Shifting Sands
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Aunt Clara had for years not only perpetually labored under the delusion that I was 4 years old, but also a girl"
****
Chapter 12 - Max's clues
*****
In the Mansion, Hank was quietly making his way to the door. He hadn't really expected anyone to be waiting by there....he was wrong.
"Where are you off to, Henry?"
Hank jumped almost three feet into the air, before spinning around to see Storm, watching him calmly.
"I'm just going out", he said.
A small, evil smile crossed her face.
"You're going 'just out' in your best suit?", she asked.
It was then Hank realised....Storm was getting her revenge, it suprised him at how long she could hold a grudge for..he should have known better by now, really. Well, he had one last distraction card to play before he had to tell her the truth.
"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere with Forge..as in anywhere but here?".
......And it failed miserably.
"I don't know where he is", said Storm with a shrug, "he's not at home and he's not answering his cell phone, where are you going, Henry?"
Hank gave a defeated sigh.
"I'm going on a date, happy now?"
Storm looked positively gleefull.
"Oooooh who?", she asked.
"You don't know her", replied Hank, trying to walk away, only to walk into a solid wall of air.
"You mean, after all the hastle you have put me through for dating Forge, you're seeing someone yourself?!!!", said Storm.
Hank cleared his throat and gave a nervous laugh.
"Err....maybe?"
Storm crossed her arms, obviously not amused.
"You have alot of explaining and details to give, Hank, 'buddy'", she said, "such as..."
"Woof"
Hank blinked.
"Woof?"
"I didn't say 'woof', idiot", said Storm, "why would i say 'woof'?"
"Woof"
Both turned to see Max trotting over to them, a little dirty but no different than usual. He shook his tattered coat and sat in front of Storm proudly, licking her hand.
"Max!", said Storm, patting the dog's head, "you came home!. Where on earth have you been, boy?"
"Woof", said Max, "grroowf!".
"What's that Max?, Timmy's trapped down the well?", said Hank dryly, "you honestly think he's going to tell you, Ororo?"
Max growled at Hank before pawing at Storm's leg, whimpering. Storm patted his head again and felt something...odd.
"What's this?", she murmered, pulling out a piece of tattered paper that had been shoved under his collar.
She opened it up, revealing a note with just two words scrawled on it, obviously done in a hurry. 'Alley Danger'.
"Alley Danger?", said Storm, confused.
"That's Tabitha's handwriting", said Hank, looking over her shoulder, "i'd recognise that scrawl anywhere".
"....Something is very wrong here", murmered Storm, "we should take this to the Professor"
****
Meanwhile, in a motel room across from the Power8 factory, Sidney was looking out of the window with binoculars.
"I still don't see anything", she said, "think Calisto got it wrong?"
No answer.
"Kevin!", said Sidney, a little louder.
"Huh?", said Morph, snapping out of his thoughts, "oh...i don't know..maybe...we'd better..we'd better keep watching"
"But i'm booooorrreed of watching", whined Sidney, putting the binoculars down.
"We cold always gaze into the future and scare each other", chuckled Morph, morphing his hand into a Magic 8 ball, "oh, Magic 8 Ball, will Sidney ever not go crazy once she's had some catnip?"
He shook his hand and a little message appeared in it's 'bubble', 'Don't count on it'.
"Har de har har", said Sidney dryly, rolling her eyes and wandering over to him.
"I could always ask it if we ever get married", teased Morph.
"Are you even dimly aware that if we get married i'd be Sidney Sidney?", said Sidney,"i mean, how could i get insurance?"
"I knew a Bobby Bobby once", said Morph, "well...he was Robert Bobby, but still...nice to see you're branching out on our relationship".
"I guess i am, huh?", said Sidney with a purr, bringing Morph down for a deep kiss, "'course, there's a whooole lot of fun we can have before we have to worry about that".
"Oh doooo tell", said Morph with a wink.
Sidney smirked, standing up and walking over to the bedroom door, closing it with her hip.
"Try and guess".
***
After Xavier had seen the note from Tabby, he had sent Scott, Kitty, Rogue, Logan, Kurt and Jean out into the Alley...just in case. Tabby may have been a joker, but her long absence had troubled him. Storm had been unable to go (dreading the thought of being in such an enclosed space as the Morlock Tunnels for such a long period of time) and had opted to stay behind to keep watch over the New Recruits. Hank had wanted to join the group heading into the sewers, but had been physically PUSHED out of the mansion to go on his date. Like Logan had so finely put it 'It 'aint everyday a woman'll date a big, blue gorilla-man'. The New Recruits had resigned themselves to moping around the mansion, bemoaning the fact that they never got to go on missions.
"I don't see why I couldn't go", muttered Bobby, "i mean, i'm practically an X-Man already!"
