Author's note: Okay. I admit it. I suck. Hardcore, drag out, drop dead suuuuuck. I'm real sorry to everyone who was following the fic for not updating in an age, it was a combination of writers block and a bunch of other crap, including writing my senior paper. (Over thirty pages of Greek theatrical history and political/military philosophy. Aren't you glad you're not reading that? ^_^) Anyway, I'm pretty sure the writer's block is outta the way, so here's chapter 7. Again, many apologies, gomen, gomen. Just for reference, this story takes place in the Buffy timeline between "Older and Far Away" and "As You Were".
Evan and Kurt comforted a tearful Kitty back at U.C. Sunnydale while Jean and Rogue stood in front of Browning's stunned T.A.s.
"She just called me yesterday, to ask me to print up a syllabus…" Jake said. Polly wiped her eyes and glared, trying to maintain control of herself.
"I called Professor Xavier. I'm sorry we're cutting the program short but you're going back to Bayville Wednesday. Jake and I are going to be pretty busy with, um…" Polly's voice cracked, "the investigation. We'd like you guys to try and stick close to your rooms in the meantime, you know, in case this was-" Polly stopped again, trying to retain her control, but this time it was too late. She turned towards the wall, tears pouring down her face.
"In case this was a mutant thing," Jean finished grimly. "We're so sorry."
Lance's face was gray as he hung up the phone. Pietro opened his mouth to complain that he didn't get to talk to Rogue, and closed it immediately as he saw Lance's expression.
"What-" Pietro started to ask, but he shut up again as Lance thrust the cash and travelers checks they'd acquired into Pietro's hands.
"They're coming back Wednesday. It's gotten worse. Start running," Lance said. "Call me when you get there."
Lance alone got on the train as Pietro hit the ground running. Seventeen hours to Sunnydale.
Kitty and Rogue sat in Kitty's room watching the small TV that Jake and Polly had provided for them. The word mutant was nowhere to be found, not on the news, not on the radio, not on the conservative talk shows that usually had plenty to say about what the right wing thought of homo superior. The two girls didn't have much to say to each other, no one did. Scott and Jean were taking comfort in holding each other, Kurt and Evan had picked up a deck of cards and were playing a half hearted game of slap jack. Kitty and Rogue sat with the T.V., thinking of sweethearts that they'd get to see much sooner than expected, but under the worst of circumstances. Both nearly leapt out of their skins as someone knocked frantically on their door.
"Oh god, please help me," the person behind it said, voice muffled by wood. Rogue opened the door to see a boy, perhaps thirteen or fourteen, with a gash on his forehead.
"I didn't know where else to go," he whimpered. "I'm a mutant, there's humans after me, my friend's out there, I think they're killing her-"
"Show me," Rogue said. "Kitty, get the others and meet me out there."
Rogue raced after the boy, out of the dorm and into the trees in the wood nearby campus.
"Through here," he said, pointing towards a clearing. Rogue took a deep breath and stepped cautiously forward. In the clearing, there were about eight people, but by their faces, she didn't think any were humans or mutants.
"Oh… oh no," she whispered. The young boy who'd led her there grabbed her by the neck, smiling.
"Understatement," he replied.
"Rogue? Rogue where are you?" Kitty shouted. "Rogue!!"
"Kitty, she's not out there," Jean said. Kitty turned back to her, her face panicked.
"She has to be, she told me to get you guys and meet her-"
"That's what we here in Sunnydale like to call a trap," a grim voice said from the woods. As they got closer, they saw Buffy, the blonde girl everyone kept calling the slayer.
"Humans kidnapped Rogue?" Kitty whispered, picturing some lynch mob stringing her up. The blonde girl shook her head and sighed.
"Vampires. Come with me, we've got work to do."
"Willow, you and me are taking this kid and going to do some interrogating," the slayer said, pointing at Kurt. "Xander, take these two to the Bronze and start combing the area from there," she said, gesturing to Evan and Jean. "Tara, take the kid in the shades and that girl and check out the graveyard. Anya and Dawn will stay here, everyone call in if you find out anything." With that, the Scoobies and the X-Men broke into their smaller groups, Jean and Evan with Xander in his car, Willow and Buffy walking/teleporting with Kurt, Kitty, Tara and Scott on foot in the cemetery.
The Bronze was pretty packed for a Sunday. Jean felt a sinister edge in the air, a predatory feeling coming from virtually every person on the dance floor. She took a deep breath and tried to open her mind slowly, allowing in only the thoughts of people thinking of killing and dying. Fortunately, Xander and Evan caught her as the wave of thoughts knocked her off her feet. Jean's stomach lurched: everyone in the club had death at the back of their mind. It was painted on the walls, it had worked it's way into everyone's clothes like smoke, it was a bitter taste in the back of everyone's mouth. The redhead swallowed hard and stood back up, marching resolutely toward the railing and pushing outwards with her mind, fighting back the nausea that came with over a hundred minds that had known too much death.
"Cemetery," Jean said, and ran out as fast as she could.
Meanwhile, over at Willie's bar, all the various and sundry creatures of the night tried to look as small and uninformed as possible as the slayer walked in with the witch and some kid way too young to be there in tow.
"New girl in town, goth, brown hair, white streaks," Buffy announced. "Who and where or my friend here says a few words in Latin and this place, and everyone in it, goes up like flash paper," Buffy announced, hoping that none of the patrons had heard that the Hellmouth's most bad ass witch had quit cold-turkey. "But only after I've broken every kneecap- or anatomic equivalent- to make sure you all roast."
There was a brief moment of silence, until finally the bartender cleared his throat.
"Cemetery. I don't know who, but it's somewhere around the Dewey crypt. You better get crackin', you got like two hours till midnight."
"What happens at midnight?" Willow asked.
"Same thing that always happens with a midnight deadline around here," the bartender replied, glancing in fear at Buffy.
"Let's go," Buffy said. Laying a hand on the two girls' shoulders, Kurt, Buffy and Willow vanished in a puff of sulfur.
Scott and Kitty had been introduced to the girl with ash blonde hair moments before they were to search the Sunnydale Cemetery. She was beautiful and had a slight stutter, and seemed so serene and gentle that they couldn't help but like her right away.
Tara spoke a few soft words and a small ball of glowing light sparked into life, guiding their way and keeping them from tripping or losing their way. They made a strange trio, the blonde witch in her flowing dress and renaissance-esque bodice, the two mutants in their snug, futuristic uniforms from the Institute. All three nearly had heart attacks as Willow, Kurt and Buffy appeared next to them.
"Any luck?" Kitty asked. Buffy nodded grimly.
"Dewey crypt. And we gotta move."
End note: Good lord! What's happened to Rogue? Where are Evan, Jean and Xander? Where's Pietro? I promise it won't be a month before my next update this time. : ) Your patience astounds me.