Thanks for the feedback: Ice Princess, Risty, Pandora, Steven P. P, raniatlw, Eboni, T. Riddle, Firefly25, signals x lost, Dusty, morgannia, Silindro, IceBlueRose, UnknownSource, WormmonABC, sanna, Goofn1
A/N: Sorry about the delay. This chapter was a bear to edit. Anyways I hope you enjoy =)
Lance sat outside of the 100 Hall watching the other students streaming off campus for lunch. After what happened with Matthews he'd really thought Xavier would go ballistic. Having the man talk to him like he was a rational, worthwhile person had been the last thing Lance had expected.
In Lance's experience people like Xavier didn't give a second thought to people like him. They found out he'd spent over a year in a juvie detention center and they knew everything they needed to know about him. The guards had called the place "Prison's Waiting Room". Since getting out he saw the same estimation of his future in the eyes of almost every adult he dealt with. He'd been able to count the exceptions to that rule on one hand until just a few months ago.
He wasn't stupid, he knew how he acted reaffirmed everyone's poor opinions of him. It wasn't like it really mattered. They'd already made up their minds and he couldn't change that even if he tried. Hoping for someone to look past his record was just setting himself up for disappointment, besides he hated being surprised. He'd been in an abusive home once. The first time Lance brought it up with the social worker the bastard had convinced her all the bruises came from Lance fighting at school. The next time she visited he'd had to explain both Lance's cracked ribs and his own black eye. Lance had been rather proud of himself for managing to goad the bastard into a fight the night before a visit. Getting off on a good foot with adults had always ranked below knowing what they'd do when he did get in trouble.
That Xavier had become one of the rare adults who didn't just treat Lance like a worthless hood was a shock. That Lance was starting to care what the adult X-Men thought of him was just plain weird as far as he was concerned.
Then there was Pietro he'd been acting like a nut ever since talking to his parents. It was like a sugar high times ten and it just didn't wear off. Pietro was happy and hyper like Lance had never seen him before. Last night he'd been chattering with Xavier about retaking several classes that summer. Mystique had stuck them into whichever classes were open. After seeing his parents Pietro had suddenly decided he wanted to take honors classes. Lance had known Pietro was better at school stuff than the rest of the Brotherhood, but he'd never have acted like he cared about that sort of stuff before.
A sound like a car backfiring startled everyone in the area. Lance was knocked back against wall of the school. Confused he reached up touch his shoulder, blood gushed between his fingers.
****** ****** ******
Kitty glanced around the crowded 300 Hall and tried to spot a break in the bodies that would let her dart across to her locker. Scott waited impatiently, he was eager to join Jean for lunch so they could make plans for the weekend.
"Paul!" Kitty exclaimed when she saw the slender blond senior. "I never got a chance to thank you for standing up for me the other week."
Scott reluctantly followed Kitty when she ran up to his former friend.
"Look, just because I get sick of Matthews it doesn't mean anything." Paul said. "I've gone to school with him since kindergarten. There's always some group he gets his friends to pick on. I think it's how he proves to himself that he's popular. He's always done it. I've always hated it. This time he's getting more out of hand than normal. It's probably because you're not human."
"We are human." Scott stated as he glared at Paul.
"Scott!" Kitty yelled in warning as she spotted Greg. He stood in the hall. His eyes were clenched shut. There was a pistol in his hands. Kitty grabbed both Scott and Paul then phased them out of danger. Greg pulled the pistol's trigger repeatedly. Students screamed and dove for the floor. Kitty pulled Scott and Paul out of the line of fire then released Scott. He lifted his sunglasses and blasted the gun out of Greg's hands.
****** ****** ******
"It sounds fun." Kurt said. Amanda nodded.
"Yeah, I haven't been on a farm in forever and I like rodeos. Sam's older sister is in the barrel racing competition. He thought it would be cool if more people came to cheer her on… What the?" Fred said with a frown as a bullet flattened itself against his impenetrable skin. "That stung."
Kurt pulled Amanda into the safety of Fred's shadow. "Ve are being shot at!" he exclaimed. "Protect her!" Kurt transported to the roof of one of the school buildings to look for the sniper.
Down below Amanda and Fred both grabbed a pair of students and dragged them to safety.
Kurt saw the sniper a dozen feet away from him. It was Neal from the football team. He was lining up another shot. Nightcrawler bamfed on top of him and kicked the riffle out of his hands. A second kick knocked the Neal out cold.
