Lucky Me

Chapter 053


I felt my teeth rattle in my head as I kissed a rather large, thick, and solid tree. That was the second time in less than ten minutes that happened; I swore those people were trying to make me develop a taste for wood!

I was not a beaver!

"Give it up, shugah," Rogue advised as I detached myself from the tree, and then threw a nasty look over my shoulder at her. "Y'all ain't gonna win."

"Like heck we aren't," I muttered under my breath, taking to the skies again.

"This is not really an intelligent thing to do, Blyt," Mr. Warren screamed at me as he quickly gained on my person. Thankfully I had been 'practicing' enough that I could stay marginally ahead of him. Bad thing was that he knew the landscape better than I did.

Why was I doing this?

Because I had to.


Let's say I was a little more than shocked, like bridging on heart attack disbelief.

"What?" My voice sounded like a balloon when you let the air squeak out of it by pulling the mouth piece really tight.

"It will be for the best," Professor continued almost sympathetically, "And after learning about how the latest exercise was conducted, I'm sure your team will agree completely."

That's not true! I didn't agree! I didn't agree when they made me leader of this team and now they were going 'oops, boy, did we screw up'? And I was just getting into this role. Sure I'd been distracted, but that didn't mean I couldn't learn from my little 'oops'.

I knew the answer but I thought I better ask anyway.

"Then who's going to take my place?" My voice went from super squeaky to deathly low. I didn't even realize I was letting it show until Professor's eyebrows came together slightly.

"Flex." Maybe I should have put money on that answer. I figured it would be him since he oh so graciously took over the last exercise in attempt to get all the glory, only to get Bobby-Jerk hurt and us into trouble. "After hearing about how he took over the position yesterday, we have decided he would be a better fit."


Just thinking about it made my pick up speed, glancing down I could see D-M and Adrian were having one heck of a time trying to get the ground people away from them. Thankfully, Wolverine was no where around the mansion (late night drinking binge again was what Chris theorized). Still, it wasn't easy taking all this beating and only dishing out very little in return.

I felt the wind pick up and it got nearly impossible to fly straight.

"Storm," I whined/realized. I thought her favorite things were lightning bolts and snow. What did I know? I couldn't even get her first name right!

"Two point two," Came Adam's voice from my comm. link, with a sputter shortly following. "Uh, make that two point forty."

Great! Now I had to keep them occupied and away from Adam and Chris for that much longer!

I gritted my teeth as I flipped backwards and felt the snow start to pelt down on me. This was not going very smoothly.

But neither did the discussion that made me go to extremes like this!


I shot up out of my chair and turned toward the door.

"Where are you going, Blyt?" Scott asked, his voice was in the don't-even-think-about-it tone.

My shoulders squared up, "I'm going to tell the rest of the team," I replied coolly. "After all, they'll need to know who to follow, won't they?"

There was a small silence.

"Sit back down," Cyclops instructed me, "we aren't done."

I locked my jaw so tight it would probably take a locksmith to get it to open again, that or a need for a sassy retort. Neither came, so I just shot a defiant stare in the direction of the 'leaders'.

"Sit. Down," Cyclops admonished. His arms were crossed over his chest and the other two just kept switching their eyes from me to him. "That's an order."

I rolled my eyes and reached for the doorknob. After twisting it open, my eyes never going off of Scott until I walked out with my face forward and jaw clenched. I heard something along the lines of 'let her go' from Storm, but I also heard heavy footfalls coming after me. My nerves were shot, I couldn't face Cyclops in a face to face confrontation with no one else around.

"Blyt." I heard him call, I picked up my pace to the staircase. I was about to round the banister and start up toward my room when I felt a vice like grip grab my arm and force me to turn back around. "I said we weren't done."

"Does that matter?" I hissed, trying to get my arm out of his hand. "You've said the most important part, what does the rest have to do with me?"

He took a deep breath.

"Don't you think you should know why?" Scott was straining himself trying to keep the -well, I guess annoyance from his voice. If one person on your team was mad, there was no reason to get upset yourself and only make the situation that much more unbearable. That's what I was taught from this man that I now considered my – never mind, it didn't matter what I considered him.

"I screwed up. I lost the position. Just like Adam." After a tick from the clock, "Heaven forbid someone should actually be human in this house and mess up!"

"It wasn't only because you messed up," Scott let go of my arm; I guess he was pretty sure I wasn't going to take off again. "Remember what I told you on the first day that you started to train under me?"

I wanted to say that I was successfully blocking out all the lessons now on purpose since I wouldn't have to put them into practice ever again, but instead I just shrugged. The almighty shrug that meant so much and could annoy so many.

"If you make a mistake as a leader, then it is your obligation to correct that mistake!" I-couldn't think. Cyclops had just yelled at me. And after facing so many lectures and talks and sermons this was all he said afterward, "I honestly expected more from you, Kerry."

