InsaneJournal

Who: Nate, Alex, Emma, Lorna, and Scott Summers, Cora Mallory, John Jones, Billy Batson, Neena Thurman, Laura Kinney, Thomas Raith, Jubilation Lee
Where: Graymalkin Station main bay
What: A time spanning epic begins
When: This morning
Warnings/Rating: PG-13 for violence
Status complete


Nate was working on the control panel, the hum of the machinery making him smile as Professor sang a soft tune of numbers in his head. He glanced at the main area, where the team he had assembled was gathered. So many people who were important to him. Most going, some staying here to await the others’ returns. Emma stood near Scott, fussing slightly, though she would likely have objected to that label. Laura, who had asked Nate a question, was closest to him, and he smiled as he turned to her, and nodded, answering in low tones.

Something was off, he knew, and he was bothered by it, but the whole system was running smoothly, so he was trying to ignore it. Probably just paranoia.

Thomas, Neena, Scott, Jubilee, John, Laura, Lorna, Alex, Billy, and Cora, all milled about, talking, forming couples and groups and then shifting as different conversations happened. And he smiled wider. This was his family, in a way, people he trusted, and who were willing to do something dangerous for him. For his child.

“Only about ten minutes left now.” The words were barely out of his mouth when there was an explosion, one that seemed to rock their entire world.. And then everything happened very quickly. In a matter of seconds his world was changed forever.

“What?”

Professor’s voice sounded aloud. “Engines One, three, and nine have exploded, and there is a fire spreading.” Nathan clamped down on panic and ignored everything and everyone else. Nathan put every ounce of our he could into holding the ship together, the whole thing , sweat and tears rolled down his face as he strained hold the asteroid together just long enough. “Damn it! Prepare to bodyslide everyone to Ea-” There was a second explosion and Professor's voice sounded again, more urgent. “That is Engines Two and Seven, and Bodysliding is now offline.”

“Fuck! Everyone prepare to---”

Then he heard something small and high pitched and glanced up to see the shimmering forcefield that was the exit from the bay for ships flicker.

- - - flicker again - - -

- - - and die.

“Professor! Activate timeslide! Put everything we have into it and get them out of here!” It was all he had left to save those he held dear as he smashed his hand down on the controls and reached out to try to hold on to those around him and protect them.

“THe engines are not ready! They are not calibrated., If we do thus---”

Even as an explosion tore though the floor and cut him off from most of the people. “No! If we don’t send them now, there won't be anyone left to send!”

He swore and yelled and projected his power to hold the asteroid in one piece, his very mind feeling like it was shuddering under the explosions. No! Damn it! What had caused this? Even as he did so, and felt more explosions coming, he heard the hum of the time engines take hold and people were swept away. Except Laura, who was next to him, claws deep in one side of the console.

“Laura, hold on…” And then, with a blink, she was gone.

“BUt… oh no.” Time had been changed, and something was drastically wrong.

“I have a bad feeling about this. Professor!”

“Yes Nathan!”

“Give me engines ten and fifteen and give me a forcefield again!”

Professor's cool voice sounded. “Engines are online and we will have one in thirty seconds.”

He managed to divert energy to stabilize Greymalkin and as the forcefield came back on, he sighed in relief, and fear. “I need new calculations, and fast, Bring all of the engines online. All of them.”

Professor started to speak and Nathan cut him off. “I know the danger, but there’s no time, none at all. We need to find them, and bring them home!” Everything had happened in less than a minute, and he felt like he had been through a war. Had he just seen his mother and father and the woman he loved for the last time? Tears threatened to flow, but he forced them down and swallowed. No time, damn it. With an oath, he started working. And ignored the tears that came anyway as he did so.

...to be continued...