(sigh) This time I have a truly legitimate excuse for not updating sooner. But since I do not wish to bore you all to death, I won't bother to explain it. Here you go, another belated chapter for y'all. Enjoy!
Disclaimer: For those of you who may think you own this stuff but really don't, I feel very sorry for you.
And for those who may think I think I own this stuff, I feel even more sorry for you.
As for the rest, have a nice day. ;)
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Chapter 5 – Just a Little Test
Logan could feel certain parts of his body returning to normal as he made the long trip back down the hill. Despite the fact that he was used to not getting a sufficient amount of sleep, he felt strangely exhausted. Sure could use a good splash of cold water. And maybe some coffee. Yeah, I could definitely use some caffeine right now.
As soon as he reached the bottom, he saw that most of the werewolf brotherhood was already up to greet him. Sabertooth, of course, was at the head.
"Well, I hoped you had a good night's sleep." His tone was underlined with sarcasm. It was hard to miss the fatigue in Logan's body.
"'Fraid not," was the reply, followed by a half-suppressed yawn.
Sabertooth smiled (more like smirked) at Logan and said, "Then I'm sure you've given our proposition much thought."
Logan nodded, only half understanding what he said. Fatigue slowed his mind down greatly.
"And what is your conclusion?"
It was a few moments before Logan answered. He looked around at the troop of werewolves. Although he had already made up his mind to stay with them for a while, he had to wonder what would happen if he refused. He couldn't help but notice that the group had formed an enclosed circle around Sabertooth and himself.
He checked himself one more time on his decision, laying out in his mind exactly what he would say in reference to the conditions he would be placed in. After all, if he wasn't careful in making his prospects clear, he might end up in a situation he wouldn't be able to get out of.
Man, it's like I'm a diplomat or something. It's not as if we're trying to prevent WWIII.
Still, he knew that with these guys, you needed to make your point.
"I've decided that I will stay with you and your posse, Sabertooth. For a time, at least."
Sabertooth nodded in approval and seemed ready to say something. But Logan quickly cut him off.
"But there are some terms of agreement that I would like to keep very clear while I'm hanging out with you and the gang. First, I should be allowed to wander around on my own without having one of your 'boys' tailing me. Second, I ain't your servant. So if you need anything I suggest you ask me with respect, or if that's too much have one of your lackeys do it."
"How dare you!" cried Dark Fang. "Our Leader never treats us that way! We are not his lackeys!!"
"Silence, Dark Fang," said Sabertooth calmly. "I am the one dealing with the negotiations. I thank you for your loyalty, but let Wolverine finish his terms so I may consider them."
"Oh please!" growled Foxbane. "Can't we just get this over and done with?"
He immediately received a group glare, including from his leader. Foxbane quickly silenced himself and backed away, though he muttered something under his breath.
"Continue, Wolverine."
"Third, I'm not guaranteeing that I will stay for long. So if I see it fit for me to leave, then you cannot stop me. Do we have an agreement?"
Sabertooth let these conditions dwell in his mind for a few moments, then replied, "I will permit you to wander around town during the day without any of my wolves. However, you must stay with the pack at night and observe if not participate in whatever activities we do. Also, no one here is considered a slave or servant. But everyone is required to carry their weight. So you will have work to do in order to stay with us. As a team, everyone has a part, and everyone watches out for everyone else.
"Lastly, you are free to leave whenever you wish, but you must consult with us about your reasons for leaving. There will be no taking off without speaking to us first. If your reason is because of unfriendly relations between one or more members of the group, then my job is to resolve the conflict. By having members simply leave for such a reason does not help the situation. The pack must work together, whomever they are with.
Discipline will be taught to a certain level, for without discipline there is no motive for team effort. That is our code."
"So, what you're saying," said Wolverine, "is that if I don't like someone in the group, that's no excuse for me to leave?"
"That is correct," answered Sabertooth. "A strange rule, I know, but I have learned from many times in the past that such a rule is necessary."
Logan didn't entirely approve of this rule, but if it was just one rule that he didn't like he figured he could survive. For a little while, at least.
"Alright, I'll stay. Remember," Logan added. "I'm probably not going to stay forever."
"I wasn't expecting you to," replied Sabertooth, with a subtle gleam in his eye. It made Logan remember their discussion from last night. The thought of Sabertooth's deeper meaning made him scowl.
"Wolverine, you are now officially a member of the Brotherhood of Werewolves. Welcome to our family." Sabertooth placed a hand on Logan's shoulder and faced the rest of the group. "Now we shall return to our headquarters and plan the events for this evening."
"Wait a minute!" It was Foxbane, now running up to his leader. "When a candidate is officially brought into the brotherhood, isn't the first order of business to send him out on a mission?
"What!" growled Logan. "Look, bub, I already proved myself to you last night when y'all jumped me. What's the point of this test?"
