The team gathered in the mess hall, with the mysterious Elena. "Nice place," she commented aprovingly. "How did you manage to find us?" asked Boomer. "Well my mutant power is a sixth sense, that warns me of things and sometimes tells me places I should be. I followed it all the way here." "Why?" asked Cannonball. "Because I was looking for some way to use my mutant power for good, and to learn to control it. It just lead me here." "What's the matter?" Siryn asked Domino, who was standing in the doorway. "I'm just wondering where the $%#! Cable went." "Aye, he said he'd be monitoring us, but we get back and there's nae any sign of him." "Plus there's an intruder on the property where Cable supossedly installed surveilance systems." "That's very disturbing indeed, seeing as how I left those systems active," came Cable's voice from behind them. Everyone turned to stare at him. "And where the heck have you been while we busted our butts getting this info for you?" asked Domino sweetly as she waved the disk in front of him.
Cable ran a hand through his white hair. "I've been getting the equipment we needed to make our headquarters one of the most advanced information, surveilance and action stations on earth." "Gee, you make it sound like you guys are neo-nazis planning on spying on the world," commented Elena. Boomer smiled. Cable glared at her. "You shouldn't have been able to get past security." "But I did." "Unfortunatly for you, until we can get more info on you and how you got here, you are under arrest for trespassing." "What?!" The members of X-Force looked surprised. "Is that really necesary, Cable?" asked Warpath. Cable gave him a hard look. "Survivors can't afford to place trust blindly, James."
Cable left a very angry looking Elena in a containment cell, with Feral on guard outside. "The containment complex is only one of few modifications I've made to our headquarters," Cable was saying. He led them into the main building. "I've also added an underground complex that can be accessed from here and the bunkers that contains a training area much like the Danger Room, and the main computer banks. It's also got the central comm unit for the headsets we use. And underground hangar is located down a narrow tunnel from the comm station for the discreet storing of the PACRAT, and any other vehicles besides the jeep, that we aquire. There is also an armory down here, were any energy weapons and equipment is stored when not in use. There's also storage space for spare costumes, and a cybernetic program has been installed to repair or construct new costumes." Seen the gleam in Boomer's eye, he added: "This program is not to be used in excess, for it uses up a lot of generator power and raw materials." "Looks like you've been busy, big guy," said Boomer cheerfully. "Quite busy," he said glancing at the scowling Domino.
He lead them to the computer banks. "These are as high tech as you can possibly get. I don't wan't anyone screwing with them who doesn't know what he or she is doing." Everyone glanced at Boomer. "What! Geez why don't chu jus come out and say this is off limits for you Boomer." Cannonball laughed. "May I have the disk Domino?" "Say please, Nathan." He scowled. He'd have to make it up to her latter. "Please." She handed him the disk. He inserted it in the computer and started downloading the information it contained into their computer banks. "While this downloads, one of you should write a mission report and log it in to the computer." Siryn and Cannonball sat down at another terminal and began working on the report. "This is soo boring," said Boomer. "Did'ya make any nifty aditions to the kitchen boss?" "Nope, you'll either have to stick to rations or make your own food Boomer." She sighed. "I may as well jus poison myself by cooking. After all, it's better than those tasteless rations you keep givin us," she grumbled.
"Now let's see what you kids brought me," muttured Cable as the files began appearing on screen. He went directly to the one designated MLF and opened it. The data scrolled across the screen. He read through it quickly. "It seems they've been busy," commented Domino who had been looking over his shoulder. "Yes they have." "What does it say?" asked Warpath who had been standing over by Siryn and Cannonball. "The MLF has recently been active in Genosha." "Active?" asked Siryn who had finished with the report. "As in they like whacked a bunch of people and promoted chaos," said Boomer, reading over Cable's shoulder. "How do we?" whispered Cannonball. "Here, let me try," said Siryn. She started taping a few keys, and soon her screen contained the same information as Cable's. "It says that they blew up a milatary complex, killing a number of magistrates and mutates alike. It seems they didn't know that several mutates were in the building, willingly undergoing some tests for some sort of research. They encountered resistance, and soon pulled out. There are only a few civilian casualties listed as well," said Domino.
Everyone was silent for a moment, pondering diferent meanings to the attack. "Rahne is a mutate," said Boomer quietly. "Do you think she participated in this research?" For a moment no one said anything. "Ah'm shure she's alright," said Cannonball. "Aftah all, she must 'a had Rictor to protect her." Boomer nodded, but didn't look convinced. "If ye're friends be dead, I'm sure ye'd hear of it," said Theresa finally. "And we have our own problems to worry about," said Cable. He tapped a few more keys, and soon the monitor to his left showed the containment cell where Elena sat listening to her walkman with a frown on her face. "Who would like to tell me who our mystery guest is?" asked Cable raising an eyebrow. "She said her name was Elena. She said she was a mutant and she sounded latin," said Warpath. "Did anyone catch her last name?" asked Cable with a pointed look at Domino. Domino snorted "Well I'm not the one who botched up surveilance." Her arms were crossed, but a teasing smile shone in her eyes. "Well then let's run a scan." He pulled another datapad out from below that monitor and started rapidly hitting the keys. "All our containment cells contain state of the art scanning equipment that can scan down to a genetic level," he said matter of factly. "Ah didn't know our technology was so evolved," whispered Cannonball sounding impressed.
