Siren opened her mouth to scream, but Philip held up a hand and tugged on her arm with his other hand. "That'll affect us all—come on Siren." Siren shut her mouth and followed Philip who dodged his way through the path ahead, making a clear way for her to follow. Behind her, little Bethany stumbled along, trying to keep up. She was very much shorter than everyone else and in this situation it was a dire disability to her.
"Bethany, come on!" Philip urged, hanging back for half a moment as Siren zipped in front of him. He latched on to Bethany's hand and tugged her hard. Bethany almost stumbled as he took off, tightly handing on to her and making sure she ran at a more acceptable speed. "Can't you, like, do your time thing on them?" Philip asked her.
Bethany's eyes were wide with fear and she was already huffing from the effort of running. "There's too m-many." She stuttered. "I can't stop them all."
One particular mutant jumped forward directly for the two mutants. Bethany shrieked and turned on the spot, holding up both hands in front of her face. The mutant slowed in the air to a slow-motion descent and Philip quickly tugged Bethany back around. "Let's go!" They hopped over a fallen tree trunk and scrambled to keep up with the group ahead of them.
Just behind them, two other mutants rushed forward and were gaining on them quickly. Bethany could not keep up fast enough to evade their chasers and it was only a matter of moments before they would catch up with them. "Faster!" Philip urged. Bethany squeaked in pain and fright as she pushed her little legs to the maximum, desperately trying to escape.
Sam suddenly appeared beside them and he ordered them forward. "Go!" He shouted with an uncharacteristic firm determination in his voice. Energy crackled around him as fire ignited under his feet. Instead of using this to propel himself however, Sam stood still and yelled in agony as a large shield began to expand from the energy pooling at his feet. It was small at first, but rapidly grew and by the time the two mutants had reached his location, the shield was up and functional. They bounced back off of it with force and their eyes narrowed hatefully.
One boy, a black kid who seemed no older than Zack, howled with fury as spikes started to grow out of his skin. Sam flinched as he realized the spikes were actually bones that were poking out of the kid's skin. The kid wasted no time in aiming his bone spikes at Sam and unleashing a barricade of them against the shield. Sam fought to absorb the force of the spikes rather than let it wear his shield down, but the other mutant had started attacking too.
The other mutant held a hand up against the side of Sam's shield and Sam jolted back in surprise and shock as a hole ripped open where the man's hand touched his shield. The adult mutant—who seemed fully capable in his abilities—was absorbing Sam's shield into himself! Sam knew the shield was pure energy and he hated to think what the mutant could do with such an advantage if he sucked up the whole shield.
Nightcrawler appeared beside Sam with a poof of brimstone smoke and grabbed Sam's hand. "Drop the shield!" Nightcrawler cried. Sam quickly obeyed and for one heart stopping moment, Sam thought they were both surely dead as Spikey boy shot twin spikes at them out of his forearms, but the certainty of their death was quickly dissolved as a sickening hollow feeling took over his body and the world around him disappeared for half a second.
They reappeared with the group of mutants and Kurt and Sam both stumbled for a moment before their comrades pushed them onward. Kurt was not used to having to teleport multiple parties and he'd already done so quite a few times already earlier that day. It was exhausting work to have to carry passengers with his teleporting. He shook his head, trying to drive away the dizziness, as he was pushed forward with the group of fleeing mutants. Kurt counted ten of them: Rahne, Sam, Zack, Beth, Magenta, Paige, Sparks, Jubilee, Philip, and Siren. He had never before teleported that many at once, and he certainly didn't have much training in teleporting when he was exhausted already. He preferred to let that be a last choice option.
They were still being chased, but there was some distance between them. Sam's shield had held off the foremost for a short while and Bethany had slowed one before he'd caught up to them. Rahne was already mutated into her wolf form and her head swung backwards momentarily as she scanned their pursuers. She had better eyesight than any of them in this form and she made out six distinct shadows in the forest.
"Rwers rex ro zem." She growled out, fighting to get the words out. It was almost impossible to speak through her elongated canines. She loped through the forest floor as Zack followed behind her.
"She wants sex with them?" Jubilee interpreted, sprinting beside Wolfsbane.
