AN: Okay, I'm just gonna warn you now, this chapter ends in a cliffhanger. I know some of you hate that. I'm working on the next chapter now, so you won't have to hang too long. Anyway, things I don't own: The Flash is owned by DC comics, The Breakfast Club is owned by the 80s, and Lightbright is owned by some toy company. Lots of violence and some pretty unpleasant innuendo in this chapter, including an unpleasant kiss, and the usual foul lingo. Okay, warnings done, on we go. Oh yeah: Thank you thank you thank you thank you to anyone who bothers to read this stuff. ; )
For the first time in her life, Rogue found herself longing for Scott's stupid little clown car, or any car for that matter. They'd been following the red sphere for miles, and she was starting to think their magick guide must be lost.
The rational part of her wanted to find Pietro and that stupid blonde vampire and get the hell out of dodge. There was another part of her that wanted to make the two vampires who'd been hurting her boyfriend pay very slowly and very dearly for ever having laid a finger on Pietro Maximoff. Then, once they were dust, she wanted to steal Lance's powers and bury Sunnydale in the cracks of the earth and bid the west coast a permanent goodbye. For now, she'd settle for Pietro, her friends, and herself making it out of this world alive.
Jean had spoken to Pietro, who'd said that the vampires who'd hurt him were out and about. As a result, Rogue looked liked a particularly feminine ninja, her whole body covered except her hair and her face above the scarf. After all, skin to skin contact with a vampire, and Rogue would be too busy throwing up to save herself, let alone anyone else.
Jean was keeping her mind open, since in a town so deserted, thoughts were sparse enough for her to pick up. Other than her companions, she sensed no one, a strange feeling for her anyplace. Usually there were stray thoughts floating about like dust, or pollen, or snow. The streets of Sunnydale were empty, so instead, she found herself picking up the roar of rage that was beneath Rogue's outward silence, Lance's concern and determination, and Tara's apprehension. She stopped still as she picked up something else.
"Wait," Jean said. Tara caught the sphere, which floated above her hand as the four of them stopped in their tracks. Jean listened with her mind, hearing the vague thrum of someone high. "One, maybe two, and they're drugged up on something." She gasped as though she'd been hit by ice water as she picked up a stray image from one of them, of a white haired boy whose blood made them feel more alive than they had in years. Jean looked at Rogue sharply.
"It's them."
"Tara, Jean, you two keep following that lightbright after Pietro," Rogue said. Lance grinned, picking up on her plan.
"Rogue and I'll take care of the children of the night," he finished, cracking his knuckles. Jean opened her mouth to argue, but Rogue cut her off.
"Go before they see you. Now."
Tara held up her hand and blew on the sphere as if blowing a kiss, and it took off again, Jean and Tara tearing after it as fast as they could follow. They disappeared down an alley before long, leaving Lance and Rogue standing in the middle of the deserted street.
"Okay," Lance said. "Now how do we get them to come out here?"
Rogue smirked.
"Easy. Bait."
She tugged off her right glove, peeling away the bandage from her hand and letting blood drip on the ground.
Xander was the first to catch the scent of fresh blood in the air.
"Smell that, baby?"
"Mmm hmm," Willow replied. "Something hurt and out past bedtime."
The two started running like lions through the grass after gazelle, swift and strong, towards the source.
Rogue wrapped her hand back up and pulled her glove back on, setting her backpack on the ground and pulling out a few stakes, sticking one in each back pocket and keeping one in her hand. Lance followed her lead, two in each of his larger pockets and one in his hand.
"What's the plan?" he asked. Rogue scanned the streets for their adversaries.
"Well, assuming they take the bait, wait for them to get close. Twenty feet. Then shake 'em up hard and fast. Then I'll make 'em disappear."
"Kinda basic, isn't it?"
"No time to come up with anything more complicated. Here they come."
Sure enough, the two vampires emerged from separate alleys, eyeing Rogue and Lance.
"What have we here… Reject from the Breakfast Club…" Willow purred, glancing over both mutants but focusing on Lance, who both stood their ground silently.
"Costume party Wills. Check out the ninja schoolgirl. Maybe I need a pet of my very own," Xander said, looking hungrily at Rogue.
Not yet, Rogue thought, though Lance couldn't hear her. Not yet Lance. Willow seemed to twitch at the idea of Xander having a girl to torture, but turned on the oily charm as she gazed at Lance.
"I like the boy. Look how rugged, " Willow purred sarcastically. "And they brought stakes."
"But no crosses," Xander said, approaching a little more. "That's the tricky thing about stakes little girl, they tend not to work when someone… for the sake of argument, let's just say, me… has already shattered every bone in your hands."
