More Than the X Can See

Chapter 11

Author’s Note: ^dialogue^ = Character internal thoughts/dialogue.

They reappeared standing in the center of Charles’ familiar living room-like mindscape where he sat in a large overstuffed recliner in the center edge of the circle of furniture.

“Oh, my God,” Angel moaned and closed her eyes just as Logan finally reached her.

He quickly pulled her into his arms. “It’s alright,” he soothed. “It’s over. Warren, you, me, we’re all okay.”

Logan walked her over to one of the sofa’s and sat down in it next to the arm, pulling her down to sit next to him. Jean joined them sitting on Angel’s opposite side and she began to speak softly to Angel. The remaining X-men arranged themselves on the rest of the furniture, sending surreptitious glances towards Angel.

“That was harsh,” Bobby said quietly.

Charles’ eyes shifted from the trio on the sofa to Bobby. “She should be dead,” he said evenly, his elbows on the armrests of his chair with his hands steepled in front of him. “They all should be dead. I do not think even Logan’s regenerative capabilities would have been able to repair the wounds such a firestorm would have generated even if he were able to hold his breath long enough for the oxygen levels to rise to near normal. It was Angel’s own sense of self-preservation that caused her to use her kinetic shield. Even though she wasn’t able to sustain it, her shield deflected the initial massive sections of concrete and rock that would have crushed their bodies. It also deflected the fire, keeping their side of the tunnel from losing all of its oxygen. There are scorch marks along the sewer tunnel walls five hundred feet from the epicenter of the explosion on the opposite side of the tunnel from them. Her shield dampened the force of the explosion because the fire had to travel so far down the tunnel to find oxygen to feed it. Instead, the majority of the fire ended up going through the ceiling and Lobo Tech.

“I don’t tell you,” he meant all the X-men present when he said it, “how to run your Teams anymore. You’re all too experienced for that. But when you want to bring civilians into X-Corporation business I want you to think twice.” Warren winced and looked down at his hands. “We’re a para-military multi-national organization committed towards being recognized and sanctioned by the United Nations. It was most fortunate that Angel just happened to crash into Warren so that his blood could save her life.”

“An act of God,” Kurt murmured.

“That may be,” Charles said acknowledging Kurt’s comment, “since now we need her scanning ability more than ever. It may have been his intention to give her a healing factor since I’ll be sending her onto an even more dangerous mission.”

Warren looked up from his hands, “What?”

“No, Charles,” Scott exclaimed, “she’s been through enough. She hasn’t even fully recovered from—”

“Physically,” Charles interrupted, “She is fully recovered and more now that she has gained a regenerative ability. Her mental state will be my concern. I have decided she will accompany Warren, Cable and Logan to San Francisco. Her scanning ability will allow her to determine the whereabouts of explosives placed in or around the Worthington buildings in the downtown area without having to use a large team or alerting the local authorities. Her background in Architecture grants her the knowledge to determine the locations of areas in each building that would be most vulnerable to the explosive techniques these terrorists have been known to use allowing Warren and Logan to create security measures to thwart their plans.”

Cable smiled and leaned forward in his seat, he wouldn’t have to fight with Scott about getting Angel to come with them to San Francisco. Charles was still in charge even though he’d officially given up his role as commander of the X-teams. Once he’d realized Angel’s potential, he hadn’t wanted to lose the opportunity to use such a valuable resource and Charles’ decision proved that he was of the same mind.

Jean stopped her whispered conversation with Angel and looked up surprised at Charles’ decision. She threw Angel a concerned glance and then looked at Logan who shrugged.

“Scott,” Charles continued, “I want you to form a team to investigate that other room in the sewers. Take whomever you think will be the most useful in dealing with explosives and bombs or the werewolves. I want Jean to decide from whomever is left to collect specimen samples from the Lobo Tech site. There were chemicals in that explosion and I want to know what they were. Your team will also be back up for Scott’s should the need arise. If there are werewolves present, I want them captured alive if possible. We need to know their purpose.”