****** ****** ******
"Hey!" Evan exclaimed as he slapped the side of his neck. He glared at Pietro. A rubber band hit the floor. The silver haired boy gave him an innocent look. "Cut it out already!" The secretary looked up at the two of them and sighed.
"Are you sure they were just throwing spitwads?" Kelly asked Evan and Pietro's history teacher.
"And flicking paperclips and shooting rubber bands." Mr. Cormick complained. "They disrupted the entire class."
"You're sure they didn't use their powers?" Kelly asked.
"Will you please forget about mutants for ten minutes and deal with what's actually going on for once?" Cormick said, he sounded frustrated.
The building shook violently. Pietro and Evan exchanged a worried glance. The door banged open.
"Where are you going?" Cormick demanded. Pietro had disappeared. As Evan ran down the hall bone spikes erupted all over his body and formed into heavy plate armor.
"I can finally get rid of them!" Kelly exclaimed running into his office to grab the phone. He had the police station's number on speed dial. "Hello officer, the High School is experiencing an earthquake right now…"
****** ****** ******
"Where is everyone?" Jean complained.
"Hmmm?" Tabby asked. She was leaning over Forge's shoulder.
A sense of wrongness impinged on Jean's mental shields. She only got a fraction of a second's warning. Reflexively she threw a shield around herself, Forge and Tabby. The bullet ricocheted. Jean watched in horror as it struck one of the girls from her soccer team.
Green eyes flashing with rage, her hair floating around her like flames, Jean rose into the air. The next two bullets fired stopped dead at her command and fell harmlessly to the ground. She hovered over Dom and let him empty his weapon at her.
"Now it's my turn." Jean clenched her fist and the gun crumpled like it was made of aluminum.
Dom tried to run. Jean knocked him unconscious then went to help Tabby and Forge as they administered first aid to the girl who'd been shot.
****** ****** ******
Duncan cursed. He'd never tried to fire a riffle single handed before. The kick screwed up his aim. He lined up a second shot. Through the scope his eyes met Lance's. Lance gestured toward him and the ground heaved. Duncan fell on his back. The riffle skittered across the roof.
Pietro appeared out of nowhere, the sight of Lance's blood frozen him in his tracks. A moment later Evan slammed the door open. His eyes followed the line of disturbed sod to see Duncan on his knees reaching for the gun. A spike sprouted from the back of his wrist. He leveled it at Duncan's chest.
Xavier's voice echoed in Lance's memories. "The more hatred built between us the harder it will be to overcome."
"No!" Lance ordered. "Quickie, tie him up."
"On-it." Pietro replied racing up the fire escape.
Before Duncan's hand closed on the riffle it was in a dozen pieces and he'd been hog-tied with his own shoelaces.
Below Lance stumbled and went to his knees. The wall behind him was painted red. "Oh man!" Evan exclaimed yanking off his shredded tee shirt. He pressed it to the back of Lance's shoulder in an attempt to stem the bleeding from the exit wound. Lance slumped against him as he lost consciousness.
Evan felt himself roughly thrust to one side. Before he could blink Pietro had bound up Lance's shoulder. "Stay-here-I'm-getting-Kurt!" Pietro snapped.
****** ****** ******
Scott glanced around the hall. Greg was on his knees. Paul and several other students were retraining him. There were two students on the floor bleeding. Scott knelt beside the closest boy. //Jean!// He thought as loudly as possible.
//I'm in the middle of something.//
//I need Kurt in the 300 Hall now!// Scott ordered as he pressed his hands over the wound in the other boy's chest. He watched with alarm as the boy gasped and blood appeared on his lips.
Jean picked up Scott's concerns. //He's on his way. I was attacked too.//
//Check in with everyone else.// Scott ordered. //I want you to manage triage.//
//Got it.// Jean said.
Scott glanced around. Kitty stood against the wall. She stared at the injured boy. "Oh God, oh God…" she exclaimed repeatedly.
"Are you hurt?" Scott demanded.
Kitty shook her head. "If I hadn't…"
"He wasn't behind you. It wasn't your fault." Scott said. "Pull yourself together. Find out if anyone else is hurt." Kitty nodded.
Kurt appeared. "Here!" Scott yelled. Kurt loped over and teleported away with the injured student.
****** ****** ******
"It's safe now." Fred said. He glanced over his shoulder at the seven student huddled behind him with bemusement. None of them showed any interest in moving.
