A/N: For anyone who didn't understand the last scene, here's how it goes. Rogue wants to zap Mystique. Rogue is wearing a strait-jacket. Therefore, she has to use something other than her hands. Got it? Good. ^_^
*****
"Go up Moosic, make a right on Crown Avenue, a left on River Street, a right on Boland Court, and then go left onto Rosar."
"Is it walkable?" Jean asked.
The uniformed attendant looked at her thoughtfully. "'Bout a mile and a half."
"Okay, thanks."
Team Dig'em headed off at a leisurely pace.
"It's good to be off the bus," Ororo sighed.
Evan had to walk fast to keep up with his aunt's long strides. "Are you sure you know where we're going, Jean?" he asked.
"Of course I know where we're going," Jean studied the paper again. "Gas station workers *always* know directions."
"Yeah," Evan groaned. "And girls are always right."
Jean nudged Ororo. "I think he's catching on!"
*****
"Where to, mister?"
"78 Finlay Road," Logan said as he squeezed into the backseat of the taxi.
The driver nodded and pulled away from the airport taxi platform.
"Can we see the Space Needle?" Kitty asked.
"No."
"The Pacific Ocean?"
"No."
"Volunteer Park?"
"No!"
"This is boring," Kitty slouched in her seat.
"Come on, Kitty," Scott said. "This isn't a sight-seeing tour. We're here for the betterment of the team."
"I like the team the way it is."
"We're after a girl. Maybe you'll like her."
Kitty brightened. "If I do, can I change roommates?"
"Maybe," Logan said.
Kitty thought for a moment. "Let's play Mother May I."
"No!"
*****
"Hi, we're looking for Constance Moreland," Jean said brightly.
"No Constance here," said the man inside the doorway.
Jean double-checked her paper. "12 Rosar Place?"
"This is it. You musta copied the wrong line outta the phone book. This is the Montgomery residence."
'They're hiding her,' was Evan's first thought.
'No, they're not,' Jean told him. 'He's telling the truth. We've got the wrong house.'
"Anything else I can do for you?" Mr. Montgomery asked.
"Um, no, thanks," Jean turned and went down the two stone steps. "That does say 'Rosar', doesn't it?"
Evan leaned over and looked. "R-o-s-a-r," he confirmed. "Rosar."
"Where did we go wrong?" Jean furrowed her brow. "Are we in the wrong town?"
"Nope," Evan sighed. "This is Scranton. Unfortunately."
"What do you think?" Jean looked up at Ororo.
"I think I'm going to let you solve this by yourselves," the tall woman replied.
"Okay," Jean thought for a moment. "Let's call the Professor. Did you see a pay-phone, Evan?"
Wordlessly he pointed back towards the main streets.
"Great. Let's go!"
*****
"Mother, May I take off Scott's glasses to see how many eyes he has?"
"Stop it, Kitty," Scott held his shades protectively and leaned against the door.
"May I?" Kitty repeated.
"Half-pint, enough," Logan rubbed his head.
"78 Finlay," the driver said.
Scott got out and started unloading the bags from the trunk, while Logan went around to the driver's window to pay.
"Keep the change, bub," he said, handing the cabbie a large bill.
"You carry it," Scott said.
"Why me?" Kitty frowned.
"It's your bag!"
Kitty mumbled something under her breath and managed to lift the suitcase using both hands. "Mr. Logan?" she said sweetly. "Will you carry this for me?"
Logan rolled his eyes and took it, just to shut her up.
Free of the heaviest luggage, Scott had already climbed the porch and rung the bell.
"Hello?" a woman peeked through a crack in the door.
"Hi, is Mary Patterson here?"
The door closed. There was the sound of a chain being slid out, and then it opened again. "Come in," the woman said.
Scott, Kitty, and Logan followed her into the living room.
*****
Jamie was not asleep. He was thinking. Friday's conversation echoed through his head.
~I only know how many there are.~
He didn't remember creating any clones, but there was one out there. Somewhere. Doing something.
Too bad he couldn't give it any instructions from here.
New powers tended to manifest in desperate situations. 'Now would be a good time,' he thought. Maybe he would suddenly be able to talk to his clones telepathically. 'Get help...'
Maybe he could become his clone. They were really the same person anyway, right?
Then again, he had no idea where he would wind up if it worked. He might even die when his clone disappeared.