And then he left.

It was like I had been in a nice warm pool and Bobby-Jerk iced the water. I was in shock again (my poor heart was going to give up and die on me I knew it). Kookie had been prepared to be blasted in to itty bitty bite sized Kookie chunks, but this-this was not something I could deal with. I also couldn't deal with talking in third person, it was way too Mr. Remy for me.

Scott was upset with me! I was mad, but then I felt like I let him down. It wasn't in the shout (which lead me to believe he had something with onions for lunch), it was in the softer, tired words he said afterwards. Why did he have to say the old 'more from you'? I mean it wasn't like I didn't hear it enough.

Adrian, that Frost woman, and now Scott! My own Da-uh, teacher.

I let him down-again.


"We can't keep this up much longer!" D-M shouted through her comm. link, I saw a glint of metal and I heard a cry of anger. Crap. I guess Wolverine just got home.

"Do your best," I managed to eek out over the line. I was freezing and decided that the first thing I would do once this was over was demand better footwear. Why I didn't get real boots I hadn't a clue but I was sure I'd be blue like Mr. Kurt if it hadn't been I was already 'dressed' in my black skin.

Wham!

I was slammed in the back by Angel and was traveling (very very fast) toward that ground which I thought could be considered part of my diet since I was eating so much grass and dirt. But before we got there I was able to flip us in mid-air so he was face to face with me and I spiraled upward after I was sure he wouldn't be able to catch a current back up before crashing into the dirt.

Which was exactly what he did.

I swooped down lower (to check him out, to avoid the strong wind currents and a very feisty southern woman) and landed next to him.

Nothing was bleeding, and when I heard him groan I made quick work of what I needed.

With my 'mission' accomplished I started to flap my wings again.


Saturday was when I almost put five holes in the kitchen's table top. Dr. Hank had finally told me if I didn't stop that he'd extract my fingers the old fashion way. Miss Rogue was on the hunt for the one who dared touch her ice cream (again) and Scott was firmly telling her she shouldn't have that substance in the house. That brought about a whole discussion/fight between the two that soon most of the household was part of.

Not me.

I had been planted in my seat so long that the foot I tucked under me went to sleep.

When I was thinking, actually sitting down and thinking things out, I became incredibly focused and completely ignorant of anything going on around me. That's how I was when D-M, Chris, and Adam basically threw themselves through the kitchen door.

"What the hell do they mean you're not our leader anymore!" Chris' so polite way of putting things didn't even faze me enough to give a response beyond a bored expression cast in his direction.

"Tell me it's not true!" D-M cried, "Adrian can't be taking over!" She grabbed my shoulders and shook me, "Say it isn't so!"

I knocked off her hands.

"Sheesh, it isn't like I'm dying or anything," I huffed, "Get a grip."

Perhaps I could have been nicer, but I just got rammed into 'not good enough' file in the Professor's opinion, more importantly in Scott's opinion.

"You're taking this as bad as us," Chris observed. My roots suddenly dissolved from the chair as I pushed myself up and away from the table. "Admit it."

Okay, this was getting annoying.

"What's to admit?" I tried to keep my voice level. "I was fired. Even if I get mad, what's the point? I'll still be just another member." One glance around and it was quick recovery time, "No offense."

"But we talked about it! We don't want Flex to lead us, he's-too shy." D-M tried to pinpoint the right word but come up short, the word she was looking for was pliant. He usually didn't want to make enemies with anyone. Not really leader stuff, but who knew? Before today if you asked me if I wanted the job it would have been a huge resounding 'no', but once I lost it, I wanted to vainly hold onto it with my toenails dug into the position.

"When did you learn about it?"

"Like, all of two minutes ago," D-M huffed and sat down where I had been for the past two hours. "It stinks."

"Did you try to fight?" Adam questioned innocently.

I closed my eyes tightly and shook my head, "No." When I opened my eyes I had Adam's red 'critter' eyes staring intently back at me. Under such an expressive (ha-ha) gaze I flinched back. "Their word is law around here. You know that. Does Adrian know?"

"No, not yet. Last I saw of him he went to go kiss butt to Drake," Chris snapped. "And as for 'their word'…who cares? They aren't the ones who are going to be working together on that field, we are. They have their own team with their own problems. We have our own team and they are giving us problems. It's stupid not to let us choose who we want to follow."

"It's out of our hands," I reminded them, "I'm outta here. You all can sit and fuss about it until you die but it isn't going to change anything." And then I left the kitchen. I walked out to where the discussion about junk food or not to have junk food in the mansion was still going strong. I thought it would be over with when some of the females said that "If we can't have junk food, then no more beer." That got Mr. Logan on their side in point seven seconds.

