Chapter 25
Gambit and his father catch up with Rogue who is trying to access the right memories to find Alicia. Unfortunately as soon as they reach a large hallway they're met with more men with more heavy weaponry.
"Ah don't have tahme for this crap," she mutters as she charges forward.
The men fire...but their bullets bounce off her body. She discovered this on a mission for Magneto. Her powers, her durability, had grown so now bullets didn't harm her...though it still did sting like a mosquito bite. Rogue soon has disarmed and laid the men out.
"A woman like that," Jean-Luc mutters, considering the possibilities of such a powerful person and what she could do for him.
Gambit knows what possibilities his father is thinking. "Don't even d'ink about it," he warns his father off as they walk over to where Rogue is.
Then suddenly there is a rumbling and the sound of thunder.
"A bit odd for a storm at this time of year," Jean-Luc idly remarks.
A small smile comes to Rogue's lips. She knows that sound well. "Oh you'd beh surprised where storms can pop up. Where ah live we get them quite frequently. This way!" she orders the two to get a move on.
They start running again to where Rogue thinks Alicia is only to run into more men and they're carrying really heavy weaponry. The stuff even Rogue can't take. She means geez, talk about overkill.
Then the whole house starts to vibrate and shake and the wall behind the men crumbles away as it is sucked up into the air by an enormous but compacted spinning vortex. It sucks away the men too.
The wind almost blows Rogue, Gambit and Jean-Luc off their feet.
They look up as Storm floats down, dressed in her costume, her eyes glowing white, looking every bit the wrathful weather goddess.
"That one controls the weather," Jean-Luc says in awe.
Gambit rolls his eyes, knowing what his father is thinking.
"Meet mah family," Rogue says...and she says it with pride having gotten a taste of what Gambit's father is like. And you know what she's not as surprised as you might think at Storm's appearance.
Storm glides down further, truly glad they were able to track this place down, seemingly in time. "Are you alright, Rogue?" she asks with concern, her fierce glare flickering to Gambit who must admit to feeling a tad nervous as to what this woman might do to him.
"Ah'm fahne," Rogue assures Storm. "But we need ta find Alicia."
"She's here. We know," Storm relays to Rogue that they are aware of the situation and then explains how they know. "Wolverine made a kind gentleman volunteer a story."
Rogue actually breaks out into a smile as she imagines that.
"Don't worry," Storm assures Rogue. "Domino and Mystique are on it."
Rogue's smile fades away. "What do ya mean Dom and Mystique are on it? Mystique's here?!"
"It was all we could do to stop her coming by herself. She was concerned about you," Storm explains.
"Ah...uh..." Rogue falters, not knowing what to say. She really didn't expect Mystique to come, what without her powers and all she's pretty vulnerable.
Before any of them get a chance to contemplate that further they come under fire from the rooftop.
Nightcrawler appears next to that man with his usual theatrical show. "I'll take zhis," he says as he grabs the gun and vanishes away.
Rogue has to smile at that too. God she can't believe she's actually missed this whole crazy X-Men show but what she is discovering right now is that she has. More than she'll ever admit.
She also sees many, many reinforcements coming to take them all down. If Dom and Mystique are on it(and she at least trusts Dom) then perhaps it is best she sees Gambit and his father to safety so with that the 3 of them run for the jetty while Storm rises back upward to provide the air cover.
Inside the house Dom and Mystique have broken in through a window. Dom draws her guns and leads the way. They barely exit through the door before they are under attack from 3 armed men. Dom returns fire while Mystique reaches in underneath the long black coat Dom is wearing and pulls out the 3rd gun Dom has strapped under her arm.
"Hey! That's mine!" Dom complains. She hates it when people steal her guns.
Mystique response is to shoot the 3 men dead-on with an ease even Dom would envy.
"Uh, wow, ok," Dom remarks, bemused. "Just remember it's a loan," she warns as the two walk on.
"Yeah, yeah," Mystique says dismissively.
"And keep it on the stun setting. Otherwise I'm leaving you to hang out to dry with the Doc when we get back," she also warns.
