Disclaimer: None of the mutants belong to me. Anything familiar you read below is most probably not mine either.
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A/N:
We had a holiday last Wednesday so I had time to go over this story. Imagine my horror when I read back and discovered that I had a lot of plot holes and what-nots. But I decided to keep the stuff as is until summer vacation or someone complains, whichever comes first. Yep. That's how lazy I am. =) Well, it was either that or answer reviews. I'd much rather answer reviews! It's been a while since I did that. ;)
Can I just say that I'm a bit intimidated at the way people were anticipating Pyro's entrance? It made me think twice about writing him in. I'll try my best, though, but I'm not promising anything.
* Chapter 13*
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Rogue fell from the heavens headfirst at a death-defying speed.
And she never felt more alive.
She sees nothing, there was only darkness. The wind howling drowned out any other sound. Her skin was numbed by the biting cold.
And she knew that the ground was fast-approaching.
For a moment she contemplated not cushioning her fall, to let herself fall onto the ground.
But only for a moment. She has a mission to accomplish.
Now is not the time for such foolish contemplations.
Rogue's eyes shifted from her usual emerald until it became yellow, the eyes of the devil. The eyes of her brother. Rogue grinned. Eyes that would enable her to see in the dark.
Extending her hand above her head, she accessed her telekinetic powers to slow down her descent. Slowly, she righted herself up so that her lower extremities would be closer to the ground. She hovered above and saw her target close below.
Landing on the ground gently, she pondered on her best course of action.
Stealthily approaching a wall, she activated her magnetic powers and deactivated a security camera. That bought her a few precious seconds before someone comes and checks that out.
Rogue knew that touching the wall was out of the question, it was laced with electricity. Using her magnetic powers would raise suspicion, especially since one of the security cameras was out. She can't use her telepathic powers to fly upwards because she would be seen. She can't use Kurt's porting abilities because she doesn't know the place from the inside.
A slow smile appeared on her lips.
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"The Brotherhood is on the move!" Cyclops announced as he and the X-Men ran towards the hangar.
Evan yawned as he tried to keep up. "And we know this, how?"
"Professor X has his sources," came Jean's reply.
"Wait!" Bobby halted suddenly. "Where's Kitty?"
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Rogue slowly phased through the wall. She smirked as she remembered how she stole Shadowcat's powers earlier that night.
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"Don't you have somewhere else to be, Alvers?" Rogue groaned when she saw Lance's shadows fall on her.
Lance cursed. He tried to be discreet in following Rogue around, but he should've known that Rogue would see him. He revealed himself from his hiding place and crouched down next to Rogue. "Heard you were going to borrow other powers,"
"A little thieving skills might come in handy in my mission later." Rogue replied. "And I've been itching to get my hands on some phasing powers," she admitted.
Groaning, Lance playfully tapped Rogue's shoulders. "I knew it."
Rogue smirked. "Here to save your Pretty Kitty?"
"No." Lance replied, knowing better than to defy Magneto or Mystique. "Just here to make sure you don't take more than you have to."
"Worried about Gambit, Avalanche? Something you wanna tell me?"
"Shut up."
"Here," Rogue thrust a red-colored helmet in Lance's hands.
"Mag's helmet?" Lance frowned. "You've got to be kidding me!"
"I kid you not, Alvers." Rogue replied. "If you want to go inside with me, wear that so the good professor won't detect us."
Grumbling protests, Lance did what he's told. "I feel like a geek."
"You think the helmet you wear with your uniform is cool?" Rogue chuckled.
"What about Wolverine?" Lance asked, hoping to change the subject.
"Went out earlier. Probably to bash in a few skulls in bars." Rogue frowned and cursed.
"What?"
"Just did a mind scan. Gumbo's not in there."
"He's probably out knocking back a few stiff drinks."
"That's probably not the only thing he's knocking up," Rogue muttered.
"Missing him already?" He teased.
Rogue rolled her eyes. "He wishes. C'mon, Saltshaker, time to go."
"So how do we get in?"
Rogue pointed upwards.
And before Lance could react, a telekinetic ball had picked him and Rogue and raised them upwards.
"Which one's Kitty's room, lover?" Rogue asked.
"How should I—" at Rogue's disbelieving look, Lance blushed. "Second floor, the one with the pink curtains."
"Thanks." Rogue maneuvered them both outside the said window. Using her magnetic powers, she opened the window. "After you, sugar."
Lance climbed in the window and his breath got took away.