"Hey. Anyone hurt?" Fred said relaying the question Jean had asked in his mind.
The little group of students glanced at each other. "We're fine." One said.
"What about the rest of you?" Fred yelled including everyone on the front steps. When no one answered Fred and Amanda exchanged a relieved smile. //Everyone's fine here.// He thought at Jean.
//Good. Stay put everyone will meet up there.// Jean ordered.
****** ****** ******
"Kurt!" Pietro yelled after a futilely search of the school.
//He's already taking Lance back to the Mansion.// Jean projected unexpectedly. //We found out from Evan. Go meet Fred and Amanda on the front steps.//
The sound of police sirens split the air.
When the officer stepped out of his car Pietro was standing beside the door. "Took-you-long-enough." He snapped. "Come-on."
Pietro grabbed the startled officer and pulled him toward where the roof where he'd left Duncan. "Bastard-jerk-shot-my-friend. He's-nuts. Hates-us. He-attacked-Lance-with-a-knife-yesterday. Brought-a-riffle-played-sniper-today."
The police officer looked from Duncan to the disassembled riffle lying on the roof beside him. Duncan swore at Pietro. His voice was so choked with hatred that he was nearly incomprehensible.
"You're under arrest." The officer said. He put handcuffs on Duncan then used a pocketknife to cut him loose from the shoelaces.
As soon his feet were free Duncan lunged to his feet and charged Pietro. Contemptuously Pietro stepped out of his way. Duncan hit the wall at the edge of the roof. For a moment he teetered on the edge then threw himself backwards to safety. The officer grabbed Duncan, shoved him back to the roof and pinned him there "I need back up." The officer said.
"I wish you'd fallen." Pietro hissed at Duncan.
****** ****** ******
"Four people were shot." Forge was reporting to the secretary as Kelly stepped out of his office. "We're getting everyone to the hospital."
"Duncan and all his looser friends are tied up for the cops." Tabby added. "We left their guns where they dropped them."
"Guns! What guns?" Kelly demanded.
"What rock have you been under?" Tabby exclaimed. "Matthews and three of the jackass he calls friends just decided to re-enact Columbine and kill us!"
"Who's hurt, how badly? Where'd it happen?" Kelly demanded.
"The 300 Hall, the grounds outside the cafeteria, the front steps and outside of the 100 hall." Forge reported crisply. "Hang on, Jean's giving me an update. Kelsey Gram: Flesh wound. Michael Dell: Chest wound, collapsed lung, he's at the hospital. Jenny Sharp: Bullet in her thigh, bleeding's controlled. She's on her way to the hospital now. You don't give a damn about Lance."
Kelly hurried out of the office. As he reached the 300 Hall the smell of sulfur filled the air. Kurt appeared beside Scott.
"Do you have your inducer?" Scott demanded. Kurt shook his head. "Okay, 'port us both. I don't want time wasted if the doctor's freak out about you."
"This is my last trip Cyke. I'm not in shape for this kind of a work out."
Paul stepped back away from Kelsey. Kurt put a hand on the girl's shoulder then grabbed Scott's arm. The three of them disappeared.
"He just started shooting!" A student exclaimed as she grabbed Kelly's arm. "It doesn't make any sense. He was just trying to kill us."
****** ****** ******
"There was this bang. I had no idea what was happening."
"She started screaming. I didn't know what was wrong."
"I-I-I didn't… He…"
"Is Kelsey okay?"
"He was up on the roof."
"It was totally out of the blue."
"There wasn't any reason."
"It was scary."
"If Scott hadn't stopped him…"
"Fred's bulletproof."
"Jean flew. It was unreal, the bullets stopped in midair."
"Poof, he was gone."
"Lance pointed at him and…"
****** ****** ******
Kelly headed outside. Duncan, Dom, Neal and Greg sat in the back of two police cars in handcuffs. The officers were interviewing the students who'd witnessed the shootings. Jean, Kitty, Evan, Fred, Amanda, Tabby and Forge stood clustered together.
One of the officers approached Kelly. "Could you quietly point out Lance Alvers?" he requested.
"I was told he was injured in the shooting." Kelly said. "His friends took him somewhere... He's the one that creates earthquakes isn't he?"
"That's what we believe." The officer said.
Kelly strode across the grounds to confront the Institute students. "Where are you hiding Alvers?" He demanded. For the moment the shooting was forgotten. "Earthquakes are the one thing I don't have to tolerate at this school."
