Dreamers Die Young - Chapter 6
Riley threw all her clothes into the duffel bag she had pulled from her closet along with her CD player and mountainous collection of CDs. She scribbled a hasty note to her foster parents telling them where she was going and that she probably wouldn't be back. They probably won't care that I'm gone, she thought to herself, as she raided the pantry. They've wanted to get rid of me for a looooong time.
Figuring she still had a little bit of time before Rogue showed up, Riley slipped into the den. The den, among other things, housed the computer. She sat down and drafted a quick e-mail to Cail; no matter how mad she was at him, he deserved to know where she was going. She hesitated a moment before clicking the send button, still a little unsure about her decision. But impulse took over, and her finger came down, sending the fateful message.
Cail would be crushed, she hoped. He deserved it. Or course, that was an awful thing to say, because she really didn't know any of his history until he came to her high school, just another kid looking for friends. In a way, she was sad to be leaving, but she prayed it was all for the better. The stupid school she went to now couldn't promise what Rogue's institute could. A chance for new friends and a new life. Somewhere where maybe, people wouldn't look at her with piteous glances because they knew she was a foster child. The institute held a lot of promises and she wanted to make sure each and every one of them was fulfilled.
The doorbell rang, announcing Rogue's arrival, she hoped. But when she opened the door, it wasn't who she thought it might be. It was neither Cail nor Rogue and company, but the man in the cloak she had seen in one of her dreams. She arched one eyebrow and gave him a look that said 'you have exactly thirty seconds before I slam this door in your face.'
"If you're a salesman you can leave," she said, hoping he was but knowing he wasn't. She still had a hand on the doorknob and it tightened as he started to speak.
"Oh, I am no salesman," he said, his voice sinister and silky. "I am here for a Riley. Would you happen to be her?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked. He didn't look too friendly to her eyes. "Depends who you are, really. To one person, I'm someone, to another I'm someone else." It was actually very true. With her foster parents, she was a cynical little teenager, but with Cail, she was a whole different person.
"I'll take that as a yes," he purred. "Come with me. That institute can show you nothing compared to what I can." He said the word institute with contempt in his voice and Riley found herself wondering who the good guy was.
"Who are you, though?" she said, stalling for time. Hopefully Rogue would show up and escort this creep off the premises.
"Who I am makes no difference in the grand scheme of things, Riley. All that matters is that you come with me. Everything will be better that way, trust me." Somehow, Riley had difficulty believing that.
"But it makes a difference to me," she said, the hand that rested on the doorknob growing sweaty with fear.
"In that case, my name is Erik. Do you feel better now that you have acquired my name?"
"Actually, it does, interestingly enough," Riley said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do..." she trailed off, looking uncertainly at Erik.
"Of course," he said. "How rude of me. I should have realized that you would have something to do on this day. My colleague John will be able to help you if you call this number." He handed her a slip of paper and gave a small bow.
"I will not detain you any longer." With that, he left, turning on his heel and clipping off down the walk in front of the house. Riley closed the door after him and glanced at the piece of paper.
You will come with me, whether by choice of by force. I am sorry, my dear, but this is the only way.
She laid the paper on the kitchen table and sat down in one of the chairs. Too many things happening in one day...she put her head in her hands and stared at the wood finish of the table. A hand rested on her shoulder and she whirled around to come face to face with the blue-skinned woman she had seen earlier in one of her dreams. This was all too freaky.
Riley stood and backed up a couple steps. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"
The woman gave no reply besides launching herself at Riley and knocking her to the ground. Riley squirmed, trying to get loose, but it was to no avail. The woman held her tightly and didn't seem to want to let her loose anytime soon. Riley stopped and lay still, in a little bit of a shock as to what had happened and why. She closed her eyes and tried to figure things out, but thinking would have to wait for the blue-skinned woman shoved a cloth next to Riley's nose and next thing Riley knew, she was in dreamland, except that there were no dreams.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Drive carefully, Logan," Rogue reprimanded as Logan sped along the suburban streets. Logan gave no reply but slowing down a little.
"Anyone remember which house it was?" he growled, not exactly in the best mood. Bobby pointed to a house near the end of the street.
"That one. Honestly, Logan. I would have thought you would have a better memory than that," he teased, getting only a frown from the other mutant. He sighed; why Xavier had wanted him to go was beyond him. He resolved to ask him once they got back to the institute.
The front door was open and Rogue took it as a come in signal and entered the house, Bobby right behind her, Logan trailing a little farther behind, sniffing, hands curled into fists, ready for whatever might happen. Rogue stopped at the kitchen and picked up the piece of paper Riley had put there. Her hand flew to her mouth, dropping the paper. Bobby picked it up, read the message and passed it to Logan...who promptly tore it to shreds.
"Magneto's got her," Rogue said, her voice a hoarse whisper.
"Load off my back," Logan muttered.
[AN: Short chapter I know. It'll get better, I promise. Cross my heart, hope to....no I don't hope to die so I won't promise that. But it will get interesting. Trust me. And the paperwork is taking longer than I thought, so the X-Men aren't mine yet, but my lawyer says they should be in about a trillion years.]