Mystique rolls her eyes. Xavier and his morals and ethics but for an easy life she'll agree to keep it non-lethal for the moment.
The two women make their way through the corridors checking room by room for Alicia, ignoring the commotion outside since that is the necessary distraction they require, until finally they find what they're looking for.
"Alicia!" Mystique cries as she runs over to the girl chained to a bed, a drip going into her arm.
Domino pulls the drip out and tastes the liquid on her tongue. "Whoa, that's strong stuff," she says as she spits it out. "Could be why she didn't show up on Cerebro. It's suppressing her metabolism so much it couldn't pick her up at this distance," she speculates. It was one thing none of them had been able to figure out after they found out Alicia was here. Why didn't she show up on Cerebro?
Mystique doesn't really care as she brushes the blond hair back affectionately, taking in her daughter.
Dom watches on, watches the older woman's real concern. It's clearly written on her face. She takes her gun back from Mystique, changes the settings and uses it to blast the chains apart before she re-holsters it. "Ok, you carry her, I'll cover you. We need to go," Dom advises, taking charge.
Mystique says nothing back but simply scoops her daughter up into her arms and gives Dom a nod that she's ready to go.
Outside Rogue, Gambit and Jean-Luc are being fired at from an upper walkway...well until it suddenly collapses that is, due to Wolverine cutting through the support beams.
Sadly there's a lot more men with a lot more fire-power on that walkway and with an angry snarl he methodically cuts his way through all the supports.
His help allows Rogue, Gambit and Jean-Luc to reach the end of the jetty and steal a boat.
More men take firing positions but Storm soon is sending bolts of lightning down upon them.
Meanwhile Nightcrawler has 'borrowed' his own boat. Wolverine rushes over and jumps in as they take off in pursuit of Rogue and company...who are also being pursued by at least 4 boats belonging to the assassins including one driven by their old friend from the jazz club; Julian.
Julian's face is full of determined anger. After all these damn years waiting he won't miss his chance to get rid of the LeBeaus once and for all and perhaps strike a fatal blow to the thieves guild.
"Look out!" Rogue calls out, pointing at a mine.
Gambit barely avoids it but one of their pursuers isn't so lucky and gets blown to bits.
Nightcrawler and Wolverine pull up side of Rogue's boat while Gambit hands the controls over to his father as he pulls out his pack of cards, charges them up and lets them go, carried on the wind, hitting another of the pursuing boats.
Logan pulls his boat up close to the shore as they approach an overhanging branch. With a quick pop of his claws he slices through it, letting it fall behind him right into the path of another of their pursuers.
That's all of them apart from Julian who pulls out his big gun and starts lobbing explosive rounds at the 2 boats ahead of him forcing them to make evasive manoeuvres, weaving through the roots of the Mango trees.
It sends Wolverine and Nightcrawler off course leaving Julian alone in his pursuit of Gambit. He is not letting them get away. Not this time.
The chase continues until Julian and his driver manages to pull up alongside, smashing into the side of Rogue, Gambit and Jean-Luc's boat, sending them flying off a tree root and spinning through the air, tipping all 3 out.
For Rogue she finds herself about to become gator food as she heads for a small group of them.
Despite her resilient body, instinct takes over and she covers her eyes, trying not to look at what is coming...
...except it never comes. No splash. No gators trying to chew her up. Nothing.
Rogue slowly uncovers her eyes to find herself...well to find herself just sort of floating there in mid-air.
"W-what tha hell?!" she exclaims at her current predicament. She can't fly. She's never flown before.
This is the situation when Wolverine and Nightcrawler finally catch up. Both blink in surprise at seeing the floating young woman. "Elf," Logan snaps of the stupor first. "Go fetch her," he instructs seeing she's rather stuck there.
"Right," Kurt says, his tone showing how off-put he is. He vanishes in his puff of blue smoke and reappears on Rogue's back. "So how's it hanging, sis?" he asks her with a great big goofy grin at his quip.