"You told us", said Ray, "you have told us that five hundered times already"
"Well, it's TRUE!", snapped Bobby.
"Am i the only one that's worried about Tabby?", spoked up Amara, her friends note clutched in her hand.
"The others are looking for her", said Sam, trying to make things better, "a'hm sure she's at the Alley and they'll find her, safe an' sound"
"But what if she's not?", squeaked Amara, "WHAT IF SHE'S NOT?!!!"
"I bet i could have found her in seconds", grumbled Bobby.
"Oh PLEASE!!!"
It was then the doorbell rang, though everyone was too wrapped up in fighting to even notice it.
"I'll get it then, shall i?", said Roberto, being completely ignored, as usual.
He sighed, shaking his head and getting up, going to answer the door. When he opened it, he recognised the creepy Native American girl that Kitty had saved...what was her name again?.
"Hi", she said, "err...is Kitty in?"
Roberto blinked. Didn't this girl live up in some montain village?
"No, she's out right now", he paused, "'aren't you a bit far from home to be calling in here?"
"Oh that", she said with a dismissive chuckle, "i just ran away, is all"
She had said to so calmly, it took Roberto a few seconds to realise what she had said.
"WHAT?!!"
"Oh calm down, it's not like it's forever", she said, "Roberto, isn't it?"
"Uh yeah..Roberto", said Roberto, trying to cover up the fact that he'd forgotten her name.
"Danielle", she said, for his benifit, "i'm only here for a few months..maybe longer. I did leave a note for Namshim, he knows what i'm like..or he should by now, so he won't be worried about ym absence, i often wander off alone. So kitty's not in, huh?"
Roberto blinked, amazed at how easily Dani shrugged off the fact she had left home 'for a little while', then moved onto another subject.
"No..she should be back later..you can come in and..", he started.
"Nah, waiting's boring", said Dani, "you know what i could do with? A walk. Want to come on a walk?"
Roberto pondered his options, a walk with someone who could go into his head and bring out his greatest fears....or staying with his fellow New Recruits, listening to them moan all day. Dani won hands down.
"Okay", he said with a shrug, heading out after her.
*****
Yey, i brought Danielle in. Okay, i haven't seen Ghost of a Chance (still no season 4 in the UK :( ), so she'll probably end up more like her comic self, but still.. Incidentally, Namshim is an informal way of saying 'Grandfather' in Cheyenne. Do review. Until next time.
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "Aunt Clara had for years not only perpetually labored under the delusion that I was 4 years old, but also a girl"
****
Chapter 12 - Max's clues
*****
In the Mansion, Hank was quietly making his way to the door. He hadn't really expected anyone to be waiting by there....he was wrong.
"Where are you off to, Henry?"
Hank jumped almost three feet into the air, before spinning around to see Storm, watching him calmly.
"I'm just going out", he said.
A small, evil smile crossed her face.
"You're going 'just out' in your best suit?", she asked.
It was then Hank realised....Storm was getting her revenge, it suprised him at how long she could hold a grudge for..he should have known better by now, really. Well, he had one last distraction card to play before he had to tell her the truth.
"Aren't you supposed to be somewhere with Forge..as in anywhere but here?".
......And it failed miserably.
"I don't know where he is", said Storm with a shrug, "he's not at home and he's not answering his cell phone, where are you going, Henry?"
Hank gave a defeated sigh.
"I'm going on a date, happy now?"
Storm looked positively gleefull.
"Oooooh who?", she asked.
"You don't know her", replied Hank, trying to walk away, only to walk into a solid wall of air.
"You mean, after all the hastle you have put me through for dating Forge, you're seeing someone yourself?!!!", said Storm.
Hank cleared his throat and gave a nervous laugh.
"Err....maybe?"
Storm crossed her arms, obviously not amused.
"You have alot of explaining and details to give, Hank, 'buddy'", she said, "such as..."
"Woof"
Hank blinked.
"Woof?"
"I didn't say 'woof', idiot", said Storm, "why would i say 'woof'?"
"Woof"
Both turned to see Max trotting over to them, a little dirty but no different than usual. He shook his tattered coat and sat in front of Storm proudly, licking her hand.
"Max!", said Storm, patting the dog's head, "you came home!. Where on earth have you been, boy?"
"Woof", said Max, "grroowf!".
"What's that Max?, Timmy's trapped down the well?", said Hank dryly, "you honestly think he's going to tell you, Ororo?"
Max growled at Hank before pawing at Storm's leg, whimpering. Storm patted his head again and felt something...odd.
"What's this?", she murmered, pulling out a piece of tattered paper that had been shoved under his collar.
She opened it up, revealing a note with just two words scrawled on it, obviously done in a hurry. 'Alley Danger'.
"Alley Danger?", said Storm, confused.
