Author's note: Hey hey kids, it's KRUSTY THE CLOWN!!!! J/K ^-^ Actually it's me, 1LiLRoGuE, and I'm here to bring you more of 'Sunday Morning After'. If you're an avid fan of my work then you'll be excited to know it's UPDATE DAY, which means ALL of my stories are being updated.
Enjoy! Till next time…
~ 1LiLRoGuE / KaTe ~
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'It looks as though the clawed mystery murderer has struck again, this time in Bosely Park at noon yesterday.
The unfortunate victim was Officer Thomas Wayland, 35, who died instantly after being beheaded by the man investigators are labeling the claw'.
'Several witnesses identified the man as a 'crazy delinquent'.
Here is Jim Strang with an interview. Jim?'
'Hello, Barbara. I'm here today with Miss Jessica Haps, a witness to the
brutal murder of Officer Thomas Wayland.
'Now, Miss Haps, how would you describe the man responsible for all this?
'He had black hair. It was kind of styled weird---it somehow rose to two points on his head, and he has sideburns or something. Really weird.
'Anyways, he was yelling all these things at innocent people just minding their own business in the park.
The departed Officer came up to see what all the fuzz was about, and the crazy guy said something to him that made him angry.
The Policeman arrested him, and was about to read him his rights when the man popped these weird knife-like things---except they were made of bone----from between his knuckles.
'That's when I thought 'Oh my god, he's a mutant', and I grabbed my son just as the man attacked the police officer.
'Someone shot a gun---I wasn't sure whether it was the mutie or the Officer (which had all rights to do so, considering the circumstances).
Before I could figure out what happened, the man just swiped at the officer with his claws and cut the man's head off!
' Seeing the people watching him, the crazy guy grabbed an innocent bystander and took her hostage, fleeing the scene.
She was just a young girl…'
'Thank you, Miss Haps. Now, police are requesting that if you have any information whatsoever on this criminal, please call 455-2063 and ask for the investigations department.'
'Thank you, Jim. Also in the news today…'
Professor Xavier leaned back in his wheelchair with a heavy sigh.
"I just don't know what to do, Jean," He said absently as he gazed at the tv screen, his mind afire.
Jean frowned.
"Neither do I, Professor. I drew up a blank with Cerebro---it's as if their minds have ceased to exist."
The Professor shook his head in frustration.
"I would understand that we might not be able to detect Logan if he was consciously blocking us out with his
Weapon X training, but Rogue?"
Jean pursed her lips.
"It could be possible that all the different personas Rogue has absorbed over the recent years built up until they blocked out her own thoughts and memories. But Cerebro should have at least been able to detect their whereabouts and at least sensed the presence of their powers when activated. I know for a fact that Miss Haps was altering the facts a little---I did a light scan on her memory to get the straight truth, and through her eyes I watched the Policeman shoot Logan in the chest. Logan's healing activated very quickly---the wound sealed up with absolutely no complications."
The Professor nodded thoughtfully.
"I think that it would be wisest to simply sit back and wait. It is most unfortunate to let any more people fall victim to Logan's wrath, but until we can see what the pattern is, I'm afraid there is very little that we can do, save for sending out X-men to patrol the streets regularly."
Jean sighed.
"I feel horrible---but I have to agree, Professor. I'll tell Storm to divide our ranks into street watching---and we could assign Gambit to the underground---all the nightclubs and things, his favorite haunts. He can keep his ear to the ground from there and try to find out if Logan's working for anyone."
The Professor nodded grimly.
"Excellent idea, Jean. Do that immediately. Meanwhile, I will establish contact with the investigators by the means of Cerebro---as reluctant as I am to make people do things against their will, I'm going to have to use a tad of brainwashing to make sure we can recover the pair and talk some sense into them."
Jean nodded and set off to find Storm.
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The light filtering across the alley made Rachel moan and turn away.
"Who tuhned on th' laight?" She asked sleepily as she cuddled even closer to the warm body beside her.
James yawned.
"Dunno," He mumbled in response.
Rachel smiled dreamily and pillowed her head on his chest.
"Y' weah reallahy incredible last naight, shugah," She whispered, gently running her fingers up his bare torso.
James grinned but kept his eyes shut.
"What ahre we going t' do today?"
He frowned.
"Well…we can't go t' th' police department, that's fer sure. I'm wanted fer killin' three people."
Rachel sighed.
"Whaih did yah do it?" She asked again.
"Couldn't yah have just walked away? It woulda made things so much simpler…"
James wrinkled his nose.