Evan and Tabby grabbed Fred as he lunged at Kelly. They sighed with relief as he let them hold him back.
"That's saying a lot considering what you do tolerate in this school." Jean replied her voice icily controlled. "Lance is elsewhere. He's receiving medical attention after being shot by one of those normal students you worry so much about us hurting."
Kelly found that he couldn't meet her eyes. He turned and walked away. The police could deal with them he decided.
"Is what they thought true?" Jean yelled after him. "Their minds are practically screaming that you'd have thanked them if they'd managed to kill us. Is that true?"
Kelly flinched. He kept walking. He went back to his office and called the buses to have the students taken home early then helped the secretary field calls from worried parents.
Several hours later the police called to let him know that Michael Dell had died.
It was late long before the calls stopped coming. At nine o'clock Kelly added his home number to the message on his answering machine and started toward the teacher's parking lot.
When Kelly stepped out of his office he was startled to see a student sitting in the hall patiently waiting. "Mr. Metzger, the school has been closed indefinitely. Why are you still here?"
Jeff glanced up. "I saw the police cars. I guess they went through with it huh?"
"You knew about the shooting. Why didn't you tell me?" Kelly demanded.
"I didn't think you'd care." Jeff replied. "Did anyone get hurt?"
"Yes, people did get hurt, killed even."
Jeff's shoulders slumped. "I didn't want to kill them, the mutants." He said. "I just didn't want to deal with them. They make me uncomfortable. I didn't want them here."
"You wanted to have them segregated." Kelly suggested.
"I guess." Jeff said. He sounded a little uncomfortable hearing it put that way. "I didn't want to have anything to do with this. Duncan was really freaking me out this morning. I though he was going to shoot me for a while. I didn't want to hurt anybody. Jean used to hang out with us. Summers was my lab partner last year. I tried flirting with Rogue once or twice. I didn't want any of them dead. I just wanted them to go away."
"Go home." Kelly said tiredly. "Don't tell anyone what you just told me. There have already been enough lives wrecked today. Just go home."
Kelly watched Jeff walk away then turned and headed for his car.
Police tape blocked his way. The concrete wall was splattered with red. Kelly stared at the blood. This was what he'd feared ever since the day he saw students from his school fighting a giant robot. He'd feared that their presence would turn the school into a battleground. He had believed regular students would be caught in the middle.
He'd expected the mutants to use their powers with without any concern for the safety or rights of anyone else.
Kelly had known a tragedy was coming. He'd never imaged that it would take the form of a four teenagers armed with guns. He'd never thought that it would be the normal students who would put their classmates in danger. It wasn't Xavier's students who'd been reckless. They'd only used their powers to put an end to the attack.
Matthews and the other three had thought he'd be happy if the Institute students were killed. At times Kelly had thought he'd do whatever it took to protect his school from the mutant menace. He'd turned his back on any number of fights hoping that the mutants would get careless and use their powers so he could have them expelled. Well he finally had his wish. The mutants in his school had been forced to use their powers. According to the letter of the law he had his justification for expelling them. All it had cost was the life of one student. Three others had been shot and four more were in jail, facing murder charges. He had what he wanted now, didn't he?
****** ****** ******
Xavier slowly and carefully studied the official documents he'd been presented with.
Officer Jensen ground his teeth and struggled against the impulse to tap his foot. "Professor Xavier, I know this is awkward. According to the seismologists there is no way they could have missed a quake large enough to be dangerous. We know Lance hasn't used his powers since the report about their potential long-term effects. We know he probably wasn't aware of those effects prior to the report. And we know the only reason he used his powers today was because he didn't have a choice. That sort of thing will be taken into account when he's tried."
Xavier handed back the papers. "You warrant is quite in order. However I'm afraid Lance is not here."
"Did you ignore everything I just said?" Jensen demanded. "We aren't out to crucify this kid. The best thing you can do for him is work with us."
"Lance had no idea he was doing anything wrong by protecting his life that of his classmates. After being treated for his injuries Lance chose to leave. I didn't have the chance to ask where he was going."
Jensen rolled his eyes. "I am trying to be nice about this." He said. "When I came here before you told me Alvers was a telekinetic and as good as dead. There has been a warrant for his arrest for months and yet you never bothered to mention he was the one we were looking for. That's illegal, a fact which I'm certain is not news to you."