Rogue audibly groans at the terrible pun. "Kurt, have ah evah told ya y'all are tha annoying little brothah ah nevah wanted?"
"Many times," Kurt takes it in good humour.
"Uh huh. Ah meant it," Rogue says with a smirk showing she didn't.
Kurt chuckles and Rogue joins in as he teleports her to shore, next to where Jean-Luc has pulled himself out of the water which leaves Gambit in the water being encircled by Julian's boat.
Julian aims the boat right at Gambit who manages to swim just enough to the right out of the way but close enough to impart a charge on the boat as it passes by.
Julian and driver make a dive for it just moments before the boat blows up. They find themselves in the water near Gambit but before they can act a whirlwind rises up.
Storm has caught up and she soon sucks them into the air and flings them away. Where? Right now she doesn't care. Just away.
Gambit swims for shore, gasping for breath. He finds himself lying in front of a visibly pissed off Logan who has disembarked from his own boat.
Logan grabs the Cajun and throws him up against a tree, pops his right hand claws and prepares to end this like he promised. "You've had it, bub!" he snarls in rage.
"Logan! Stop!" Rogue calls out as she runs over. "Please. Leave him be," she requests.
Logan looks at her and than back to Gambit before with an irritated growl he retracts his claws. He shoves Gambit away and stalks over to his daughter. "We're going to have a long talk," he promises.
Rogue nods in acceptance. "Ah know," she says with a sigh at having to sit through that. She then turns her attentions to Gambit. She walks up to him.
"Rogue," he greets her with his charming voice and smile.
"Don't," she tells him off in icy tones. "Look ah get it. Ya wanted ta save your father. It was tha right thing but ya should have just asked for mah help," she lays it out for him. "Ya should have especially told meh mah sistah was in dangah," she tells him in anger and annoyance.
Rogue shakes her head and rubs her brow a moment, trying not to completely lose her temper. "Ya know something Gambit what ah can remembah from our tahme together is many occasions ah complained about how Mystique lied and used meh and yet what did ya do? Ya lied and used meh. Ah think ya tried in tha boat ta hint at how we have things in common. Maybe we do but ah can't beh with anyone who doesn't even show meh enough respect just ta tell meh tha truth and ask for mah help which ah probably would have given freely. Ah'm leaving with mah family. Ah am an X-Man. This trip has helped meh remembah that. What ya do...well is up ta ya. Ah recommend ya think long and hard why it is ya can talk yourself inta making a plan ya had ta know would hurt mah feelings...and please spare meh tha garbage it was nevah what ya intended ta do. Remember ah have your thoughts in mah head."
Gambit takes a moment. "So you don't care what Gambit does next?"
"Ah nevah said that," Rogue says with a sly smile.
Gambit returns it.
"But as ya are...it can't work. Ah'm not who ah was then. Secrets and lies...they're your life...just lahke mah ex. Funny that."
Gambit pouts. "Oh hey now you're hurting Gambit's feelings," he complains at being compared to whatever ex she is referring to.
"Ya get mah point. Ya would need ta change and you're not going ta. Not today anyway," she knows for certain. Remember his thoughts in her head.
Gambits nods in concession. What she's asking he can't give. At least not today. He takes her gloved hand into his. "Cherie, Gambit d'ink you will be fine now. You have people who look out for you," he says, gazing up at Storm, Nightcrawler and Wolverine. "Farewell," he says as he leaves with his father.
"Oh Gambit!" Rogue calls out making him pause. "Just ta say ah know what ya did with mah sistah and how ya used and left her so if ya evah do that ta her again ah'll make hell seem lahke paradise. Ya understand meh?" she asks him with deadly seriousness what she will do to him. He put Alicia in danger in the first place with his manipulations and so-called brilliant plans...and as much as Rogue might not like the idea the girl is family and it's sort of her duty to protect her sister. Hey, look how much she has grown up tonight.
Gambit nods. He gets it. He then leaves with his father this time.
Nightcrawler comes up and lays a hand on his sister's shoulder. "You ok?" he asks with worry for her.