Zack shot Jubilee a dark look. "She said there's six of them."
"What?" Jubilee asked innocently. "Don't look at me, I don't speak dog."
"Funny." Sparks coughed, aligned alongside Jubilee's right. "I thought you were familiar with the bitch language."
Quicker than he could follow, Jubilee lashed out and backhanded him lightly with the side of her hand as she ran. "No one said you could talk, midget."
"Bitch!" Sparks shouted, his eyes glowing with a familiar power as his hands started to crackle.
"Guys!" Magenta called out desperately. All eyes turned to her and Sparks dropped his power at the sight of her. Magenta's eyes were glowing bright purple again and the glow had grown to encompass her whole body. Tears were dripping from her eyes as she fought to contain her power and continue running at the same time.
"Magenta!" Paige called out. Magenta was one of her roommates and, despite the age differences, the girls were friends. Paige looked out for the girl like a little sister. Paige made her way over to Magenta's side and a small glitter broke out on her hand.
"No, Paige!" Jubilee cried in alarm. "Don't!"
But it was too late. Paige groaned as her outer layer of skin started to peel and husk away. Along with it, Jubilee's jacket and Sparks jeans disintegrated with the transformation. Paige shuddered and nearly tripped before Zack caught her arm and kept her upright as Magenta came to a shuddering halt as the glow surrounding her brightened considerably. "Not my jacket…" Jubilee lamented. "I told you to take that off before you turn into a human corn husk again!"
"Your jacket!" Sparks raged, halting beside Jubilee. "She just disintegrated my pants!" Everyone else stopped their forward motion and turned back to where the footsteps were rapidly approaching behind them.
Paige, now in a complete diamond form, rushed over to Magenta and turned the girl so that she faced the opposite way they were running, towards the enemy. She hugged herself to the girl's back, covering as much exposed glowing skin as possible. Not four seconds after Paige had thrown herself on Magenta, the glow reached an eye-injuring bright purple and shot outward.
Paige was thrown off Magenta with the force of the blast and only stopped when her back crashed into a thick tree trunk and effectively cut off her motion. But Paige's intentions had been served. The blast that would have blasted them all ended up only hitting her and Magenta's unprotected front blasted forward. The light blast pitched forward and knocked into all six mutants behind them.
Four of the six mutants were thrown to the ground with the force of the light blast. The other two stumbled momentarily before finding their footing again and pressing on after them. Magenta collapsed to the ground, completely spent and exhausted. Zack knelt down and scooped the depleted girl up before rising and gesturing at the ground in front of one of the mutants chasing them. Two thick tree roots wound their way up through the ground and circled around the mutant's ankles, effectively stopping him in place. The guy yelped in surprise and tripped. Zack manipulated the root to crawl all the way up the man's legs and lock in place.
Unfortunately, the time spent to do that allowed the last mutant to get too close. The mutant threw forward both hands and a stream of pure energy shot out of his hands and struck Zack in the chest, throwing him backwards and burning his chest. Zack started to choke as he hit the ground and began coughing violently, clutching Magenta close to his chest to protect her.
"Oh no you don't!" Jubilee snapped angrily. "Make Paige burn up my jacket and you think you can get away with that?! Nuh-uh!" The man turned to shoot a blast at her too, but Jubilee was too quick for him. She rolled out of the way so the blast hit the dirt instead and burned through a few leaves.
Jubilee sprung to her feet and generated several streams of plasmoids at her fingertips. She shot these plasmoids at the mutant and was rewarded when they struck low at his legs and he clutched his leg in pain as the plasmoids burned through his skin and touched the tender muscle underneath. "Yeah, boy, how do you like them fireworks?!"
A shock of electricity jolted the man's other side and he spasmed once before passing out cold on the ground. Jubilee glanced over to her right and saw that Sparks fingers were zapping with electrical energy, leftover from a discharge he'd just released. She narrowed her eyes at him. "Thanks, hotshot, but I had him fine myself."
