Chapter 12
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Talia's head shot up, as the feeling scratched around inside her head, sending fire through every nerve. 'Coming fast.' Her mind raced, 'No, not here! Not now! This is not what I need right now!' She then hurried through the villa, following it.
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Ororo and Piotr were busy helping themselves to supper. Piotr was wondering at why the others--Joe and Duncan--had wanted to leave, to go with them back to the mansion. Xavier had understood, as had Logan, MacLeod's motivation to help; it was not only his nature but, given the situation, it was best that both sides have potential "hostages" though more so for mutual piece of mind. Little did the Professor know how pressing that idea was about to become.
"Pass me the juice, please." Ororo asked and poured herself a glass. Her ears picked up a faint whirring, which in a few moments she distinguished as helicopter blades. She paid it no mind. And, by the time it had grown louder, their attention was focused elsewhere.
"What was that?" Piotr's head jerked up from his meal at the sound of a loud crash. The two of them rushed to the hallway in time. Hearing Talia yell, Ororo gestured to Piotr to split up and they rushed towards the sound from different angles.
Piotr would exit the side of the villa and Storm....out through the front of the villa.
Ororo rushed through the door, her eyes just beginning to show white. Then, just as quickly, her shirt showed red as blood soaked the front of it.
She fell before she reached the steps.
Piotr threw his armor up as he rounded the corner of the villa.
In the driveway, a helicopter was in mid-land; Piotr could see men is black ski masks carrying.....
"Nadya!!" he screamed after her. He saw Talia fighting off one of the men, who had lost his gun. He rushed and threw the assailant halfway across the yard. Talia did not spare him a look, only yelled as she headed for the helicopter.
"Take the car...follow them!" Piotr looked to the car, then back to the fleeing figure. He wanted to go with her. He watched the door to the helicopter slam closed and lift off.
Part of being part of a team meant trusting, taking orders from those more experienced than you, even if they go against everything you want to do at the moment. Piotr understood this. That is why the tall Russian shed his metal skin and rushed for the car instead of rushing after Talia and, more directly, Nadya.
Talia's focus shrank down to one point, one goal: don't let them get away! She felt the bullets hit her as she approached the helicopter. She ignored them.
30 yards.....
She watched the door slide shut, her tunnel vision catching a small hand lying on the floor of the machine, motionless.
20 yards....
The craft started to lift off the ground. Talia noted the sound of tires screeching. "Good, he listened."
5 yards....
Jump for it!
Talia leapt up and grabbed ahold of the stationary landing gear and the trespassing piece of metal lifted up into the air. It moved to head out over the valley, thankfully the roadway went there. Talia tried to pull herself up, just as she heard a door open. She looked up to meet the bottom of a boot.
Freefall.
Impact.
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Piotr had reached the bottom of the hill when he realized that Talia was not hanging from the bottom of the helicopter. He worried about that but he followed as best he could...thankful they weren't going as fast as they could and also had their running lights on. He drove blindly, ignoring the honking horns out to warn him he did not have his lights on. They probably did not want the authorities after them. Piotr squeezed the steering wheel, his rage deforming it slightly.
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The Professor laid a hand on Kurt's head and the man's eyes fluttered as he came around finally.
"Kurt. Kurt, can you hear me?" he asked quietly.
"Professor?" Kurt's voice was strained but not out of pain. More out of weariness.
"It's all right, Kurt. I am here." Xavier said soothingly. Nearby, Logan stood with Rogue and Bobby. Rogue bit a finger of her gloved hand nervously.
"Now, Kurt, what happened? Who did this to you?" the Professor asked quietly, gently.
Kurt swallowed hard, his tail giving a half-hearted twitch. "I did not see zem, Professor. Zee kitchen was...tossed. Silverware, cabinets emptied everywhere. He must have been a burglar. I saw zee kitchen and zen...nuhsing." The blue mutant gave a weak laugh, raising his pointed tail slightly, "I must have scared him."
The Professor laid his hand on Kurt's head again and gently searched his mind, finding everything Kurt said. "That's good, Kurt. Now, rest. You will be right as rain soon." Then Charles sat back in his wheelchair, moving over to look at Kurt's x-rays.
After a while, they left him to rest with Jubilee watching over him. Scott, Logan, the Professor, and the three eldest children met in Charles' office.
"Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, I have to say that you handled yourselves very well in the midst of crisis. You may very well have saved Kurt's life. I am very proud of you all."
The teenagers' chests swelled obviously, for such a compliment was an honor. Logan smirked to himself as Rogue's chin lifted just a bit.
"Don't get that head too high, kid," he teased, to which she simply stuck out her tongue, completely shattering the mature adult look she had had only a moment before.