Sabertooth gave a quiet snarl at Foxbane, then turned back to Logan. "I was planning to ask you to do this later on after we had some time to relax. But since it was brought up, I suppose it wouldn't hurt for you to start it now. It could take you a good deal of time."
"No way, bub! I ain't doing another little test for you!"
"Don't think of it as a test, Wolverine. Think of it as . . . a mission; as your first contribution to the team. Besides, you will have a chance to go exploring on your own."
Logan was still ticked by the fact that he still had to prove himself to this group, but the idea of still exercising his freedom comforted him a little. "Fine. What do ya want me to do?"
Sabertooth thought about it for a second, then he snapped his furry fingers as an idea struck him.
"Go into Bayville and explore it as much as you can, inside and out. Sometimes we go there to find hang outs and resources when the hunting is tough. It's also a good way to keep an eye out for human meals and new members. Just search out the town as much as you can. Keep an eye on the locals too."
This mission didn't seem hard to Logan. He was somewhat used to this kind of thing. "Whatever. What time should I leave?"
"As soon as possible. Maybe now if you'd like."
"And when should I be back?"
"Before sunset at the latest. Don't you think?"
"Oh yeah." Sometimes even Logan forgot that people weren't especially thrilled about 'that little thing that happens at night' if they chanced to be around him when it happened.
"Well, I guess I might as well head out now."
"That's the spirit. Go get 'em, runt."
Logan gave a low growl before turning away from the group and heading into the woods. He hated being called that.
Sabertooth watched as Logan walked away. He smiled confidently while the others watched suspiciously.
"Leader," spoke up Moon Devil, "what if Wolverine decides to take off?"
"Oh, he'll be back," answered Sabertooth, still wearing that dangerous smile. "He'll be back."
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Oh man! I'm dead! Well, technically I already am, but that's not the point!
Rogue's eyes widened in terror as the police car approached her. "Freeze! This is the police!"
Oh right. Like I didn't know that!
"You are not permitted to leave the country without authorization. Please return to the country or you will be placed under arrest."
Rogue stared at them, trying to figure out what to do.
It's not like I can just run away from the police. But it's not like I can't either. If I go over to them, they might find out I'm a vampire. Oh crap, what am I gonna do?
"Rider! Come over here immediately, or we will be forced to escort you!"
Another moment passed. Finally Rogue made up her mind.
"Not in a million years!"
And with that, she hit the gas and sped off.
And just as she suspected and feared, the police gave chase.
As soon as they began to chase her, she decided she would need to take a more scenic route to try and lose them. She took a sharp turn into a large patch of wilderness off to the side of the road. Somewhat stupidly, the car continued after her. She easily manipulated her bike through the trees. While the police car struggled, it somehow managed to stay close to her tail.
Guess it's time to go a little extreme.
Rogue saw that up ahead, the ground dropped out about four feet. It wasn't much but fortunately part of a large rock protruded from the ground and slightly upward from the drop. It was just enough to give Rogue a good jump.
She leaned hard into the bike to keep it close to the side where the rock was. She figured the police car hadn't noticed the dropping of the ground, and she was right. They continued to follow her.
Now pushing on the gas with all her might, she zoomed off the rock at high speed, practically flying through the air. The policemen watched in amazement, seeing only too late that they fell into a trap. The car soared forward and crashed nose first into the ground. The policemen were thrown forward in their seats by the thrust. Rogue didn't take one glance back to see them. She had already made that mistake. Besides, she could hear another car coming up behind it.
It took a wide turn around the drop, then sped up quickly to follow Rogue. By now she headed deeper into the wilderness, weaving among trees, rocks and roots. The new car seemed to do a better job of following her. But seeing that she was still too out of reach to stop, one of the policemen called for their backup helicopter.
Rogue focused on the obstacles in her path, remembering those good old days of training with Betsy and her twin brother Brian. Betsy mostly went to the lessons to give Rogue moral support while keeping her brother's discipline on Rogue at a minimum. But Rogue was pretty disciplined when it came to training of any kind. And now it was really paying off.
Of course, she never figured that being disciplined would one day help her avoid the law.
Rogue could make out the shapes of cars and trucks through the trees and hear the roaring of their engines. She realized that she had reached a highway. Another tactical move dawned upon her.
She made yet another sharp turn, throwing her weight into her vehicle as much as possible. This move also surprised the new policemen but they were able to react quickly.
Another surprise came to them: they were following Rogue directly to the highway.
One of the policemen grabbed his megaphone and stuck his head out the window.
"Rider, as members of the police department of -----, we order you to desist from this pursuit. I repeat, desist, rider."
But Rogue wasn't giving up. She couldn't now. She wasn't going to delay another moment in getting to her destination, nor was she going to take the risk of being revealed.
Just as she was about to reach the highway, she took a deep breath. Please, please, PLEASE work. Then she held up her left hand.
