“No I don’t care who it is. Set up the perimeter, they don’t have clearance they don’t get through; kill them if you have to. We have suffered too many casualties in the last week alone.” Amanda said speaking into the mind of a majority of the staff. Mutants and humans alike, she made sure to leave Sydney out of the orders. He was busy as is and he already was furious that Sam had escaped once and was still putting up some resistance to her control.

It seemed ever since Sam had contact with the telepath from his new group of mutants he had been more wary of every lie that Amanda had constructed for him.
That was until she decided to stop trying to construct his dream world and construct a world comprised of his nightmares. She couldn’t control him as well but it was better than him fighting her at every turn. It had proved to be quite effective already seeing as Sam had just captured another one of the girls from his school.

Amanda had no idea how the girl got as close as she did without anyone noticing her. They had been keeping an eye out for any aircrafts and vehicles in the area. Even if she had the power of invisibility they had people who could track her. There was no such thing as completely invisible. At least it was something Amanda hadn’t run into yet.

Reaching up and touching her temple Amanda severed the connection with the guards on the level of the most recent break in. It seemed a handful of mutants from Sam’s school came with a purpose they already entered the base of the mountain, which she was assured, was impossible by a former colleague. It was supposedly impossible to detect unless they knew it was there. The telepath must have scraped it from someone’s mind. “Damn.” Amanda cursed to herself as she turned around quickly and noticed Sydney was in the room standing over her his form slightly different from before. He looked like Sam only had two eyes instead of one.

“Couldn’t work with the one eye?” She asked with a sly smirk to try and bring one out of the Sam look-a-like. “I got time to add the eye-patch if needed. How’d they get in?” Sydney asked not smiling or changing his expression. Amanda frowned slightly, he had the serious look Sam sometimes got down perfectly. “I don’t know, too much going on right now.” She paused a second, “I can send Sam and a few others after them to round them up if you want, I thin” she stopped when Sydney raised a hand telling her to be silent. “Evacuated the base, gas the tunnels anything and everything that should be burned, brought or destroyed do it. I want us at the new base location with-in the next twelve hours.” Sydney started to walk out of the room, “I’ll try to buy us some time, keep Sam close and try to get the kids out of here on the first flight. I want to at least come out with some kind of win.” He opened the door and frowned, “Next time, listen to me when I tell you to kill him. He is nothing more than a liability. This just proves it.” With that the shape shifter exited the room and left Amanda alone in the command center to stare bitterly at the computer screens.

"I'd bet they already know we are here" Maya observed, stepping out of the reflective surface of a polished metal door (god bless villains' fascination with metallic surfaces) after bringing the last of the team in "We are on a clock here."

And dangerously close to midnight, too. Maya had no doubt that they would have to fight their way out in the end, even if they pulled everything together. But there were kids involved, and they could not just leave Sam, brainwashed or not, without at least attempting the rescue. The X-men were the good guys for a reason.

"I'll go get the kids and walk them out" she volunteered, checking her equipment and looking around "Drew, come with me."

She looked at the others, readying themselves for another crazy mutant mission.

"If you can hold them off long enough I'll come back for you after and help get Sam. Stay on the comm, hopefully it will be some time before they remember to scramble it..."

That was it. That was all they had.
Well, that, and their powers.

Drew had made sure his sword was sharpened as perfectly as he could get it without going to a metal controller before this mission. It was a wonderful mixture of kidnapped kids and Sam in a bad situation from what he understood. Given that the man had given him an out all that time ago Drew was plenty willing to help him out. Whether or not Sam wanted the help didn't really matter. If he got the chance Drew would just clobber Sam over the head until knocked out and sort out the mess later. For now though he was assigned to kid rescue detail.

It wasn't really all that surprising. Frustrating, since Drew would really like to punch Sam right in his one good eye right now, but unsurprising. Not for the first or last time did he envy those whose abilities lent themselves to combat. He nodded to Maya.

"I'll keep the guards busy while you get the kids out."

Glancing over at the others, Drew nodded.