Rogue looks down at her hand where Gambit has left a playing card. The Queen of Hearts. She smiles a little. It's not that he doesn't care for her. She knows he does yet he still chose to hurt her. And as for her...it's all too confusing right at the moment. Better they are apart from each other for now until she has a chance to sort her thoughts and feelings out. Hell sort her life out in general. In reply to Kurt she says, "Ah will beh...as soon as y'all explain what tha hell ya were thinking bringing Mystique along with ya!" she snaps, getting on to that.
"We'll explain when you explain what the hell you were up to!" Logan fires back.
"In a pig's eye ah will ya stubborn ox!" Rogue retorts defiantly, digging her heels in.
"Don't take that tone with your father!"
"Only by genetics!"
Storm looks to the heavens. "Guess things are back to normal," she mutters to the sky. She activates the homing beacon in her communicator. Now if things went according to plan Domino and Mystique took Alicia back to the Velocity and they'll bring the helicopter to here. In the meantime she just has to keep father and daughter from killing each other.
Yep things are definitely back to normal.
It doesn't take too long for the sound of the helicopter to reach their ears and then for it to appear above them, Dom at the controls.
She lands it nearby and cuts the engines. The side-door opens and she and Mystique hop down.
"How is Alicia?" Kurt wonders with concern for his sister.
"Sleeping," Dom replies. "They had her drugged up with something pretty potent. It'll probably take her awhile to sleep it off though a check-up from Beast would be advisable."
Rogue sighs. "She should beh fahne from what ah absorbed," she feels she should mention.
Mystique eyes her daughter, warring with herself over whether how she should show her concern. "Where's Gambit?" she asks instead.
"Gone," Logan answers.
"Shame," Mystique remarks.
Rogue's eyebrows rise. "What does that mean?"
"I was planning to rip his balls off for daring to touch my daughters," Mystique says with real vindictiveness.
Rogue makes a snort-like sound. "Why tha hell are ya here, Mystique?" she demands to know.
"Why do you think? My daughter was missing, apparently abducted. What else was I going to do but come here and rescue her?"
"Ah don't remembah ya rushing off after Alicia," Rogue critiques.
"I didn't know she was here. I assumed she left with the others to go to...well you know where."
"Not really. Magneto nevah filled meh in on tha details."
"Oh," Mystique says, caught out by that. She shakes it off. "My point is I thought she was safe with them. If I had known she had left with Gambit I would have been here days ago."
"Really?" Rogue asks sceptically.
"Yes!" Mystique insists. "Look Rogue I know you don't believe very much of what I say but despite everything I have done to you I never wanted you to be hurt...physically at least. I know I hurt you emotionally."
"Ya don't have a clue," Rogue states bluntly.
"Perhaps not," Mystique concedes. She has been coming to that conclusion herself these last few days as she spent time around the mansion and time around her children. "Yet knowing you wouldn't believe a word I say I came anyway didn't I?"
Rogue's green eyes narrow.
"Sis," Kurt says softly. "Give her zhe benefit of zhe doubt...please," he asks of her.
Rogue is torn. She doesn't want to yet she would at least consider her brother's request.
Then suddenly Mystique is pushing Rogue out of the way just as a gun shot goes off.
Julian.
They had all forgotten him but he had made his way here unseen and had been just biding his time, waiting to strike at the girl who had been with Gambit. The girl who helped ruin his plans and perhaps if he killed her that would at least be a small measure of payback and give Gambit an emotional wound. Unfortunately his shot missed her and hit the similar looking older woman instead.
In an instant Wolverine has reacted, his claws drawn and he slices...more than just the gun. 3 of Julian's fingers too. Logan then kicks the young man hard and sends him to the ground where he proceeds to slam his foot down on the man's chest. Logan's claws point down into his face. "Bub, I'm going to slice you up into pieces so small the worms won't even have to chew," he promises, mad as hell that this asshole tried to shoot his daughter.
"Logan!" Storm shouts sternly, knowing she must be her utter most commanding self to stop him carrying out that threat. "Logan," she repeats. "Calm down," she orders. "As tempting as it is he is not worth it," she tries to get through to him.
