「 The Professor & I 」VOLUME II

(329) San Francisco

Lynn's POV

Despite the lack of discrete labelling, the detailed sketches of the layout were sufficiently informative and the remaining of the flight was spent familiarising ourselves with the internal configuration of the building.

Unknowingly, as I studied the drawings repeatedly, attempting to predict the identity of each and every room based on its shape and size, our jet had entered San Francisco airspace.

"Oh my god," Jubilee gasped, terrified.

"Going into stealth mode," Storm asserted in an urgent tone.

Piqued by the sudden anxiety bleeding from their voices, I hurriedly faced to the window shields, faintly discovering an odd sight.

A blanket of navy had smothered the land and in the darkness of night, there were but specks of sparkling flares. While dazzling cityscapes whizzed past to our right, it was actually the foggy scenes to the left that caught my eye.

Expeditiously, I peeled myself off my chair and marched over to the glass panels. Wrestling to distinguish the features entwined within the peculiar shadows hidden beyond the clouds, I squinted my eyes but they soon widened, and rapidly, finally fathoming it to be the Golden Gate Bridge.

Completely ripped from its original placement, the iconic scaffold was totally transferred, still spanning across the bay but now linked the main shores to the home of the world's most notorious prison instead.

Doubtlessly, the number of casualties ensuing this monstrous devastation must have been daunting, but it was really Erik's unparalleled audacity that truly induced tremendous fright in me.

"Is that...?" Kurt sputtered in bewilderment and I spun around, mildly startled by the crowd that had curiously flocked to sneak a peek at the horrendous situation.

"Yes," I affirmed quietly as I gently jostled my way back to my seat and sank into it, pinching hard on my nose.

"What's the plan?" Peter, Rasputin, probed in a tentative tone.

I glanced up to the concerned teenager as the other troubled ones automatically gathered around the briefing table. With expectant expressions, they all stared at me but I was not the valiant leader they deserved and I wished they were blind to the dying flame of hope flickering in my eyes.

Clothed in a raw sense of uncertainty, my heart raced against the mightiest of stallions. I seriously strived to sustain my composure, only to have all my walls relentlessly crumbling down in the heat of a moment.

Out of nowhere, Raven yanked on my shoulders and my watering eyes were instantly directed to those tenacious ones of hers. She glared at me, a resolute yet compassionate gaze, full of empathy.

The kind yellow was that familiar one from my childhood, the one I turned to most besides the one of wondrous crystal blue, and no telepathy was required to decipher the unreserved encouragements she yearned to contribute.

"We do the best we can," I established, progressively assembling a brave front, and all of them reciprocated docile faces, apart from Logan who flashed me a raised eyebrow, blatantly hinting for further elaboration.

"Right," I spouted, clearing my throat as I rose from my chair.

"Mystique and Nightcrawler, you will comb the north sections. Your mission is to locate and secure Beast," I appointed with a sympathetic expression and the mother-son pair readily nodded, albeit sporting grave expressions.

"Quicksilver, Magneto and Scarlet Witch will be your responsibility," I assigned, staring at Peter wretchedly, but he willingly accepted.

"Shadowcat and I will take care of the southeast wing," I calmly revealed.