Duncan and Joe stood in the corner, Joe whispering to the highlander, "She reminds me of someone we know."
The Professor then turned to their guests. "Duncan, Joseph, these are some of our best students: Marie, Bobby, and Kitty. Also known to us as Rogue, Iceman, and Shadowcat." The three teenagers nodded. "This is Duncan MacLeod and Joseph Dawson, friends of ours from France."
"Pleasuh to meet you." Rogue stuck out her hand, which Duncan shook.
"Why the...uh...?" he began, noting her covered hands and long sleeves.
Rogue withdrew her hand. "Ah can't touch other people skin to skin; Ah could kill them."
Duncan nodded and returned his own hands to his pockets. "Trust me, it wouldn't be that much of a problem for someone like me." He left it at that, in case the Professor did not want his existence explained.
He obviously didn't...not at this moment, at least. It was then that the Professor took the Watcher and Immortal on a tour of the Mansion while Scott and Logan tended to some security details.
"This is quite a set-up you have here, Charles." Joe said, his cane thumping on the hardwood floors as a group of students hurried past to the game room.
Charles nodded. "These students are my children, and I have done my best to accommodate them. Scott and Storm are the main teachers, along with myself, and Logan is slowly being integrated into the school."
Joe rather smirked to himself at the thought of big, angry Logan teaching a classroom full of students. "That's rather hard to imagine, to be honest. How did he come to be a part of your school?"
"That is a very long story, but I suppose we have Rogue to thank for that. He saved her life, after all." Professor Xavier replied as they came out onto a patio that overlooked the basketball court.
Bobby was playing a round with some of the younger kids, one of them duplicating himself to make up a whole team.
"Hey, no powers!" one of the other students protested and the kid de-replicated himself reluctantly.
Duncan still found it rather hard to believe that there were people with these kinds of powers but, then again... 'If such things as Immortals exist, why not mutants?'
Joe lowered himself haltingly into a chair and Charles again found himself feeling a sort of brotherly affection for this man who, too, had lost his legs but yet refused to let it shape his life. He admired Joe Dawson.
As the three men took afternoon tea, the Professor sighed. "Well, it seems that all is well here after all. There is nothing to suggest that it was not a burglar, especially the fact that Kurt was not hurt any worse and some of my best silverware is missing." At this, he chuckled to himself, lifting the cup to his lips.
There was silence between the three for a while and then Charles spoke again. "May I ask a question?"
Duncan nodded, "Of course."
"Well, as you know, I did read Nadya's mind. She allowed me, though I am sorry for the repercussions afterward with Methos." Charles put a hand to his head as though recalling the overload that was Methos' mind and memory. "I saw your connection to her family. However, I am curious as to the deep connection between her and you."
Duncan shifted somewhat uncomfortably and Charles knew that he had hit a nerve, something that the Scot did not care to discuss. "I promised to look after her; I swore on her parents' graves that I'd take care of her as though she were my own daughter."
Charles cradled his teacup in his hands. 'But that's not all, is it?' his mind spoke to Duncan's. 'She's one of you, isn't she?'
Mac refused to allow himself to think, to answer, though his eyes said it all. Joe knew instinctively what was being asked but kept his mouth shut; to disclose was Mac's decision and Mac's alone.
Just then, the basketball bounced onto the patio, past the Professor's chair. "Sorry, Professor!" One of the boys hurried to fetch it.
"Not a problem, Jamie." Charles replied and Joe thumped the ground lightly with his cane, enjoying the irony.
"Nadya is as much my child as these children are yours," Duncan suddenly said.
Case closed.
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Inside the Mansion, Logan sat in the TV room, smoking. Rogue entered quietly and stood in the doorway. He could smell her: southern flowers and sunshine.
"What is it, kid?" he asked, not so gruffly, as he was used to her.
"I wanted to ahsk you what happened in France," she replied, moving to sit on the couch. "Peter wouldn't tell us anythin' when you guys were back here before. But he was actin' funny."
At that, Logan chuckled to himself, knowing why Piotr had been acting so strangely.
"Honestly, kid. I'm not sure what's goin' on," he replied, sticking his cigar back into his mouth, an indication that the conversation was over.
Rogue, however, just sat there, used to silences with Logan. It was nice just to be with him again.
As he inhaled southern flowers and sunshine again, Logan found himself wishing it were vanilla and ocean breezes he was sitting next to. 'So close…' his thoughts began to conjure that moment, but he stopped it at the last second.
"See you later, kid." With that, he got up from the couch and headed for the Danger Room to exercise.