"Good luck with your end. See ya on the other side."

Meanwhile, Drew was chuckling a little on the inside. Distraction man, that was him. Maybe that could be his code name since nothing seemed to fit, Distraction. He kept the notion to himself though. It was mission time, there were better things to do than whine. Like keeping an eye out for the first wave of minions this particular batch of villains would send their way.

Had he jumped out of the X-Jet? Why yes. Yes he had. This time he had opted not to do so when at maximum height, or speed, so there hadn't been a need to disperse his collected energy afterward; in other words, he'd been perfectly silent. It was surprisingly difficult to hop out of a plane with a mirror in your arms; had he managed it? You bet! He would have to apologize for the missing furniture at the mansion when he got back.

Mirror's power being what it was, Saphirus joined up with the rest of the X-men, his teeth chattering from the gathered energy; he was ready for action. The group had already began to divide; he was destined for the one that was heading right after Sam. Hopefully from there they could find a way to burn this base to the ground; needless to say, he wasn't a fan of what these people did.

"A-a-a ahem... After Sam, then?" That was odd... Was his voice rattling? That was a new one. He looked to his fellow 'team B' members, and nodded, clenching his crowbar tightly, and trying to organize the scattered thoughts that came with having this much energy coursing through his body. Once he got into the battle, he'd be fine, that was certain.

"After Sam," Shin confirmed with a curt nod.

While he could have flown down on a shard platform, he'd taken the mirror method. They probably already knew he was there. It would have been flashy and attention-getting. They hadn't needed any more help getting attentions than they already had. Plus, less flash meant less effort, and they needed their focuses on rescuing Sam. So...

He was dressed in the reinforced white jacket Kealey had made for him. The one that looked like Saejima Kouga's, from GARO. Over it, he'd overlaid a thin layer of defensive shards the same color as the material. It didn't look like fabric, but it looked good. From a distance, it would be hard to tell. His communicator was strapped to his belt, and a sidearm was holstered near it, on his thigh. It wasn't police-issued. It was store-bought legally, for his own personal self defense. He had a license and everything. He wasn't planning to use it, but it was there. Better than carrying around a sword. He noted he'd have to talk to Andrew about that later.

A white rectangle sheathe built up in the air in front of him, tiny shards and larger shards locking together to form the construct. Its sides, he smoothed with a thought, rounding out the edges to make it so he could hold it. A second part of it appeared inside the sheathe. It was the blade. He kept it retracted, reached out and grasped the shard box cutter, then calmly slipped it into his front pocket where he would have easy access.

The Asian glanced around. "I don't have a freaking clue which way Sam would be. Should we flip a coin?" It was a joke, of course. There really only was the one visible metal door. "Not to say that we can't make our own door." he noted seriously, sliding his hand across the wall.

>>"I'll keep the guards busy while you get the kids out."

Everyone was high strung and ready to go. Maya had the bow in one hand and held out the other to Drew, preparing to pull him back in the reflective surface.

>>"I don't have a freaking clue which way Sam would be. Should we flip a coin? Not to say that we can't make our own door."

"Make as loud a bang as you want" Maya nodded to Shin and Saph, who seemed ready to rumble if an enemy showed up "Sam's not gonna go down quietly anyway. We'll take the mirrors and hope we don't get noticed before we get to the kids. Good luck."

With that, she stepped back in the metallic reflection, and pulled Andrew with her.

Now, they only had to figure out where they would keep their prisoners...

Drew took Maya's hand and nodded to Saph and Shin as he and Maya disappeared into the mirrors. Until they found the prison area he was useless. He stayed ready for a fight though. As soon as they left the mirrors they'd be in enemy turf again. If these guys were smart they'd have plenty of guards on the kids so Drew expected a fight pretty quickly.

"If I were a group of kidnapping jerks, where would I keep my prisoners?"