Hank raised his hand slightly and Charles nodded, giving him the floor, “I want a blood sample from Logan, Warren and Angel and a CAT scan and full physical done on Angel before they leave.”

“Why another blood sample?” Logan asked. He had kept an ear on the conversation since all he was doing was providing a familiar body for Angel to lean against and take comfort from. It was Jean who had been giving her the psychobabble pep talk.

“I detected chemicals in the initial blood samples we took when the three of you arrived from White Plains. I want to verify that they have passed through your systems. I was never able to get a medical baseline on Angel and I want to do so before you leave. It shouldn’t take more than an hour with Annie’s help,” Hank assured them.

“Angel needs to give us the exact location of the room we’re to investigate on a map of the White Plains sewer system. I’ll bring it down to the Infirmary,” Scott told Hank.

Cable nodded in acknowledgement. “I know Warren and Logan were already planning on leaving so they’ve got to be packed already. We’ll need someone to pack Angel’s clothes while she’s busy.”

“I’ll do it,” Jean volunteered. “I have second choice for my team, so I have some spare time until he tells me who he’s taking.” She turned to look at Angel, “You don’t mind me going through your things and packing them, do you?”

“No,” Angel said tiredly.

“Is there anything you want me to make sure I pack for you?”

“My laptop and CD holder, they came in matching blue cases. Two business suits and something for hot weather. Don’t fill the suitcase up too much, it’ll only take me a half hour to get to Berkeley and I can get more clothes from home.”

“We can buy her anything you forget,” Logan said breaking into their conversation.

“I can just get stuff from my house,” Angel replied. “You don’t have to buy me anything.”

Logan’s eyebrows shot up, “You don’t want to buy anything?”

“Angel’s house is near San Francisco?” Cable said breaking into their conversation.

“It’s a half hour drive from SFO to my house,” she told him. “An hour or more during rush hour.”

“Too bad it’s too far away to use as a base of operations,” Logan said with regret. He looked over at Warren who hadn’t been assigned anything to do, “Warren could ya upgrade our hotel room? We’ll need a suite now that we have a woman along. And tell your pilot that we’ll be late. I’m gonna get Angel’s paperwork and badge done so I can add her to my security firm as an assistant.”

“Pilot?” Angel’s head snapped around, “What do you mean? I’m not getting on a plane.”

“Yes, you are,” Logan informed her before turning back to Cable.

“No, I’m not. I already told you, I don’t fly!” Angel’s voice was getting shrill.

“Angel!” Charles said sharply. “You’ll be wearing an inhibitor. You won’t be able to feel the ground beneath you.” He added soothingly his voice returning to normal, “You’ll be fine. I can even help you sleep during the flight if you would like.”

Angel stared at Charles and said in a quiet voice, “Okay. I’d like that.”

Charles nodded affirmatively and smiled before he turned to Cable, “I want regular reports on your progress, including any progress with your local contacts. Keep me informed. I may send out more agents if and when they become available.”

“I’d like to keep this operation as small as possible,” Cable told him, ignoring Angel’s outburst and subsequent comment. “The more obvious X-men in the area, the harder it’ll be to keep this quiet. You know how the media picks up on things.”

“I do indeed,” Charles replied. “Warren may draw some attention, so keep any physical contact with him on a business level as Logan’s security company.”

“That’s why we got us a hotel room instead o’ stayin’ at Warren’s place,” Logan said.

“Bobby and I will contact everyone and tell them to report to Scott,” Kurt volunteered since they hadn’t been assigned any duties.

“Thank you, Kurt, Bobby,” Charles glanced around the room. “That’s it then. Warren, Logan, Angel and Hank will go down to the Infirmary. Scott tell Kurt and Bobby where you want people to meet you. I will get the map of the sewers and take it down to Angel for you. Jean will start packing for Angel. And Cable …”

“I’ve got people to call and a strategy to revise now that I know we’ll have Angel with us,” he said, informing the group of his activities.

