Disclaimer: They aren't mine and this isn't giving me any money. I'm just having fun.
Pietro raced off to the main cabin where he began looking over the sample projects showing what they were supposed to help these kids make today. Crafts, huh… not his usual thing, but at least he'd have Kitty to flirt with. At the thought a smirk lifted one corner of his mouth. Back in the main clearing Jean was enthusiastically coaxing her campers, calling out names from the print-out Logan handed her, to gather around her and Fred while Alex went to make sure the life vests were ready.
Scott naturally took his group's list and also rallied his campers for the first shift. Tabitha quickly began granting the kids nicknames while Todd looked a little nervous but tried to play it cool. When Logan turned to the hiking crew none of them moved to take the list from his hand. Finally Rogue gave Lance a shove forward and he had no choice but to take the paper from Logan's grasp. Lance was calling names but few listened and both girls could see him losing patience. Rogue whistled shrilly and Wanda shouted, "HEY!" When all the little campers looked up at them wide-eyed and a few chins quivering with fear, Wanda nodded contentedly. "That's better. Now listen for your names." Her voice was firm, but quiet. It went much smoother after that.
Kitty and Kurt held their list between them and took turns calling out the names from their first shift. Once all four groups had gathered together they each headed towards their appointed area. One of the children assigned to go canoeing whined a bit, "I wanna go do crafts… I don't wanna go in the stupid boats!" Scott was about to try to console the child into accepting their assignment when Tabby intervened.
"Let it go, kid. Life sucks sometimes and you can consider this your little life lesson for the day. Now, let's go!" With those words of wisdom she grabbed the little boy's hand and dragged him after her, his little feet skidding and his voice fading as she relentlessly continued on paying his protests no heed. Logan shook his head while watching the blond leave, but did nothing to intervene. He didn't want to be stuck with the little whiner all day. Let Scott handle it.
Jean and Alex soon had most of the kids in their vests and happily frolicking in the water. There were a few who were not very confident swimmers and expressed extreme reluctance, life vests or no, to going in the water. Jean was still figuring out what to do about it when she turned to see Freddie sitting in the water waist deep with the both little boys and the little girls clambering all over him, their giggles and splashing filling the air. He himself wore a big grin at their easy acceptance and lack of mean-spirited comments. Jean nudged Alex; they shared a smile and continued with a very successful first round of the day.
In the main cabin it was a little surprising when Kurt took charge and successfully got the kids interested, excited, and organized. Pietro found plenty of time to flirt with Kitty, but was actually getting as much of a kick out of listening to the kids' ingenuous comments as both of his partners. They all three moved around the room a lot so they could be on hand to help little fingers that got caught up in the project materials and soothing frazzled nerves when things didn't turn out as ambitious little minds hoped. Kurt cracked a lot of jokes that helped keep everyone smiling, including Kitty and Pietro while Pietro brought a few blushes to Kitty's sweet face. She couldn't help feeling a twinge of guilt over it, though, and that niggling feeling kept her from responding to him with anything other than friendship. He was picking up on that, but still held out some hope.
If only things were going quite a smoothly with the other groups. Actually, the hiking crew was faring far better than those leading the canoeing expedition. Tabby's little companion was in tears still. Toad had grossed out the little girls he was watching over by eating a few bugs. They were now busting out with declarations of how gross he was and nothing else, including paddling. Scott was so frustrated with his teammates behavior that he had snapped a couple of times impatiently which left the rest of the kids staring up at him nervously, as though he'd say something nasty to them next if they made one wrong move. Mentally he wrote off this first group as a failure and was just riding it out until they rotated in hopes that they'd do better next time.
Over on the hiking trails, they three teens had decided to use different trails with each group of campers. It would keep them from getting too bored and would give the little guys more to talk about since they'd have different experiences to share. The first group went on the trail that wound along the side of the mountain as it was the most exposed and would be awfully hot later in the day. Off they went, with Lance in the lead, Rogue mingling in the midst of the campers, and Wanda at the rear to keep an eye on any stragglers. Not far into the hike, the kids started getting restless. Wanda had no idea what to do with them. This was totally outside her experience and knowledge. She shot a desperate look at the other two.