Sparks sneered at her. "Guess it might be hard for a girl with dyscalculia, but simple math will tell you that two on one gives you a better shot." Jubilee's face whitened at the mention of her condition. Sparks noticed her color draining and smiled cruelly. "What's amatter, Jubes? Didn't know that anyone knew about your learning disabilities—don't worry, nobody dares to call them retards anymore. It's too offensive for feeble minds to take." He mocked her openly, grinning sadistically as if he got the ultimate high from her embarrassment and discomfort.
For once, Jubilee had nothing to say back to him. No quick, cunning comeback or swift attack, nothing. She stood stock still, momentarily frozen to the spot, all color drained from her face. "Hit a soft spot?" Sparks scorned. "Didn't know bitches had those."
Kurt suddenly appeared between them and held out his hands as if to stop them from coming closer to attack each other. "Stop vis." He commanded firmly. "We have to go. Ze danger is not over." He gestured to the four fallen mutants that Bethany had knocked over. Bethany's blast literally zapped a person of their energy entirely and scoured pain through the body, but these guys were determined. They were already trying to crawl back to their feet. "Go." Kurt nodded towards Sparks in the other direction. Sparks shot a look back over his shoulder then began gathering his teammates up to get on the move again.
"Jubilee? Are you okay?" It took Jubilee a moment to let Kurt's question register. She nodded. She wasn't hurt, at least not physically. Sparks comments struck way too close to home and Jubilee had zoned out for a minute, returning to her childhood in math class. It wasn't a memory she wanted to relive. Jubilee swallowed thickly and shook herself mentally. It's just Sparks being an asshole. She told herself. How he had figured out her condition was beyond her, but she couldn't let him see how much it affected her. He'd just use that in the future to provoke her. Jubilee shook her head, trying to clear her mind.
Kurt was staring at her in concern. "Are you sure?" He asked her again, doubtfully.
"I'm fine, Kurt." She put on a bright, fake smile. "Let's get this show on the road huh? Want me to knock out our troupers before we head off?" She asked, gesturing behind her shoulder.
Kurt's eyes followed her hands. "I zink we'll be alright." He commented. Jubilee glanced back over her shoulder to see that Rahne was methodically smashing her head against each mutant she came up to. Zack had restrained them all with thick roots and Rahne knocked them out, one by one as she came upon them.
"Okay then." She nodded at the odd display. "Let's wolf-out."
Kurt gave her a dark look and Jubilee complained amiably. "Why does everyone always give me that look?"
---
Tessa put her hand in an electric scanner and leaned close by the pad. "Tessa. Verification code 29403859343753956474745659897543221457, codename Sage. Enter New participant to the system." Tessa drew back her hand and shook it, as if the scanner had injured her. She turned around to Rogue again. "Okay, so put your hand in the scanner and give your name. Then say 'Verification code' and make up a number that you can easily remember and then give out your codename. The machine's got a voice recognition computed in so it'll take in your voice waves and recognize your signature when you speak into it."
Rogue blinked. "Isn't that a lot for access into a training room?"
"It'll give you access to everywhere in the building." Tessa explained. "You really can't be too careful when you've got a base full of mutants-some can imitate voice, read your code, decipher into the technology, a lot of different things. So it's only precautionary, you know."
"Right." Rogue nodded unsurely. She stepped up to the pad and held out her hand. Tessa helped fit her palm onto the pad and a little light started bleeping as a bright yellow light started scanning her palm up and down. "Mah verification code doesn't have to be 500 numbers lihke yours, does it?"
Tessa smiled. "No, it can be as short as five numbers."
"Then why the heck do ya have such a long verification number?"
Tessa gestured towards the pad. "Just a second—you've got to speak into it now."
Rogue turned back to the pad and leaned in, the way she had seen Tessa do. "Uhm…" Rogue started, unsure. "Marie." Tessa chuckled. When Rogue turned to look at her, she gestured back at the machine. "Verification code 58392, codename Rogue." The machine gave a soft bleep then something sharp stabbed into her finger. "Ow!" Rogue cried, drawing away her hand in surprise and pain. "Ya didn't tell meh that it was gunna bite meh!"
Tessa giggled at her. "You weren't supposed to say 'uhm' first, you know."
