Chapter 2
"Ok, so we go find Lady Deathstryke and.?" Rogue asked Storm. They were in Storm's car, approaching the café where Lady Deathstryke was. "We tell her that we mean no harm and that we have some answers for her," Storm replied. "Hopefully, she will co-operate," Nightcrawler added. Storm quickly located a parking spot and soon, the three of them were walking towards the café. Nightcrawler had a large overcoat, a thick scarf and a hat that shaded most of his face. He kept his head down most of the time. It was snowing and Storm always felt best when she was in her element. She took a deep breath and entered the café, Nightcrawler and Rogue a few steps behind her.
Rogue had never seen Lady Deathstryke before, but the Professor had put her image in Rogue's mind. "There," Rogue said, quietly, nodding her head casually at the woman sitting in the corner. Yuriko Okuma was hunched over, her coffee untouched. Her long, jet black hair was swept back and tied, with a couple of shorter strands hanging lazily across her forehead and unsuccessfully reaching her ear. When her eyes flickered up a quick moment, Rogue saw that her irises were silver. Like her nails. Rogue carefully removed a glove. Storm strode calmly up to her. "Yuriko?" she asked softly. Yuriko's head snapped up, her eyes were burning. "Who are you?" she hissed. "We mean now harm. You're searching for answers. We can help you," Storm explained. Yuriko's eyes narrowed, "How do you know?" Storm looked around furtively. She leaned in and whispered, "we're mutants. We want to help you." Yuriko snorted, "You sound like a shrink." She stood up, "I don't want help." She paused, "nor do I need it." Lady Deathstryke was unleashed. Ten long adamantinum claws emerged from her fingertips. She rushed at Storm. "Storm!" Nightcrawler wrapped his arms around her and teleported her away. But Storm was not her target, as Lady Deathstryke flipped suddenly in the air and drove ten blades into Rogue's chest. Rogue gasped. She heard a shout of "Rogue!" and a shadowed figure stand. "Pyro?" Rogue whispered. She looked at her exposed hand. Her mind flashed back to the time she touched Wolverine and healed herself. She reached out towards Lady Deathstryke's face. The veins in Yuriko's face rose grotesquely. Her claws unwillingly slid back as Rogue leeched Yuriko's energy and power and healed her own wounds. Rogue suddenly pulled back with a gasp. Lady Deathstryke's knees buckled and she fell on her knees, breathing hard. Suddenly a blaze of fire consumed Lady Deathstryke. "Stab Rogue, will you?!" Pyro screamed, calling part of the fire back and unleashing it again. "Pyro!" Rogue exclaimed, shocked and bewildered. It was him that she saw and heard before! "I'll kill her! I'll kill her for hurting you, Rogue!" Pyro was out of control, his temper getting the better of him. Yuriko was blackened with fire and the half of the café was smoking. Screaming diners had fled and police sirens could be heard in the background. Rogue ran to Pyro, holding out her hand - the one with no glove. She touched him on his face. Pyro gasped. Rogue's soft fingers gripped his face tightly, like she had gripped his ankle at Bobby's house. "Stop, John. Stop," she whispered in his ear. The flames lowered and died out. Rogue let Pyro go. "Rogue," Pyro gasped, "you're alright." They hugged fiercely, clinging to each other with a fervent passion. Rogue buried her head in Pyro's shoulder. Pyro smoothed back her hair and kissed her lightly on her pale locks. "I missed you," Rogue whispered, her breath tickling his ear and sending shivers down Pyro's spine. "Betcha I missed ya more, doll," Pyro drawled jokingly. Rogue's laughter rang in the still air. They hugged tighter. The smoking husk that was Yuriko twitched. Blackened flesh was slowly replaced by pure, smooth, olive skin. Burnt hair restored itself. Lady Deathstryke stood menacingly, her clothes smouldering. "Why are you following me?" Yuriko hissed. Rogue and Pyro let go of each other reluctantly. Rogue slipped her glove back on. "Orders," Pyro said flippantly. He turned to Rogue, "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Don't go," Rogue begged, "come home." Pyro shook his head. "Jean died, you know," Rogue said, quietly. Pyro looked shocked, "how? Did Magneto.?" "No, it was her own choice. At Alkali Lake. The dam burst and systems were down on our jet. She went outside and stopped the water and lifted our jet into the air. Cyclop's been a wreck for ages," Rogue explained, her voice breaking. The police had surrounded the café. "Put your hands in the air!" one of them shouted. Nightcrawler grabbed Storm and teleported her outside. "It's up to you now," Nightcrawler whispered to her. "Go and get the others," Storm ordered. "Pyro?" Nightcrawler asked. Storm paused, "no. He's made his choice. But take him outside." Nightcrawler nodded. He teleported in and out of the café twice, taking Rogue and Lady Deathstryke. Nightcrawler and Rogue dragged Lady Deathstryke into the car. Storm raised her hands. Her eyes went white and thunderclouds ravaged the skies. Lightning ripped the fabric of the atmosphere. She fried an empty police car. Nightcrawler teleported back into the café and grabbed Pyro. He teleported him outside. "Auf Wiedersen," Nightcrawler said to him, running to the car and sitting in the driver's seat. "Don't touch me!" Lady Deathstryke was screeching. Her claws were extended. "Then stop trying to stab me!" Rogue's glove was off again and her hand was dangerously close to Yuriko's face. Storm slowly edged towards the car and got in the front seat, the thunderstorm outside still raging. Nightcrawler started up the car. Rogue turned towards the window desperately and frantically wound it down. "Pyro!" Rogue screamed. "Rogue, wait!" Pyro's voice trailed off as Nightcrawler sent the car tearing down the street.