Lance started pointing out different plants and teaching the kids how to tell them apart. He hit pay dirt when he noticed some tracks crossing the trail. He showed them to the eager children and helped them figure out that it was a raccoon's trail. They all immediately began looking for more tracks, scanning the ground diligently as they trooped along. By the time they tired of that activity, Rogue was ready for them. She started singing some of the silly songs she remembered from her own childhood and the kids were soon singing happily along. She may not have the best voice, but she was putting on a good show of being upbeat and cheery and that was all it took to please the little hikers and have them deciding they liked her. When Wanda looked at her with some surprise at one point, Rogue just shrugged and started another song. When they stopped at a convenient clearing with rocks and logs scattered around to sit on, she admitted, "Hey, if it keeps them happy and not complaining or crying I'll do it, ya' know?"
"No complaints here," Wanda stated. "I'm just glad you knew what to do."
They started back after their little break and reconvened with the rest of the groups on time. By the time the buses drove away in a huge cloud of dust late that afternoon, the X-Men and Brotherhood kids were exhausted. They sat around a big outdoor fire after dinner that evening roasting marshmallows and sharing some of the more entertaining moments they'd experienced throughout the day.
Kurt was protesting his treatment at the hands of one of the more rambunctious, rebellious children who'd put glue in his hair. Now, with the holographic image turned off, they could all see the clumps in his fur that he was still struggling to remove. The others all tried not to laugh at his dilemma, but he did look pretty funny with little blue tufts sticking out in all directions atop his head. Kitty was grinning about the sweet little boy who'd given her a rather sticky kiss with lips purple from fruit juice. "Pietro even charmed a few of the little girls," she laughed. He blushed before admitting, "What can I say? It doesn't matter how young or old, the ladies love Quicksilver." Kurt just grunted as he yanked another bit of glue free.
Tabby groused about how annoying little kids were. "All they did was whine and complain. I swear Scott purposely gave me the obnoxious ones," she asserted with a glare at the young man in question. He only sighed and, though no one could see it, they could all tell he was rolling his eyes.
"No, Tabby, but the way you talked to them and treated them made them hate you."
"What's that supposed to mean?" she demanded, cradling a handful of her little explosive balls in her palms.
"He's right, yo! You wouldn't even help them paddle the boat, but made them do it all." Todd was quick to point out what he'd noticed.
Tabby sat back, crossing her arms and letting a sulky expression settle over her face. "Yeah, well I explained that. It was to help them build character."
Jean and Alex commented on how great a time they'd had with their kids. Alex even went on to say, "Yeah, and Fred was awesome. The kids just loved him and he never got irritated at all." Fred blushed by did smile at the unexpected praise.
"I thought today was fun," he stated. "It was a lot more fun than that challenge course, anyway," he added the sentiment to which everyone agreed.
"You guys haven't said much… how was the hiking?" Pietro asked Lance, Wanda, and Rogue.
Wanda shrugged saying, "It was hiking. There isn't much to say. We kept them out of the poison ivy and oak vines, out of trouble, and didn't lose anyone so I guess it was good. Lance is really smart about outdoor stuff," she thought to comment.
"Yeah," Rogue agreed. "He was teachin' them all this stuff about the trees, plants, and animal tracks. They thought he was pretty cool."
Not liking the wuss image he thought people were getting of him, Lance tried to distract their attention and turn it towards a better target. "That was nothing to Rogue's singing, though."
Wanda smiled, which was almost as startling to the others as Lance's declaration had been. "Wait a minute, back up… Rogue, like, sang?"
Rogue just shot Lance a menacing glare, which he returned with a satisfied smirk as no one was now paying him any attention. "It was no big deal… it kept the little guys quiet so Ah didn't have to listen to them complain, that's all." She may be playing it tough, but Wanda, whom Rogue had just mentally dubbed Benedict Arnold, didn't let it go.
