Harlem in the Morning

[Mystique]

Mystique had been looking for Odin. She'd seen the girl Seer talking with him, and spoken to her about where he was going. He was going to Manhattan. She was almost certain he was going there to research Wideawake. But where would she go to look for him? Manhattan itself was big, and had its dangers. So she resolved to speak with Gambit, and was planning on stopping at the Hellfire Club, to see if he was in. Or at least, leave a message for him to get in contact with her.

That was her plan. But, the Metro North was having route problems. Of course. So that meant she had to walk through Harlem to get to the Hellfire. It was a bad place to be at night, but in the early morning, she should have no problems, especially when she was disguised as a typical dark-haired (and pregnant) woman; no one should give her any problems, and the only people that were out around now were the joggers.

If she remembered it right, she could take a shortcut through this alley, and it would lead her almost directly to Hellfire. Her heels clicked along the shabby brick style cobblestones of the alley as she hurried along. She didn't like to be in the back areas for too long. A frown settled over her features, as she noticed something in the middle of the alley in front of her. As she got closer, her eyes widened in fear. It was a body. Rushing over to it, she crouched next to him. There was a pool of blood. Then, it hit her. It was Odin.

"Oh my god," she said. She quickly felt for a pulse; it was still there, albeit thready and weak. "Oh god," she repeated. There was a puncture wound in his chest; it could have punctured a lung. He was in bad shape, and she had to get help fast. She didn't have a cell phone on her.

Charles! She called, desperately hoping he could hear her.

[Odin]

::Odin cringed, feeling the hands upon him, and he tried to curl into a ball. He'd been weaving in and out of consciousness since he'd been stabbed in the base. The drug still had effect on him, making him sluggish and the other injuries he'd suffered robbed him of what other energy he had.::

[Mystique]

"Odin, try not to move," she said, her voice gentle, but still containing warning. If he moved too much, it would worsen things.

[Odin]

::The serum in his bloodstream made Odin comply. His body began to relax, stretching out before her. His head rolled towards her, eyes barely open. His glasses had been lost between the base and here, and he could hardly see.::

[Mystique]

"It's okay," she said reassuringly, trying to keep her voice calm. In truth, it was everything but okay. They needed help. Now.

Charles, Charles! she cried out, hoping he could hear her. It was a long distance, and if he didn't reply, she'd have to run to call an ambulance.

[Odin]

::Odin looked up at her, a glimmer of recognition in his glazed, blank eyes. Everything wasn't fine; he knew that on some level. He was going to die, the pain told him that.::

[The Man]

::Back at the Institute, Xavier sat in his office, sipping his morning coffee. His name entered his mind, Raven calling him, concern in her mental voice.:: *Raven, what is wrong?*

[Mystique]

Charles, oh thank God, she thought, relieved she could hear his voice in her mind. I'm in the middle of Harlem, and I found Odin. He's injured pretty badly, in an alley near West 125th street. I don't have a cell phone to call an ambulance, she thought, a nervousness behind her words.

[The Man]

::At his desk, Xavier's brow creased in concern, he prepared himself to call on an X-Man to take out the Blackbird.:: *Is it serious enough to need a local hospital, or should I send the Blackbird?*

[Mystique]

She paused. He's got a stab wound to the chest, but I don't know how much better doctors would be compared to the healers and Hank at the Institute. Plus, I don't know what happened to him, but I think it might have something to do with Wideawake, and it might be more dangerous for him if he were to appear at a hospital, she thought. The Blackbird and the X-Men could be here in minutes, but those were precious minutes.

[The Man]

*I will send the Blackbird,* ::Xavier sent her mentally, at the same time calling for Hank to go out with Ororo to meet them. He found her location in her mind and sent it to Hank so that they could be easily located.::

[Odin]

::Moments passed; Odin didn't know how many. A stealth jet appeared in the sky, hovering in the air. The hatch opened and he looked up as a blue, furred mutant leaped down. Odin found himself gently picked up, in the other mutant's arms, as he scaled the fire escapes around them and hopped back onto the jet. A ladder came down to help Mystique back with them.

With other mutants, away from humans, away from the cold, dark alley, Odin let his eyes slip closed to try to sleep. His blood continued to drip from his punctured lung and the bullets in his leg. Off they flew, back towards the mansion.::