"What?" Rogue asked, rubbing her finger. There was a tiny little pinprick of blood, but it was nothing serious and the pain had already disappeared. It was like getting a needle injection pinch.
"The machine," Tessa gestured again. "It recorded your uncertainty. You're going to have to say 'uhm' now every time you say your first name into the machine."
Rogue frowned as Tessa grinned at her. "Ah can't redo it?"
"Not right now." Tessa said, obviously still amused.
Rogue dropped her wrist and started following Tessa into the next room. "So why is ya'r code so long? An' how do ya even remember that?"
Tessa smiled softly. "It's a part of my mutation."
"Another manifestation?" Rogue asked, awed by how many mutations this girl had received.
Tessa nodded. "I was blessed with a lot of good mutations."
"So what cahn ya do?" Rogue questioned. "All ya'r mutations. What are they?"
Tessa paused for a moment and Rogue glanced up at the new room they were in. It was huge, easily twice the size of two football fields long and half that across. There was nothing in the immediate vicinity, but Rogue could make out various weapons on the far wall. They ranged from hand to hand battling weapons to long range ones. "Interesting empty room." Rogue commented wryly.
"This is the training room. We practice with all sorts of weapons and situations and simulations. You'll start practice tomorrow with me." Tessa turned and nodded at her. "Anyway, I have photographic memory—as in I can remember every single moment of every life occurrence, that's why I made my confirmation number so long." Tessa shrugged. "I feel safer with a longer number because others aren't likely to remember it, even if they hear me say it. No one's going to be able to use my identity in this place."
Rogue arched an eyebrow. "Ah'll have to keep that in mahnd an' watch what Ah say then."
Tessa smiled shyly. "I'm also a supernatural multi-tasker."
"Yeah?" Rogue asked suspiciously. "They have a mutation fohr that now too?"
Tessa nodded, very serious. "They do. I can process up to eight different things at one time and still function as well as if I were just focusing on one thing. I'm doing so right now, actually."
"Really?" Rogue asked, interested. "What're you doing, besides talking to meh?"
"I'm reviewing moves from my tai chi trainer that I'm going to teach you tomorrow, recalling the weather forecast for the weekend, sending a message to Shaw that you're awake and okay—he wanted to talk to you after I showed you around, going over a chess game I played just before you woke up while telling Zip what her exact errors were while playing, and listening to a video footage of a movie being replayed in my mind." Tessa shook her head dismissively. "Sorry about that last one—my mind wanders sometimes."
"Oh yeah?" Rogue asked, slightly disbelieving. "Well then, what's the weather for the week?"
"After today? Wednesday's heavy rain with a 16 percent chance of sun after three. High is 74, low's 62, humidity's at 29 percent with high probability for—"
"Okay, okay, Ah believe ya." Tessa smiled and her eyes twinkled. "Damn, Tess. You've got a lot of great mutations there. Anythin' else Ah should know about? Telepathic, teleporter, mutant ability advancer, projector of little holographic thingies, photographic memory and the ability to multi-task at super-human levels—do ya know how insane that is? Is there anything ya can't do?"
"Fly." Tessa responded quickly. "I've always wanted to fly." She gave Rogue a longing stare. "I heard that you could do it."
"From who?" Rogue questioned, befuddled.
"On our way to this room, some of the guys were talking in the coffee room about you."
Rogue's eyebrows rose. "Right—multitasking. Well, they were lyin'. Ah certainly don't know how ta fly."
"Yes you do." Tessa protested.
Rogue paused. "…Actually, Ah'm pretty sure Ah can't."
Tessa looked slightly abashed again, but more so uncomfortable. "You, uh, sort of do." Rogue stared at her. "When you…uhm, when Carol forced herself on you, you got her flight ability along with her others." Rogue opened her mouth to speak, but Tessa hurried on. "I can sense that her powers are strong in you—stronger than the others, which means they're permanently in place. That's why they haven't gone away."
Rogue guffawed for a moment before she found her voice. "…why Ah still have her strength?" Tessa nodded and Rogue's brow suddenly furrowed in anger. "How do ya know all that about meh? Are ya going through mah thoughts, Tessa?"
"No! I swear I haven't been Rogue, I don't invade other people's privacy."