Sleeping soundly on the bed, was Kitty. She looked more innocent, more beautiful, more fascinating than ever. Lance felt his protective instinct take over. He had to throttle the overwhelming urge to stop Rogue from her plans.
But he didn't for various reasons.
One, it was never a good idea to cross Magneto, not even in the name of true love.
Two, even in his wildest dreams, he didn't think he think he could stop Rogue.
Rogue made her way to the sleeping girl. She half-expected Lance to stop her, but when he didn't, she let out a sigh and touched the girl's face.
*
A triumphant smirk was on her face when she stood on the other side. But her mission was only beginning.
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"G'day mate!" An insanely cheerful greeting which was horribly out of place in the wooded area of Australia, jolted Lance out of his reverie.
Lance resisted the urge to clench at his heart as he whirled around to face the person who had intruded on his space.
Before him stood a lanky guy who looked just a bit older than he his. He was wearing this glaring orange shirt and green Bermuda shorts, his feet decked in brown sandals. But more than his clothes, what made the guy stood out was his orange hair and his insane smirk that made him look like he just escaped from the loony bin.
"St. John Allerdyce?" Lance asked hesitantly, and he found himself wishing that the guy's answer would be no.
"Got it in one, mate." The smirk just got bigger and crazier. "You must be Avalanche."
What on earth was Magneto thinking? "Uh, I'm here to take you to New York," Lance said slowly, afraid that any sudden moves might make the guy flare-up into an insane fit.
"I know that!" He announced cheerfully as he shook the neon green backpack that was hoisted on his back.
Lance looked at the bag in horror. How he missed that when he assessed the Australian was beyond him. He shouldn't have bothered landing the heli-jet. He should've just cruised above and there was no way he would've missed this colorblind freak! "Well, follow me, then."
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"What on earth was Avalance doing in Australia?" Kitty frowned as they headed back to Bayville, feeling a bit guilty. The team had lost precious minutes because they took so long in waking her up, which puzzled her. She was normally a light sleeper, waking up at the slightest sound. She must be more tired than she thought.
And her lingering in bed had cost them. They had arrived in the designated place just as Lance was flying back. But she was glad that whatever Lance seem to be doing, he didn't exactly bring the whole anti-mutant force against him. It seemed to be a hush-hush mission.
"It's alright, Kitty." Jean smiled at her comfortingly. "I'm sure it's nothing." That was a lie, and everyone knew it. These days, everything the Brotherhood did was calculated and planned. Nothing was nothing when it comes to them.
Which brings them back to the question. Why were they in Australia?
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Lance was grumbling as he sat down on the dining table and scanned the newspaper that Mystique had left there earlier. He cursed the fact that even if he had a mission early that morning and barely had enough sleep, he still had to go to school. He decided that he cannot be both a student and a terrorist at the same time. At least Mystique, as school principal, can catch a few catnaps later whenever she wanted to.
Minutes later, Rogue wandered into the dining hall looking dazed. She, too, had a late night, or early morning. But that was not the actual reason she was walking like a teenaged zombie right now. "Was that—" hands futilely gestured towards the kitchen.
"Uh-huh." Lance replied without batting a lash as he turned the page of his newspaper.
"But that was—" her hands articulated what her words could not as he arms motioned something large.
"Yup." Lance recrossed his legs as he read the results of the latest basketball game.
"Did you—"
"Rogue." Lance put down the paper he was reading. "You live in a house filled with mutants. Deal with it."
Rogue glared at him as she plopped down the chair beside Lance.
Lance shook his head a little as he turned his attention back to the newspaper.
He actually enjoyed peace and quiet before Kurt ported in.
"There's this fire chick cooking breakfast in the kitchen!" He announced excitedly. "Was that the mutant you picked up last night?" He asked Lance.
"Nope. He's a guy." Lance replied.
"Hey, ya'll!" Todd hopped in. "What's burning in the kitchen?"
"Probably breakfast," Wanda replied as she sauntered in behind Todd.
"New guy insisted he make breakfast today," Lance shrugged.
"But a girl's cooking!" Kurt insisted. "A fire girl."
"So the new guy can turn himself into a fire girl?" Todd asked in confusion. "That's his powers?"
Lance muttered something about colorblindness before giving a startled yelp which caused him to fall off his chair.
"What's wrong?" Rogue asked as she helped him up.
"My newspaper spontaneously combusted." He grumbled.
"Enough of the paper, mate. It's time for breakfast!" A cheerful voice heavy with the Australian accent announced.