"It was a miracle Lance recovered at all," Xavier said, "and his recovery was anything but an easy one. During the last few months Lance has had to undergo complete physical rehabilitation. When he came out of the coma he had no physical dexterity, he could barely speak. The last thing he needed was to be used as an example to show that the police were capable of controlling the mutants in this community."
"I've read the reports from the incident at the school. Alvers was seriously injured. He didn't just walk out the door a few hours later. I'll ask you not to interfere with my people as they search this institute and the grounds." Jensen said formally.
Xavier moved his chair back from the entryway. The movement allowed Jensen entrance but couldn't possibly be mistaken for a welcome. Jensen glanced up then stared.
"Oh don't mind me." Hank said said. He was, for lack of a better word, sitting in the corner of the room. His feet were planted firmly on the ceiling and his shoulders were braced against the wall. "I find it helps the blood flow to the brain. It's a wonderful pose for pondering. Let me ask you something. A child develops a fascination for playing with fire. Eventually an adult becomes aware of this fascination and warns the child of the possible consequences. The child immediately desists in his activities. How should the adult respond upon finding the child has lit a fire, keeping it responsibly small mind you, to ward off hypothermia?"
****** ****** ******
Lance tried to avoid looking at the wires and conduits running through himself and Kitty.
"I think this is as much open space as we're going to get." Kitty whispered. "Hold really still." She let them go solid. There really wasn't room for two human beings to hide inside the danger room's computer core. Everything had been powered down so Kitty's powers wouldn't disrupt the circuitry. It made a perfect hidey-hole. There was no way in except through Kitty's mutant abilities.
"Comfy?" Kitty asked.
"It's not bad." Lance said.
"You're sure you don't want to let the Professor try to straighten things out legally?" Kitty asked. "You know we'll break you out if it comes to that."
"I trust you, I don't trust them." Lance said. "You told me Pietro was on a military convoy to somewhere the same night he got arrested. They were just going to make him disappear. If they try putting me in a jail, I swear there won't be one stone left standing on top of another."
"I guess." Kitty said. "I don't know… Is your shoulder okay? There's nothing digging into it or anything is there?"
"Its fine Kitty. Its still totally numb from the stuff Moira gave me."
"So what are you going to do once the police leave?" Kitty asked.
"I've been thinking. Pietro's mom and her husband, they're not awful people or anything. They let Magneto screw Quickie and his sister up pretty bad, but they aren't evil. I was thinking I might take the Petros up on their invitation to visit. It might be not so bad. Meeting my grandparents I mean. I don't know. I've got to go somewhere else for a while anyway."
****** ****** ******
As the search progressed the various students made their feelings about it known.
Officer McFadden frowned. He was certain that he'd left the small brown haired boy in the in the last room he'd searched. Somehow the kid and his twin had gotten here ahead of him. He blinked. Now there were four of them. All of them were glaring silently at him like something out of a horror film.
"Ma'am, all Ah'm doing is asking yah if yah think what yah're doing is right." The sandy haired teen asked. "How is that offensive? Ah'm just asking questions."
The lights went out. "Someone check the fuse box!" A few moments later the lights came back. "Must have been a power surge."
"If you have something to say, say it out loud, like a normal person…. And stop floating." Rondell demanded as he glared at the red headed girl.
"Why do you say normal like it's a synonym for good?" Cyclops snapped at the officer.
//But I'm not normal.// The voice in Officer Rondell's head replied. //Until today I didn't know that was a crime.//
McFadden spun around. The quadruplets, quintuplets, whatever were still staring at him. But the noise came from a different direction. They were standing in the door of the room he'd just left. The noise came from the hall. There was no one in the hall. Another sound; directly behind him. A chill wind filled the air. For a fraction of a second the officer was certain he'd seen a pale, white haired boy in the mirror glaring at him. Then the lights went out. When they came back up the boy was gone.
"Hi Sam. What's she doing?" A girl made of magma asked as she leaned over Nelson's shoulder.
"Don't ask her questions, she gets pissy."
"Back off before I arrest you!" Nelson barked.
"For what? Being a mutant?" Amara demanded. "Oh right, that's exactly why you're arresting Lance isn't it?"
"Someone hit the fuse!"
"Are you following me?" The large teen demanded in an offended tone. "Every time I try to sit down you're telling me to move. This is my home. Why can't you go around me?" The identical boys nodded, there were a dozen of them now. McFadden stared at the teen in disbelief. There was never a way to go around. The boy hardly fit in the doorway where he'd chosen to sit. This was the fifth time they'd gone through this act. There was another noise behind him. McFadden sighed.