Riley threw all her clothes into the duffel bag she had pulled from her closet along with her CD player and mountainous collection of CDs. She scribbled a hasty note to her foster parents telling them where she was going and that she probably wouldn't be back. They probably won't care that I'm gone, she thought to herself, as she raided the pantry. They've wanted to get rid of me for a looooong time.
Figuring she still had a little bit of time before Rogue showed up, Riley slipped into the den. The den, among other things, housed the computer. She sat down and drafted a quick e-mail to Cail; no matter how mad she was at him, he deserved to know where she was going. She hesitated a moment before clicking the send button, still a little unsure about her decision. But impulse took over, and her finger came down, sending the fateful message.
Cail would be crushed, she hoped. He deserved it. Or course, that was an awful thing to say, because she really didn't know any of his history until he came to her high school, just another kid looking for friends. In a way, she was sad to be leaving, but she prayed it was all for the better. The stupid school she went to now couldn't promise what Rogue's institute could. A chance for new friends and a new life. Somewhere where maybe, people wouldn't look at her with piteous glances because they knew she was a foster child. The institute held a lot of promises and she wanted to make sure each and every one of them was fulfilled.
The doorbell rang, announcing Rogue's arrival, she hoped. But when she opened the door, it wasn't who she thought it might be. It was neither Cail nor Rogue and company, but the man in the cloak she had seen in one of her dreams. She arched one eyebrow and gave him a look that said 'you have exactly thirty seconds before I slam this door in your face.'
"If you're a salesman you can leave," she said, hoping he was but knowing he wasn't. She still had a hand on the doorknob and it tightened as he started to speak.
"Oh, I am no salesman," he said, his voice sinister and silky. "I am here for a Riley. Would you happen to be her?"
"Who wants to know?" she asked. He didn't look too friendly to her eyes. "Depends who you are, really. To one person, I'm someone, to another I'm someone else." It was actually very true. With her foster parents, she was a cynical little teenager, but with Cail, she was a whole different person.
"I'll take that as a yes," he purred. "Come with me. That institute can show you nothing compared to what I can." He said the word institute with contempt in his voice and Riley found herself wondering who the good guy was.
"Who are you, though?" she said, stalling for time. Hopefully Rogue would show up and escort this creep off the premises.
"Who I am makes no difference in the grand scheme of things, Riley. All that matters is that you come with me. Everything will be better that way, trust me." Somehow, Riley had difficulty believing that.
"But it makes a difference to me," she said, the hand that rested on the doorknob growing sweaty with fear.
"In that case, my name is Erik. Do you feel better now that you have acquired my name?"
"Actually, it does, interestingly enough," Riley said. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have some work to do..." she trailed off, looking uncertainly at Erik.
"Of course," he said. "How rude of me. I should have realized that you would have something to do on this day. My colleague John will be able to help you if you call this number." He handed her a slip of paper and gave a small bow.
"I will not detain you any longer." With that, he left, turning on his heel and clipping off down the walk in front of the house. Riley closed the door after him and glanced at the piece of paper.
You will come with me, whether by choice of by force. I am sorry, my dear, but this is the only way.
She laid the paper on the kitchen table and sat down in one of the chairs. Too many things happening in one day...she put her head in her hands and stared at the wood finish of the table. A hand rested on her shoulder and she whirled around to come face to face with the blue-skinned woman she had seen earlier in one of her dreams. This was all too freaky.
Riley stood and backed up a couple steps. "Who are you and what are you doing in my house?"
The woman gave no reply besides launching herself at Riley and knocking her to the ground. Riley squirmed, trying to get loose, but it was to no avail. The woman held her tightly and didn't seem to want to let her loose anytime soon. Riley stopped and lay still, in a little bit of a shock as to what had happened and why. She closed her eyes and tried to figure things out, but thinking would have to wait for the blue-skinned woman shoved a cloth next to Riley's nose and next thing Riley knew, she was in dreamland, except that there were no dreams.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~
"Drive carefully, Logan," Rogue reprimanded as Logan sped along the suburban streets. Logan gave no reply but slowing down a little.
"Anyone remember which house it was?" he growled, not exactly in the best mood. Bobby pointed to a house near the end of the street.
"That one. Honestly, Logan. I would have thought you would have a better memory than that," he teased, getting only a frown from the other mutant. He sighed; why Xavier had wanted him to go was beyond him. He resolved to ask him once they got back to the institute.
The front door was open and Rogue took it as a come in signal and entered the house, Bobby right behind her, Logan trailing a little farther behind, sniffing, hands curled into fists, ready for whatever might happen. Rogue stopped at the kitchen and picked up the piece of paper Riley had put there. Her hand flew to her mouth, dropping the paper. Bobby picked it up, read the message and passed it to Logan...who promptly tore it to shreds.
"Magneto's got her," Rogue said, her voice a hoarse whisper.
"Load off my back," Logan muttered.
[AN: Short chapter I know. It'll get better, I promise. Cross my heart, hope to....no I don't hope to die so I won't promise that. But it will get interesting. Trust me. And the paperwork is taking longer than I thought, so the X-Men aren't mine yet, but my lawyer says they should be in about a trillion years.]