2013.04.01 - Get your Rambo on

Deep within the jungles, they stalk as silently as possible. Whereas Cyclops normally wears black or blue, his fatigues are a deep green, with his normal hood having been pulled back over the last couple of missions.

He kneels down and looks back over his shoulder. His voice is low and serious as he points, "There it is." A small group of huts sit in a circular fashion down in a clearing at the bottom of the hill. "The northern one is where they're keeping the hostages."

The crackle of leaves under one's feet is easily avoided when one simply steps through them like a ghost. Kitty Pryde has spent much of the mission intangible, her electronic gear stashed away in unstable-molecule Kitty-proofed pouches, so as to avoid detection. She herself is in fatigues not unlike Scott's, with her hair tied back in a tight ponytail and camo warpaint, because it looks cool.

Kitty retrieves a small pair of binoculars and gazes down in the direction that Scott points, looking for a foothold into this particular situation.

Cyclops inhales, going through several ideas in his head. All is quiet for a moment as the pair take in the view. After the break, Cyclops looks back to her: "Okay, here's the plan. We're going the old 1-2. I'll create a diversion from the south, gaining their attention. You sneak in the back way and make contact with the Blackbird for pickup." He bites his lip before adding, "If anyone sees you, anyone at all, phase." Obviously. Kitty's not a rookie anymore, even if Cyclops treats her like one now and again.

Kitty is, in fact, so not a rookie that when Cyclops treats her like one, she knows better than to take it personally. She doesn't protest or roll her eyes: she just nods, and says quietly, "Got it." She puts the binoculars back in her pouch-belt -- the X-Men seriously have, like, a million of them lying around waiting to be used -- and prepares to move, waiting for Scott's signal like a moderately good soldier.

Cyclops, after a few more minutes of waiting and watching soldiers mill about, finally gives the signal and dips through the underbrush down and to the left. Just like that, he's gone.

A controlled slide takes place on mud, since sliding along branches and trees would be too noisy. By the time he reaches the bottom, Cyclops is already into a dead sprint. Though the distance is about 500 yards to the position he wants to be in, he's able to sprint the entire distance due to his training and stamina.

By the time he reaches the large clump of trees he plans to use as cover, he kneels down and waits. One minute. He'll give Kitty one minute, but fully expects her to be in position by that point.

He looks down at his wristwatch.

Shadowcat, as she's known in "the biz," was trained in sneakery and stealthification by the likes of secret agent Wolverine, master thief Storm, and night-crawling acrobat Nightcrawler. If she really wanted, she could be that scene in 'Ocean's 11' where Matt Damon is robbing everyone without them even noticing him. Instead, she's using her powers for good by sneaking through an encampment with the speed and grace of a jungle predator.

Kitty is where she needs to be in moments, and didn't even have to do a single Solid Snake neck-snap along the way. She creeps upon the northernmost hut, staying out of sight until Scott begins distracting.

The arc that Cyclops eventually sends out is massive and terrifying. A large swath of red blast sweeps across from the ground at an angle upwards, just above the treetops by the time it hits where Kitty is. There aren't a lot of moments when Cyclops lets loose, but the mission calls for the safety of hostages. He comes hard.

If distraction is the goal, it has its desired effect. Military men cower at first, but once they get their bearings they begin to slink out into the jungle, trying to go after whoever-or whatever-that was.

By the time they reach the epicenter, however, Cyclops is long gone, making his own ninja-style stealthification through the jungle.

The crimson blaze in the sky is Kitty's cue to act quickly. She doesn't go in the back way through the hut, or any similar sneaky business -- that'd put the hostages between her and her captors, almost certainly, and she doesn't want a crossfire. Instead, she kicks in the front door, with the subtlety of... well, Wolverine. And as soon as that door starts to fall, she's intangible again, drawing fire but immune to it.

Neck-chops are dispensed with impunity to settle any outstanding affairs, and Kitty affords a smile to the hostages. "It's okay," she says, which may not sound convincing coming from a possibly-teenage ninja in camo. "We'll all be out of here soon." A radio gizmo is produced from one of the Kitty-proof pouches. "This is Shadowcat to the Blackbird -- pickup at my location."

Cyclops tears through the jungle now, much less carefully than before. Every now and again, he sends a stream of blast backwards, intent on obfuscation and self preservation. Eventually, however, there are just too many of them. He leaps down into a shallow ravine and burrows himself underneath some roots of a tree. Waiting there still for a moment, he can hear the feet of the soldiers approach.