"I didn't have a choice, darlin'. I did what my instincts told me."
Rachel frowned.
"Yah instincts?" She asked, sitting up.
"Y' killed three people on th' basis ahv yah're instincts telling y' that y' didn't laike them?!"
James put his arms around her waist.
"My instincts are always right, darlin'. I trust 'em."
Rachel raised her eyebrows.
"Do yah have concrete evidence ahv that?" She asked.
James thought for a moment before nodding.
"Yeh."
He pulled her into his chest with a serious look.
"They were right about you, darlin'. They told me I liked yeh, an I do."
Rachel smiled shyly.
"That's so sweet, shugah…seriously, what ahre we going t' do today?"
James shrugged.
"Blend in…y'know, grow beards an stuff…"
Rachel giggled and shoved him away.
"Holy—" James said, impacting the ground with a bone-splitting crunch.
Rachel covered her mouth with a horrified look.
"Oh mah gawd! Ahre y' okay, shugah?"
James nodded uncertainly, wincing as his body realigned itself with a few tiny 'clicks' and 'cracks'.
"I…think. Y' got a few bones there fer a minute, darlin', but they're all healed now."
Rachel insisted on seeing, and to her amazement she saw that even the places where the pavement had grated his skin off had sealed themselves up.
"Incredible," She said softly, fingering the unbroken skin.
James frowned.
"That wasn't no ordinary shove, Rach. I think yer some kind o' mutant yerself—it takes a lot t' just crack a man's bones like that, an I ain't exactly no toothpick."
Rachel looked nervous.
"Ah mutant? Ahre yah sure ah didn't just catch yah when yah weren't expecting it ouh somethang?"
James shook his head.
"That white streak o' yers isn't exactly normal, either," He said, running his fingers through the silky white strands and bringing it to his lips.
"It'll all be okay, Rach. Yeh'll see. Now, how 'bout we bum some grub? That dinner last night was real good, but it ain't gonna last forever."
Rachel smiled half-heartedly and took the hand that James offered to help her get up.
She pulled a little harder than she meant to and shrieked as a loud pop echoed through the alleyway.
"James! Holy shit! Did ah hurt yah?"
"Yup," The said James groaned through his teeth as he clutched his dislocated shoulder with his other hand.
Rachel put her hands to her mouth and stepped back, her face very pale.
"Rach, Rach, calm down. Jus' push on my shoulder a lil an it'll pop back okay."
Rachel shook her head, her eyes wide.
"No, no, ah'm not touching yah no moah, shugah," She said in a trembling voice.
"Foah ahwl ah know yah're head will pop off!"
James gritted his teeth and let out a yelp as he pushed the joint back himself.
"Some help you are," He growled.
Rachel swallowed and inched away as he stood up.
"Oh c'mon Rach," He said as the pain began to disappear.
"Look. I'm fine. No one was hurt. C'mon, I'm not made o' china y' know!"
Rachel tittered nervously.
"Ah'll come if yah promise not t' touch meh, shugah," She said, her voice high and quavering.
"Ah don't wanna risk making ahwl yah limbs fall off. Who knows what kaind ahv powahs ah've got? Foah ahwl we know, mah mutantcy could be making people's bones pop out ahv place!"
James grinned.
"No, yer jus' really strong, is all. Now let's get somethin' t' eat. I'm starved."
He held up his hands in a none-threatening gesture and stayed a few paces away from Rachel until they were safely out of the alleyway.
"So, weah ahre we going t' eat today, shugah?"
James grinned.
"I dunno. Somewhere quick. First we gotta disguise ourselves."
Rachel looked at him inquisitively.
"But…how?" She asked.
"Ah mean, with what?"
James frowned and thought for a moment.
"We'll compromise. I'll screw with my hair fer a bit…th' claws come in handy."
He looked almost wistfully at Rachel's long, dark auburn hair.
Suddenly Rachel realized what he was thinking of.
"No way!" She shrieked, clutching the glossy locks as though they might run off of her head.
"Ah am not letting yah cut mah hair!"
James sighed.
"It'd be quick…" He said unconvincingly.
"It wouldn't hurt, I promise. Look, I'm cuttin' mine. Y' can't just go in somewhere with th' same hair if yer tryin' t' dodge th' authorities, darlin'. They're not stupid."
A tear trickled down Rachel's cheek.
"No," She said sadly, stroking one lock of the brown silk.
James patted her shoulder.
"I'm sorry, darlin', but it has t' go."
Rachel nodded and let out a dry sob.
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