Probably someplace easily defensible with plenty of ways to corral wayward kids if they tried to escape. At least, that's the way he'd do it if he wasn't totally appalled by the idea. If he had his way he might accidently kill a couple of these jerks. Since this was an X-mission Drew figured he'd aim for knockouts and disarmings instead.

“Sam dear,” Amanda whispered into the still body of Sam as he laid sprawled out and strapped down onto the bed that was once his in a room that belonged to him a lifetime ago. It had been a while since he put up much of a fight, if it wasn’t Sam, Amanda would have been disgusted with the way he was mentally cowering in the depths of his dreams. There he sat in the darkness alone chanting over and over again, ”I’m sorry.” he looked up in his mind when he felt Amanda breathing over his body and his expression darkened. He stood and his resolve started to make an appearance however it was a shadow compared to what it once was. She was worried for a while that she had broken him and would have to retire her favorite toy.

Sam tried to sound strong but his mental voice faltered, ”Release me!” Amanda smirked as she stood over his still body and shook her head as she projected her thoughts, “’Fraid I can’t do that Sammy, it seems more of your friends are here.” She let the statement sit for a moment before she willed his body to move upright.

Sam’s body sat up and his lone eye opened the deep pool of blue that Amanda was infatuated with looked sad and hollow reflecting his metal well-being. “Now come on,” Amanda said aloud as she projected her words into his mind, “Give in and I won’t make you relive your wife’s death again. Unless you want to?” the sound of Alexandra screaming could be heard in the darkness as Sam’s metal image faltered and shook. ”No!” was all he yelled in the darkness that was his mind while on the outside Sam’s lip twitched.

Amanda was too preoccupied in Sam’s mind to notice but willed his body to follow her as she laced her hand in his. “Now, let’s go say hello to your friends while everyone else gets everything cleared from the base. I think you can hold them off without much of a problem, if that make it that far. Unseen and Bladesman are already on two of them. We will find the others soon.” Sam’s cell door opened with a whoosh and the both exited and walked down the hallway to the command center where Amanda had eyes everywhere.

----
(from the perspective of Bladesman: male mutant with the mutant ability to materialize various hand held weapons [swords, knives, staves, axes] heightened reflexes and heightened strength)

“Move! Move! Move!” Bladesman called as he yelled at his men to exit the armory where they had collected the stun guns and tranquilizers. “Amanda and Sydney want these clowns alive and well! No fatal shots unless directed! Is that understood?” bladesman yelled as he felt the wait of his collar around the neck. They had him under control and while he hated them for it he was happy to be in action again. Paris was so boring compared to this. He heard his men shout ‘Sir’ and they followed him to the first blockade, just out the command center where Amanda and Sam were now waiting.

The red lights continued to flash on the sides of the walls as a continues reminder that all personal were supposed to evacuate the base unless directed otherwise. Bladesman and his small battalion of seasoned operatives were directed to protect and escort the Amanda. He stayed as long as she was there. Which meant if the mutants who were stupid enough to try a rescue passed the traps, armed guards and Unseen who was already following them, he might get to see some action.

---
(from the perspective of Unseen, male mutant with the ability to merge into his surroundings)

They split into two, a pair vanished into a mirror and Unseen smirked from the wall he was currently merged with. It was clear they hadn’t noticed him yet, which was expected unless they had the ability to know he was there, they wouldn’t see him until it was too late. That was why he was here in the base. Silent assassin, able to merge with the surroundings until the right moment that was his job meaning the two that were walking down the path were as good as done. Other than Sam and Amanda he hasn’t been bested yet when it came to his job.

Unseen watched as the pair decided their best route, one was Asian and the other was shaking. That was pretty much all he noticed at the moment. Amanda informed him that all were mutants or at least suspected that was their connection with Sam. Why they were here to rescue him he didn’t know but he had his orders and with the collar around his neck, well he couldn’t argue. Not that Amanda needed a collar to get him to do what she wanted.

Unseen also noticed the arsenal the pair were packing, one was carrying a crowbar and the other a sidearm. Unseen watched silently waiting for the right moment to strike. which most likely included some guards shooting at them. All he’d need to do was trip them up, a small push or use the small knife he carried with him.