Meanwhile, at Kitty's command, the engines of the Blackbird fire to life and it lifts off into the sky harrier style, building up some speed, and heading straight for Kitty's call.

Kitty works with the hostages -- making sure they can move, that no urgent medical attention is needed, that none of them are really Sinister in disguise (as far as she can tell), and so on. This work precludes her from thinking about where Scott is, for the moment. She waits for the jet to touch down, but the longer she waits, the more she thinks it odd that Scott isn't, well, running towards them with the whole of a paramilitary battalion at his back, like Indiana Jones.

As the Blackbird touches down, the remaining guards begin to run towards it, looking to shoot at it. It's not clear if their weaponry would do much damage, but nevertheless, the auto defense system shoots to life. Its red display coordinates each of the enemies and suddenly a burst of fire bursts from its underbelly, creating a wall of flames between the Blackbird and the military men. It also gives Kitty free reign to get the hostages aboard.

The Blackbird holds its own, and Kitty begins ushering the hostages up its loading ramp, keeping close so if need be, she can grab one and go phased. They get aboard, but... no Scott. This is a problem. Kitty sways for a moment, as if trying to coax thoughts out of the base of her spine.

"Get them out of here," Kitty radios after the last of the hostages is aboard. "I'm going back for Scott." She hops down from the ramp and begins moving, phasing through the wall of fire. Leave No X-Man Behind.

Cyclops checks his GPS display on his wrist of the battle and grimaces. Isn't it Scott who's always worried that it's Kitty who can't take care of herself? When he sees her signature on the way towards the men, he is part touched and part grumpy she's gone against protocol.

He reaches up to the side of his visor, clicking it with a few measured turns and pops out from his root-stand. In a wide arc, sure to be pointed away from Kitty, Cyclops sweeps the area in a three foot high circular motion, knocking enemies down like pinballs. He catches all of them. Wait, no not all of them. There's one behind him! Cyclops doesn't see him! Oh no!!!

Phasing means parkour takes less time overall. Kitty is swiftly in position to assist, and assist she does. The guy behind Cyclops has a bit of a problem, in that from behind, his inner knee is soccer-kicked. As he pitches backwards, an elbow speeds his jaw along, so that he falls in a position not unlike an overbent archery bow. Shadowcat used to be such a sweet child.

"We both know that protocol is blown," Kitty asides to Cyclops, ready to kung-fu anything else that dares move. "So let's just skip to the daring adventure part of the team-up."

Cyclops gives her a head tilted look, before a grin comes across his face. "This is the part of the mission where you tell me I'm lucky, and I say something gruff or non-commital, but everyone knows that I'm thankful. Instead, let's skip to the getaway."

Cyclops makes the distance between Kitty and himself in a short, brisk run and then wraps his arms around her in a platonic manner. "This was just supposed to be for me, but you went and saved my hind end." He taps onto his communicator, which begins going through formulas and calculations wildly. "Hold on."

If Kitty was the type to freak out at physical contact in the heat of combat, she'd have never made it through a single Danger Room session. As long as they're not too happy to see her, she can deal. She does, however, stay un-phased, so no electronics get disrupted.

"I guess it's too late to ask if that's a bomb," Kitty wryly notes.

"Yes. It's too late."

Just like that, there's a pop and a ziiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiing of a line going up into the sky that miraculously catches hold of the Blackbird as it floats through the sky. It's hooked onto his belt just before Cyclops and Shadowcat are ripped up and out of the jungle and away from danger in a mere moment.

"I could have handled myself back there you know," Cyclops says, grinning at her, as the images eventually begin to fade from view, replaced by the more mechanical surrounds of the Danger Room.

"Probably," Kitty says, with a noncommittal tone, "but these team simulations are for, y'know, teamwork." She grins back, and as the silver walls of the Danger Room appear, she phases through Scott's grasp. She's still in fatigues and camo paint.

"Now, the only question is -- do I shower," Kitty says, "or do I make the most of this gear and scare the crap out of some of the teachers."

"I'm sure whatever I recommend, you'll do the opposite. I'll leave you to your own devices," Cyclops chuckles and begins making his way toward the locker room. "Nice job, Kitty. Thanks for the assist."

Kitty undoes her ponytail and grins, heading towards the locker room herself -- not the men's one, it must be noted. "No problem, boss. Thanks for the chance to get my Rambo on." She grins brightly, and disappears into the mystery that is women's shower areas.