“You can use the computer and phones in the Institute’s public office,” Charles offered, “I’ll get it set up for you.” With that last comment, he released them from his mindscape and they were all back in their seats, or on the cot as the case was for Angel, in the conference room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Charles walked into the Medical Lab and saw Angel was in the CAT machine. He went into the control booth and sat down next to Hank. “How much longer until you’re done?” he asked. “Warren has already left with their luggage and Cable is going over her personnel file and medical chart with Logan and Annie. Everyone’s waiting on her.”

“Did you show Cable the security camera tapes of her demonstration on the Green earlier today?” Hank asked looking at the computer screen in front of him.

“Yes, he’s more impressed with her scanning ability than her shield or force blast, it puts her into a separate category,” Charles replied tapping the folded paper he held in his hand onto his leg.

“Are those the sewer plans?”

“Yes. Scott and Jean have their teams picked out, they’re getting suited up now. Jean needs you to give her the specimen containers and any last minute instructions. Scott is waiting for Jean and the information on the sewers from Angel.”

“Her first scan will be finished in a few minutes. Have Scott come down here to get the information on the sewers and you can put her through the second scan while I get the equipment and supplies for Jean’s team.” Hank never took his eyes off the computer console watching the screen depict Angel’s lower legs.

Charles was silent for a moment, and then he told Hank, “He’s on his way down and Jean says she’ll be waiting for you in your lab.”

Hank nodded, the monitor showed Angel’s feet and then stopped. He typed something into the computer and pulled out a CD and placed another one into the machine. Charles watched Hank make a second copy of the data they had received from the machine for his own files. When the second CD had the data transferred to it, he pulled it out and put it into a binder that had been sitting upright in the center of the consol where the instructional and data books were held. Charles noted that the clear binder cover held a title sheet in place, ‘Angelique Green’ before Hank returned the binder to its previous location.

Hank stood up. “Do you want her to go over the map in here or out there?” he asked pointing towards the scanning room.

“We can use the scan bed as a table,” Charles stood up and followed him into the connecting room.

Hank walked over to the Computerized Axial Tomography machine just as the bed extended. “You can open your eyes now,” he told Angel as she appeared in view. Except for the inhibitor, she was completely nude to Charles’ surprise. “Charles brought the map of the White Plains sewers, but we’re also waiting for Scott to arrive.”

Angel’s eyes fluttered open as they adjusted to the well-lit room. She sat up and Hank moved to the head of the bed and helped to steady her as she turned so her knees and feet dropped off the bed and dangled in the air. She sighed and rubbed the area between her eyebrows, “Now can I have the inhibitor off? It’s giving me a headache.”

Charles frowned in concern and asked, “How long have you had this headache?” Mentally, he contacted Hank, *Why isn’t she wearing a cover?*

“Since the sedative wore off,” Angel replied, “possibly before that, but I was too relaxed to notice.”

*She said she didn’t need one, that she wasn’t ashamed of her body and neither should I or anyone else,* Hank replied to Charles’ mental contact. *It was recorded by the security cameras so we’re covered legally.*

“Let’s take the inhibitor off and run you through the machine again and see if your headache goes away,” Charles said as he walked around the scan bed and behind Angel. He tossed the map onto the head of the bed before he reached up and turned off the inhibitor, the red lights dimming and then extinguishing. Suddenly a rippling wall of energy was released as the inhibitor cut off, centered on Angel. Both Charles and Hank were rocked back a step as the wall hit and then flew through them, the map falling to the floor. Looking around they caught a glimpse of the ripple as it hit and then passed through the walls of the room. “Check the computers,” Charles said worriedly just as Hank was already moving towards the connecting door.

Charles mentally searched the building until he found, *Logan, check the security cameras and my computer to make sure they’re still working correctly. I want to make sure Angel’s kinetic energy didn’t damage any of the electronics.* Charles heard Logan’s mental affirmative before he disconnected contact.

Angel sighed happily and relaxed her shoulders and back, hunching forward. She had a smile on her face as she turned to look at Charles, “It’s the inhibitor, my headache’s already disappearing.” She seemed completely unaware of the energy wall.

