Author's Note: Sorry if I bored you with the whole 'flying lesson' thing. I couldn't think of how to describe them, not to mention a tiny case of writer's block. Anyway, here's chapter 5! Whoo! I've surprised myself that I've gone this far this fast. Huh, whatever. Also, Kurt says "ovv ov" at one point. It means "off of" just so you're not confused. One more thing, in this chapter, Gambit is in it, so I feel like putting some stuff in French, because he speaks French sometimes.
Disclaimer: Blah, blah, blah. I don't own the X-Men. All characters and related items belong to Stan Lee and Marvel comics. (I've always wanted to do that. That's what it says in fine print at the end of movie trailers. Heh.)
Bladewing
Chapter Five: One of a Kind
"X-Men, move out!"
The X-Men were training today. It had been a week since Tara had started her training to fly, taking chances whenever she got to spread her wings. She had made miraculous progress, a quick learner by nature. Not to mention, that her love of birds, flight, and flying made the lessons pass by quicker than expected. She would practice flying above the Institute and the city as much as possible.
The X-Men were training in offensive rescue today. Rogue job was to pretend she was captured and it was the X-Men's job to rescue her. Not her favorite job to play, but since she had to definite power, this was her usual position in the training simulators. She was chained up at the top of a high elevation, surrounded by dangers and such.
Her wings open, it was an easy task for her, but not for the rest of the X-Men. Flying above them all, she easily flew up the mountain-like simulator, being as close to the rock as possible, just for fun.
"Bladewing! Watch out!"
Several lasers appeared out of the mountain. Bladewing, the name dubbed to her by Corai, ignored them. Right before they shot, she plucked a small feather from one of her wings, and threw it like a boomerang at them. It ripped through one, its adamantium edge slicing through the laser easily. It came back to her, and she grabbed it, unafraid. She now had special gloves as part of her uniform, which can grab the feathers without fear.
She flew to the top, looked over the situation, then flew back down to report to Scott.
"She's tied up with chains, and around a pole. There are lasers around her. I counted about four or five."
"Well, let's go. Nightcrawler, you take Jubilee, Bladewing, you take Spyke. The rest of us, do whatever you can. Spyke, while you're flying, put out some spikes for us to use to climb," Scott commanded.
"You got it Scott!" Spyke responded.
"X-Men, move out!"
Bladewing spread her wings, and grabbed Spkye from his arms. She wasn't the strongest person, but it was mostly her wings that were doing the work, and it made the task much easier. The X-Men started to climb the rock, with the help of Spyke, who was shooting wooden spikes into the rock every foot or so.
Nightcrawler and Jubilee teleported to the top. The lasers started to fire, and Jubilee and Nightcrawler dodged all the shots. Jubilee sent her little fire explosions on them. They instantly stopped firing, broken and smoking. Another round of lasers came out.
The rest of the X-Men reached the top soon after, helping Jubilee and Nightcrawler destroy the lasers. Bladewing and Spyke reached it before them, and were helping as well. Soon there weren't any other lasers. Scott freed Rogue, and the session ended.
Leaving the training room, lots of people were congratulating Tara.
"Great job on the session Tara. You did great," Jean complemented.
"Like, yeah. You did awesome today," Kitty said.
"I now know why you love to fly around all day," Evan said, "that was really cool," he grabbed his skate board, which was right in front of the group when they were leaving. He left it there for when the session had ended.
Professor Xavier wheeled his way over, "You did excellently Tara. That boomerang technique I taught you has served you well. Now go, it's the weekend, enjoy yourself with the others."
"Thanks. I will. I'm going to buy some of the paints for my room today. I'm almost finished sketching everything out on the walls," she said walking next to him, headed up to her room to change into regular clothes and to get her holo-watch.
"Well, I' see ya later. Bye Professor," she said, running down the hall to the elevator. Right before she reached it, Nightcrawler teleported beside her.
"Hey Tara. Great job vith the training simulator. You did great," he said, going into the elevator with her.
"Thanks Kurt. Everyone's telling me that. I feel so welcomed here." The elevator doors opened and they walked out.
"So, I hear you got permission vrom the Provessor to paint your room. Hov's it coming? Can I see?" he said with eager eyes.
"Yeah. It's coming along great. I just have to finish up sketching one wall. I'm buying some paints today. And no, you can't see. I promised the Professor that he would be the first one to see it. Besides, it's just a bunch of lines."
