The X-Project

After leaving the boat, Wanda and Strange catch a train and try once again to relax as they head to their destination. Unfortunately, they realize they haven't quite shaken the people following them and try to make plans.



Kanpur was often described as the Manchester of India, an industrial and business hub. Certainly it was busy enough - Stephen felt confident of losing their pursuit in the teeming crowds. "I'll get us tickets ," he told Wanda, raising his voice slightly to be heard over the clamour of people gathering at the train station and holding her hand tightly to avoid getting separated. "I'll try and get first-class - less chickens and people hanging off the side that way."

"But I heard chickens can be very romantic," Wanda called back, shrugging the pack further up on her shoulder. The last thing she needed was some thief making off with it. The crowds had grown quickly once they had started walking, taking her by surprise.

"Only if you're a chicken farmer," he told her solemnly, but there was a twinkle in his eyes. They finally made it to the ticket counter and Stephen asked for their tickets in rapid-fire Hindi that obviously surprised everyone who heard him. - the pair of them looked the part of Western backpacker types, albeit older than usual. "The train to the Nepalese border takes several hours," he said to Wanda once the transaction was completed. "It'll give us a chance to rest up - the monastery is in the mountains, as you'd imagine, and whilst you're certainly fit enouch, I'm afraid my sedentary lifestyle up until now will slow us down. Hopefully we've lost our pursuit so it won't matter overmuch."

"I'll remember to slow down so you can catch up," Wanda teased, lightly looping her arm through his. It was a good sign that she was not tiring, having fought to regain the weight and energy she'd lost due to the ordeal with Cthton. But this was turning out to be one of those vacations she'd need a vacation from. "How long will the train ride be? I'm thinking that once we get close to it, I should radio home and give them an updated 'I live, no possessions so far.' With all these crowds, I don't really want to risk it right now."

"Four or five hours," he replied, automatically drawing her closer to his side as they made their slow way through the throng to the platform.

Wanda smiled a little bit and leaned her head on his shoulder for a second. There would be enough time to do that on the train ride, to just sit back and enjoy each other's company. "Not terribly long but long enough."

There wasn't much room for more conversation until they'd boarded and found their seats. First class was, as Stephen had promised, far less crowded. It even had upholstered seats. Once they'd settled themselves and their rather small amount of luggage (there hadn't been a lot of time for shopping to replace what they'd had to leave behind), Stephen let himself relax into the seat and smiled at Wanda. "Not quite the open road, but I've always loved trains. Possibly because I spent so much time on them as a boy, travelling to and from school."

"I do like them much better than boats," Wanda said, returning his smile as she relaxed against him. "And there is something to be said about simply sitting back and letting the scenery fly by as you relax. Harder to do when you're the one behind the wheel." She gave him a curious look. "How much time did you spend on the trains?" Stephen had very rarely talked about his childhood, even with her it seemed, and she so did like finding out new and interesting pieces of what had made him into the person he was.

"An hour, every day, each way," he replied, eyes far away. "I was a day student at a private school, scholarship boy. My parents couldn't afford to live closer and boarding was out of the question as well, so I did a lot of travelling on my own. I got a lot of reading done." He blinked and gave a small, wry chuckle. "Ancient history now, of course." There was a jerk as the train lurched into movement. "Didn't you have a call to make? It might be best to do it whilst you've still got coverage with the phone - the mountains may interfere later. I can go, give you some privacy, if you like...?"

"I do not necessarily need privacy but I could do with something to drink." Peering over the seat, she tilted her head a little. "Aha, I knew I had not imagined the gentleman selling something up ahead. I will go ahead and make the call while you do that?"

"This is India - there's always someone selling something," he said, giving her hand a final squeeze before letting go and standing. He made his swaying way to the other end of the carriage, where there was indeed a vendor going from seat to seat selling drinks.

Watching him a bit wistfully before she turned and dug out her cell phone. It took longer than usual to get a signal but it finally went through. “This is Wanda,” she responded as the phone in the Mansion was picked up. “Yes, yes, I am having…an interesting time.” Quickly, she asked them to pass along her message to Scott or Ororo and then slide the phone back into place.

"A rupee?" Stephen shook his head at the outrageous price, but paid the man, receiving in exchange two cans of the local version of Coke. It was safer than getting bottled water, which often was nothing more than tap water in a re-used bottle. Coming back, the train jerked suddenly and he nearly fell onto the woman sitting opposite. "~Oh, I'm so sorry, excuse me,~" he apologised in Hindi.

"It's quite all right. The trains, they are so unsteady accidents will happen..." she replied in the slightly-British accented tones of the upper-class Indian. She adjusted her sari, with a faint smile and a bob of her head.

Wanda gave the woman a small smile as she reached out to take the soda from Stephen. "Thank you. The call has been made and a message was passed on through one of the students, so I will not have to worry about that for a while. Even though I have been...off the job since the incident, trying to clear my head, I still wanted to let them know." Taking a sip, she glanced around the car as Stephen situated himself back down next to her. There was something...odd. Or at least an odd feeling but then again it just might be from getting used to the lurching of the train.

"I think given what happened some stress leave is justifiable," he said tactfully, stretching his legs out as far as he could in front of him. The fishing boat had been rather cramped and the train was only a slight improvement. "Are you thinking of going back or perhaps maybe a career shift is in order?"

That caught her by surprise and she fiddled with the coke can for a second. "I honestly don't know," Wanda softly replied, still shooting glances out of the corner of her eye at the people around them. "I think, before, I would have been itching to get back and yet I've been avoiding the issue so far. Probably a good sign that I'm not ready or maybe willing, but I just don't know anymore." Trying to stop from sounding miserable and lost, she frowned. "Does it feel like we're being watched?" she whispered, leaning over closely so that her words wouldn't carry.

He'd been reaching for her hand again at the sound of her voice, but paused at the last. "I don't think... no wait, now you mention it, perhaps you're right. I'm getting a definite feeling..." As surreptitiously as possible he glanced around. "There. The drinks vendor. Is it me or does he seem to be taking his time working his way through this carriage?"

Leaning back, she frowned a bit though made it seem as if she was focusing on the windows on the other side of the train. The man in question was going awfully slow, even for someone who was being stopped every now and then, and seemed to be rather intently focused on their area. Maybe it was because they did stick out and, possibly, would have more money but maybe it was also because he was among the group they were running from? “It does,” she agreed as lightly as possible, taking up his hand again, trying to make it look like they weren’t noticing being noticed.

He considered the situation, the pressure of his fingers on hers the only indication of his tension. "We can't really flee the train, but on the other hand, he can't really attack us here and now," he whispered, his breath tickling her ear. To the casual observer, they looked like any ordinary couple on an overseas holiday.

"So, basically, we try and relax while keeping an eye on the person,"

Wanda murmured back. Stephen was right, though. The train was moving and she was reluctant to attempt a jump from anything going that speed but with innocent people around, the threat of an attack right there was lessened. Which meant a lessened chance of having to jump from a moving train. "We will have to be careful at our stop, though."

"A little vigilance wouldn't hurt," he said with a faint smile, profoundly glad Wanda was here. All this cloak and dagger stuff was beyond his usual experience. "And I'm sure we'll think of something before the border. But in the meantime, there's nothing for it but to wait."

Still keeping an eye on the drink vendor, Wanda leaned her head against Stephen’s shoulder and smiled a little bit. “We might as well make the best of it,” she said, running through some mediation exercises in her mind to help ease the tension and stress that had come back. They’d be of no use to anyone if they were tensing up at everything on the ride there.