"Then how do ya know those things about meh?" Rogue asked accusingly.
Tessa was nervous, it was obvious. "Shaw…well, he followed you for a bit before he approached you."
Rogue's eyes narrowed. "Why?"
Tessa fidgeted. "We wanted to make sure that you were the one that our prophet spoke of."
"Prophet?" Rogue questioned. When Tessa just wringed her wrists nervously and bit down on her lip, Rogue sighed. "Tessa, ya gunna have to tell meh everythin'. How am Ah supposed to trust or work fohr this organization if Ah don' even know how or why ya came fohr meh? Fohr all Ah know, the Mutant Champions could have set up mah skewed psyches experience so that Ah would come to work fohr ya." Now that Ah think about it…Rogue pondered. Elizabeth told meh there had been a disruption in the psyches strength. How did that happen?
Tessa looked horrified that Rogue would even suggest something like that. "We would never—Rogue! I promise you that we would never manipulate you like that—we'd never manipulate anyone that way! We're about helping mutants here. Shaw only sent out people to follow you to make sure our prophet was right." Rogue gave her a look and she hurriedly continued. "You see, we have a mutant on our side that sees flashes of the future." Gracie?! Rogue thought in alarm. "She saw that you had the potential for greatness—the potential to save us all. Shaw simply wanted to make sure that she was right. That's why he followed you."
Rogue could tell that Tessa believed what she was saying. The girl seemed mortified that Rogue would suggest sabotage. Either this girl has no clue that this place could be dangerous, or maybe it's not, or…maybe she's faking it. The thought struck Rogue and she blanched for a moment. What if she's just here to make this place seem lihke a sanctuary? Rogue asked herself. She could be playing meh.
Rogue studied Tessa's expression after she had the thought to judge the girl's reaction. Tessa didn't react at all, which suggested two options. Either she really doesn't intrude upon mah privacy or she's the world's best actress. Rogue had an idea. "Tess."
Tessa looked up to her importantly. "Rogue?" She asked, somewhat tentative.
"Ah want ya to go into mah mahnd fohr a moment."
Tessa blanched. "What?"
"Look through mah thoughts." Rogue repeated.
Tessa was pale. "Why?"
"Jus' do it, Tess."
"Rogue—"
"Tess—" Rogue started.
The girl looked absolutely panicked and near tears. "Why are you asking me to do this?" Tessa asked, clearly stricken.
"Why are ya so afraid of doin' so?" Rogue questioned suspiciously.
Tessa turned her head down, away from Rogue's face and kicked at the ground. "I…I don't like going through people's minds." Tessa confessed. "It's like…being telepathic, people naturally distrust me. They always think I'm going to be snooping through their thoughts…that's why I don't have a lot of friends here. If I go through your thoughts…it's like, like cheating the process, you know? I don't get to know you by your actions and words and expressions, I know you because I've delved into your mind." She shuffled again self-consciously. "I don't like it like that. And intruding…it's just…just intrusive, you know. Why should I get to know all your secrets? If you want me to know something, you'll tell me it. I don't want to dig it out of you unwillingly."
Rogue could detect nothing in the girl that was telling her she was being untrue. Still, she had to be cautious. The girl could appear as innocent as a lamb and still have the teeth of a shark. "Ah won't make ya go through mah mahnd, then, Tess." Rogue conceded. Tessa glanced upward at her with a pitiful amount of hope in her eyes.
"Yeah?"
"Yeah, Ah'm sorry fohr askin'." Rogue apologized. "Ah jus'…well, how's it feel when ya go through someone's mahnd? For them, Ah mean."
"Well, that depends on how hard someone's pressing for information or how discrete they want to be." Tessa replied thoughtfully.
"What about someone who wants ta be discrete? What's that feel lihke?"
Tessa was suddenly pale again. "Rogue, I…I'm really not looking through your thoughts." Her whole expression had fallen and she glanced around her, avoiding Rogue's eyes. Rogue thought she saw the beginnings of tears in the other girl's eyes. "I know you don't have reason to believe me or anything, but I'm really not. Plus, you'd be feeling a tingle at the back of your mind and sometimes random thoughts would come up as I was searching."
