Chapter 14
Kitty found the windshield wipers at last, and turned them on.
Kurt leaped into the front passenger seat and slammed his door, "Ok Kitty, we're all in! Let's go!"
Kitty tentatively put the Suburban in reverse... then stomped on the gas. The white Suburban jerked backwards.
"Wow! Lots of power!" Kitty commented gleefully. She found the drive position and again pressed the pedal all the way to the floor.
Talon's Suburban burned rubber for the exit, just as Scott's car roared into view. The sports car dodged around the heavy Suburban, but the X-van was not so nimble or fortunate. The armored Suburban creamed the side of the X-van, ramming it against the cement barrier. Kitty quickly threw the Suburban into reverse and again, stomped the accelerator. The powerful engine responded instantly, imprinting the rear bumper into the side of Scott's sports car. Rogue cringed, the diesel engine was now roaring to a high RPM but was going nowhere. Kitty hadn't shifted far enough forward for the drive position and was revving the engine in neutral. Kitty realizing her mistake, slapped the shift-stick into gear without letting up on the accelerator. The truck dropped into gear like a dragster and fishtailed for the gate, sending several sand barrels flying. Kitty quickly choose to faze the whole truck through the check booth and was gone. All that was left was the smell of burnt rubber and thick diesel exhaust settling over Gambit, Colossus and Rogue.
Rogue secured the battle rifle on her back, with her right hand, while her left drew Talon's twin blades. She passed one sword over to her right hand, "Play time's over."
Gambit and Colossus re-evaluated their position. The odds were increasing. First, with the arrival of all the X-men, tumbling out of their battered vehicles. And second, Talon's Suburban was off and gone. Why? Gambit was not sure, but he didn't like it. But worst of all, a deadly light danced along those blades and reflected in Rogue's eyes. Somehow Talon had dealt a bottom hand and now held the winning cards.
Alone, Rogue was a fierce fighter and certainly enough to deal with. But now, paired with Talon's skill, ferocity and weapons... Why even just now in the past fight, twice, Gambit thought he had been winning, but Talon managed to reverse the situation-- both times!
Gambit lowered his staff. "Well played Talon. I can see why Magneto wanted you on our side. Next time then." With that they withdrew as the X-men closed in.
"You still lose Talon!" Magneto shouted as he lifted off into the dark sky. The ground shook as a tremendous blow crushed the blue and white shipping container. "Don't ever think you could even try to match wits with me!" He laughed wickedly and was gone, followed by three metal spheres. The rain subsided to a gentle mist.
The X-men gathered in a semi-circle behind Rogue and stared in shock at the crushed shipping container.
"Bobby, Bezerker... No... Were we... too late?" Scott asked in disbelief.
Rogue sank to her knees exhausted from the relief, heedless of the deep puddles forming. "No," she returned the twin swords to their sheath. "You were just in time. The students are safe in Talon's Suburban and on their way back to the Institute."
Xavier's eye brows raised when he saw that Rogue was wearing Talon's armor and gear. "Rogue, what happened to Talon?" He asked.
"I don't know. He touched my hand, I felt his life force, and then, then..."
Logan stepped next to Rogue and placed a hand on her shoulder. "Talon, merged into her during the fight; her injuries were healed and she's taken on his moves."
Xavier reached out and placed his hand on Rogue's forehead. Concentrating, he said, "It's alright Rogue," opening his eyes as he reassured her. "I don't believe Talon was harmed. Although he's been difficult for me to read, I believe his mind is completely intact inside you. You may not realize it, but as Logan has observed, he is in fact greatly influencing your thoughts. This most likely is part of his ability."
"But he didn't know about my ability." Rogue said, her anxieties only slightly abated. "And how am I supposed to live a normal life if a guy is influencing my mind?!"
Xavier smiled, "The only part of Talon's mind that is asserting itself in your mind is the non-gender part that determines right from wrong, in your conscience. The rest of his mind and skills actually, appear to be at your service."
Rogue was not sure if this was good or bad news. "So we will part sometime soon. Right?"
Xavier raised his hands in helplessness, "Well, we'll have to see about that. The combination of both your powers is unique. Your own power copies others, and this has given Talon the perfect match to merge with. I don't believe there is any immediate danger to either of you right now. But the best thing for everyone to do is to get back to the institute where we can make a more thorough analysis."