A/N: Do not own X-Men Evolution
"This would be happening to me." Kitty whined, "I swear, like, has Logan ever heard of a break?"
"For da record, I blame Bobby. And Scott." Gambit said, holding the straps on a camo back pack, trudging up a hill.
Everyone glared at Bobby: while they were on a tour of the awesome summer resort and spa they were supposed to be spending their vacation at, he decided to freeze the pool; needless to say, they weren't invited back. So the professor handed control of summer plans to Logan. And this happened. As for Scott, Remy just thought everything was his fault. Knowing his suck up persona, he was probably psyched to spend the summer conditioning, getting all dirty and sweaty and tired. Loser.
"I don't do sunshine." Rogue slathered Banana Boat SPF 50 on her pale skin. Shoulda drained Bobby when Ah had the chance. But then he wouldn't get to enjoy this wonderful experience with us. She glared at him as he mocked Kitty from two feet behind. "Stop it frosty! Before Ah inform Logan you hacked into the computer to mess up the danger room for a week!" She called, just loud enough for Logan to hear.
Twenty feet ahead of the campers, he turned and snarled "Front and center snowman!"
He glared at Rogue. She smirked, waving a sarcastic goodbye to him. Oh yeah. She was draining him at the end of this.
In old combat boots, an ill fitted work out t, and crocodile Dundee shorts, Kitty found the worst part of this trip to be the fashion. She was wearing an uber cute safari-ish Jane of the jungle dress with bronze gladiator sandals- that was nature-y right? No. Wolverine totally made a scene and forced her to change like 50 times until she was in this…this… this hot mess.
The first thing she intended to do when she got to camp was change out of this hideous ensemble.
Under pressure from the scorching sun, Rogue pulled her hair up- not in a usual medium low bun, but in a high, preppy cute pony tail (like Kitty Pryde status). Her white, side swept bangs slipped from the rest of her auburn locks. Remy raised an eyebrow at her.
"What?" she snapped. "It's hot." She folded her arms over her chest. She, the most covered of the group, wore black combat boots, army pants, and a simple, three quarter sleeve, black t shirt. Her ivory skin did not take well to the sunlight. In her "I-can-love-you-and-hate-you-at-the-same-time" signature look, she shot Remy a glance. He half smiled at her acknowledgment of his existence. She, in the most exaggerated way possible without making a total announcement of it, rolled her emerald eyes.
Most would refer to the hike to camp a rocky, cardiac arrest inducing, winding road of doom: Logan called it a brisk stroll. It didn't look like it was all that difficult for Piotr either.
Kitty (subconsciously) gazed at the giant Russian as he easily maneuvered the terrain. Quiet, yes. Reserved, a little. But there was also a bright red check mark next to handsome. And sweet. Sweet would be different…
"Stop staring Kit." Rogue whispered. "Your trail of drool might disturb the ecosystem- and you look like Scot when Jean leaves. Which is never okay." She exaggerated a shudder at the thought of the pansy lost puppy look. "But for the record, Pete is better than Lance. He takes showers regularly." She snickered at her cutting humor.
"Oh ha-ha." Kitty through her hands up, palms open, framing her face, imitating a perfect Rogue southern accent. "Miss Ah liked one-eye."
"Low point." Rogue shuddered again. "Low point."
At the top of a hill, feet shoulder with apart, Logan stood and inhaled the crisp untouched air.
OMG. He's totally getting in touch with his inner nature man. Kitty cringed. Her natural habitat included Panda Express, teens, and Forever 21 (if you guessed the mall, congrats for duh, winning). This whole "wilderness" thing was like throwing a house cat in the jungle: it only had the potential to end badly.
"Campers!" Logan bellowed so that the group stilled. "Just down hill is where we make camp."
A series of thankful and relieved moans rose from the miserable exhausted half roasted teens. Kitty squatted with her hands on her knees. Gambit- he insisted on wearing that dang trench coat- wiped sweat from his face. "You never know mon ami, it may come in handy." Rogue simmered; she didn't like it when she simmered.