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Talia's head shot up, as the feeling scratched around inside her head, sending fire through every nerve. 'Coming fast.' Her mind raced, 'No, not here! Not now! This is not what I need right now!' She then hurried through the villa, following it.
............................................................................................................................................................................
Ororo and Piotr were busy helping themselves to supper. Piotr was wondering at why the others--Joe and Duncan--had wanted to leave, to go with them back to the mansion. Xavier had understood, as had Logan, MacLeod's motivation to help; it was not only his nature but, given the situation, it was best that both sides have potential "hostages" though more so for mutual piece of mind. Little did the Professor know how pressing that idea was about to become.
"Pass me the juice, please." Ororo asked and poured herself a glass. Her ears picked up a faint whirring, which in a few moments she distinguished as helicopter blades. She paid it no mind. And, by the time it had grown louder, their attention was focused elsewhere.
"What was that?" Piotr's head jerked up from his meal at the sound of a loud crash. The two of them rushed to the hallway in time. Hearing Talia yell, Ororo gestured to Piotr to split up and they rushed towards the sound from different angles.
Piotr would exit the side of the villa and Storm....out through the front of the villa.
Ororo rushed through the door, her eyes just beginning to show white. Then, just as quickly, her shirt showed red as blood soaked the front of it.
She fell before she reached the steps.
Piotr threw his armor up as he rounded the corner of the villa.
In the driveway, a helicopter was in mid-land; Piotr could see men is black ski masks carrying.....
"Nadya!!" he screamed after her. He saw Talia fighting off one of the men, who had lost his gun. He rushed and threw the assailant halfway across the yard. Talia did not spare him a look, only yelled as she headed for the helicopter.
"Take the car...follow them!" Piotr looked to the car, then back to the fleeing figure. He wanted to go with her. He watched the door to the helicopter slam closed and lift off.
Part of being part of a team meant trusting, taking orders from those more experienced than you, even if they go against everything you want to do at the moment. Piotr understood this. That is why the tall Russian shed his metal skin and rushed for the car instead of rushing after Talia and, more directly, Nadya.
Talia's focus shrank down to one point, one goal: don't let them get away! She felt the bullets hit her as she approached the helicopter. She ignored them.
30 yards.....
She watched the door slide shut, her tunnel vision catching a small hand lying on the floor of the machine, motionless.
20 yards....
The craft started to lift off the ground. Talia noted the sound of tires screeching. "Good, he listened."
5 yards....
Jump for it!
Talia leapt up and grabbed ahold of the stationary landing gear and the trespassing piece of metal lifted up into the air. It moved to head out over the valley, thankfully the roadway went there. Talia tried to pull herself up, just as she heard a door open. She looked up to meet the bottom of a boot.
Freefall.
Impact.
.....................................................................................................................................................................................................................
Piotr had reached the bottom of the hill when he realized that Talia was not hanging from the bottom of the helicopter. He worried about that but he followed as best he could...thankful they weren't going as fast as they could and also had their running lights on. He drove blindly, ignoring the honking horns out to warn him he did not have his lights on. They probably did not want the authorities after them. Piotr squeezed the steering wheel, his rage deforming it slightly.
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The Professor laid a hand on Kurt's head and the man's eyes fluttered as he came around finally.
"Kurt. Kurt, can you hear me?" he asked quietly.
"Professor?" Kurt's voice was strained but not out of pain. More out of weariness.
"It's all right, Kurt. I am here." Xavier said soothingly. Nearby, Logan stood with Rogue and Bobby. Rogue bit a finger of her gloved hand nervously.
"Now, Kurt, what happened? Who did this to you?" the Professor asked quietly, gently.
Kurt swallowed hard, his tail giving a half-hearted twitch. "I did not see zem, Professor. Zee kitchen was...tossed. Silverware, cabinets emptied everywhere. He must have been a burglar. I saw zee kitchen and zen...nuhsing." The blue mutant gave a weak laugh, raising his pointed tail slightly, "I must have scared him."
The Professor laid his hand on Kurt's head again and gently searched his mind, finding everything Kurt said. "That's good, Kurt. Now, rest. You will be right as rain soon." Then Charles sat back in his wheelchair, moving over to look at Kurt's x-rays.
After a while, they left him to rest with Jubilee watching over him. Scott, Logan, the Professor, and the three eldest children met in Charles' office.
"Rogue, Bobby, Kitty, I have to say that you handled yourselves very well in the midst of crisis. You may very well have saved Kurt's life. I am very proud of you all."
The teenagers' chests swelled obviously, for such a compliment was an honor. Logan smirked to himself as Rogue's chin lifted just a bit.
