*Note: This story is meant to have taken place between the second and third
X-Men movies.so please do not sue me if it doesn't end up fitting at all
into the storylines. I also have not watched the X-Men TV series in a long
time, or read their comic books so please do not sue me either if I put in
characters that are out of date.
Chapter 2: The Trip
"I don't understand why we couldn't have taken the jet." Bobby grumbled as he checked his watch again. "We could have made it there by now."
"Consider it a vacation kid." Wolverine closed his eyes and tried to relax in a hard chair that was located at the airport terminal. "But instead of heading to a big, famous city, we're heading to a small town. Besides, I think people would notice if they suddenly saw a big jet make a landing outside of town."
"What I really want to know is how come you invited Cyclops to come along?" Bobby motioned towards the figure that was staring silently at the arrivals and departures screen.
"Awe, is Wolverine finally revealing a softer side of him?" Rogue teased, putting her head upon his shoulder.
Wolverine opened on eye. "Me? Soft? Never. I just, it's just scary seeing Cyclops like that. Getting scarier everyday. Sometimes I wish he'd yell at me again, just to see him like his regular self. Before." Wolverine tried not to shudder as he remembered that day when Jean sacrificed herself to save all the other X-Men.
"The death of Ms. Grey's hit everyone hard. Cyclops the hardest of all." Rogue seemed to have read his mind.
"Ten more minutes before we're set to board." Bobby spoke up.
"I'd better go get Cyclops." Wolverine got up stiffly and made his way through the crowd. "Hey, our flight's set to board soon, we should probably get going." Cyclops seemed to take no notice of him. Why did I even bother bringing him? Wolverine wondered. He tried hard to stay calm and not let his anger get the best of him.
"Hello, did you hear what I just said? We should probably get going." Wolverine took a couple of steps away, but Cyclops continued to stare at the TV monitors.
"We have to go. I'll even carry your bag for you-I'm feeling strangely generous." Wolverine picked up Cyclop's duffle bag and proceeded to walk away once again, praying that Cyclops would follow him.
"I know what you're thinking. What you're all thinking. You all think she's dead."
Wolverine stopped in mid-stride and slowly turned around to face Cyclops. "look, Kiddo.I was there. And to tell you the truth, her odds weren't all that great."
"You don't know Jean like I do. She's tough, she could have made it."
Wolverine sighed. "Look all I'm pointing out is that the odds weren't all that great, regardless of who was in that position."
"She's not like that. She's not dead. I can feel it."
"Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary. Repeat. Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary."
"That's our flight." Wolverine managed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm going to get Bobby and Rogue. I suggest you come along too, if you don't want to be left behind." Wolverine shoved the duffle bag into Cyclop's arms and proceeded to find Bobby and Rogue.
It was only when Wolverine peeked behind his shoulder and saw Cyclops silently following him, did he feel some weight being lifted from his shoulders.
* * * * * *
"Kingsville.population, 5000." Bobby read out loud as the rented car passed by the wooden sign.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't have stopped to get some souvenirs." Rogue said, pretending to be cross.
Wolverine kept his eyes peeled on the road. "The sooner we get to the mutant, the sooner we can relax. Maybe then we can get some souvenirs."
"Promise?"
Wolverine shot a look at Rogue from the rear-view mirror.
"No, of course not. You don't promise a lot." Rogue slunk lower into her seat.
"If it's any consolation, we'll be reaching the town centre pretty soon." Bobby broke the tension a few minutes later. "By the way, how are we even supposed to find him? Or her? We don't' know anything, except that this is the place we are supposed to look."
"A town's so big too. Where do we even start?" Rogue agreed.
"We'll just have to look the old fashioned way." Wolverine said as the town centre swam into view. "5000 people in the town, shouldn't be too hard."
The car came to a stop in front of a grocery store and the group emerged and took a look around. Kingsville was indeed a very small town. The town centre itself consisted of a red and white brick building labelled "City Hall", the grocery store, and a surprisingly big mall was off a little bit in the distance, complete with a theatre and a recreational centre.
"We can ask around. There's bound to be somebody who knows something." It was the first time Cyclops had spoken since the airplane ride.
"Yes, we do know something: you're not getting the mutant."