Lance held his breath, and the vampires finally got close enough. He stretched out his hands and gritted his teeth. His eyes rolled back and the ground started to shake. Rogue held her breath and struggled to keep her footing, going for the crossbow in her backpack, as the vampires were knocked down. Rogue lined up her shot and fired, but the tremors made her shot go high, and the bolt planted itself in the redhead's shoulder.
Willow snarled and yanked the bolt out of her shoulder. The tremors started to weaken as Lance struggled to maintain control.
"For once, baby, I think I wanna get this over with quickly," she snarled to Xander.
"The rebel without a clue is the one shaking things up," Xander replied. "Knock him out, I'll take care of the ninja bitch."
The two vampires stood up, still unsteady, and Rogue swallowed hard.
"Wearing out, Rocky?"
"'Fraid so, toots," Lance replied, his forehead creased with the effort and the headache that came with using his powers for an extended period.
"Let it go, Lance, grab a stake and get ready."
Lance stopped the earthquake, recovering quickly, and tightening his grip on the stake in his hand. Xander and Willow quickly regained solid footing and looked intensely at the two mutants.
"You're gonna bleed, little girl," Willow snarled softly at Rogue. Rogue just rolled her eyes and waved her gloved right hand.
"Bleedin' already, Red," Rogue replied, her voice muffled by the scarf. "You vampires are such suckers."
Willow was not used to indignities, such as being knocked on her ass by earthquake causing boys and being insulted by her food. But if there was one thing she would not tolerate, it was being 'trapped'. She let out a furious shriek and rushed at Rogue. Just as her hands were about to close around the mutant's turtlenecked throat, Rogue was suddenly not there. Willow's eyes widened as she was shoved from behind and went crashing to the street.
"You're fast," Rogue said to the vampire, who rushed her again. Rogue sidestepped her again, with as little difficulty as before. "But as my roommate would say, I'm, like, totally faster."
Xander caught Willow as she tripped again.
"Ah ah ah, baby. Ninja girl is my kill. You go have fun with Mister Shakes."
"Don't wanna," Willow said in a low voice, a dangerous look in her eye.
"Come on, Red," Lance called out. "Don't make me stake you from behind."
Xander sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose as Willow snarled and leapt after the brown haired boy. Such a temper on that girl.
"So, you're one part Ninja, one part Flash. Any more surprises I should know about?" he asked. Rogue just cocked her head to one side, the scarf obscuring her mouth.
"If I told you, it wouldn't be a surprise, now would it?"
He saw the stake first as Rogue reached around him from behind to take a stab at him.
"Oh, come on," he replied, grabbing her arm and flipping her expertly over his shoulder. He was about to follow that up with an elbow drop to her throat, but she rolled with the fall, then reversed the motion, vaulting up onto her hands and slamming both feet into his face.
Xander staggered back, laughing, even though his lip was split from the impact. Rogue had landed on her feet with her back to him, so she attempted to follow her attack up with a roundhouse kick to hit him again on his way down. She looked up, shocked, as he caught her foot just before it impacted his head and, giving it a shove upwards and forwards, knocked her off balance. She couldn't catch herself, but she quickly moved to a crouch as Xander walked towards her.
"I'm going to do terrible. Disgusting. Painful. Unnatural things to you, little girl," he whispered with a smile on his face. Rogue remained low as she readjusted her scarf over her face. "Going to an awful lot of trouble to cover up, aren't you. Something tells me that this isn't just maiden modesty. Something tells me that someone just hates to be touched. Torturing you is gonna be too easy."
"Something tells me you should shut the fuck up," Rogue replied acidly. You took the one person I can touch, bloodsucker.
Rogue scowled, lashing out her foot and sweeping his legs out from under him. He tumbled to the ground, but retaliated with a foot to her stomach as she leapt to stake him, launching her several feet away from him. Her head hit the ground, stunning her for a second. She started to push herself up when the vampire leapt and landed in front of her, putting a foot on her chest.
"You'd be surprised how the number of bones a person can survive being broken."
"You're not strong enough to break my bones," Rogue replied, struggling to extricate herself. Xander kicked her hard in the side, then grabbed her by the front of her shirt.
"Oh really? Well, just wait until you meet my friend Mister Sledgehammer and his best buddy Mister Cinderblock. I think between the three of us, we can work something out."
Rogue lashed out with her fist, but Xander caught her arm and twisted it behind her back, releasing her shirt and forcing her against his chest.
"You see, what with Wills over there being all gaga over that kid with the white hair, I really haven't had the chance to unwind lately. But now I've got a toy of my very own to play with," he purred. Rogue rolled her eyes.
"Okay, all I have to say to that is gross."
She got serious as he ripped the scarf off her face.
"Such a sharp tongue you've got. I think I'll have to bite it out."
Rogue shut her eyes and screamed as Xander pressed his lips against hers.