"But," Logan smirked after a long pause. This is a guy who never even cracks a smile. If he smirks, you know something terrible is about to go down. The crowd sighed. Kitty thought she could have cried at the sight of that insidious half smile. "Since I want this to be an authentic camping experience, without all your cellular phones, portable computers, and music devices, free of all excess materials that keep you from really getting in touch with nature" he paused like a dramatic dictator "I am going to be collecting all your excess luggage now. That's right campers- everything but what's on your back goes in that bin." He pointed to a dilapidated tan metal storage container to their right. Everyone gaped. Rogue and Kitty's jaws fell.
Great. Just great.
Later
"This," Kitty gestured at her detestable outfit "This is not okay." She pointed to the storage bin at the top of the hill. "That is not okay." She looked at the ill assembled tent in front of her. As if her stare were too much pressure, it collapsed. "Ugh! This is like, torture!" She flopped down in the sandy earth, knees bent, head in her hands.
"Specially since Logan's nice and cozy in his deluxe cabin." Rogue scoffed as she flipped through the tent assembly manual for the sixth time. "Ah don't have any makeup. What am Ah going to do in the morning?" The unlikely friends pouted on the dusty ground- until a certain raging Cajun slipped into their midst.
Rogue shot the arrogant card shark a what-are-you-doing- here look. His lips curved in a closed half smile. He sat in the dirt next to them. Pulling a deck of cards from his pocket, he shuffled them with quick accuracy. Kitty looked at Rogue with an "Uh…?" face, before Rogue swatted away the silence.
"What do you want Cajun?" She looked back down at the manual, like it was a new copy of seventeen, and Remy wasn't the totally attractive mysterious newcomer.
"Couldn't help but over hear your problems cherie." He shrugged without stopping the shuffle. "Thought maybe I could help." Mischievous glint in his eye, he smirked.
"We don't need your help." Rogue flicked the page "So go back where you came from Swamp Rat."
He started to get up before Kitty grabbed his shoulder to keep him on the ground.
"Wait" she said. "If it means I salvage my stuff I'm so in."
Rogue glared at her perky friend. Don't go there Kitty. But she had that please-please-please looked sprawled over her pretty features.
"Fahn!" Rogue threw her hands up. "But if we get in trouble it's your head. Got that?"
Gambit put both hands over his heart. "Chère!" he cried, "I am wounded that you think so little of me." he said, melodramatically. She rolled her jewel green eyes. "First rule of thievery chere: don't get caught." He winked. This time slightly blushing, she rolled her eyes and shook her head.
"So what's the plan?" In an attempt to murder the slowly growing awkwardness, Kitty clapped her hands together under her chin. "Are we like, totally going to bust a mission?"
Remy chuckled at her excitement. "You could say dat petit. But first, we need one more homme for da plan to work." He looked in Piotr's direction as the three of them stood up. Kitty's hand touched her hair, then adjusted her ill-fitted t. "Easy chaton" he chuckled "No guarantee he will do it." he smirked as he strode, hands in his pockets, toward the Russian.
"I know why you don't like him." Kitty scowled and folded her arms. They fallowed slowly.
"Aye Pete." Remy gave him the we're-bros nod.
"Hello Remy." Pete smiled.
"I got a proposition for you Petie." The Cajun's eyes shifted over the camp, just to make sure no one else was watching.
"This sounds unlawful." His smile fell.
"No," Remy swatted the accusation away "It's just a little… recon."
Pete looked uneasily at Wolverine's cabin. "I don't know…"
"Come on," Remy grabbed Kitty's wrist and pulled her in front of him so she stood facing Piotr. "She's in. You'd be helping the chatonnn." He smiled with a toothy grin. Kitty turned neon red.
"Alright." His blue eyes locked with hers, then met Remy's. "What is the plan?"
"Glad you asked." A conniving grin spread over his handsome face. "Meet here at midnight." He scanned the group. "Da less you know da better. Disperse." He said. He swaggered away to nowhere. With puzzled expressions, and unclear thoughts, they parted.