"She was a regular girl scout, belting out all these funny little songs that the kids ate up like cotton candy." She chuckled, "I think my personal favorite must have been the one about the gopher guts. What about you, Lance?"
He got into it, too, further moving his name up Rogue's crud list. "Oh I don't know… that one was good, but the best had to be the one about wishing she was a little marshmallow."
By this time the shock had worn off and everyone else was laughing hysterically. "Yeah, yeah," Rogue grumbled. "Laugh it up, people… ya've got to go to sleep sometime and when you do Ah'll be there."
"Hey, no complaints on the singing from me, Rogue," Lance assured with hand raised in surrender, "It kept the little guys happy and that's what matters."
She only narrowed her eyes at him and sat back with a huff of irritation. Fred lifted his flaming marshmallow up to blow out the fire and proceeded to suck it in, his eyes closing blissfully as the sugary sweetness filled his mouth. "I love roasted marshmallows." The talk continued fairly peacefully with the kids even including Alex more. Having noted the fact that Rogue was at least being civil with him, all but Kurt felt that they could at least do the same. The German, however, was far slower to forgive.
Logan sat back, cigar clenched between his gleaming teeth as he watched all the kids chattering together in the warm glow of the fire. How are things going there, Logan? the professor wanted to know.
All right, Charles. I admit I thought ya' were crazy when I first heard this plan, but it actually seems to be working for the most part. He blew a stream of smoke upwards, watching it dissipate in the night air. I've gotta say, though, that I'm still upset about the way Scott, Jr. talked to Rogue yesterday. He needs to know it's not okay to deal with any girl that way.
Agreed, Logan. Perhaps, however, it would be best to wait until your return to the mansion to handle that particular issue.
Yeah, I guess you're right. How much longer do ya' think it will be before we can move to the next stage in this plan o' yours?
Not much longer, old friend. I would say two more days at the most; it's likely that we'll recall all of you sooner than that. In fact, the Acolytes are only waiting for your groups to settle down for the night before making their departure.
Gotcha. We'll wrap it up soon, Charles.
No rush, Logan. I'm relieved to learn things are going so smoothly. Logan only grunted, even though he was aware Charles would not be able to hear him. He looked up to see Rogue studying him while everyone else laughed and visited. His brow hiked, as was his custom, and she only tilted her head a bit. She knew something was up, but was willing to wait until it came out. Kurt appeared at her side then with a perfectly roasted marshmallow for her to eat. Thanking him, she broke eye contact with her mentor and turned her attention back to the group gathered together.
He watched the various kids hanging out and noticed the way Tabby was flirting with the Speedo kid. He could live with that; it was better than the punk trying to hook up with half-pint. She'd be out of her league with that one, in his opinion. Something told him, though, that Boom-Boom could handle him all right. He might not think much of this big scheme the professor had cooked up, but he'd known for awhile that the Tin Man wasn't with Magneto by choice. He seemed like an okay guy and would be a much better match for Shadowcat.
Kurt was still giving Alex the hairy eyeball, but other than that seemed okay with everyone. He knew the elf and Toad had already banded together to pull a couple of pranks on the other guys. Scott and Jean had finally come out as a couple, like that was supposed to be some kind of friggin' surprise or something. Blob was okay; a little slow, maybe, but he just needed a little direction and he'd be fine. The overgrown kid seemed like he'd follow anyone who showed him kindness. It was actually pretty sad in a way.
As his eyes continued scanning the group, the quiet raven-haired twin of Pietro caught his attention. Logan felt kind of bad for that Wanda girl. The others were friendly enough with her, but it was plain to see she was uncomfortable in most settings outside of battle. Rogue was sitting near the other loner, though, and the two seemed to at least get each other a little bit. Every once in awhile they'd exchange a remark or smirk. They both seemed content enough to be there, but not really be a part of things.