Despite how entertaining the show was, I marched up the stairs and to my room.


I heard D-M cry out again and then I watched her run and stumble.

She was hurt. I wasn't so stupid as to not realize it.

When I went to dive for her, I felt my hair stand on end from the pure electric current that speared down in front of me.

Storm was getting upset, "This has gone on long enough!"

I turned toward her voice, I checked my watch, and quickly shook my head with a grin. It wasn't going to be 'long enough' for another minute and forty seconds. "Not quite."

Then a pink/red beam sliced through the air, between me and Storm. I let out a shout of surprise then looked down to where Cyclops was standing, hand still hovering over his ear piece which controlled his beams.

I couldn't do anything to him.

I had to prove to him I was worth! Wait, that didn't make sense, I had to prove I was worthy.


"Can we talk?"

I rolled over on my side and let my wings stretch out behind me comfortably. What a trick question. If I said no, he'd stay. If I said yes he would stay so I answered with the bratty teenager 'you-may-talk-but-I'll-block-you-out' answer of, "Whatever."

"Glad to see you're so enthusiastic," Sam said with a half smile.

It was the only laugh and smile in the room. Besides Stitch's smile, but he was already happy. I didn't want a happy person (or anything that reminded me of him around me) so Stitch was thrown into the closet a while ago and the door slammed shut on his fluffy behind.

"What did you want?" I asked wearily.

"To talk." No duh. "Can I sit down?" I nodded and moved my legs so he could drop down on my bed. "Ah heard you got the boot."

"Don't try to be consoling or anything."

He smiled broader; you know that smile that had me crushing on him when I first got here.

"And before ya ask, they didn't send me up here on a mission of mercy or anythin'. Scott and Ororo don't know Ah'm up here, but Ah don't really care if they did." To the point Sam, to the point, I was only seventeen for a year. "Ah came to give you some advice, if you want it that is."

"Maybe you should talk to Flex, he's the leader now," I reminded him in a not happy voice. I wish I didn't lock Stitch up with my sneakers, I would be hugging him about now for comfort. But then I'd remember who gave him to me and I'd end up throwing him across the room again.

"Ah heard. But Ah came because Ah thought you'd be the one that would appreciate what Ah had to say." He gave me an amused look. "Have Ah even started to net your interest?"

Raising my eyebrow, "Maybe."

"Ah had to share leadership with one of my team members." Oh here we go down memory lane. "But Ah ended up with the leader role because Ah was tough." My other eyebrow rose. "And the fact that my co-captain decided to stay on Asgard." Ohkay, now I was lost. "Anyway, what Ah want to point out is that with the X-Men, with the Prof, you gotta stiffen up. Ya know, kick a little?"

"A little what?"

His blue eyes laughed at me I swore it.

"Ah was taught never to say that word in the presence of a lady." Oh well that's okay, there's no lady here. "Don't tell them Ah was the one that told ya this, but-ignore their order and lead your team, but just win."

Easy for you to say, Sam.

"Yeah sure, no problem," I sighed and flung an arm across my eyes. "How do you purpose I do that?" I felt his weight leave my bed.

"You can figure it out, Ah know you can." Then I heard my door shut a moment later.


That was the almighty words of wisdom given to me by the 'one who had gone before' man.

"Done!" Adam's beautiful, wonderful just in the nick of time voice came through. "Get away from them!"

I saw Flex and Kia abandon the fight and start to run like Wolverine just split into ten clones and decided he liked the taste of Canadians and Bumpkins. Knowing full well Storm would never use her full power on me (I hoped) I started toward them.

This was our one shot and we had to be the ones left standing…no matter what.


I wondered back down the steps not too long after Sam's little 'kick a little' speech. I had an idea. A completely dumb idea, but at least it was mine and the fact that it was labeled dumb was proof of the fact. The junk food debate had found a winner apparently because everyone was gone from the main room. When I asked Mr. Logan about it, he smirked and said that Scott agreed-only if they upped the number of practice sessions per week. After that little 'compromise' the ladies quickly dwindled but the name calling under the breath persisted.

When I pushed the kitchen door open, I found the majority of my team in there. They all head their heads hung and bored expressions on their faces. None of them even cast me a curious glance.

I ground my teeth together, "We are so pathetic!" I yelled at them. The other three looked (after jumping out of their skins from the sound of my voice) at me like I had just proclaimed everlasting love to a frog or something. "If we want to show them what we are made of then we got to do it right!"

They all continued to stare.

"What are you talking about, dummy, we did do it right!" Chris threw back sighing and zapping his coke can across the room. "Except for that double crosser, we're going to get stuck going through all that crap we already went through again."

Daisy-Mae's eyes teared up and as she sniffled, "Ah don't like being yelled at."

