Thank you, thank you, thank you for all the wonderful reviews! They made me feel special and inspired me to write (hint, hint).
I'm happy you all liked my interpretation/characterization of Rogue and the New Mutants. I hope you keep liking them! There's a bit more action in this chapter, I'm trying to balance action and the psychological effects of what happened (and is happening) to them.
A few notes: there's a 'naughty' word or two in this chapter. Be warned. Also, I totally screwed with the geography of the Gulf Coast. If you'd like to review and tell me how wonky it is, feel free. It probably won't change anything though…
Disclaimer: I don't own anything. I'm a soon-to-be college student.
(page break)
Signs and streetlamps, small towns and suburbs all flashed by, quick as running water through one's hands. By the time anyone else in the car was awake enough to ask about their whereabouts, they'd reached the Mississippi.
Rogue had driven in a semi-trance, alert enough to keep an eye for pursuers and check on the kids, but also mulling their problem over and over in her mind. While it was all well and good to tell the kids they were going to set up house in Seattle, she wasn't entirely sure how they were going to go about it. Blow up that bridge when we get to it, I suppose.
Speaking of bridges, they were approaching the toll bridge to cross the river. Alarmingly, the guards were not keeping to the regular 'take-the-money-wave-them-through' routine. They were checking cars and passengers. That could only mean they were looking for something…or more likely, someone.
Rogue did a quick check of the car, seeing only Rahne awake. Their car was next in line, so she hand-signaled Rahne to keep quiet. The younger girl's accent would be a dead-giveaway if someone had issued an announcement for their capture, or some such. Rogue, on the other hand, could blend in here.
When the guard in the booth waved them forward, she obediently pulled ahead, and returned the man's greeting with what she hoped was a steady voice.
"Where y'all goin' to?"
This was it, Lord she hoped her acting skills were up to the challenge. In her most casual sugared Southern tones, "Just visitin' my mama. Y'know, Thanksgivin' and all that."
"These all yours?" The guard, whose nametag read Williams, eyed the kids in the back speculatively. Especially Jubilee, who didn't look anything like the rest of them. Shit, she needed a story.
"Cousins. Livin' in Georgia, but Mississippi is home." Praying that he'd buy it, Rogue nearly had a heart attack when she heard someone in the back of the car stir.
Sam's voice called, nearly as Southern inflected as her own, "Where are we?"
"Just hit the river, hon. Go back to sleep." Please, please, get the hint.
"Right." A yawn, then he seemingly dropped off to sleep. Smart kid.
Williams appeared satisfied at her hasty explanation. He went to wave them forward, but Rogue needed intel. She had to know if the guards were looking for them.
"Officer, if you don't mind my askin', what's this all about?" She airily waved her hand at the line of cars, hoping to convey the impression of a gossip in need of material for her return home.
Williams was destined always to be a sucker for a pretty face. This girl smiled at him, called him 'Officer'…what could be the harm in tellin' her? She probably needed something to impress her mama with.
"Up New York way, a bunch of muties escaped. They're runnin' loose, and we're helpin' catch 'em."
Well, her acting skills were considerably better than she'd given herself credit for. She'd managed to plaster a concerned front on, smile and simper until cars behind her started honking, and drive away, all while resisting the urge to reach through the window and throttle that stupid guard.
Between the anger, terror, and sheer adrenaline rush, Rogue was shaking by the time they reached Louisiana. She had to get out and walk around, to breath fresh air, just for a minute or two. She had to figure out what the hell she was going to do, now that they were being actively pursued.
Stopping in a scenic turn-off looking out over a small bayou, Rogue killed the engine and looked behind her at the sleeping kids in the backseat. Gently, she reached out and tapped Sam's leg. He came awake almost instantly.
"We made it through the checkpoint OK?"
"Yeah."
"They were looking for us, weren't they?"
"Yeah."
"Damn."
"Pretty much. Look, I have to get outside and walk around. Keep an eye on them for a minute, K?"
"Uh-huh…are you all right?"
"I'm fine…stiff from driving."