Logan is torn...but Storm's words do reach him in a way few others do. This boy's just lucky he didn't go completely berserker rage on him. Nothing would have stopped him then. He works hard to push down that very rage inside him. "Bub, get out of my sight and pray we never meet again," he says, his voice dripping with barely suppressed murderous intent.
Logan raises his foot and gives the boy a kick away as Julian scrambles off, holding his damaged hand.
Storm moves to place a hand on his shoulder. "I know that's difficult for you to hold it back but I'm very proud of you," she says in praise, giving him a small kiss as a reward. Later, when they're alone, she'll give him a much bigger reward.
Logan breathes deeply a few times, trying to calm his inner rage before he remembers the need to check on Mystique.
Mystique who is on the ground, blood flowing from a wound in her stomach as Dom tries to staunch the flow with her jacket. "Kurt, med-kit now," she orders. Kurt doesn't respond instantly, in shock at seeing his mother shot. Domino reaches for him and grabs his arm. She yanks him so they're face to face. "Nightcrawler," she states in her best bossy tone. "Med-kit now!" she orders him.
Kurt nods, teleports into the jet and reappears moments later with the med-kit as Domino gets to work on first aid.
Rogue is speechless. In shock even. Mystique...saved her? What the hell, what the hell, what the hell?! "Why?" she asks in a gasp.
This is not the 1st time Mystique has been shot in her life. She's not missed the sensation of being shot at all let her assure you. "Because you're my daughter," she replies to Rogue with pained breaths as if it is the most obvious thing to say in the world.
Rogue drops down to her knees. "But...but...I'm bulletproof," she points out.
"Oh, really?" Mystique asks. "Didn't know that," she confesses as she hisses in pain as Domino treats her.
"That was...stupid, Mama," Rogue states what it was.
"Yeah..." Mystique stops. "You called me Mama," she says in surprise.
Rogue's eyes dart back and forth quickly. It was just instinctual when she saw the woman lying there. The woman who just risked her life for Rogue's. She just burst out with Mama. "Ah...uh...can we talk about this latah when you're not dying," she says. She then looks at Dom. "She's not going ta die is she?" she asks with real worry.
"I can staunch the bleeding," Dom manages to relay, real belief in her voice she can do that. "But the bullet is still in there. We need to get her to Beast asap. She needs surgery."
"He's in Smallville, dealing with that crisis," Logan reminds everyone.
"Crisis? What crisis?" Rogue asks, not having a clue what's been going on.
"We'll tell you on the way," Dom decides. "Hairy?" she requests nodding her head down at Mystique, relaying that the woman is now stable enough to be moved into the helicopter.
Logan nods in return and bends down next to the fallen former shapeshifter, preparing to carry her into the helicopter. "This is gonna hurt. Just fair warning," he advises.
"Hurt more than giving birth to him," Mystique nods her head in Kurt's direction. "I don't think so," she dismisses any pain to compare to that.
"Mozher!" Kurt says, his cheeks under his fur red with embarrassment.
"Son, let me ask you who was in labour giving birth to who for 36 agonising hours?"
Kurt's got nothing to say in response to that.
Domino is beaming utterly amused by that. Yeah, what can compare to childbirth? Not that she has personal experience mind you though one day she thinks she might like to. When she finds the right guy.
Logan shakes his head. He didn't need to know that. He picks her up and Mystique tries to stifle the cry of pain. He then carries her to the helicopter where she is soon secured next to the sleeping Alicia.
Once everyone is on-board and strapped in they are quickly in the air and on their way to Kansas.
Author's Note: Rogue has to start flying at some point and I thought here was a good as place as anywhere to begin that evolution of her powers. In the end I don't think either Gambit or Rogue are in the right place to start something so better to let them be apart and think over things for awhile. I realised that if Rogue is ever going to start to believe Mystique might have changed she would have to do something pretty dramatic...like taking a bullet for her daughter. Thanks to everyone who wrote reviews. Next up; Cajun Spice/Scare Aftermath part 1.