River, who had her hands out and looked mad. The wind blew the woman against a concrete slab and pushed her arms to her side. The lady tried to resist and escape but found she couldn't. The purple whips disappeared. River put her hands down, the winds stopped, and Hank saw the opportunity. He sprinted over and put his hands on her neck. Instead of killing her, he threw her up onto a rooftop. Hank looked back at them, gratefully.

"Look! Kurt!" Scott pointed. The angel held onto Kurt's tail, but it looked like they were teleporting all over the place. They stopped at the ground, and Kurt said something them bamfed away.

"He's getting the professor," River said to Scott. "Jean just told me. Like telepathically."

"Ok," Scott panted. He had never used his power or ran for his life this much. "We wait to get rescued." As if on cue, Kurt popped up. "Jesus, Kurt!"

"Sorry," Kurt said. "Are you both alright?" River and Scott nodded. The white haired girl appeared and blasted lightning at them. I am so done with this girl. Scott pulled his glasses off and shot lasers at her. The collision shook River and Kurt. She held onto the blue boy.

"Scott, glasses on," Kurt yelled quickly. He put his hand on Scott's shoulder, and Scott quickly put his glasses on.

"Let's get out of here," said River. Kurt held their shoulders, and they teleported into the plane before they were hit with lightning. 

Moira was inside, ready to fly the plane. The professor lay on the floor, unconscious and all of his hair gone. He didn't look good. River ran over to him in shock. Jean was already there, sitting by him in concentration.

"Oh my god, Charles! Please don't be dead, please don't be dead..." She kneeled down next to them as Kurt bamfed away.

"He's not dead, don't worry," Jean said softly to her.

"Thank god," was the reply. Scott went to look at Moira, who was flipping switches to get ready. There was a thump in the back, and they all turned to see Hank and Kurt falling onto the floor. "Hank! You're alive!" River said with relief. He nodded and have a small smile.

"Yep. Good thing you all are too." He went into the copilot's seat. "Ok let's go!" He and Moira lifted the plane up, and they were about to lift off when there was a loud thud on the top of the plane.

"What the hell was that?!" Moira yelled. Scott looked up to see the purple blade stabbing across the ceiling of the plane.

"Kurt. Everyone grab hold of Kurt!" Jean said. River, Scott, and Jean held onto the blue teenager. Jean held onto the professor. Hank flipped a switch, and then joined Moira who had already unbuckled to hold onto Kurt. Kurt looked at the five people who were holding onto him.

"I've never done it with this many people," he said worriedly.

"Get us out of here!" Jean said, a bit panicked. Kurt tried and tried but failed. All that happened was a poof, and then they were all back in the plane.

A small circle opened on the ceiling. Scott, who was now next to River on the floor, jumped in surprise. The angel jumped into the plane. Scott saw the purple woman on the top of the plane. Crap crap crap crap crap.

"Hurry, Kurt!" River shouted over the noise of the air outside. Kurt kept trying, groaning in frustration. The angel was about to attack when Jean moved her hand, shifting the airplane's controls so the plane tilted downwards. The angel fell forwards, and Kurt finally teleported them all out.

They all fell onto a carpet inside a small room. The smell of sand and dirt reminded Scott that they were still in Cairo. Moira, Jean, River, Hank, and Scott all stood up, groaning in slight pain. Kurt and Charles lay on the floor, both unconscious.

"Kurt! Are you ok?" River ran over and pulled Kurt onto some of the pillows that were in the room. He groaned in response then fell silent.

"Is he ok? Can you read his mind?" Scott asked Jean. She paused, reading Kurt's mind, and then nodded.

"It's his energy. He's drained," she replied. Moira had pulled the professor onto one of the pillows too. She looked very, very worried as did Hank and River. Charles started to contort his face as if in pain. Jean ran over and kneeled down by him.

"No, no, no," he mumbled. "Get out! Get out!" He started to push Jean away, but it clearly was someone else who was in his head.

"It's ok, professor. You're with us now, it's ok," said Jean. He didn't seem like he could hear her. River went to stand with Scott. She was biting her nails anxiously. The professor opened his eyes and panted, looking tired. Thunder boomed outside, and River flinched.

"Hey, we're safe," Scott told her. He hoped that his words were true. She nodded, looking doubtful but a bit hopeful.

"You think he's ok?" she asked. She motioned to Kurt. Hank was making sure the pillows were comfortable around him. The professor was sitting in the corner on some pillows too, conscious now and contemplating something.

"Yeah. He'll be ok," Scott said. She smiled. All of a sudden, Charles turned his head sharply. Jean looked over, concerned. The professor closed his eyes, frustrated.

"Charles!" They heard someone yell outside. River widened her eyes, and Hank stood up. Who the heck is that?! thought Scott. "Show yourself!" the voice yelled again. It sounded menacing. Moira took in a breath. Jean turned to exchange glances with Scott. He moved to the window and looked out. There was a blue man in an ancient-looking suit. He looked powerful and dangerous. "Charles! Show yourself!" he shouted once more. Scott looked back at the professor, who looked mad. All of a sudden, a flash went by and the man flew as if he was punched.

"Woah! Look!" Scott said, shocked. River went over to the window.

"Peter!" she said with a grin. "Yeah, kick his ass!" Hank gave her a look. "Sorry." Scott watched as best as he could as the fast mutant punched and kicked the man, sending him flying then hitting him again. River whooped, and Scott grinned. But then Peter stopped running. River gasped as they saw that dirt had solidified around his foot.

"Foolish child," the man said. Peter grunted, struggling to get out. The man walked over to him, and Peter tried to punch him again, failing. The man caught his fist and twisted his arm. Peter groaned, but then the man punched his leg. Peter screamed out in pain, and River put her hand to her mouth.

"Oh no..." she murmured behind her fingers.

"Peter," the professor said in worry. Scott looked back out the window and saw Peter crumpling to the floor, still in pain. The purple woman appeared and walked up to the man slowly. She's still here?! The blue man pulled Peter's head up by his hair. She swung her katana in a circle.

"End him," he said to her. He pulled Peter's head back.

"No no no no," River muttered. "Oh no, Peter, oh my god." Scott put his arm around her, and she ducked away. "I can't watch this." The lady aimed her katana. Scott took in a deep breath. She swung and...

~