Elena sat in the corner of the containment cell with her chin resting on her knees and listening to her walkman. 'Why did I even come here,' she thought, annoyed at the way things had turned out. She humed along to the Deff Leperd tape she was listening, to. Just when she was getting into the song, a burst of static cut out the music. "Not again!" she sighed, pressing stop and taking the headphones off. When she first arrived here, all she could get from her walkman was static. But after a while it returned to normal, only erupting into static again at periodic intervals. She figured it had to be some electronic device built into this weird place that caused the static, but she couldn't think of why. "This really stinks," she said, crossing her arms under her chin.
The screen in front of Cable disolved into a black and white static as he attempted to scan the girl in the containment cell. "She must have some sort of shielding," he said with a growl. "Dom, did you leave Feral with one of the headsets so we could contact her?" "What is this, insult my skills day! You should know me better than that, Nathan." "Is that a yes or a no?" "Men," she growled. "Of course I did! I'm no idiot!" She glared at him, and he smiled teasingly. "Feral, bring our prisoner into the compound beneath HQ." "In how many pieces?" she growled in reply. "Don't harm her yet, Feral," replied Cable. 'Yet?' mouthed Cannonball to Siryn. Theresa just shrugged in reply.
It only took Feral a few minutes to get the prisoner and lead her to where the others were by following their scents. "Who are you?" growled Cable at Elena. "Not welcome obviously," she said with a frown and a glance at Feral. "Quit the smartmouthing. Who sent you here and why?" Domino raised an eyebrow at Cable's harsh tone. "Let's see. No one sent me and I came because I wanted to, although now I'm thinking it wasn't such a great idea." "What's your name?" "Elena." "Got a last name to go with that?" "Well I never knew my father, but my mother's last name is Gonzalez. Want my social security number too?" She asked her question with a mock sweetness that clearly showed her irritation. "For some reason our sensors can't scan you Elena. Care to tell me why?" "I have no idea," she said, crossing her arms. Cable entered her name into the computer and started a wide span search. "Where are you from?" "I'm puertorrican." The computer finished up it's search. "All I can find on you is a Social Security number." Elena shrugged. "Unlike in the US, in Puerto Rico most things are kept on paper rather than entered into machines. The modernizing process is very slow." "It also leaves you without a leg to stand on. You can't prove who you are, or anything." "I can show you my birth certificate, High School diploma, and drivers licensce if you let me go back into town to get my stuff." She gave him a challenging look, and he returned her stare.
"You claimed to be a mutant?" "Yes." He narrowed his eyes. "What are your powers then?" She shrugged. "My powers were the reason I came here. I have a sixth sense that gives me intuition into what people are thinking and things that are going to happen. I have no control over my powers and wanted to learn to put them to good use. With this in mind, I followed my sixth sense here." "Are you carrying any electronic equipment on you that would disrupt not only the perimiter scanners that scan for intruders and the scanners in the containment cells?" "The only electronic device I had was a walkman. But your over eager gatita here trashed it." "Were you using the device in your cell earlier?" "Yes, but then it broke into static and I turned it off." "So you disrupted that too?" "Look mister tough soldier, I'm not wearing any disrupter that I know about so if you don't want me here I'll just leave and skip the third degree!" "Maybe she's telling the truth, boss," said Boomer. "If I want your opinion, Boomer, I'd ask for it, got that?" "Sesh! Havve some decaff," muttered Boomer. "Would you object if I searched you?" "You aren't touchingg me." "Then how will you prove your words or your good intentions?" She glared at him. "Have one of your little toy soldiers here search me, but keep your accusing paws off!" "I'll search her," growled Feral menacingly.
"Siryn check her for any hidden devices or electronics," ordered Cable. "Aye." Siryn frisked Cable's prisoner. "She's clean." Elena stuck her tongue out at Cable. "Then a disruptor must be part of her mutant powers," said Cable. "You've just learned something, Elena. In this outfit learning isn't fun and we learn to fight for the survival of mutants and humans. We are soldiers in a war. If you want to enlist you have to follow my rules." Elena smiled. "You'll be teaching me to use my powers?" "That and more. You guys go get cleaned up and show Elena around," ordered Cable. The members of X-Force left the room, not all smiling. "You going to be keeping an eye on her?" asked Domino. Cable nodded. "We don't know enough about her to trust her. Trust is a dangerous thing these days." "I know," she said. "But do we have to keep playing these mind games with your kids? Making you look like their enemy doesn't sound to smart to me." "I need to toughen them up, Dom. Have them develop real leadership and learn to depend on each other rather than their leaders. That's what they'll need to be survivors."
Next: The Survival Game