"C'mon, lemme see," he said, trying to go in her room.
"No, Kurt, stop it," she said, playfully pushing him lightly to the side before he got a chance to look inside.
"C'mon! Just one little peak," Kurt tried to get past Tara, who was blocking the door.
"No," she blushed a little.
"Vine, if you von't let me in," he bamfed, leaving smoke in front of her.
Tara was taken by surprise. Then a smirk covered her face. "You…" she ran inside, closing the door loudly on accident.
Kurt had reappeared inside her room. Seeing him reappear, his back to her, she jumped onto his back, covering his yellow eyes before he got a chance to look.
"Gah! Get ovv ov me. Let me see," he stumbled about the room, two-fingered hands in front of him, smiling. Tara was smiling too, but not letting go. He was stumble-walking about the room, until he landed, belly down, on the bed. The two of them were laughing hysterically. Tara was sitting on his back, but not hurting him.
"Ok, ok. You vin. Now let me go," Kurt managed to get out through all of the laughing.
"Fine, but leave immediately," Tara was laughing as she spoke.
"I'll be out in a minute. You can come with me when I buy the paint," she got off of him and he turned around to look at her, then teleported out.
Tara changed her clothes, grabbed her holo-watch, activated it, and left.
---
She was walking down the city's sidewalk, Kurt by her side, his hologram was set too, obviously. Tara was carrying two rather large bags, and Kurt was carrying two as well. They had large containers of paint in them, and plenty of brushes. From really large ones, to very small ones.
"Thanks for helping me bring the paint and stuff back to the Institute Kurt."
"No problem. I'm happy to help. Hey, vanna get something to eat?" Kurt asked her, "I'm starved."
"You always are," Tara said playfully. Kurt smiled and blushed a little bit.
As they were walking, there was an explosion, not too far in front of them. People were running around, screaming and panicking.
"Wholly crap! What the hell was that?" Tara said, dropping the bags.
"I don't know. Wanna check it out?" Kurt said, excitement in his expression.
"Shouldn't we tell the Professor? Get the rest of the X-Men?" Tara never did like doing things alone. She was brave in some things, but she never trusted herself with some things.
"It's vine. They'll hear the explosions soon. C'mon!" Kurt dropped the bags as well, grabbed Tara, and they both ran through the flocks of people. Around the corner of a building, Gambit was wreaking havoc. They didn't know, or care, why he was doing it, just that he was.
"That's Gambit. He vorks vor Magneto," Kurt informed her.
"Gambit? Hm. He doesn't look so tough," Tara looked straight at him. He didn't notice though, he was too busy throwing his flaming explosion cards around. "Ok, maybe a little tough."
"C'mon Kurt. Let's do this. Like you said, the other X-Men should see or hear the explosions soon, they'll get here," Tara insisted.
"Ok," Kurt said happily.
"Hey! Gambit!" Tara yelled though the screams of other people.
Gambit looked around, a bit confused. His red eyes searched the crowds.
"We? Qui appelle?"
"He speaks French?!" Tara looked at Kurt, surprised.
"Ya. He knows English. But I think he prevers Vrench."
"Gambit! Bonjour! Comment allez-vou?" Tara smirked.
"You speak Vrench?!" Kurt exclaimed.
"I took a class in it for school back in Portsmouth. I don't speak very fluently, but I do know a little bit more than the basics," Tara said, looking directly at Gambit. She pulled her special gloves out of her pocket. They were always with her, just in case.
Gambit turned to Tara and Kurt. He smirked and steadily walked over to them.
"Bonjour. Ca va tres bien," again he smirked, and quirked an eyebrow.
"Well that's a shame," Tara de-set her hologram. Gambit's eyes widened. He didn't recognize Kurt, but assumed he was a mutant.
"Another one of Xavier's mutants?" Gambit questioned, a sly and yet charming tone in his voice.
"Damn straight," Tara spread her wings and flew directly at him. Kurt stood there, he was going to take Gambit by surprise when he wasn't looking. Gambit pulled out his metallic pole, ready to fight. He started spinning it around rapidly, like a pinwheel.
Tara pulled out a feather and threw it at him. A tiny clinking hit the concrete ground. Gambit stopped spinning the pole, and looked down. A tiny piece of the top of his pole had been take right off. The feather was gliding to the ground near him. It was too small and didn't have enough force in the throw for it to return to Tara. He looked up, annoyed.
