A huge thanks goes to Red Haired She devil who took on the challenge of writing in Kat's POV and Oracles Maiden who continues in Mel's PoV! Also to all the loyal reviewers whose comments (however harsh) are always taken on board!!
I would like to say to my critics on my last Fanfic which dealt with the aftermath of Ashley's rape that all though I agree that it is not the ideal way in which to portray the way's in which to deal with rape I can not believe you are naïve enough to believe in binary opposites to the extent of being the right and wrong way to show rape. Retribution X: crying in the wind is purely a vehicle to show the ways in which Ash copes (right or wrong) and as a way to get people to explore how they would feel and want to be treated in that situation and hopefully Wolverines bullish attitude has shown you the way not to deal with a rape victim.
If you are a victim of rape there are many organisation's set up in order to help you get over the trauma and are willing to listen to you confidentially, and show you that you can get your life back .
Okay for the long term followers of Retribution X this is a hark back to the good old day's of the first 3 fanfics in the series with drunken madness galore!! With no further ado Read and Hopefully enjoy!!
Retribution X: A new leader, a new beginning? The garageI watched sadly as Ash carried her suitcases to the Blackbird- I'd given her a letter to give to my parents. I didn't know what was up with her but I hoped a trip home might sort her out.
I didn't go down to the hanger to say goodbye with the others- I wasn't good at them. I'd given her another note to read at some point, a kind of good luck card. I didn't even go out onto the balcony… I didn't want my leader to see me cry.
And that's what I was doing… by the bucket load. I knew something was wrong and that although I wanted to I couldn't help. It was up to Ash… but I wanted to help.
There was a Bampf behind me.
"Aren't you going to see her off?"
I didn't speak, I didn't even look around. But I felt his grip on my shoulder…
"Are you crying?"
Again I refused to talk, just determinedly wiped my tears away, but they were replaced by more.
"She'll be fine." He reassured me turning me to face him. I tried to pull away but he was too strong. He just held me round the waist. Finally I cracked up and cried in earnest, bowing my head onto he chest. He stroked my hair tenderly as I cried my eyes out. I halted as I heard the jets of the Blackbird and looked up determined to see her go. Kurt just stood watching me.
I straightened my back and wiped my eyes again. I was leader now, and I had to be strong…
"Kurt that meant nothing" I turned and told him as I left the room to address my team-mates for the first time as leader.
And that was only half a lie.
Retribution X briefing
I was like Gandhi, standing up and helping the less fortunate than myself. Or was I thinking about Lennie Henry. Me and the scary girls (apart from Ash who had gone skitso and run away) were in the danger room planning our next attack. As the psycho girl wasn't around it was my job to lead the group. Not Mel, no not Mel. She was just there to help me with the big words. And sometimes to give me jelly babies.
I was dressed as Cammy from the street fighter series. I had army trousers on with a tight top and one of those French hats. I couldn't speak French but I was trying out an accent to go with it and the look was finished off with army paint as lipstick and blusher. The creepy, clawed one had given me a white board and some multicoloured pens to play about with. I had used them to draw a picture of Tinky Winky on the board. I felt very important in my new role as leader, and the big brain was ruining it for me.
"You will sit down Mel or I will have to use my pointing stick on you."
"Ohh no, you're gonna poke me. I'm so scared." I had a funny feeling that Mel was being sarcastic. "This is my life so I should have a say in what you're doing."
"You have no rights here anymore Mel. Those went out the window when Ash left."
"Ash made me the leader. You're barely function as second in command. If, that is, you can control your own functions."
This had made me confused. My brain had shut down as soon as she had said Ash and I was now hearing the Hawaii 50 theme tune in my head. I realised that she had stopped speaking and was now staring at me in a manner that I really didn't like. "Sit down or I will make you sit down" I said lighting my hands. She looked at me as if… oh my god! "Stop it. Get out of my brain."
"There's no use going in your brain. All that's in there is Telli-tubbies and theme tunes." Oh my god how did she know?
"Umm, you two. I'd just like to say that you two have spent half of the session arguing, and we've only got half an hour left to know all that we need to."
"Yeah. Argue on your own time."
"I'm just saying that the ideas that she has been coming up with are a load of nonsense. I mean, where are we going to get a helicopter at such short notice. And we're not allowed the blackbird for our own uses. Plus, I don't really want to hurt Kurt. I know that he can be a little prick at times but he's my little prick. Ok that came out wrong."
"Oh my god!!! See, Jube's. I'm not the only stupid one in this mansion. And just so you know, Mel Kurt may love you but everyone else thinks' you're a twat."
"Oooooh. Score one for Kat." Sometimes Ev worries me...
"So we all know what we're doing then? One of us is going to wait outside to inform us when Kurt is heading for the house. Another one of us has to check all of the rooms every hour to make sure that he hasn't teleported in. Now when he comes in we'll all use our powers to get him back and then he will know what-"
"This is my job so stop taking over." If Mel kept doing this then I swear I would leave them to do all of this themselves. I don't have to do this you know… Wait shouldn't I be saying this out loud. "If you keep doing this then I swear I'll leave you all to do this yourselves. I don't have to do this you know!"
"I know that Kat," Mel was saying, "and I'm really grateful but I just don't think-"
"That Kurt deserves that." The other girls replied to her, apart from me who had just spotted a scuff on the floor.
"Hey, there's a scuff on the floor." I exclaimed.
"Hey Kat," Jube's said in to me to relieve the tension, "Why don't you take the place outside. After all you are the best observer."
"Okay. I will guard the entrance of the mansion within an inch of my life and also…" I was very excited as I took my bag off to show them what I had gotten for this mission. There would be no "Why aren't you more like ash, Kat" and "I wish Ash was here, she'd know what to do. I have to admit that they were all very good at hiding their happiness as I gave each of them their present.