"Don't get that head too high, kid," he teased, to which she simply stuck out her tongue, completely shattering the mature adult look she had had only a moment before.
Duncan and Joe stood in the corner, Joe whispering to the highlander, "She reminds me of someone we know."
The Professor then turned to their guests. "Duncan, Joseph, these are some of our best students: Marie, Bobby, and Kitty. Also known to us as Rogue, Iceman, and Shadowcat." The three teenagers nodded. "This is Duncan MacLeod and Joseph Dawson, friends of ours from France."
"Pleasuh to meet you." Rogue stuck out her hand, which Duncan shook.
"Why the...uh...?" he began, noting her covered hands and long sleeves.
Rogue withdrew her hand. "Ah can't touch other people skin to skin; Ah could kill them."
Duncan nodded and returned his own hands to his pockets. "Trust me, it wouldn't be that much of a problem for someone like me." He left it at that, in case the Professor did not want his existence explained.
He obviously didn't...not at this moment, at least. It was then that the Professor took the Watcher and Immortal on a tour of the Mansion while Scott and Logan tended to some security details.
"This is quite a set-up you have here, Charles." Joe said, his cane thumping on the hardwood floors as a group of students hurried past to the game room.
Charles nodded. "These students are my children, and I have done my best to accommodate them. Scott and Storm are the main teachers, along with myself, and Logan is slowly being integrated into the school."
Joe rather smirked to himself at the thought of big, angry Logan teaching a classroom full of students. "That's rather hard to imagine, to be honest. How did he come to be a part of your school?"
"That is a very long story, but I suppose we have Rogue to thank for that. He saved her life, after all." Professor Xavier replied as they came out onto a patio that overlooked the basketball court.
Bobby was playing a round with some of the younger kids, one of them duplicating himself to make up a whole team.
"Hey, no powers!" one of the other students protested and the kid de-replicated himself reluctantly.
Duncan still found it rather hard to believe that there were people with these kinds of powers but, then again... 'If such things as Immortals exist, why not mutants?'
Joe lowered himself haltingly into a chair and Charles again found himself feeling a sort of brotherly affection for this man who, too, had lost his legs but yet refused to let it shape his life. He admired Joe Dawson.
As the three men took afternoon tea, the Professor sighed. "Well, it seems that all is well here after all. There is nothing to suggest that it was not a burglar, especially the fact that Kurt was not hurt any worse and some of my best silverware is missing." At this, he chuckled to himself, lifting the cup to his lips.
There was silence between the three for a while and then Charles spoke again. "May I ask a question?"
Duncan nodded, "Of course."
"Well, as you know, I did read Nadya's mind. She allowed me, though I am sorry for the repercussions afterward with Methos." Charles put a hand to his head as though recalling the overload that was Methos' mind and memory. "I saw your connection to her family. However, I am curious as to the deep connection between her and you."
Duncan shifted somewhat uncomfortably and Charles knew that he had hit a nerve, something that the Scot did not care to discuss. "I promised to look after her; I swore on her parents' graves that I'd take care of her as though she were my own daughter."
Charles cradled his teacup in his hands. 'But that's not all, is it?' his mind spoke to Duncan's. 'She's one of you, isn't she?'
Mac refused to allow himself to think, to answer, though his eyes said it all. Joe knew instinctively what was being asked but kept his mouth shut; to disclose was Mac's decision and Mac's alone.
Just then, the basketball bounced onto the patio, past the Professor's chair. "Sorry, Professor!" One of the boys hurried to fetch it.
"Not a problem, Jamie." Charles replied and Joe thumped the ground lightly with his cane, enjoying the irony.
"Nadya is as much my child as these children are yours," Duncan suddenly said.
Case closed.
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Inside the Mansion, Logan sat in the TV room, smoking. Rogue entered quietly and stood in the doorway. He could smell her: southern flowers and sunshine.
"What is it, kid?" he asked, not so gruffly, as he was used to her.
"I wanted to ahsk you what happened in France," she replied, moving to sit on the couch. "Peter wouldn't tell us anythin' when you guys were back here before. But he was actin' funny."
At that, Logan chuckled to himself, knowing why Piotr had been acting so strangely.
"Honestly, kid. I'm not sure what's goin' on," he replied, sticking his cigar back into his mouth, an indication that the conversation was over.
Rogue, however, just sat there, used to silences with Logan. It was nice just to be with him again.
As he inhaled southern flowers and sunshine again, Logan found himself wishing it were vanilla and ocean breezes he was sitting next to. 'So close…' his thoughts began to conjure that moment, but he stopped it at the last second.
"See you later, kid." With that, he got up from the couch and headed for the Danger Room to exercise.