"Ah don't think you're lookin' through mah thoughts, Tess." Rogue assured the girl. Ah really don't. Rogue realized. For all the suspicions against her, Tessa seemed entirely honest and had done nothing to hint otherwise to gain Rogue's distrust. "Ah jus' wanted to know."
Tess didn't seem convinced by her words and was obviously disheartened. "Well," She started softly. "The tour ends here, you've seen it all now."
"Tess—" Rogue began.
Tessa turned away, hiding her face and hugging herself. "You're not required to start any training till tomorrow, so you're free for the rest of the day."
Rogue's thoughts raced. Tessa was obviously hurt by Rogue's questions and the assumed distrust she had showed. Rogue thought back to Tessa's words about not having many friends because nobody trusted telepaths. She felt deeply sorry for broaching the topic, but was now reasonably assured that Tessa wasn't out to get her. This would be far too much to act—Tess's feelings were genuine. "Will you—" Rogue hesitated, thinking. "uhm, come back to mah room with meh?" Rogue finished awkwardly, inwardly cursing at how stupid that sounded.
"Why?" Tessa asked sullenly. "Do you want me to bring you anything?" The remark was almost spiteful and obviously downtrodden.
"No." Rogue thought quickly. "Uh, we could, ya know, watch a movie or somethin'." Tessa's face lifted slightly, but she was still turned away from Rogue. Rogue continued on, trying to salvage the beginnings of friendship she had started with Tessa. "Ya know, Ah've got nothin' else to do an' Ah don' really know anyone else here, so that'd be cool, if we could jus'…hang out." Rogue frowned. "If there's a tv in the room." She added. "If not…"
Tessa turned then, the beginnings of a tentative smile returning to her face. "We don't need a TV."
"No?" Rogue asked questioningly.
Tessa's smile widened. "No—I'm projector girl, 'member? And I know every line of every movie that I've ever watched. I'll broadcast it on the wall."
"Okay." Rogue gave a small grin, wary. "Let's go to mah room then."
Tessa was quickly gaining back her confidence. "Kitchen first! For snacks."
Rogue nodded agreeably and the girls set off down the hall together.
---
Shade was sleeping lightly in his quarters. He was in his unshadowed mode, it was what he reverted to every time he went to rest. He couldn't maintain his shadow form in sleep. It took too much conscious energy to do so.
Callisto smiled softly as she entered the room silently. She loved her job, she truly did. Doing Shaw's dirty work was not work at all to her. It was an addiction, she knew, but one that she was happy to serve. After all, someone had to do the messy parts of the job. Why not let it be her?
Callisto hadn't always been this way, but a series of life changing events had made her into who she was. Some things couldn't be forgotten—and they shouldn't. It was these life changing events that shaped humanity and gave individual personality. Strip those from a person, and they would be a mechanic shell. Callisto's own hatred fueled her to complete the tasks she was given and cherish her abilities. She was an assassin, and a damn good one. Nobody was better than she in what she did. She was an expert.
Callisto drew out several blades from her inside jacket pocket and positioned the deadly weapon over Shade's chest. She thrust down the blade swiftly and Shade's eyes shot open as pain momentarily eclipsed every other feeling in his body. Callisto struck her second blade deep into his neck and Shade choked on blood as his last breath left him. His body fell limp against the bed. Callisto withdrew her blades and wiped them off on the front of Shade's shirt.
It was a pity, she knew. She had seen great potential in Shade, but she knew Shaw was right in the fact that he needed to be disposed of. The boy was completely ruled by his anger to the point that it destroyed him. He was just a pawn in the bigger picture. Callisto knew she herself was just a pawn too, but she'd never become stupid enough to outwear her use. It was ridiculous, really, that the darker members of the group let themselves get consumed.
Callisto was a part of the darker side of the Mutant Champions and she knew the workings that went on behind the scenes. On the outside, the Mutant Champions seemed like a haven. There was even a whole section of the group who knew absolutely nothing about the true workings. Idiots, Callisto thought callously. There was no altruistic mutant haven group. Things got done with action, not silly hopes. Callisto knew that the only way to get their kind accepted was to dominate. It was the way things were supposed to work.
