X-Men Evolution: Rogue Evolution

Sanctum 2.2

The remainder of the flight was quiet. Ororo had turned down the lights in the cockpit and Logan had dug up the same moth-eaten blanket from the car she had used earlier and offered it to her again. Anna initially refused, so he left it on the seat opposite hers. It was only when he decided to leave to go elsewhere on the jet, did she take the blanket and wrapped herself up in it. The mint green scratchy thing smelt like a mixture of hay and motor oil. The pungent smell was still not enough to stop her from dozing as she watched the giant black clouds roll below them like floating wisps of dark chocolate.

Somewhere along the way, she found herself back at home and heard a knock on her bedroom door. She slowly blinked the sleep sand out of her eyes and called out to the person on the other side. Her door slowly opened and the face of her Mom was alight with the candle flame licking off the top of a giant chocolate cupcake. Anna remembered shooting up in bed when her Mom, with her Mah in tow, sat at the lip of her bed and rested the plate holding the top heavy icing monstrosity with a number '8' candle crown on her lap while they sang happy birthday to her.

The plane's descent Anna from her memory. As she pulled her forehead off the glass of the window, her tired eyes glazed over a body of water bigger than had ever seen. Dark waves thrashed like an assembly of faceless ravers beneath them. She was about to say something when the jet shifted and she was faced isometric profile of a great mansion. Nearly as tall as it was wide, the thing was unlike any house or plantation she had seen before. Illuminated only by a handful of yellow lamps, there was a great circular road dotted by well-trimmed trees that then fed into the mansion's extravagant-looking entryway. Two massive wings made up it's east and west end and to its rear was a humongous pool. Just beyond the pool was a shallow patch of pine trees before leading to a sheer drop into the chaotic waters just below.

"Welcome to the Xavier Institute for Gifted Youngsters." Ororo chimed in such a way that would put the most professional airline pilot to shame.

The craft slowed to a stop in mid-air, far more smoothly than it had when taking off, then gently began to descend past the mansion and down the cliff face. The craggy rock wall before them trembled before splitting into two semi-circular doors to reveal a wide hanger just within. Anna felt her forehead and eyes suction-cup to the glass as the jet eased inside and settle down on a great big launch pad. The cockpit lights flipped on, causing the glass Anna had been looking through to suddenly only reflect her own dead-eyed stare back at her.

"Come now." Anna turned around in her seat and saw Ororo looking down at her, her eyes smiling. "Let's get you settled in."

The hanger within the cliff face was so tall it was a wonder it didn't have its own weather patterns. Sticking close to Ororo, Anna spotted a number odd looking one-manned vehicles, gigantic parts suspended off cranes attached to the metallic walls, and long colorful lines with corresponding numbers printed on the floor. It almost felt like a relief when they hit a small bank of elevators and found one already on their floor.

"Where did Logan and... er -" Anna had a few choice words for the guy she had only known up to this point as Cyclops, but she wasn't so sure if giving them a voice to someone she hardly knew was such a great idea.

"If he wants to get his Blackbird clearance, Cyclops will be doing his post-flight checklist," Ororo said with a little wave as they rode the elevator together, backs against separate walls. "If I know Logan, he's either harassing the boy, or he went out."

"Went out? Already? How would he have gotten past us?"

"There is more than one way out of the hanger." Ororo pressed her forefinger into her cheek. "Actually, there are quite a few ways to get around this old place, as I'm sure you will soon find out."