Disclaimer: I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

Scene Eleven

"Venu, stop!"

At those words, the creature looked around bemused. His beady red eyes came to rest upon a gathering of townsfolk, carrying flashlights. Some of them were hastily dressed, with outside coats thrown on over pyjamas and nightgowns. Some were old and weary. Some were young and full of excitement. Not one of them seemed shocked by the sight of the mutant before them.

Leading the gathering, Marjorie addressed the creature. Despite being dressed in an outdated floral print nightgown and fluffy pink slippers, her voice demanded respect.

"Venu, put them girls down right now." To the X-Girls' amazement, Venu did exactly what he was asked. He even paused to turn Shadowcat the right way up before depositing her. Marjorie nodded her approval, before saying, "That's quite enough of your mischief for one night mister. Go on, be off with you. Shoo!" She flapped an imaginary apron at the creature, which grunted and slowly trundled off into the night. Jean and the others could only watch in amazement as their foe sauntered off peaceably, leaving the girls to be surrounded by the angry townsfolk.

"I told you girls not to go out after dark!" Marjorie objected, "Now you've seen what happens. How could you be so cruel to that poor creature?"

"Us? Cruel?" Rogue was the first to find her voice. "Lady we only…"

"We thought he was a threat," Jean cut in, trying to smooth things over. "That the town was being terrorised or…something." She tailed off as Marjorie threw up her hands in disgust.

"Why would you go thinking a silly thing like that?"

"Look lady," Tabitha pouted with her hands on her hips. "This town is a dump, and you're obviously paranoid, what else were we supposed to think?" There was a murmur of voices through the crowd, as Marjorie sighed and her expression softened.

"Oh girls, I'm sorry. You weren't to know. This town is an economic disaster. There is no work, no money, not since the mine closed. That's why Barrow is a mess, not because of Venu. These days protecting him is the only reason so many of us stay. We could leave, but he's got no place else to go. It ain't his fault he's the way he is. He's been that way since all us old folk here were children, perhaps longer. He's a little slow-witted, and he don't understand that times change."

"Isn't he dangerous?" Kitty wanted to know.

"Sure, if you upset him," a young man who stood next to Marjorie said. "He'd have seeded you if we'd not come along when we did. Sucked out your energy and left you withered husks. He can't help that, it's just the way he is. To those that know him, he's not dangerous at all. At least he's not more dangerous than crossing the road, or getting behind the wheel of a car. Marjorie here, she just speaks to him like she does all us naughty boys. He knows she's the boss, same as the rest of us."

"Derren here is our mechanic," Majorie told the girls, shooting the dashing young blond a motherly glance. Tabitha was already drooling; Blaze had to elbow the other girl in the ribs to get her to close her mouth. "He'll fix your car tomorrow, then you can be on your way."

"Thank you," Jean replied sincerely, "but before we go we'd like to apologise for the trouble we've caused, and if it's okay with the others I've got just the idea how we can do that…"

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"Eugh," Blaze moaned, dunking a paintbrush in a tin of whitewash before applying it to a wall. "Manual labour is really not my thing. I've already broken two nails. Does Jean even know how much a manicure costs?"

"Give it up B," Tabitha told the redhead. "You know this is the least we can do for trashing their town."

"I know, I know," the English girl admitted sensibly. She suddenly show her fellow painter a wicked glance. "Tabs, you've got paint on you."

"Where?"

"Everywhere!" laughed Blaze, flicking her paintbrush at Boom Boom. White paint dotted Tabby across the nose and cheek. With a laugh Tabby returned the favour, complimenting the redhead's natural freckles with white ones. In seconds a full paint-flicking flight was underway.

"Tabby and Blaze have got more paint on each other than on that wall," said Kitty as she leant on the long-handled broom she was using to sweep up the remains of the phone booth. Jean chuckled, pausing midway through telekinetically replacing one of the broken paving slabs to look over at the two painters.

"So long as some of it goes on the wall, I think we can let them off, don't you?"

"Never thought we'd get a lesson in humility in a backwater like this," said Rogue, looking up from where she was oiling a rusty store stutter. "Who'd ah thought a whole town existin' solely to look after a vulnerable mutant. Makes yah think."

"Yeah," agreed Kitty. "I just wish more humans were like the ones here."

"Venu's been around a long time," pointed out Jean. "His energy absorbing ability had dramatically extended his life span. The people here have had a long time to get used to him. Maybe in time the rest of the world will get used to us too."

"Ah hope so," Rogue admitted.

"Lets face it," Kitty said, "if anyone can make the rest of the world open their eyes and see us as part of humanity like the people here see Venu, then it's the Professor."

"Speaking o' the Professor, ain't it time we got back to our actual misson?" Rogue asked. "The car's been ready for hours."

"Did Tabitha get Derren's phone number yet?" Jean wanted to know.

"Yeah, when he dropped the car off."

"Then I guess we should head out," Jean agreed. "Just as soon as Tabby and Blaze wash that paint off. They are not getting in my car like that…"