Mirror and Drew continue on in Mistakes My Boss Made

Chatter chatter.

Saphirus walked on up to the only door, leaning in to nearly press his head against his. His eyes were closed.

"I don't have a freaking clue which way Sam would be. Should we flip a coin?
Not to say that we can't make our own door."

"Boots on the other side. Lots. H-h-heh... prolly all armed to the teeth, too." The Masochist holstered his crowbar and reached behind his back to pull out the retractable shield Cafas'd made for him. He held it in his right hand so impacts to it would be absorbed. "I say we knock and ask... Wachu think?"

He looked back to his fellow X-man for a moment, a wild grin plastered on his face. "ROOM SERVICE!"

Thump-BOOM... CRASH!

Yelps of surprise and pain echoed from the hallway as the door crashed into the room, trapping two men under it, and prompting one to fire aimlessly in his team mates' direction. The men scattered and dove out of the way, and Saph got his sheild up in time for them to focus and start firing their way. Shin, I- what the?"

Did he feel something moving behind them? No... Must have been interference from the bullets and movement in front of them.

No, no, there was definitely- He felt a quick movement, the shape of a body heading toward Shin. "SHIN, BEHIND YOU!" He stepped forward, covering both of them with the shield as best he could while projectiles rained in; There was no way he could turn and see that what ever was attacking wasn't there.

He reached into a pouch at his side and pulled some rubber bullet rounds, flinging them at high speeds at the firing guards; careful to only keep his right side toward his foes, and wincing as shots landed on his unsheilded right leg... that was gonna bruise...

Saph asked if they should, got a single nod, and proceeded from there with a crash and a witty one-liner. Room service, indeed.

The door caved in, crumpled, literally flew into the room. Things started happening, fast. The Asian moved to the side of the building and back a step, out of the path of any bullets that might come sailing through the doorway. The shards on his person hardened and redoubled as he made sure he had a good coating over his clothes. He took a quick mental inventory. Shard box cutter in pocket. Shard armor jacket and pants. He still had one construct left in his repertoire he could make before his mind would get strained by too many things. He kept his head low and his guard up as he extracted the tiny knife from his pocket and mentally pushed out the tip.

Saph said something, and Shin didn't follow, summing it up to 'there's lots of gunfire, find cover'. Cover had already been checked, so-- maybe Saph wanted him to get behind his shield. He took a step into position, and-- all hell broke loose. Harder. The other X-man shouted and moved.

Whatever was behind Shin, he couldn't see it, but he turned that way, eyes watchful all-the-same. One hand dropped to his holster, resting and ready for a quick draw.

Unseen had been prepared to strike. The flashy dressed one had opted to step away from the hail of gunfire, which made him an ideal target; If he took this one down, the big, stupid one wouldn't be too hard to handle!

"SHIN, BEHIND YOU!"

He froze in place just milliseconds from a vital area strike. Shin's turn nearly put him eye to eye with the undetectable assassin. He stayed frighteningly still, staring right at the unaware X-Man. Did the stupid one know he was there?

The gunfire started to diminish as Saph picked off the guards one by one, knocking them silly with their own kinetic energy, and some less than lethal rounds.

As soon as that was done, he spun to see what had attacked Shin... Nothing was there. He looked closely as Unseen stepped back slowly.

"Woah... Nothing... Nothing there? Uhm... Sorry about that, Shin. I swear there was something there. Maybe it was my imagination... Jees, I coulda got you killed. I'll be more careful, alright?"

He nodded, looking back one last time, and turning to head into the room. It was another hallway.

Unseen was not adjusting his strategy. The traps, he could make sure the two fell into them. That would work... He would have to make sure the dumb one died first, too. He couldn't risk being noticed.

Saph stepped further into the room, surveying his handy work. One man was still moving, The X-man gave him a love tap, initiating early nap time.

And then he stepped on a pressure plate.

Click! "Uh oh..."