Forestalling other questions, Rogue unbuckled her seatbelt and stepped out into the early morning air. Although there was a short trail one could follow around the edge of the bayou, she didn't want to go out of sight of the car. Instead, she walked to the very end of the tongue of earth sticking out into the swamp.
Leaning her forearms against the railing, Rogue thought about the last time she was in Louisiana. Courtesy of Gambit, she'd been kidnapped and dragged down here. She felt the same confusion and fear now, for different reasons.
Why, why, WHY couldn't the X-Men just be left alone to live their own lives? They were just kids for crying out loud! Angrily she pounded her fists on the wooden railing, cursing when a splinter of the weathered wood went through her glove and lodged in her hand. She almost started crying then, out of sheer frustration. The thought of the kids waiting back in the car stopped her.
They needed her to be strong, not crying and throwing a fit. They needed a leader. Why me? Scott's the leader, not me! Her rebellious self screeched.
But they don't have Scott. They have you. Suck it up and do your job. One seriously scary thought. What else was there to do, though?
Rogue squared her shoulders, newly resolved to her task, in time to hear footsteps behind her. Rahne walked up beside her on oneside, Jamie on the other. They were silent for a second before Jamie spoke up hopefully.
"Breakfast?"
Rogue and Rahne burst out laughing. Jamie followed suit after a second, happy that he'd made them laugh. Leaning against the car, watching the surrounds, Sam had to laugh as well. It felt good, amongst all the running and fear, to give in to a bit of laughter.
The three standing at the viewpoint turned back to the car. Before they could start walking, Jamie wrapped his arms around Rogue's waist hugging her as hard as he could. Rahne barely hesitated before doing the same, putting her arms over Jamie's.
Rogue froze for an instant in sheer surprise, willing herself to relax. She shyly patted their heads, meeting Sam's eyes and glaring at him when his smile widened. After a minute or so with no movement by her hangers-on, she growled.
"You kids want breakfast or not?"
That set them all off laughing again. Sheer relief from survival kept it up as they all piled back into the car and headed west. Rahne was the first to throw out a joke, prompting Jamie's near-endless string of knock-knock jokes.
By the time they rolled into Bossier City, Rogue was almost happy that she'd been saddled with these particular kids. She still worried about the future, their pursuers, the other X-Men…but, just for this morning, she could worry more about whether they were going to eat at IHOP or Denny's.
(page break. Oh frabjibulous day!)
Comfortably seated in a booth at IHOP, Rogue and the rest of the kids were finishing off breakfast when it happened. Sam, Rahne, and Jubilee were seated across from Rogue and Jamie, facing the ceiling mounted television. Sam was the first to see the news story flash across CNN. His alarmed expression transferred an almost palpable electric shock throughout the group.
"What is it?" Rogue asked, forcing herself not to turn around and look.
"They just showed a picture of the X-Men on TV…now it's individual pictures of Scott, Jean, Kurt, Kitty, Evan…you," he said hoarsely, eyes locked on the screen.
"Crap." Well, that was the understatement of, oh, the century.
The waitress had already dropped the check at the table. Rogue handed Sam the requisite amount of money.
"Rahne, Jubilee, get up like you're going to the bathroom, but just go out the door to the car. If you can leave when there isn't a hostess at the door, even better, but don't loiter." She handed Jubilee the car keys. "Jamie and I will follow you. Sam, pay the bill then get out to the car, OK?"
All the kids nodded seriously, then set about putting the plan into action. Keeping an eye on Rahne and Jubilee as they walked casually across the parking lot, and Sam at the counter, Rogue had to smile to herself a little. I wonder if this is why Scott likes being leader so much…the rush of having people follow your orders. Whoops, here we go!
She and Jamie sauntered out the door, talking nonchalantly about visiting a local state park. When they reached the car, Rogue climbed in the driver's seat and put the keys in the ignition. The moment Sam climbed in the car, she started the engine and headed out.
In their haste, none of them noticed the blond waitress who'd served them glancing speculatively between the TV and their fading taillights.
(not another page break)
Later, in a Holiday Inn across town, while the older kids slept and the television continued blaring, Rahne stood up from the dinette table to go to the bathroom. A slight sound from outside made her freeze in shock. It was a tiny, distressingly familiar noise-the sound of a fully automatic magazine being loaded. Oh. Shit.