"You will not get away with that," he said, running at her. She was still flying directly at him, wings flapping every so often. While Gambit was distracted, Kurt teleported to the top of a building, ready to grab whatever he could from him.
At the last minute, right before Gambit and Tara collided, Tara pulled up, and took Gambit by surprise. He stopped, stood up, and turned around. But before he could do anything, she kicked him in the chest from her elevated position. He went straight into the ground.
Tara went up higher and did a little victory dance. A flaming card went straight for her and hit her in the left wing. She fell several feet, but not all the way to the ground, her left wing still flapping. But barely.
Feeling the area of her wing that was hit, she felt a somewhat sticky substance. She looked at on her hand. Blood. She looked at the smirking Gambit, and snarled.
"You will pay."
"Oh really?" Gambit chuckled a little bit. He pulled out another flaming card and held it in between two fingers, "I don't think so."
Taking his chances Kurt teleported in back of Gambit. Gambit had several decks in his belt, under his coat. Kurt reached under his coat quickly and took a deck. Gambit immediately noticed and swatted Kurt away with the pole. He slid on the concrete and teleported before he got up, on to another building top.
Tara stumbled a bit, walking towards Gambit, a flame in her eye.
"You will pay for that," Tara growled. She flung her wing, the blood flying off her wing. Above them, Kurt was watching. He knew she couldn't win, but he didn't know how to stop her. By this time, she was too determined. He teleported. Reappearing next to her, he gently took her arm.
"C'mon Tara. He's too strong. Let's just go bevore something really bad happens."
"Aww, the little man's backing down?" Gambit teased.
"No! I can beat him," Tara said enraged.
"Being part of the X-Men is knowing vhen to quit, and vhat your limitations are. Besides, you're hurt. Ve should get you back to the Institute," Kurt said, pulling her in the other direction lightly. She took a step back, but hesitantly.
"Fine," she whispered to Kurt, "We'll finish this someday," she said, but just loud enough for Gambit to barely make it out.
"Sure we will. Sure we will. Au revoir."
In a flash they were gone. The tiny sulfur smoke cloud disappeared in moments. Gambit picked up the feather Tara had thrown at him earlier. He twirled it about, and it gleamed in the light of the sun and the flames. A smile spread across his face.
---
"You did what?!" he Professor exclaimed, leaning so far out of his wheelchair he was practically falling out, "I can't believe you. Especially you Kurt. You should've known better."
Kurt looked down in shame. Tara looked down a little too. Her wing was already bandaged. She, like Wolverine, had a regeneration skill. But only for her wings.
"You are not to leave the Institute, except for going to school. The punishment is for one month. It should be longer, but for your first battle against another mutant, especially one as strong as Gambit, you did quite well. Also, since Kurt did get that deck of cards, Mr. McCoy and I can study too see if they have anything on them that make them like that, or if he really is a mutant."
"Yes Provessor," Kurt sighed.
"Can I go buy more paint? We left the stuff I bought back in the city," Tara asked. Charles thought for a moment.
"Fine. But only this once. I'll give you some money, since I'm guessing you spent all of yours?" he asked, searching her mind, just in case.
"Yeah. I did," Tara said quickly. He searched through her thoughts. She told the truth.
"Fine, you're excused."
The two of them left his office in silence until they were a little away from it.
"I still can't believe they didn't see the fires or explosions," Tara said.
"I still can't believe you vought that vell. And so early in your training."
"Me too. I don't know what happened. Usually I'd chicken out. I just got really angry at him and just wanted to chop his head off," Kurt flinched, "Not literally. I don't have to heart to."
They had taken the elevator, again, and were almost to their rooms. The two of them were still talking about what happened, and also what they were planning on doing over the next month, being confined to the Institute.
"I know. I'll go crazy before the month is over!" Tara said, raising her arms in the air.
"Hey, at least you get to go out and get that paint to paint your room. You have something to occupy yourself vith. I don't," Kurt said, rolling his eyes in despair.
"Don't worry. I'm sure the time will go by fast. Cuz remember, he didn't say we couldn't do things with people in the Institute, just that we weren't allowed to leave it," she smirked.
Kurt thought for a moment. They had reached Tara's door, his room was farther down.
"You do have a point there" he thought some more, "I got it. Meet me in my room at about ten-ish. See you then!" he teleported back to his room, smiling, as usual. Tara tried to think of what his little plan was, but to no avail. She shrugged, went inside her room, changed, and fell asleep. Maybe tomorrow would be better.