~...the most flat-out *useless* power in the history of mutantdom.~
He only wanted to help.
*****
"Go up Moosic, make a right on Crown Avenue, a left on River Street, a right on Boland Court, and then go left onto Rosar."
"Is it walkable?" Jean asked.
The uniformed attendant looked at her thoughtfully. "'Bout a mile and a half."
"Okay, thanks."
Team Dig'em headed off at a leisurely pace.
"It's good to be off the bus," Ororo sighed.
Evan had to walk fast to keep up with his aunt's long strides. "Are you sure you know where we're going, Jean?" he asked.
"Of course I know where we're going," Jean studied the paper again. "Gas station workers *always* know directions."
"Yeah," Evan groaned. "And girls are always right."
Jean nudged Ororo. "I think he's catching on!"
*****
"Where to, mister?"
"78 Finlay Road," Logan said as he squeezed into the backseat of the taxi.
The driver nodded and pulled away from the airport taxi platform.
"Can we see the Space Needle?" Kitty asked.
"No."
"The Pacific Ocean?"
"No."
"Volunteer Park?"
"No!"
"This is boring," Kitty slouched in her seat.
"Come on, Kitty," Scott said. "This isn't a sight-seeing tour. We're here for the betterment of the team."
"I like the team the way it is."
"We're after a girl. Maybe you'll like her."
Kitty brightened. "If I do, can I change roommates?"
"Maybe," Logan said.
Kitty thought for a moment. "Let's play Mother May I."
"No!"
*****
"Hi, we're looking for Constance Moreland," Jean said brightly.
"No Constance here," said the man inside the doorway.
Jean double-checked her paper. "12 Rosar Place?"
"This is it. You musta copied the wrong line outta the phone book. This is the Montgomery residence."
'They're hiding her,' was Evan's first thought.
'No, they're not,' Jean told him. 'He's telling the truth. We've got the wrong house.'
"Anything else I can do for you?" Mr. Montgomery asked.
"Um, no, thanks," Jean turned and went down the two stone steps. "That does say 'Rosar', doesn't it?"
Evan leaned over and looked. "R-o-s-a-r," he confirmed. "Rosar."
"Where did we go wrong?" Jean furrowed her brow. "Are we in the wrong town?"
"Nope," Evan sighed. "This is Scranton. Unfortunately."
"What do you think?" Jean looked up at Ororo.
"I think I'm going to let you solve this by yourselves," the tall woman replied.
"Okay," Jean thought for a moment. "Let's call the Professor. Did you see a pay-phone, Evan?"
Wordlessly he pointed back towards the main streets.
"Great. Let's go!"
*****
"Mother, May I take off Scott's glasses to see how many eyes he has?"
"Stop it, Kitty," Scott held his shades protectively and leaned against the door.
"May I?" Kitty repeated.
"Half-pint, enough," Logan rubbed his head.
"78 Finlay," the driver said.
Scott got out and started unloading the bags from the trunk, while Logan went around to the driver's window to pay.
"Keep the change, bub," he said, handing the cabbie a large bill.
"You carry it," Scott said.
"Why me?" Kitty frowned.
"It's your bag!"
Kitty mumbled something under her breath and managed to lift the suitcase using both hands. "Mr. Logan?" she said sweetly. "Will you carry this for me?"
Logan rolled his eyes and took it, just to shut her up.
Free of the heaviest luggage, Scott had already climbed the porch and rung the bell.
"Hello?" a woman peeked through a crack in the door.
"Hi, is Mary Patterson here?"
The door closed. There was the sound of a chain being slid out, and then it opened again. "Come in," the woman said.
Scott, Kitty, and Logan followed her into the living room.
*****
Jamie was not asleep. He was thinking. Friday's conversation echoed through his head.
~I only know how many there are.~
He didn't remember creating any clones, but there was one out there. Somewhere. Doing something.
Too bad he couldn't give it any instructions from here.
New powers tended to manifest in desperate situations. 'Now would be a good time,' he thought. Maybe he would suddenly be able to talk to his clones telepathically. 'Get help...'
Maybe he could become his clone. They were really the same person anyway, right?
Then again, he had no idea where he would wind up if it worked. He might even die when his clone disappeared.
~...the most flat-out *useless* power in the history of mutantdom.~
He only wanted to help.