Hank came onto the intercom, “Everything is in working order. I don’t detect any problems, but I’m going to run a system diagnostic just in case before I put her through for the second time.”

“What’s the matter?” Angel straightened up in concern, “Did something happen?”

Charles bent down and retrieved the map, “Your scan seems to be based on kinetic energy. It’s been bottled up and when it was released, it came out in … as a force. I want to make sure it didn’t damage any of the electronics in the building.”

“Oh, I’m sorry,” she said apologetically.

“No need to be sorry, my dear,” he replied with a smile, “no one knew what would happen when we turned the inhibitor off. Hank already saved the data on disk before we came out here so we wouldn’t have lost any important information. How is your scanning?”

Angel’s eyes lost focus for a moment, “Still expanding. Warren isn’t on the grounds.” She blinked, “Cable’s … bionic … Scott’s almost here.” She reached up and pulled off the inhibitor, “Ah, normality at last.” She turned and handed Charles the inhibitor, “Where’s my laptop?”

Charles smiled at the information she so easily obtained in a few moments of concentration. He’d made the right choice in deciding to send her on the San Francisco mission. “Warren took the luggage to JFK so it could be loaded onto his jet in preparation for your arrival. I believe you told Jean to put your laptop into your suitcase.”

Angel nodded, “Yes, I did.” She scratched her head vigorously where the inhibitor had lain on her head. “Oh, that feels so much better.”

Scott walked into the control room and did a double take at Charles talking to a naked Angel. “What’s going on?” he asked forcibly turning his face towards Hank so he wouldn’t stare at her.

“We turned off the inhibitor on Angel,” Hank said looking at the controls on the consol and verifying they were in working order. “You probably felt it as a wave of energy. I’m making sure she didn’t damage any of the machinery.” He hit a switch, “So far, everything reads normal, but I’m having it run a diagnostic just to be sure. It’ll be done in a few minutes.” He looked up at Scott and jerked his head towards the other room, “Why don’t you join them and she can give you the information on the sewers.”

“She’s naked,” Scott said disapprovingly, not moving his head away from Hank.

“She doesn’t care if you see her nude,” Hank replied. “It doesn’t bother her.”

“It bothers me,” Scott replied.

Hank turned his whole body to face Scott, “Apparently, her view of the human body isn’t obstructed by clothing. She is completely aware of what you look like nude also. It doesn’t distress her to see you nude so I believe she feels it shouldn’t distress you to see her nude.” At Scott’s frown, Hank grabbed the microphone for the intercom and held it out to him, “If you want to, tell her to put something on.”

Scott looked down at the microphone and frowned in frustration at Hank. “I’m not going to do that,” he said in disgust.

“Instead of imagining she doesn’t have clothes on,” Hank suggested helpfully, “imagine she does.”

Scott glared at Hank before he walked through the connecting door and into the scanning room. He focused on Angel’s face although his brain registered her pink nipples and areolas on slightly better than proportional breasts. His palms itched to reach up, hold them and run his thumbs over her erect nipples. His mouth began to water at the thought of his tongue doing the same.

Charles began unfolding the map, “Angel why don’t you get off the bed and we’ll use it as a table.”

Angel hopped off the bed and Scott saw a flash of cleft below a thin honey colored strip on her pubic mound. Angel smiled at him and said, “Hi, Scott,” and then turned around, showing her small waist, perfectly rounded ass and muscular dancer’s legs. He was starting to get a hard on and he knew Angel would know so he forced himself to look at Charles who folded back the medical parchment sheet she’d been laying on before placing the map on the scan bed.