Wolverine's muscles tensed as the X-Men slowly turned around. He knew that voice too well.
Toad.
Chapter 2: The Trip
"I don't understand why we couldn't have taken the jet." Bobby grumbled as he checked his watch again. "We could have made it there by now."
"Consider it a vacation kid." Wolverine closed his eyes and tried to relax in a hard chair that was located at the airport terminal. "But instead of heading to a big, famous city, we're heading to a small town. Besides, I think people would notice if they suddenly saw a big jet make a landing outside of town."
"What I really want to know is how come you invited Cyclops to come along?" Bobby motioned towards the figure that was staring silently at the arrivals and departures screen.
"Awe, is Wolverine finally revealing a softer side of him?" Rogue teased, putting her head upon his shoulder.
Wolverine opened on eye. "Me? Soft? Never. I just, it's just scary seeing Cyclops like that. Getting scarier everyday. Sometimes I wish he'd yell at me again, just to see him like his regular self. Before." Wolverine tried not to shudder as he remembered that day when Jean sacrificed herself to save all the other X-Men.
"The death of Ms. Grey's hit everyone hard. Cyclops the hardest of all." Rogue seemed to have read his mind.
"Ten more minutes before we're set to board." Bobby spoke up.
"I'd better go get Cyclops." Wolverine got up stiffly and made his way through the crowd. "Hey, our flight's set to board soon, we should probably get going." Cyclops seemed to take no notice of him. Why did I even bother bringing him? Wolverine wondered. He tried hard to stay calm and not let his anger get the best of him.
"Hello, did you hear what I just said? We should probably get going." Wolverine took a couple of steps away, but Cyclops continued to stare at the TV monitors.
"We have to go. I'll even carry your bag for you-I'm feeling strangely generous." Wolverine picked up Cyclop's duffle bag and proceeded to walk away once again, praying that Cyclops would follow him.
"I know what you're thinking. What you're all thinking. You all think she's dead."
Wolverine stopped in mid-stride and slowly turned around to face Cyclops. "look, Kiddo.I was there. And to tell you the truth, her odds weren't all that great."
"You don't know Jean like I do. She's tough, she could have made it."
Wolverine sighed. "Look all I'm pointing out is that the odds weren't all that great, regardless of who was in that position."
"She's not like that. She's not dead. I can feel it."
"Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary. Repeat. Flight 825 now boarding for Calgary."
"That's our flight." Wolverine managed to breathe a sigh of relief. "I'm going to get Bobby and Rogue. I suggest you come along too, if you don't want to be left behind." Wolverine shoved the duffle bag into Cyclop's arms and proceeded to find Bobby and Rogue.
It was only when Wolverine peeked behind his shoulder and saw Cyclops silently following him, did he feel some weight being lifted from his shoulders.
* * * * * *
"Kingsville.population, 5000." Bobby read out loud as the rented car passed by the wooden sign.
"I still don't understand why we couldn't have stopped to get some souvenirs." Rogue said, pretending to be cross.
Wolverine kept his eyes peeled on the road. "The sooner we get to the mutant, the sooner we can relax. Maybe then we can get some souvenirs."
"Promise?"
Wolverine shot a look at Rogue from the rear-view mirror.
"No, of course not. You don't promise a lot." Rogue slunk lower into her seat.
"If it's any consolation, we'll be reaching the town centre pretty soon." Bobby broke the tension a few minutes later. "By the way, how are we even supposed to find him? Or her? We don't' know anything, except that this is the place we are supposed to look."
"A town's so big too. Where do we even start?" Rogue agreed.
"We'll just have to look the old fashioned way." Wolverine said as the town centre swam into view. "5000 people in the town, shouldn't be too hard."
The car came to a stop in front of a grocery store and the group emerged and took a look around. Kingsville was indeed a very small town. The town centre itself consisted of a red and white brick building labelled "City Hall", the grocery store, and a surprisingly big mall was off a little bit in the distance, complete with a theatre and a recreational centre.
"We can ask around. There's bound to be somebody who knows something." It was the first time Cyclops had spoken since the airplane ride.
"Yes, we do know something: you're not getting the mutant."
Wolverine's muscles tensed as the X-Men slowly turned around. He knew that voice too well.
Toad.