The truth was Rogue was the one of his kids right now that had him the most concerned. She always seemed on top of things and like she could handle anything at all that life through at her, but the night she'd lost control was still vivid in his mind and he hoped he never saw her that vulnerable or in that much agony again. Sometimes a little break in her expression would make him think that maybe her grip on things was less secure than she was letting on.
Picking up on a sound that no one else even heard, let alone would have taken notice of, he snuffed out his smoke and rose to his feet. Rogue instantly looked at him. Trying to be subtle and succeeding for the most part, she sauntered over to him asking, "What's up?" in a quiet voice.
"Just doing a quick perimeter check, Stripes. Nothing to worry about."
She gave him a cynical look and squinted one eye suspiciously at him, "Uh-huh… right." He was hoping she was going to let it go at that, but he should have known better. "So, what's up?"
He scratched his jaw as he contemplated what to say in answer. He didn't want to lie to her, but knew Charles would have his head if he let anything slip. She could read his dilemma in every movement. "Nevah mind, Logan. Ah'll be a good little X-Man and sit here pretending Ah have no idea the professor's up to somethin'. We'll eventually find out, though, right?"
Relieved that she was letting him off so easily, he let her know, "Yeah, kid. You'll know soon enough."
She nodded a little. "Okay, then." Only after he'd walked out of the light cast by the fire and disappeared into the woods did anyone other than Scott or Rogue notice his absence. When someone commented on it, Rogue just told them what he'd said about a quick perimeter check. It wasn't long after that that the group decided to douse the fire and head to bed. It had been a long and tiring day keeping up with those kids and doing it all without accessing any powers.
As they trudged back, Wanda and Rogue were hanging back a bit from the rest of the crowd. "You okay, Wanda?"
Wanda gave her a strange look before responding. "Why do you ask?"
Rogue gave a half shrug. "Ah don't know… ya're being quiet, even more so than usual and ya' seem more distracted or something."
"Why do you care?" Wanda knew her voice was coming out rather harshly, but she didn't know what to make of this conversation.
"Look, Ah was just makin' sure you were all right. That's what friends do. If ya' don't want ta talk about it, just say so!" Rogue was getting irritated now and felt angry that she was being forced to say this kind of crap when everyone knew she hated talking about her feelings and all that garbage.
Wanda stopped dead in her tracks. She blinked at Rogue who only cocked her hip and stood with crossed arms and a glower on her face. "We're friends?"
"Well, yeah… Ah think so," Rogue gruffly admitted. "But we don't hafta be, ya' know."
"No!" Wanda protested immediately. She instantly calmed and resumed her typical, hardened attitude. "No, that's cool."
"Fahne." Rogue just kept looking at Wanda, who had no idea what the other girl was waiting for. Rogue's left brow hiked up in perfect imitation of Logan. "So, are you okay?"
"Oh, yeah… I'll be fine."
Rogue knew she often felt the same way… though you weren't really 'okay' you knew you would be and you SO didn't want to talk to anyone about it. "Alrahght, then. We'd better get back." They both looked to where the others were already almost out of sight. Before they'd taken three steps, however, they were interrupted by a smooth, accented voice which Rogue felt like she was hearing every ten minutes lately.
"Mon chérie, what's dis song ya' were singin'? I would love ta hear it," he commented as he stepped up behind her and slid his arm around her waist.
"Not a chance, Gambit," she retorted with a mix of playfulness and firm resolve while pulling away from his arm. What was he thinking getting that close to her? What if he'd accidentally touched her? She did not need his thoughts and memories running around in her head any more than they already had thanks to past encounters.
"Aw, c'mon chère," he pled with no shame. Wanda was watching the entire exchange closely. At first she'd been shocked by their easy familiarity. It took only moments, though, for her to see the humor in the whole thing and start egging him on.
"It really was something… you ought to sing it for him." Teasing in such friendly ways was new territory for the normally angry young woman, but she found herself enjoying it more than she would have imagined.
"Ya' aren't helping much, Wanda," Rogue commented shooting a menacing glare at her 'friend'. Later they'd have to have a little talk about what friendships entailed, Rogue decided.