Five heads looked up and saw the new guy standing at the door, holding a pan in his hand, a burning pan.
"Wow." Todd grinned as he hopped into his usual seat. "Just like in 'em fancy restaurants."
"St. John Allerdyce at your service," he announced as two women made of fire walked in behind him, each holding pans the contents of which were also burning. "Breakfast is served!"
"Uh, thanks." Rogue looked dubiously at what St. John had placed on her plate. A charred something. "Isn't this a bit well done?"
The two fire girls did the same with the plates of Lance, Kurt, Todd, and Wanda before placing the pan down on the table and disappearing.
"That's the idea, shiela." He grinned at her as if she just awarded him with a million dollars.
"No thanks," Lance said. "I'm vegetarian."
"Since when?" Wanda asked as she stabbed the charred meat on her plate with a fork.
"Since now."
Kurt turned green at the thought of eating that, that, whatever that was! "Look at the time!" He announced as he ported out of his chair. "Thanks for breakfast man," he clutched St. John's hand in his own and shook it. "The name's Kurt. Love to stay for seconds, but I have to pick up my girlfriend."
"You're picking up Amanda?" Rogue asked with a frown.
"Yup. See you, schwester!" With that, he ported off.
"Chicken," Wanda muttered.
"It's good, yo!" Todd announced happily as he forked in more of the charred stuff in his mouth.
"Right." Lance grumbled, unwilling to take the words of a guy who goes out and eats flies all day.
"The name's Rogue." She smiled at the new guy who took the seat her brother just vacated. Rogue looked just a tad green when she saw the guy eat the burned food with a relish. "That over there's Wanda and there's Todd."
"Hey-slowpokes-gotta-go-see-ya!" A whirlwind had circled the dining hall once and when it disappeared through the front door, the food on Rogue's plate was gone.
"That was Pietro. You'll get to see him normally later." Wanda added.
"What happened to my kitchen?" A deep, loud voice bellowed.
"And that's Fred. He's the resident cook. Bit territorial when it comes to the kitchen." Todd chimed in. "Big as a house. Has super strength and invulnerability."
"You may want to run now." Rogue grinned at him playfully.
St. John paled. What has he got himself into?
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~tbc
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P.S.
Thanks who reviewed Chapter 13!
Taz9 - I try my best to update once a week, but with finals looming we have make-up classes all around, so my schedule's a bit insane. But don't worry, I intend to stick to this fic 'till the end. Hope you do, too!
This is s e x – thanks. This fic is my baby, my favorite among my XME fics. =) glad you liked it too.
Rogue4787 – Oi! I can feel the Pyro pressure! I'll try my best to bring out the pycho in our fave pyromaniac. Though I haven't expressly wrote it, hope I didn't disappoint with Rogue's mission.
Ishandahalf – sorry I haven't been able to review your fic! Rest assured that I followed it to the last chapter, even had you on author alert. Just can't get off my lazy butt to review. And that was one Smashing ending, I must say. =) Looking forward to more works from you!
Lady Starlight so kiss my ass – I am so horribly tempted to say that it isn't Pyro, not because I didn't like the guy but because I was horribly intimidated by the high expectations of him. Hmmm. Makes me wanna go out and read some Pyro fics, preferably one with Wanda in it. Don't like him very much with Princess Amara…Anyway, thanks!
Caliente – hey girl! First of all where's the next installment of your mutant diaries! I've waited and waited and waited and…well, you get the picture. Anyway, I always look forward to your reviews coz I get a lot of feedback from them. Anyway, as to the Rogue-Remy thing, well, they aren't dating yet, but they're into that touchy-feely flirtation stage. Well, at least Remy is. Then again, when is he not? And Rogue's into the stage where she's not getting any homicidal thoughts whenever Rem's touching her, or groping her. Whatever. Did I clear that up or did I just make you more confused? That's ok. Those two confuse me too.
Blink182dbzluver – thanks. You rock too. =) for you, I'll do my best to update at least once a week.
Star-of-Chaos – I don't know about the Pyro mayhem, but I did try my best. Hope it was OK.
Natural – Are Pyro and Gambit going to be friends? Still don't know the answer to that one. I'll talk to my muses. We'll figure something out. But they are on opposing teams so it's going to take a bit of maneuvering for them to get to that point. But you never know…
Cheers Darlin – thanks. Another Pyro fan, eh? So here's more, hope you like it.
Bad-girl4 – I really wonder who's hotter, Remy or St. John, I mean, if he wasn't insane and stuff. Then again, who says anything about Remy being sane?