>>"Woah... Nothing... Nothing there? Uhm... Sorry about that, Shin. I swear there was something there. Maybe it was my imagination... Jees, I coulda got you killed. I'll be more careful, alright?"

"It's fine..." Shin said tightly, shoulders still tense. He'd been ready to draw his gun and fire. His fingers moved slightly, twitching away from the firearm. He still hadn't gotten used to the power he packed close to the hip. He wasn't sure he'd ever get used to that.

Saph had taken down the guards. He hadn't done much to help there. He would next time, though. The Asian didn't let that bother him. The mental box cutter slid hovered in the air next to him as he followed the other X-man, watching the guy's back (and his own).

Click. "Uh oh." Saph had stepped to check on a guy and knock him out, and then... suddenly, the walls were raining darts. Shin quickly crouched, pushing his head down and close to his chest while his armored arms moved up to guard his head from the hail of sharp points.

"Saph!" He shouted, voice muffled slightly by the jacket and the ground. His eyes were squeezed shut as he kept up his guard. The blade tilted and turned like a periscope, moving every second in the direction of the sound of another attack. "Move." It slashed blindly at what may have been a dart, knocking it away. "Away!" Another dart got batted aside. "From the trap!" By blind luck, he got one more dart, cutting it in two.

In the resulting confusion, Unseen smirked. The second the rain of darts stopped would be the perfect time to slip in under their guards and stab one of them in the back.

He felt the darts coming before he heard Shin's voice chime in.

"Saph! Move. Away! From the trap!"

He was on top of it; His shield moved to cover his left side, while darts smacked into his right, not even cutting deep enough to draw blood. TINK TINK TINK! He jumped back quickly, but swore he felt something moving past him as he cleared the trap's range. His imagination again? No, something was there! "Shin!"

Before the thought was even complete, he was diving, and swinging his crowbar at what felt like a foot; the crook of the bar would catch in order to trip what ever it was up.

The invisible man was frustrated; during the dart barage he'd seen an opportunity to toss a knife at the one without the shield, but a blind block knocked it aside, unnoticed. Still, it was looking like his bad luck with these two was all but over.

Unseen had noticed the perfect opportunity to strike; the one with the box cutter's back was open; He would go fore a safe bet; a stab to the neck. The dumb one was in between them, though; no matter, a quick dance around the clumsy man, and he would be home free.

In the process of that, though, something went wrong; something caught his foot, and he pitched forward. He was a professional, though, he recovered mid step, but was forced to strike at the shard thrower's back instead. His objective would then be to quickly retreat.

When he heard Saph's voice, it was his cue to move. When you don't know where an attacker is, moving constantly is a good bet, so long as your guard is up. Pushing off the floor out of his crouch, Shin rose. Something clattered nearby, catching his attention, and his coat flowed through the air as he turned in the direction of the sound. Unbeknownst to Shin, he'd stumbled into the best move the situation could have merited. As his white coat's back swung like a cloak through the air behind him as he turned, it hit something he hadn't noticed before with all the force of a coat reinforced with hundreds of shards. The coat's edges hadn't been razor sharp. Unseen had gotten lucky. Still, the force of the blow sent him staggering, and nearly bowled him over. He didn't swear. He was too professional to swear out loud. But inwardly, he cursed. His dagger clattered far more unprofessionally on the floor.

A quick retreat was now inferior. He'd dropped his knife. He might have been a professional, but nothing in the world had prepared him for Shin. A coat to the face. That idiot. How could his coat be so hard?

Silently, Unseen moved to take a step back, into the shadows. Though a lot of people had other things in mind.

"I hit something." Shin shouted, eyes scanning the area quickly, darting back and forth. "Must be invisible. Saph, keep back!"

He had an idea. A terrible, brutal, and ridiculous idea. It was a little unfair, and he knew he'd pay for it, but if an unseen enemy was right there in front of them... a little senbonzakura would make them cut their hiding out. And cut them to ribbons, to boot. Then, he'd throw up. Yay. If all went according to plan.