Seeing the look, Wanda decided maybe it was time to head to their cabin. Before she got very far, though, she saw the rest of her father's team. The big Russian guy nodded at her. He seemed relatively okay so she nodded back. The flame guy gave her a smirk and sauntered closer. "So, sheila, you look good tonight," he commented with a strange light in his eyes.
While John flirted with Wanda, who was trying to figure out what half of what he said meant Remy continued to coax what he wanted from Rogue. Her eyes squinted cynically as she demanded, "Are you usin' that 'charm' crap on meh, Cajun?"
"Non, Rogue. I only evah did that once wit' ya'. I'd really like ya' to do it for me cause ya' willin' an' ya' wanna give me somet'in' special b'fore Remy leaves in a little while."
Without stopped to self-edit, Rogue's runaway mouth got her in trouble as usual. "Ya're leavin'? Tonight?"
Remy fought hard to keep the grin from his lips. That inflection in her suddenly soft voice said it all. His belle femme was going to miss him. At last, some progress! She really was starting to open up to him. Rather than let his satisfied happiness show, he focused on her. "I wish I could stay, but dere really isn't any ot'er way. I promise ta' be wit' ya' 'gain soon, dough. Now, how 'bout dat song b'fore I gotta leave?" He'd edged closer as he murmured to her, running his fingers along her arm and over her hand, which was covered in lightweight gloves that made it easy to feel his touch. Her hand shook slightly under his caress.
"It's stupid, really Rems. Ya' don't want ta hear it, trust meh. This is not what ya' wat to have in ya' head when ya' go."
"S'il vous plait (Please), mon Rogue…" Remy didn't even clearly understand why it had become so important to him that she do this before he left. He wanted so much to be free to tell her all that was happening, but he'd given his word and that meant something to him. He wouldn't betray that, no matter how much he wished it. He knew this whole thing seemed stupid, but if she would do this for him he thought it would show a growing trust between them. It would have to for her to entrust him with something she obviously found embarrassing and humbling, two circumstances his Rogue avoided like the plague.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "Ah can't believe Ah'm gonna do this," she muttered and he knew it was true. She was starting to trust him, even if it was with nothing more important than some silly camp song. It may be a baby step, but he'd take it. Her low, husky voice was barely above a whisper and he knew only Victor would stand even the remotest chance of sharing this moment with him. "Oh Ah wish Ah were a little slice o' orange, slice o' orange; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little slice o' orange, slice o' orange; Ah'd go squirty, squirty, squirty ovah ev'rybody's shirty; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little slice o' orange."
She paused now, hoping that had been enough to satisfy him. He tilted his head down to be even closer to her while giving her an encouraging smile. She huffed at how obstinate he could be most of the time. Rogue picked the song up again. "Oh Ah wish Ah were a little marsh-mallow, marsh-mallow; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little marsh-mallow, marsh-mallow." Remy kept thinking how cute the way she hitched her voice in the middle of marshmallow to make it fit the rhythm of the song was to him. She kept going, looking down to avoid his eyes, which she was certain were full of mocking humor at her expense. "Ah'd go messy, messy, messy ovah ev'rybody's dressy; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little marsh-mallow."
Keeping her eyes averted she let her vulnerability show a little more. "Rems, Ah told ya' it was dumb. Let's stop now."
"Is dere more?" was all he asked. He didn't know how she could be oblivious to how adorable she was right now in his eyes. When she nodded he gave her hand a tug to wordlessly urge her on.
If it was possible, her singing was even quieter now. "Oh Ah wish Ah were a little mos-quito, mos-quito; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little mos-quito, mos-quito; Ah'd go bitey, bitey, bitey undah ev'rybody's nighty; Oh Ah wish Ah were a little mos-quito." She faded after that, finally admitting, "There were more verses, but Ah couldn't remembah them so we just did those a bunch o' times."
Remy tamped down the desire to let some of the comments that were racing through his mind as he knew that would only lead her to believe she was right about him. "I bet the kids loved it."
