"No John." He felt pressure on his upper arm, a gloved hand resting there. "We still have a minute and forty five seconds left."
"You got to be kidding me." He grouched. Getting up a ways, only to be wrenched back down by Rogue, her eyebrows rising with accusation.
"No. I am not. Sometimes things are all about the timin'."
"No one would ever guess that Scott Summers was in charge of this operation." He chuckled softy, getting another pointed look from the Southerner. "It has anal written all over it."
"Scott's not anal!" She gave him a dirty look, as she defended her leader. "He's just a perfectionist. And y'wouldn't say that about him if y'knew how many times his plans has saved our butts."
He peered through the bushes, hunched behind them with Rogue, both keeping their eyes on the two guards. Suddenly after a soft tap to her watch, Rogue got up. Putting a finger to her lips she took her jacket off and threw it under a tree, loosening her hair she put her fingers through it, bending down she grabbed some dirt, rubbing it against her face and her hair. Pulling something out of her pocket she made a jerking motion, a knife appearing. Slashing it forward and down, she ripped it through her shirt, tearing through the fabric of her tee shirt, leaving her stomach partway exposed.
"Well?" Rogue said after flicking the knife closed. "Convincing?"
He looked her over slowly, enjoying it, especially with her stern, overly bright green eyes staring at him.
"Well I don't know about that but it sure was fun to watch."
"Just what I would expect you t'say." She huffed softly. "Ok. here I go. Remember how we are goin' t'do this."
She walked a couple slow steps, picking up her pace after she made it through to the clearing, she took off in a run, straight towards the guards, their attention turning towards her nearly immediately.
"Help me!" Rogue cried loud, her words full of her accent, twisted with what one could have construed as fear. "My car. I ran out of gas.. and now someone is after me. " She took a big intake of air. "Y'gotta help me! He has a knife! He's still after me, I barely got away! Please."
She fell down onto her knees in front of one of the guards, causing the man to look questioningly at his partner, before leaning down. His hand came down slowly, reaching toward her shoulder.
"You shouldn't be here Miss. This is a restricted area."
Rogue brought her head upwards, staring at the tall, ominous gate, the long twisted fence that surrounded the compound that the two men were guarding. Taking on a look of shock, she continued to speak, her words coming out high pitched with anxiety.
"But someone is after me!" She repeated, even from where John was he could see the tears welling in her eyes. "Why won't you help me?"
The other guard positioned himself behind Rogue, sharing a nod with the other one.
"We don't see anyone Miss. "The man's voice took on a suspicion tone as he his partner glanced around them, both looking at each other as they shook their head. "We must ask you to leave. Now." He added, his words spoken firmly.
Rogue let out a loud breath, wiping her tears on her sleeve, she then stood up slowly, shaking slightly as if she was under duress.
"What has happened to generosity? T'the helpin' of others?" Her voice was still wracked with tremors, at least at first; it disappeared totally with what she said next, her tone becoming strong and sure, almost taunting. "Oh, wait I forgot. People like you don't know such things, in fact it's probably a job requirement not to."
Her words just finished the man in front of her was reaching for his gun, the man behind her doing the same. Rogue's shoulders straighten up sharply, palms outwards as if in a surrendering position, her gaze on them absolute and severe.
"Y'can't help a girl but y'have no problem shootin' one? What has this world come to?"
Standing up quickly her straight hand thrust forwards, jabbing the man in the throat, the guard gagging as he fell, clutching his neck. Rogue right leg followed swiftly after, her foot landed in his stomach, making the guy go stumbling backwards. Dropping down on all fours, she avoided being shot by the other person- just barely, her leg moving with a flash as it shot backwards and up, knocking the gun out of the man's hand that was still behind her. Rolling a ways she flipped upwards as she brought her body up, landing smoothly on her feet.
"Shouldn't have done that sugar. That was really uncalled for."
"I don't need a gun to stop you girl."
She laughed, raising her hands in front of her. Then brought one behind her back, something slipping out from underneath her shirt. Twisting it in her hand, the object extended, not stopping until she had a metal rod resting in both hands.
"That's for sure. Two feet in front of y'and y'didn't even graze me. Don't they even train y'in the basics here?"
The man lunged toward her with a yell, she twisted to the side, letting the metal staff slip down until her fingers grasped the end, twirling around she swung it, managing to get the man under his feet; clumsily and unprepared the man went hurling forward as he crashed on the ground. Rotating the rod in her hand she let it spin, both hands moving so fast that John had to focus to see them. She twirled it behind her back, flipped it upwards, and then caught it with in her left hand. Stopping her movement for a moment, the long weapon slowed down in momentum, but continued to turn as she moved one hand above the other. Walking forward once more, she jabbed it down, the weapon made contact just to the right of the man's right foot, making a deep hole as dirt sprayed across the man's uniform. She jabbed it again, this time to the left. Each time getting closer and closer to the man's body, continuing as the man dragged himself backwards and away from her.
"Well Pyro. Y'want to finish this one?"