From the moment her scanning ability returned, Angel was aware that Hank was very aroused, but his penis, which shared many characteristics with the greater cats such as a sheath and spines, was concealed behind his pants and didn’t poke forward like a human’s. If she wanted to find out what it was like to fuck a tiger or a lion, she’d proposition him, but she wasn’t into bestiality so she hadn’t tried to entice him. She also knew Charles was trying to keep his flesh from showing his interest in her body. He was more successful at it being the cerebral type and considerably older, but she could tell he’d bang her if he could. Viagra did wonders for men. Too bad she wasn’t interested in fucking the boss, too many complications and there were far more younger hotter looking men on the property. Scott on the other hand was a take-charge kind of guy, the type she liked and he even came with a hot looking wife. A threesome danced in her head even as she registered his arousal. ^Oh, wow, he’s … large. Either Jean has problems or she’s a size queen.^

Her eyes widened as she examined her train of thought; ^oh shit! What the hell am I thinking?^ She sensed the two men near her who were both averting their eyes. ^Why the hell did I refuse a cover when Doctor McCoy offered it?^

“Hello,” Scott said reaching the scan bed.

“I’ve already marked out Lobo Tech and the area damaged by the explosion in green,” Charles said as he pointed to an area on the map. “I marked the route taken by Angel, Warren and Logan in blue. It ended here at this ladder junction.” His hand traced the line and stopped at a cross line. “Angel, where is the room we need to investigate?”

Angel stared at the map, trying to concentrate on the printed lines and not on the physical endowment of the men near her. ^Why the hell am I so fixated on sex right now?^ she thought. Getting familiar with the map's markings and pulling the matching information from her memory, she leaned forward unconsciously, propping her right forearm on the map in front of her as her left hand began to trace the tunnels. Her breasts fell forward to rest against her crossed arm while she shifted her weight on her legs, slightly raising her ass in the air.

Hank walked into the room intent on checking the CAT machine itself since it was at ground zero of the kinetic wave and almost tripped upon seeing her raised ass in front of him, her nether lips peeking out from between her thighs. At his stumble, Angel became aware of their respective positions and she registered the direction of Hank’s eyes and forward facing ears and immediately stood straight.

“Sorry,” she apologized to both Charles and Hank, “didn’t realize.” “Sorry,” she repeated contritely. ^Shit! I need to get laid!^ she thought as she lowered her eyes.

Hank mumbled something beneath his breath before turning his attention to the machine.

Charles carefully brushed Hank’s mind and realized that he’d enjoyed the view and had wanted it to continue while he checked the machine. He wasn’t too old he couldn’t appreciate looking at a beautiful woman when he saw one, especially since he wasn’t in a relationship at the moment. Hank began thinking about the last time he’d seen Tigra and what she was doing.

Charles turned his attention to Angel and stared at her wondering if she was telling the truth about not realizing what she was doing. It was so easy with most of the others, as he had just proven on Hank, being able to instantly get into their minds and find out information without them knowing, that it grated on his nerves not being able to read the mind of this new employee who wasn’t even a psychic. Physically he sighed and, pointing out a small red dot on the map, said, “This is where I estimated the room to be.”

“Close,” she replied and her hand moved slightly further down the map. “It’s just past this tunnel juncture, right here,” she pointed to a spot on the map measured at fifty feet further down. “I couldn’t detect a doorway in the juncture or in either tunnel,” she said glancing from Charles to Scott. “That doesn’t mean it isn’t there if it’s the same density as the surrounding concrete. The entry could also be further away at the far end of the room, which I couldn’t detect. Worst-case scenario, it’s actually a basement or subbasement for the building above it and the door is inside the building. I’d hate to be sending you on a fool’s errand if the boxes and rectangles are file storage for the business above,” she added ruefully.

“There are two reasons we’re returning to the sewers,” Scott reminded her. “Jean’s team will be collecting samples for Hank and if there isn’t anything down here,” he pointed at the location she indicated, “then we’ll patrol until the other team is done and make sure there aren’t any fresh signs of traffic down there.”

Charles dug a red pen from his pocket and marked where Angel said the room should be. “Scott, make a copy of this map for Jean and go over it with her team in case you run into problems.”

“I was already planning that,” Scott replied. “She should at least have a copy of the section with the blast area marked out to make sure they cover the area thoroughly.”