She gave her most genuine smile of the evening. "Yeah, they really did. It was kinda fun. Ah haven't spent a lotta time with kids, ya' know? It was fun, though."
When the metal orbs hummed into sight, Remy knew his time here had run out. For now, he had to leave her. "Looks like you're ride is here," she commented trying not to let it show that she thought she might actually regret his leaving. Rogue knew, deep down, that she was actually going to miss the swamp rat. Who knew how long he'd be busy with Magneto's missions? It could be months before she might see him again.
"Yeah, it's time for this Cajun ta' go, but I'll see ya' soon, cherie. Just when ya' least expect it ya'll turn 'round an' dere I'll be."
She scoffed, trying to play down her moments of weakness. "Yeah, lahke that's a good thing!"
Before she knew what he was planning, he leaned down to kiss the top of her head. "I'll miss ya', too, chere." Then he tugged her near for a tight hug before moving away. Just before distance forced them to release one another's hands, he lifted hers for a butterfly light kiss on her knuckles. Rogue watched him start to climb into the shiny sphere.
John soon distracted her by calling out, "See ya' later sheila!" Waving with careless exuberance, he shot a very flirtatious wink Wanda's way before the orb closed over his grinning countenance. Victor actually said goodbye, as well, in his own way. "Be careful and kick that punk's, well don't let him get away with anything else if he tries it," he grumbled, having remembered he probably ought to watch his mouth around the kid.
"Ah can handle it, thanks Victor," she even smiled a tiny bit as he disappeared. Piotr was too busy looking towards the warm yellow glow coming from the upstairs rooms in the girls' cabin to say any kind of farewells. As soon as the last of the balls whizzed away in the bright moonlight, Logan emerged from the trees.
"All right, time to hit the sack. Let's go now," his husky, grumpy voice told them. Even though he seemed as bad-tempered and harsh as ever, somehow both girls felt the rough affection and warmth that lay underneath and took comfort in it. Wanda was surprised that one of the first people she trusted would be this man, but there was simply something steadfast about this guy that you just knew you could count on when it came down to it. Rogue looked off in the direction the orbs had taken but finally moved on when Logan came up beside her, threw his massive arm around her shoulders, and said, "Come on, Stripes. He'll be back. Whether we like it or not." At his faux grumblings she let out a shaky little giggle.
"Ya' know deep down ya' lahke him, Logan," she teased back.
"Hmph!" was the reply he gave. So far he liked the thief more than he thought he would and more than he wanted to. The kid was being good to Rogue, was holding up his end of things, and seemed to follow through when he said he'd do something. He also brought out a side of Rogue they hadn't seen near enough of, but none of that would be admitted openly by the feral man who'd adopted an avuncular role when it came to the girls at the Institute. It would take an almost supernatural act to make him declare some guy good enough for one of his girls, Logan knew.
Rogue and Wanda entered and went directly to their rooms, their fatigue catching up to them now that things were quiet and still long enough for them to actually feel it. Rogue was about to turn out her light when Kitty's face phased through the wall opposite the bed to ask, "Rogue, where were you and Wanda for so long? We thought you got, like, lost or something," she joked with a laugh.
"No, we just," Rogue trailed off figuring out what to say that wouldn't sound suspicious and wouldn't be an out and out lie. "Uh, we were just takin' our time, talking, an' enjoying the night for a few minutes." Yeah, that would work.
Kitty's head tilted to one side curiously, looking far too much like her namesake for a moment. "Oh. Okay. Well, good night, Rogue," and then her head disappeared as quickly as it had poked through before. The entire camp, with the exception of Logan, was asleep in no time.
In the morning birds were singing cheery little tunes to greet the rising sun that shone down on a bright new day. There was a light breeze rustling through the leaves like soft wind chimes outside the windows. Workers were already bustling in the camp kitchen preparing food for the hungry campers and Logan had a steaming cup of coffee in hand as he strode down the upstairs hall pausing before each door to ensure the inhabitants were stirring inside. Kitty had music playing as she sang along. He could hear by her steps that she was bouncing around the room as she prepared for the day ahead.