The guard tried to turn around to look behind him, tried, because before he could finish John had already brought both his hands together, clasping them tightly he brought it down hard and without mercy. The man slumped backwards.
"Do you always play with them like that?" He asked her softly, somewhat impressed; Rogue's rather provocative fight stirring his mutation in a rather unexpected way, as it's warmth spread to the bottom of his hands, pulsing in his fingertips.
"Only when they make me sick to my stomach."
John's eyes traveled across the length of the metal rod, a burning desire to touch it filled him, his gaze stopping at her gloved hands which were clutching possessively on the thing.
"And your hot weapon?"
"A gift from Gambit." She shrugged, tilting her head to the side as she looked at him, some sort of question on her face, one she seemed not willing to ask. "Not all of us depend on our mutation t'survive." Pressing a small button, the metal rod collapsed into itself until it was barely the size of ruler, only thicker and more solid. "So y'goin' t'help me move these guys?"
"Are you sure you need my help?"
"Yeah. Y'get the stupid one, I'll get Mr. Insensitivity."
John's eyebrow rose as he looked at each downed guard in turn.
"You going to tell me which one is which?"
Winking at him, she leaned down, latching her hands onto one of the guards.
"It doesn't really matter, just hurry up."
"No need to get bossy."
"Y'know y'like it Johnny."
John looked down, disgust rising in him as he stared at the one Rogue had taken out first. A young kid who probably was barely past his eighteen birthday. He pulled on him, taking him in the general direction Rogue was heading in. Disposing of the two, who looked like they wouldn't be waking up any time soon, Rogue went back and got her jacket, putting the long thing over her body, buttoning the top two buttons she then quickly twisted her hair back into a ponytail; but then as if she anciently pulled a muscle from the swift action, she went stiff, her eyes going large, and she became still.
"Rogue?"
She slowly moved her hand forward, bringing it in front of her leg, raising it slowly in a stop gesture, something in her expression making him become as motionless as her.
"I know y'are there." Rogue suddenly said, her voice traveling around her. "Y'are goin' to have t'do more than steal from S.H.I.E.L.D. t'get by us, especially when I could smell y'sweatin' twenty yards ago."
Looking around him, John saw nothing, Just Rogue standing in front of him a couple feet away, her body stiff, as if she was ready to recoil into action. He heard a cracking sound behind him, almost that of someone taking a step, but turning around he still didn't see anything. Taking a coupe steps forward and to the side, he turned his attention back forward, seeing just barely, a branch moving to the side, unnaturally so, since there was no wind that night. He took a deep breath, smelling nothing but the obvious signs of nature.
"It's only right t'warn you. Fury gave us the failsafe code to render your suits unoperative."
She sniffed slowly, taking a large inhale of breath.
"I did warn you. Remember that when y'wake up from your painful slumber."
Bringing a hand in front of her, she slapped her left wrist hard against her leg, immediately the sound of electricity crackling filled the area, images emerging out of nowhere, just specters of light that were in the undeniable shape of a human beings.
"John, don't let them touch you."
Grabbing onto him, she led him through the forms, ones that were becoming more and more substantial, he could see that they were writhing; moans, and sounds of pain filled the area, dimming as they left the once invisible beings behind them.
"What was that?"
They were once more in the wooded area, Rogue had allowed them to slow down, her head moving back and forth, as she kept her view around her, yet he was pretty sure her attention was directly behind them, even without her turning in that direction.
"The enemy trying t'be clever." She shook her head, wincing somewhat. "But it doesn't pay t'steal from Colonel Fury, or S.H.I.E.L.D., especially not when they are the few organizations that we still assist, not t'mention ones that help us, when we perform certain services for them."
"And they were inv.." He started his question, but his mouth closed, when Rogue turned around. She placed a hand against his chest, dropping it when John stared at her, not able to stop the suggestive smile from appearing on his face.
"No more times for questions John." She tilted her head to the side, breathing slowly. "We are bein' followed."
"I guess that that means.." He started as he looked behind him, once again not quite sure how she was capable of picking up anything, let alone anyone behind them. All he heard was crickets, the sound of some sort of water trickling- probably a river near them, and a vehicle passing them every once and a while, but they were near a traveled road.
"That everything is going as Scott planned."
"So we..."
"We run. Fast."
"Are you going to compete all my sentences or can I finish something on my own?"
She turned toward him, taking a couple steps forward, ones that brought her extremely close to him. The tips of her shoes touching his as she leaned towards him, close enough that he felt her cool breath filtering down on his face as she spoke. John could practically see the sparks of activity in her orbs of green, the hairs rising on his arms as she lowered her voice to a warm whisper.
"I'm sure you're really good at finishin' things Johnny, perhaps even startin' them. Too bad you have never been good at sharin' things." There was something behind those words, an innuendo of sorts that he couldn't quite figure out.
Backing up quickly Rogue twisted around and took off running, but not before she flashed him a flirty grin, and another playful wink.
"Hey!" John shouted at her departing back, not caring in the least if their hunters heard him. He felt something burning in his chest, a hum of stimulation that had him quickly following after her. "I can share!"