"What?" Jamie sat up from his relaxed slouch, full attention on Rahne's rigid form. "What is it?"
Without answering, she morphed into a wolf, still intent on the sounds from outside. Her wolf's ears were very good-almost the equal of Mr. Logan's. Thinking of Mr. Logan, and the tracking/training games they used to play in the woods behind the Institute would've choked her up in human form. I wonder if he's even alive?
Wolves don't cry, she stubbornly reminded herself. And wolves protect their pack. Right now, Rogue, Jamie, Sam, and Jubilee were her pack. She would protect them, no matter what.
Returning her attention to the problem at hand, Rahne carefully sorted through the sundry noises until she'd confidently identified a strike team (probably SWAT) of ten men, all with automatic weapons. When she returned to human form, she saw that Jamie had already roused the rest of their teammates.
Rogue was pulling her boots on, all business. "What've we got?"
"Ten man strike team, automatic weapons, tear gas."
"Right." Rogue methodically stuffed a change of clothes for each of them into separate plastic bags. She kept Sam's and Rahne's with her, and handed the other kids theirs'.
"Right, here's what we're gonna do. When I say go, Sam, you're going to knock out the back wall. Jamie, you and Rahne run out after him. Rahne, wolf form." The Scottish girl nodded tightly. "Right after Sam breaks out the back wall, Jubilee, you're going to blow out the front wall. Think you've got enough juice?"
The younger girl flexed her hands, sending small multi-colored sparks popping through the air. She smiled up at Rogue mischievously, "I think I can manage it."
"Good. After you blow out the front, book it out the back. Meet up with Jamie, and you two take the most circuitous route you can think of to the Safeway where we got groceries. Try to go under the radar, but if anyone looks at you wrong give 'em a face full of firecrackers and run."
Rogue turned to Rahne, "Stay a wolf. Get to the Safeway and keep an eye out for Jubes and Jamie." Rahne morphed back to a wolf and waited by the back wall. "OK, I'm going to stick with Sam. We'll all meet up at the store."
She studied them for a moment, then waved them all to their places. "Stay safe. Let's do this!" She nodded at Sam, who took a running leap at the back wall of their hotel room sending timbers and paneling exploding outward like so many matchsticks.
(mmm…page breaks. Yummy.)
Sergeant Michel Thibodeaux, a squad leader of the Bossier City SWAT team, checked his men lined up on both sides of the hotel room door. Even though there were reportedly mutants inside, he expected this to be a fairly routine bust. His squad was experienced, so when an echoing blast sounded from the back of the hotel, there were no overt flinches of surprise.
However, not a single one of his specially trained and prepared team was ready when the world disintegrated in a blast of wood, glass, and rainbow hued light.
(This is getting a bit overdone)
Some two hours later, the wreckage from both explosions had been cleared enough for Captain Kevin Carroll to walk through the scene. Among chunks of wood and rubble, the crime scene people had found clothing and toiletries for four or five people. The hotel complementary mini fridge held easily made food-sandwich fixings, Hot Pockets, doughnuts.
The car reported to belong to the mutants contained only fast food wrappers and drinks containers. Its registration came back to a puppet corporation, with nothing they could conclusively tie to the Xavier Institute.
To all appearances, these mutants were running scared. The Captain clenched his fists angrily. He had no real hatred for mutants, as long as they obeyed the law and paid their taxes, he didn't care what they did or what they looked like.
These mutants had put three of his officers into the intensive care unit. These mutants had blown the hell out of a local business and endangered countless civilians. They were going to be brought to justice, by any means necessary.
(Three cheers for page breaks!)
Um, yeah. Is that considered a cliffhanger? I wasn't sure.
Here's a question for all of you (really, really adored) reviewers: do you want to see some of what's going on with everyone else or do you want me to stick with Rogue and her gang? They're going to stay the focus of the story, but I was kind of thinking about everyone else's stories as well. Maybe just short little blocks? Tell me what you think!
Sorry there isn't any real back-story in this chapter…