Jean's room was quieter with steady, measured movements and the slight grating of the wooden drawers opening and closing. He moved along to hear Tabitha talking on a phone while she also listened to music cranked up even louder than Kitty's. From Wanda's room, on the other side, only the sounds of grousing and groans filtered through the wooden door so he let her know they only had ten minutes and immediately heard the tell-tale thunk of someone throwing something at the door. He chuckled while striding on to Rogue's door. There was barely the rustle of a sheet. Without mercy Logan banged once on the door. "Rise and shine, Stripes. Ten minutes until we meet for your daily assignments."
He heard her grunt a word he shouldn't let her get away with saying, but chose to let it go this time. She knew he could hear her so she didn't even raise her voice to announce, "Rogue's dead. Y'all just go 'head without her. Services will take place this afternoon." Logan couldn't help it, he barked out a short laugh that surprised even him.
"Come on, darlin'. You only wish you were dead. Now get up."
"Yeah, yeah…" he heard her grumble, but he could tell she was doing as he'd told her so he went back downstairs. The smells of their lotion and hair junk were irritating his sensitive nose. He decided to escape by checking on the boys to make sure they, too, would be on time.
Ten minutes later they all stood in a loosely formed semi-circle facing Logan. "Maybe ve'll have ze day off," Kurt suggested, though not very hopefully.
"Yeah, right," Pietro snarked.
"Pipe down," Logan ordered. He pointed to a pile of jumbled face masks, padding, and other equipment they couldn't quite make out. "After breakfast you'll have one and a half hours to take care of your tasks for today." He gave the grinning girls a smirk before turning to the boys, "You guys are gonna have to work fast to get all your stuff and theirs done in that amount of time." Everyone traded teasing remarks at this point. After a few minutes Logan got them to settle down again. "When time's up, you meet me back here so that we can sort out this gear and get you all set for the 'Last Man Standing' paintball fight."
"Sweet!" Tabitha yelled.
"Yo, finally something fun," Todd agreed.
Amidst other comments, Logan raised his voice. "So, are you skipping breakfast or what?" That had them scattering, their enthusiasm not dampened in the slightest. The chatter carried over throughout their meal and Logan knew this was a good idea. This one had been all him. He felt like they needed something a little easier after the past couple of days.
Soon the girls were gathered around the pool where they could relax while still watching the boys scurrying around doing double the workload. Rogue had even relaxed enough to sit out in a borrowed pair of shorts and cami. Her skin, unused to much exposure, was so pale she stayed in the protective shade, but it still felt good to bask in the heat without sweltering the entire time.
She waved at her brother who'd just teleported to deliver some trash to the dumpster behind the parking area. He returned her greeting and got back to work, eager to finish up. Kurt was looking forward to today's exercise as much as all the guys. By the time the guys were done, the girls were more than ready to get on with it as well. Rogue had changed into clothing that covered her more fully and had pulled her hair back out of the way, as had the rest of them.
The guys were there and ready to go to it when the girls arrived. There was some trash talk thrown around, but none of it was malicious. "Okay, listen up so we get on with this. Again you're not allowed to use any powers for this exercise. I mean it," he warned with a look around. He went on to outline the perimeter of the area they were allowed to use for their battle and then reminded them, "Don't forget, this is last man standing, so any alliances you might have lined up are only going to get you so far. Eventually there can only be one person left."
"Is it me, or does he sound like zat guy from Highlander?" Kurt asked Scott who laughed in reply. Scott had been in an exceptionally good mood since Jean and he had gone public with their feelings for one another. Right now he stood with an arm wrapped around Jean's shoulders as he shared in Kurt's joking.
Logan helped hand around the gear and then gave them three minutes to scatter before he declared the start of the game. He timed it on his watch and then called out the start. Scott and Jean had banded together, surprise, surprise, and were back to back behind a large tree. Kitty was tucked away somewhere waiting for the best time to strike. Tabby was sneaking up on Todd, who spied her sooner than she'd counted on and turned to shoot her first.