"Ok, so we go find Lady Deathstryke and.?" Rogue asked Storm. They were in Storm's car, approaching the café where Lady Deathstryke was. "We tell her that we mean no harm and that we have some answers for her," Storm replied. "Hopefully, she will co-operate," Nightcrawler added. Storm quickly located a parking spot and soon, the three of them were walking towards the café. Nightcrawler had a large overcoat, a thick scarf and a hat that shaded most of his face. He kept his head down most of the time. It was snowing and Storm always felt best when she was in her element. She took a deep breath and entered the café, Nightcrawler and Rogue a few steps behind her.
Rogue had never seen Lady Deathstryke before, but the Professor had put her image in Rogue's mind. "There," Rogue said, quietly, nodding her head casually at the woman sitting in the corner. Yuriko Okuma was hunched over, her coffee untouched. Her long, jet black hair was swept back and tied, with a couple of shorter strands hanging lazily across her forehead and unsuccessfully reaching her ear. When her eyes flickered up a quick moment, Rogue saw that her irises were silver. Like her nails. Rogue carefully removed a glove. Storm strode calmly up to her. "Yuriko?" she asked softly. Yuriko's head snapped up, her eyes were burning. "Who are you?" she hissed. "We mean now harm. You're searching for answers. We can help you," Storm explained. Yuriko's eyes narrowed, "How do you know?" Storm looked around furtively. She leaned in and whispered, "we're mutants. We want to help you." Yuriko snorted, "You sound like a shrink." She stood up, "I don't want help." She paused, "nor do I need it." Lady Deathstryke was unleashed. Ten long adamantinum claws emerged from her fingertips. She rushed at Storm. "Storm!" Nightcrawler wrapped his arms around her and teleported her away. But Storm was not her target, as Lady Deathstryke flipped suddenly in the air and drove ten blades into Rogue's chest. Rogue gasped. She heard a shout of "Rogue!" and a shadowed figure stand. "Pyro?" Rogue whispered. She looked at her exposed hand. Her mind flashed back to the time she touched Wolverine and healed herself. She reached out towards Lady Deathstryke's face. The veins in Yuriko's face rose grotesquely. Her claws unwillingly slid back as Rogue leeched Yuriko's energy and power and healed her own wounds. Rogue suddenly pulled back with a gasp. Lady Deathstryke's knees buckled and she fell on her knees, breathing hard. Suddenly a blaze of fire consumed Lady Deathstryke. "Stab Rogue, will you?!" Pyro screamed, calling part of the fire back and unleashing it again. "Pyro!" Rogue exclaimed, shocked and bewildered. It was him that she saw and heard before! "I'll kill her! I'll kill her for hurting you, Rogue!" Pyro was out of control, his temper getting the better of him. Yuriko was blackened with fire and the half of the café was smoking. Screaming diners had fled and police sirens could be heard in the background. Rogue ran to Pyro, holding out her hand - the one with no glove. She touched him on his face. Pyro gasped. Rogue's soft fingers gripped his face tightly, like she had gripped his ankle at Bobby's house. "Stop, John. Stop," she whispered in his ear. The flames lowered and died out. Rogue let Pyro go. "Rogue," Pyro gasped, "you're alright." They hugged fiercely, clinging to each other with a fervent passion. Rogue buried her head in Pyro's shoulder. Pyro smoothed back her hair and kissed her lightly on her pale locks. "I missed you," Rogue whispered, her breath tickling his ear and sending shivers down Pyro's spine. "Betcha I missed ya more, doll," Pyro drawled jokingly. Rogue's laughter rang in the still air. They hugged tighter. The smoking husk that was Yuriko twitched. Blackened flesh was slowly replaced by pure, smooth, olive skin. Burnt hair restored itself. Lady Deathstryke stood menacingly, her clothes smouldering. "Why are you following me?" Yuriko hissed. Rogue and Pyro let go of each other reluctantly. Rogue slipped her glove back on. "Orders," Pyro said flippantly. He turned to Rogue, "I'm so sorry," he whispered. "Don't go," Rogue begged, "come home." Pyro shook his head. "Jean died, you know," Rogue said, quietly. Pyro looked shocked, "how? Did Magneto.?" "No, it was her own choice. At Alkali Lake. The dam burst and systems were down on our jet. She went outside and stopped the water and lifted our jet into the air. Cyclop's been a wreck for ages," Rogue explained, her voice breaking. The police had surrounded the café. "Put your hands in the air!" one of them shouted. Nightcrawler grabbed Storm and teleported her outside. "It's up to you now," Nightcrawler whispered to her. "Go and get the others," Storm ordered. "Pyro?" Nightcrawler asked. Storm paused, "no. He's made his choice. But take him outside." Nightcrawler nodded. He teleported in and out of the café twice, taking Rogue and Lady Deathstryke. Nightcrawler and Rogue dragged Lady Deathstryke into the car. Storm raised her hands. Her eyes went white and thunderclouds ravaged the skies. Lightning ripped the fabric of the atmosphere. She fried an empty police car. Nightcrawler teleported back into the café and grabbed Pyro. He teleported him outside. "Auf Wiedersen," Nightcrawler said to him, running to the car and sitting in the driver's seat. "Don't touch me!" Lady Deathstryke was screeching. Her claws were extended. "Then stop trying to stab me!" Rogue's glove was off again and her hand was dangerously close to Yuriko's face. Storm slowly edged towards the car and got in the front seat, the thunderstorm outside still raging. Nightcrawler started up the car. Rogue turned towards the window desperately and frantically wound it down. "Pyro!" Rogue screamed. "Rogue, wait!" Pyro's voice trailed off as Nightcrawler sent the car tearing down the street.