"They're Walkie talkies?" Ev said as I smiled back, proud of myself for my great present. "They're for the mission!"
"Thanks Kat… They're really… great." At least Mel liked them. Why am I always the collective brains of the outfit? That's a nice line to use as it always sounds really inter-whatever when Beast says it.
3 Months later
Retribution X briefing
Mel and Kat were at it again. This was the 3rd consecutive briefing that was going to be wasted by their petty squabbles for power.
"Ash left me in command of the team your just jealous!" Kat yelled hands alight
"You're just deluded" Mel shot back.
I sighed these arguments always ended in something catching fire, usually my shoes.
I got up and left them to it, after all the wouldn't miss me and I had a lesson with the Brady Bunch in half an hour. As I walked to my room I looked at Ash's door sadly it was usually open and ready for visitors who wanted to bitch about how perfect Jean was or how to stop Kat from licking the inside of the fridge or how to detach her from it once she had done so. Ash was one of those people you didn't think about all that much while they were there but when they went you saw just how much they did and how much they meant to you. Ash was our fearless leader, Ash offered tips on our battle techniques, Ash kicked butt with her self taught (and hence individual) style of fighting, Ash could control Kat like so many fail to. Ashley was probably the most offensive fighter out of us all (barring Wolvie) the rest of us (perhaps with the exception of Jube's) were more defensive fighters, hell, Kat's idea of a battle was to run in the opposite direction yelling "Their trying to kill me!" at the top of her lungs.
I opened the door to take a look around Ash's room only to spy what at first glance appeared to be Gollem searching through Ashley's c.d collection. I squinted to get a better look at the creature, only to discover that it was in fact Kat.
"How did you get up here without passing me in the halls? You were still yelling at Mel when I last saw you…"
Kat stopped and looked at me puzzled "I forget"
"Okay I'll ask you another question that you might actually remember" I sighed speaking slowly to ensure that she understood what I was saying "What Exactly are you looking for?"
"Umm…." Kat stood up straight and scratched her head in the manner of a puzzled monkey "…remember…must remember…Oh yeah Gloria Gaynor!"
"What?!"
"Just thought she might have a copy of the Gloria Gaynor C.D"
"But you have 5 copies of it already!"
"Who's counting…?" She shrugged "…Who's the Stereophonics?"
"A band"
"Oh goody! Do they sing the Y.M.C.A?"
"?!"
Professor X's Office
"What is it Chuck? I gotta a danger room session with the X Men in 10" I growled desperate to bash a few skull's together.
"I am aware of that Logan however there has been an issue on my mind of late." The Professor looked at me over steeple like fingers. "It has been a worry of mine that Retribution X is short of a member and it doesn't look White Lightning has any plans to return to the team so I feel it is time we thought about a replacement."
"What?!"
"Come on Logan you know the team is 'understaffed'"
Snickt "And where do you propose that her replacement will stay bub?"
"Well in the new wing…"
"In Ashley's room I suppose…"
"Well yes as a matter of fact…"
"Is that how you repay the kid for her loyalty to the team, the kids got some issues she needs ta sort out but she will be back…"
"But it has been over 3 months now Logan…"
"Look Professor, I don't tell you how to do your job so don't tell me how to do mine. I've been training these girls up since they joined the academy and what they don't need is some dumb ass new kid messing up their regime."
Behind me I could smell the entire team enter through the door into the Professors study.
"Actually Logan you tell me how to do my job on a daily basis"
"Stupid words for someone who can't run" I said menacingly
"What's going on?" Jubes asked
"Chuck here thinks that we need to replace Ashley" I growled
The team erupt into yells of protest worthy of the Friends of Humanity, except for Kat who bent down and exclaimed "Oh look a nickel"
"Do we need to have a sit in in protest to this idea of yours Professor?" Jube's asked
"No!" The Professor almost yelped "Well if she hasn't returned within the next month then we really will need to think about a replacement for her!"
Kat watches a piece of dust fall from the ceiling while the Professor paled.
#Logan it seems that Pyro has entered the building#
"Yay Pyro!" Came Kats excited squeal as she zoomed from the study
"Umm..Professor…you seem to have projected your thoughts again" Evelyn pointed out helpfully.
"Quick someone stop her!" Mel ordered a second before the fire alarm and sprinklers could be heard from the hallway.
The Hallway outside the study.
Yay!! My good friend Pyro was in the building. I spotted him almost immediately, and we circled each other a few times. We always did this before the attack, ever since we had first met. I had been introduced to him in around the second month of my time here. I was starting to get used to my power and the first words out of my mouth to him, like they usually were to people here were, "So, what's your power?"
"I can manipulate fire, what about you?"
"Well, I can create and manipulate fire." I will never forget the look on his face as I said this. He looked like he was sucking on a lemon. I would use this fact to my advantage from this day forward.
I made my first move. I lit my hands and started to throw small balls of fire at him, gigging as I went. He seemed to be catching most of this and throwing it back. I looked around for some sort of weapon. As if on cue Professor Xavier and the rest of the group rushed from the study to stop me. I had spied my weapon. I lunged at the wheelchair bound mans legs and pulled.
Pyro looked truly scared as I lunged towards him wielding my new weapon… FLAMING SLIPPERS!! Just as I had started hitting him around that fat head of his, the creepy clawed one grabbed the fire extinguisher, dousing us both with the contents. This didn't stop us though. I jumped on his back and started pulling his hair and trying to put my hand down his trousers so that I could set fire to another part of his body when…
"Kat do you wanna play on the swings?" Bobby said in between aeroplane sounds. Me and Pyro had stopped fighting mid-blow and I simply said "Ok" and ran off with Bobby pretending to be aeroplanes and the rest of the group looking on dumbfounded.