Immediately all the cars about to cross in front of her stopped dead in their tracks, giving Rogue enough time to cross the dangerous highway at top speed. As soon as she over, the cars started going again. The gates were closed for the policemen. They tried to start up their sirens but they had little effect.
Rogue once more desired to look back but was quickly distracted again. Her bike was going too fast to stop or slow down in time, so she tried her luck and skills and dodged her way across the other line of traffic on the opposite side. Several drivers honked their horns at her, a few even cursed at her. She didn't care. She was just glad she was alive, and that no one else got hurt. She managed to stop her bike several feet from the road. The police car still hadn't had the chance to cross the highway. Smiling, she started her engine again and took off into the wilderness. She went on that way for several miles before reentering onto the highway.
It ended up being a mistake.
Without fail, a backup helicopter appeared, flying over Rogue as she went along on the highway.
"Rider, as members of the police department of ---- -"
Are they ALL the same?
"- we order you to desist from this pursuit. You are under arrest for eluding the authorities."
Is that supposed to convince me to pull over?
"Rider, you will be arrested. Desist. Give up."
Rogue clenched her teeth at those words. Give up. It made her stomach turn remembering her dream just the other night. But it also made her more determined. She wasn't giving to anybody.
Without any reply, she sped up her bike even more and took the next exit. After ten minutes of chasing, Rogue sensed that the chase was coming to an end. The other police cars couldn't be far now. She took another road that led to a mountain pass. She continued to ride at top speed, the helicopter close behind. She could hear sirens whirring just around the bend. And in front of her was nothing but the steep mountainside and a fall ending in woods just below. Rogue didn't flinch a minute.
She headed straight for the ledge. When the helicopter riders saw that she wasn't making the expected turn, they panicked. "I think she's gonna jump! She's gonna commit suicide! Someone stop her!"
But there was nothing they could do. They watched, hoping she would chicken out of the dare.
She didn't.
She gave the engine an extra revving up as she and her bike flew through the air. At first she was caught off guard by the sun shining in her eyes. She screamed in pain for a moment as she put her head down.
Everyone else thought she screamed out of terror of what she had done.
She seemed to take forever to fall. But it was a long one, after all. At least that was what they thought.
Regaining her senses, Rogue concentrated on the bike. Come on. You can do this. Little by little, the bike's fall slowed down, her telekinesis growing stronger and stronger. She was careful though to make sure it looked like she was still falling. She continued her dive until the treetops were nearly in her reach. She brought the bike to almost a complete stop. Then she revved up the engine again, and as soon as she touched the ground she got moving. But right before she did, she released one hand from the handle bar and blew into it. A small cherry bomb formed in her palm, and she immediately discarded it when she landed. As she drove away, she heard the bomb explode with amazing power.
It reminded her of how she absorbed Tabitha's power that time when the blonde wanted to know how it felt for Rogue to take her powers. It made Rogue's heart heavy with guilt, but she was glad that it finally had a purpose.
Up in the sky, the helicopter saw the explosion below. And just as Rogue had hoped, the policemen all supposed that the explosion was caused by the bike's crash. One of the helicopter riders reported what had happened to the police chief. But the chief replied, "Make sure what you think happened really happened. Go down there and make sure she's dead. If she's not, arrest her right away."
Rogue turned her head as the helicopter made it's descent toward the location of the bomb. She stopped the bike for a minute and tried to think fast. Another idea soon dawned on her.
I can't believe I'm using my powers so much in one day. I didn't even use them this much at school.
Lifting her hand again, she used her telekinesis to push the helicopter back up into the sky.
The policemen aboard were greatly startled by this phenomenon, not realizing what had caused it. Just as the helicopter pilot began to regain control of the craft again, it was once more pushed up, even past the ledge where Rogue had made her daredevil jump.
The chief radioed in. "Officer, what's going on?"
"I don't know, sir," was the reply. "It seems some kind of . . . force field or something is preventing us from descending. It could be some magnetic force caused by the motorcycle crash."
The pilot decided to leave the 'crash' site be. The rest of the policemen considered the chase over.
At that moment, just two miles away, Rogue was filled with a mix of relief, pride, and guilt. She never used her powers against someone purposefully. But this had been an emergency.
Don't worry. I promise to be very careful, she promised herself. In a way, she was promising to everyone who had cared about her back at home. Destiny, Betsy, the whole gang.
She sighed at the memory of them. Well, the sooner I'm out of here the better. With that, she returned to the highway, keeping her eye on the signs to find the nearest airport.
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Here you are. Again. Another dose of my creativity that I manage to keep hidden from you for long spans of time. But there you go. Please, please, PLEASE review. If you don't I just might delay longer in giving you my creativity. Remember what I said: You don't review, the story goes bye-bye.
Okay, I said that would happen if the story was crap, but it's basically the same thing. Alright, enough lecturing. Y'all need to get back to your lives. Adios, and leave some reviewes, por favor? (no, that's not really how you say 'reviews.' ;) )