"Would you please call off your dog?" Marks demanded staring nervously at the large canine that was following him around the Mansion grounds.
"I'm not a dog. I'm a wolf." A slight girl informed the started officer. Then she transformed herself back into a wolf. Storm shrugged helplessly.
As McFadden and Nelson searched the garage they shivered violently. McFadden tried to open the door to the X-Van. Then he cursed as his fingers froze to the metal. Sam and fifteen Jamies stepped closer to Amara. "Ah'm not cold." Sam said. Fred settled into the doorway. Car doors started opening and slamming all around them.
In the lounge Officer Benns jumped back as the blue furred mutant he was watching appeared roughly two inches in front of his nose. "Ah, ah, ah!" Kurt scolded. "You took your eyes off me. Officer Jensen specifically told you not to do that. I could be teleporting Lance all over the mansion to evade your search."
"Freddy, Jamie look, I can juggle." McFadden stared at the blonde girl with alarm. The glowing spheres looked dangerous. "Oops."
"Hit the floor!" Fred yelled.
"Ah didn't do anything!" A girl with white streaked bangs who was wearing a tank top protested angrily. "Ah told her not to touch me. She told me to move. Ah was moving, but, as yah can see, Ah dropped all these papers. Ah had to pick them up. It takes time. Ah told her not to touch me. It ain't mah fault she fainted!" Sam and Amara nodded in agreement.
Rondell stepped into the infirmary. Cyclops posted himself at the door, arms crossed over his chest. Moira gave the officer a tense, false smile. "Ye must be here to take my statement about the shooting." She said.
"Actually I'd liked to speak with…"
"Read: Arrest." Scott interrupted.
"…your patient."
"Yes that makes sense, he was the victim of an attempted murder. Four of his classmates went on a rampage at their school. They murdered one of his classmates." Moira said.
"Ma'am I am tired of playing games with you people. The students involved in the shooting have been arrested and charged. Chances are they're going to need dentures before they see the light of day again. They're not a threat any more." Rondell said. "Lance Alvers on the other hand… As far as I know he could destroy all of Bayville with a thought. He has a history of violence and recklessness. If he loses his temper I don't think there wouldn't be a damn thing I could do to stop him from tearing this town apart. You may not have a problem with that, but I do."
"Lance didn't lose his temper today, I don't think you have much to worry about." Moira snapped.
The lights went out all over the mansion. "Ray, throw the breaker. There must have been another of those weird power surges!" Scott yelled.
"Professor Xavier." Officer Jensen exclaimed. "Will you please ask your students to behave themselves? We are simply trying to do our jobs."
Logan speared an apple with his claws. "Personally I ain't seeing what the kids are doing that's upsetting ya so bad. Following your people around, asking a few questions… Do ya really blame 'em for wanting to know what Lance did that was so wrong? I mean next time some bozo wants to shoot up the school maybe they ought to let 'em do it."
"Logan," Xavier reproved. //Students please desist. The officers are all aware of how we feel about this. The sooner they finish the sooner they will be able to leave.//
"Your engine sounded a little off when you drove up. I was just fixing it. Wouldn't want anything to keep you here." Forge protested as he was marched back toward the Institute. "It would just take a minute. I've got all my tools with me." Forge held up his arm and his hand transformed into a multi-tool. "Isn't it far out? I designed it myself. I was just thinking one day about how much time I waste looking for tools and WHAM it just came to me… There was a little accident the first time I tried to attach it to my arm, but hey, you can't even tell it's a prosthetic can you? I built the whole thing."
Office Marks pushed Forge at Storm. "I don't want this lunatic anywhere near our cars."
"You could be more polite." Storm said with a frown. "He was only offering to be helpful."
Evan readied a small spike to launch at the tires on the police cars. Todd pushed his hand down. "Yo, restraint. We don't want to do anything they could actually arrest us for… Let me do the honors."
"Are you satisfied that Lance is not here?" Xavier asked.
"I'm convinced you could tell me where he is at." Jensen replied irritably. "If I could prove it I'd happily arrest you for obstruction of justice."
"I'm sorry, Lance didn't leave an itinerary."
Officer Jensen grabbed the handle of his car door. Then he grimaced. He held up a hand dripping with slime. "What is this?" He demanded.
Xavier shrugged helplessly.