If it all moved this quickly then the exercise would be over way too soon. Thankfully the others learned from Tabitha's overconfidence and were playing it far more cautiously. She came to sit beside Logan, her non-stop commentary worse than the announcers during his beloved hockey games. Rogue was slinking around a massive tree, peering around it to watch what would happen next. Kurt began to move into a stronger strategic position, his path leading him to higher ground giving him the sightline advantage over his opponents. What he didn't notice was Wanda had already thought of that maneuver and was able to take him out.
He acknowledged the nice shot before traipsing up to where the other two were watching over events. Wanda, buoyed by her success, skirted the edges of the given perimeter obviously hoping to move in on Scott and Jean's position. Scott, however, noticed her movements and skillfully picked her off. She huffed, but said nothing as she exited the playing field. Todd was skulking about and managed to use the distraction Wanda inadvertently provided to catch Jean with a shot to the stomach. When Scott demanded to know if she was okay, Wanda rolled her eyes while Tabby made gagging sounds.
"It's a paintball, Cyke, not a nuke. She's fine. Red, off the field." Logan's words helped Scott see how ridiculous he was being and he turned his attention off his girlfriend and back to the game. While Todd gave a cry of triumph doing his version of a victory dance, Kitty calmly sniped him square in the chest. Her shot was so direct and in such close proximity that it knocked Todd off his feet. He let out a little squeal as he flew back to land on his rear end with a thud. "Oh man, that ain't hip in the slightest!"
Things were slow for awhile after that 'kill' since those left were being far more careful about leaving themselves open to attack. Pietro was stalking Kitty without noticing Lance trailing him surreptitiously. When Pietro shot her, hit paint marking her shoulder and knocking her out of the game, Lance poked his gun through the branches of the bush concealing him and hit Pietro in the back. Both of those who'd been hit moved out of range and made their way to the growing number of observers on the slope overlooking the valley Logan had selected for this morning.
Scott was making wise tactical decisions, but Rogue was quieter than both he and Lance, who'd given away his position when taking that last shot. She took out Lance and then raced off through the underbrush too quickly for Scott to get a good shot in. After twenty more minutes of waiting, the bulk of their group watched with bated breath as Scott made what would prove to be his fatal mistake. He focused too much on the obvious and ignored part of his surroundings.
Her team leader moved directly under the branch she'd been perched on for the better part of five minutes. She took aim and removed him from the competition. Scott let her know that she'd done a great job while she dropped from her tree and brushed the bits of bark and leaf off her legs. Scott shook her hand and she looked up at Logan waiting for praise that wouldn't come. Her mentor only shook his head. Seeing that she cocked her head to one side, wondering what the problem was when she felt the impact of a paintball against the center of her back.
"Did I win?" Fred wanted to know, a big, slightly goofy, grin on his pudgy face as he asked.
"Yeah, you won, Bub. Good work," Logan complimented the boy who'd had the sense to know when to sit tight and when to come out of hiding. Everyone congratulated Fred and then moved to put their gear away back in the main camp. "Lunch time, people." They all ate companionably enough, the groupings no longer being dictated by teams but mixing together.
After depositing their dirty trays, they all sat along the dock, their feet dangling in the water. Only Rogue left her shoes on and her feet folded up under her. Logan came to where they rested and she was the first to ask, "So, what's next?"
"You pack."
"What?" Kitty asked, wanting clarification.
"Something's up back at the Institute and we're all being recalled. We leave first thing in the morning. Get your things together and ready to go so we aren't stuck waiting around on anyone. After you're done with that, you can just have the rest of the day to relax since this may be your last chance for awhile."
"Is everything okay at home?" Scott wanted to know, concerned about the change in plans. Jean stood at his side sharing his trepidation that something may be wrong with the Professor or Storm.
"Don't worry, no one's hurt or in danger. Charles needs up back sooner than planned and we're expected to bring the Brotherhood with us. It'll be fine," he tried to assure them, not certain at all that he believed that himself.