Nature was funny that way. Humans had finally evolved and they rejected their own evolution. Mutants were superior beings and belonged in charge of the inferior mutants. Callisto knew this could only be accomplished through force. There was no room for weakness in goals. She herself didn't have the resources to accomplish mutant superiority, but Shaw did. And he would lead them to glory.
Callisto grinned sadistically as she hefted Shade's body over her shoulder. The only way to get things done was to get your hands messy. It was a lesson that every Mutant Champion would soon learn.
---
"Where is the restaurant?" Peter asked warily, glancing around at the dumpy street. It was obviously not a nice side of town. "He would take a girl to here?" He was appalled at the notion.
"Well it's Longshot." Tabitha commented flippantly, picking at her nails. "He could take her to a strip bar and still get lucky."
Just then, a double set of doors across the street banged open and an enraged girl strode out. She was a tall, thin, beautiful blonde girl who was obviously displeased. Her jaw was set and her light green eyes were alighted with anger. Behind her, the doors flapped again as a tall blonde boy with darker green eyes followed, reaching after her. "Petra, come on!" The guy rushed to follow her.
"Leave me alone, Longshot!" The girl shouted, angry. She attempted to march away from him defiantly, but Longshot grabbed her wrist before she could escape and spun her around.
"It wasn't like I meant for it to happen." Longshot offered his hand that wasn't holding her wrist up in a surrender motion. "She kissed me."
"Ugh!" Petra reached back and slapped him across the face. Longshot caught her arm after the strike and held her steady as she struggled in his grasp. "Let me go, you—jerk!" She continued to struggle and kick at him until Longshot wrapped an arm around her back and pulled her up against his body. From there, he lowered his head and pressed his lips against her protests.
Petra's protests died as he kissed her passionately and he soon let go of her other wrist to wrap his arms around her. Petra's hands found his way into his hair as she kissed him back and held him with her. Tabitha shook her head at the spectacle. "Lucky bastard." After a long moment, both pulled away for breath and Petra inhaled strongly as Longshot smiled.
"You're a much better kisser, Petra."
Petra's eyes suddenly darkened again as the lovesick look died from her face. Her jaw set again and she pulled back her arm and slapped him again. "You're unbelievable!" She screeched, pulling out of Longshot's arms. She stumbled for a moment before regaining her feet and started to stalk off down the sidewalk again.
John chuckled. "Guess not."
"Petra!" Longshot called after her. "Where are you going? Come back!" He started jogging and easily caught up again before he slowed to walk beside her. "Come on, Petra, don't be mad."
Petra stopped and turned to face him angrily. "Don't be mad?! Don't be mad?! Go back to your whore, Longshot! I hate you!" She made to stalk off again, but Longshot grabbed her by the shoulders.
"Petra, you know you're the only one for me." Petra glared at him petulantly. "I really didn't mean for her to kiss me."
Petra sucked down on her bottom lip and narrowed her eyes at him. "You led her on." She accused.
Longshot held up his hands again. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean to. Honest." Petra gave him one last hard look before Longshot held out his arms innocently. "I love you, Petra. Nobody else."
Petra allowed him to wrap his arms around her and pull her back into his embrace. She sighed against his shoulder and closed her eyes. Longshot smiled contently as he held his girlfriend comfortingly.
Tabitha rolled her eyes. "That guy—someone needs to put him in place sometime."
"Longshot!" Ororo called, strolling over to the couple. "Petra!"
The two mutants turned at the sound of their names and took a defensive stance before they saw Tabitha and Juggernaut behind her. Juggernaut strolled up to them silently, his eyes narrowed on the two as Tabitha, John, and Peter came up behind them. "What's up?" Longshot asked nonchalantly, keeping an arm around Petra's middle.
"We've got a new mission." Tabitha announced, speaking before Ororo could. "We're to liberate the X-Mansion."
Petra arched an eyebrow at John. "Isn't that the place we just stole you back from?"
John shrugged.
"Okay." Longshot shrugged too. "Let's get started then." Ororo eyed the group cagily. It was going to be an interesting trip, that much was sure.