"That's Tabitha's handwriting", said Hank, looking over her shoulder, "i'd recognise that scrawl anywhere".
"....Something is very wrong here", murmered Storm, "we should take this to the Professor"
****
Meanwhile, in a motel room across from the Power8 factory, Sidney was looking out of the window with binoculars.
"I still don't see anything", she said, "think Calisto got it wrong?"
No answer.
"Kevin!", said Sidney, a little louder.
"Huh?", said Morph, snapping out of his thoughts, "oh...i don't know..maybe...we'd better..we'd better keep watching"
"But i'm booooorrreed of watching", whined Sidney, putting the binoculars down.
"We cold always gaze into the future and scare each other", chuckled Morph, morphing his hand into a Magic 8 ball, "oh, Magic 8 Ball, will Sidney ever not go crazy once she's had some catnip?"
He shook his hand and a little message appeared in it's 'bubble', 'Don't count on it'.
"Har de har har", said Sidney dryly, rolling her eyes and wandering over to him.
"I could always ask it if we ever get married", teased Morph.
"Are you even dimly aware that if we get married i'd be Sidney Sidney?", said Sidney,"i mean, how could i get insurance?"
"I knew a Bobby Bobby once", said Morph, "well...he was Robert Bobby, but still...nice to see you're branching out on our relationship".
"I guess i am, huh?", said Sidney with a purr, bringing Morph down for a deep kiss, "'course, there's a whooole lot of fun we can have before we have to worry about that".
"Oh doooo tell", said Morph with a wink.
Sidney smirked, standing up and walking over to the bedroom door, closing it with her hip.
"Try and guess".
***
After Xavier had seen the note from Tabby, he had sent Scott, Kitty, Rogue, Logan, Kurt and Jean out into the Alley...just in case. Tabby may have been a joker, but her long absence had troubled him. Storm had been unable to go (dreading the thought of being in such an enclosed space as the Morlock Tunnels for such a long period of time) and had opted to stay behind to keep watch over the New Recruits. Hank had wanted to join the group heading into the sewers, but had been physically PUSHED out of the mansion to go on his date. Like Logan had so finely put it 'It 'aint everyday a woman'll date a big, blue gorilla-man'. The New Recruits had resigned themselves to moping around the mansion, bemoaning the fact that they never got to go on missions.
"I don't see why I couldn't go", muttered Bobby, "i mean, i'm practically an X-Man already!"
"You told us", said Ray, "you have told us that five hundered times already"
"Well, it's TRUE!", snapped Bobby.
"Am i the only one that's worried about Tabby?", spoked up Amara, her friends note clutched in her hand.
"The others are looking for her", said Sam, trying to make things better, "a'hm sure she's at the Alley and they'll find her, safe an' sound"
"But what if she's not?", squeaked Amara, "WHAT IF SHE'S NOT?!!!"
"I bet i could have found her in seconds", grumbled Bobby.
"Oh PLEASE!!!"
It was then the doorbell rang, though everyone was too wrapped up in fighting to even notice it.
"I'll get it then, shall i?", said Roberto, being completely ignored, as usual.
He sighed, shaking his head and getting up, going to answer the door. When he opened it, he recognised the creepy Native American girl that Kitty had saved...what was her name again?.
"Hi", she said, "err...is Kitty in?"
Roberto blinked. Didn't this girl live up in some montain village?
"No, she's out right now", he paused, "'aren't you a bit far from home to be calling in here?"
"Oh that", she said with a dismissive chuckle, "i just ran away, is all"
She had said to so calmly, it took Roberto a few seconds to realise what she had said.
"WHAT?!!"
"Oh calm down, it's not like it's forever", she said, "Roberto, isn't it?"
"Uh yeah..Roberto", said Roberto, trying to cover up the fact that he'd forgotten her name.
"Danielle", she said, for his benifit, "i'm only here for a few months..maybe longer. I did leave a note for Namshim, he knows what i'm like..or he should by now, so he won't be worried about ym absence, i often wander off alone. So kitty's not in, huh?"
Roberto blinked, amazed at how easily Dani shrugged off the fact she had left home 'for a little while', then moved onto another subject.
"No..she should be back later..you can come in and..", he started.
"Nah, waiting's boring", said Dani, "you know what i could do with? A walk. Want to come on a walk?"
Roberto pondered his options, a walk with someone who could go into his head and bring out his greatest fears....or staying with his fellow New Recruits, listening to them moan all day. Dani won hands down.
"Okay", he said with a shrug, heading out after her.
*****
Yey, i brought Danielle in. Okay, i haven't seen Ghost of a Chance (still no season 4 in the UK :( ), so she'll probably end up more like her comic self, but still.. Incidentally, Namshim is an informal way of saying 'Grandfather' in Cheyenne. Do review. Until next time.