"But we already had our chance, we lost," Adam reminded. "What are we supposed to do about that?" He was upset, we all were. No big surprise as to why.

"We only lost because we played by the set terms." I let a sly smile go across my mouth.

"And?" Chris added, giving me a knowing look.

"And because I didn't take charge," I confessed, "But that's about to change. We are going to beat this."

"What do you mean?"

"They gave us the limits, but they never really gave us rules. If they want us to show them what we are made of, what we learned, and just how ready we are to get out of the mansion and kick some serious butt, then I say we forget their methods and try winning this game-a different way."


I felt myself go completely still. I was waiting for Chris' voice to be heard.

One second.

If I didn't hear him in nine more seconds, then I knew that either Jean or Professor found out about our little ploy and we were so severely 'busted.'

Two.

Three.

Four.

Five.


I met up with my team in my room at midnight. Adam related that he was able to navigate into the computers in the med. lab, and actually found something that could be of interest to us.

The X-Men had apparently gotten hold of Magneto's goofy helmet (yes, that's one name I could get right, before I had come to the mansion I was following mutant affairs pretty closely) and took it apart. What the heck did this have to do with anything? That's something Chris asked as well, Adam pointed out that there was a ribbon of electronics which worked to block telepathy.

That was like an angel chorus singing to my ears.

Adam went on to say that there were certain things in our packs which he could use to make a rough telepathic blocker (he had a technical name for it but I didn't want to cram too many technical words in my brain, I might sound smart and then they might expect me to do something earth shattering!). It wouldn't be strong, and it wouldn't last more than probably two hours, but it would provide some protection.

But, with his limited supplies in the pack, Adam was only able to make two.

"Who gets one?" Kia asked (we were all in uniform).

"Adam does," Chris was about to fight me on this, "and Chris." Now Sparky looked just plain confused. "Look, I've been told by Dr. Hank that I already have this freaky 'blood defense' working against telepathy in my brain. I don't know the particulars, but that's what he said-simplified."

"So you already have something against Jean, you don't need it."

"Exactly."

"Is there any way for you to build a stronger one, Adam?" D-M asked, her voice getting a bit on the creepy side again. "In the future?"

"Sure, but not right now," Adam muttered back, cursing as he got 'zapped' by the protesting machines as they were being dissected.

"What's the plan?" Adrian seemed to be rather-distant? Like almost a guilty feeling? To my knowledge no one told him he was the new leader, yet.

"Uh, plan?" I asked innocently, his jaw dropped and I cut up laughing. "Just joking, relax! The 'plan' is simple. When Flex made us do the stuff, we attacked together and only one X-Man." They gave me the characteristic 'you're-wasting-our-time' look. "But with this idea, I think we can pull off bringing the required number down." I took a deep breath and hoped I got all the kinks worked out, if not I'd never be a leader again. "Chris, you can see electrical currents can't you? Like Bob-Iceman does with water?"

"Yeah, he can 'see' or 'sense' water I can do the same with electricity, follow it's currents and redirect them and crap like that." Good, whew, I wasn't sure about his powers in that way so it was a huge relief to know my plan wasn't going to blow up in my face at step one.

"Great, then you get the job of scrambling the cameras and their communication system." I smirked. "We'll use other means of notifying each other." Another breath, then I told Flex and Kia their part in this fiasco.

D-M about choked on her tongue, "That's not nice!" was her protest.

It was time to try what I pepped talked to myself before I was told I wasn't going to be in charge anymore.

"Kia," I made sure her name was said as sweetly as possible, "I'm not asking you to do this," a ghost of a smile started to form on her face. I changed into 'Cyclops voice' "I'm telling you what you are and what you are not going to do and you will do it no matter how upsetting it is to you."

"Bu-!"

"No buts. You want me to be leader than you have to, guess what, follow my lead." She snapped her jaw shut. "Now, you aren't to punch, kick, or use hair removal processes on these people. Just get them sick or out of the way so Chris and Adam gets enough." Her eyes were narrow slits. "Do you have enough illnesses and stuff like that, uh, stored up?"

"Yes." Wow, another time I might have had to excuse myself to find a jacket after she spat out that icy little syllable.

"Ricca fraggin' dumb piece of dumb machinery," Adam's voice cut through. We all looked over to where a very big and green Adam was now tinkering with his broken little toys. After a few seconds of silence he looked up, "What?"

"Uh, Adam, can you need to listen, you kind of have a role in this too."

"Oh sure, ask him but command me," D-M grumbled into her hand, one sharp look from me and she continued whatever she was going to say in her mind.


Six, come on Chris!

I couldn't stop flying, well I could…but anyway, I didn't want my feathers singed either by Scott or Storm. We had purposefully ticked them off by starting the fight in the mansion—in the Danger Room to be exact. We were supposed to be just strolling around like we were on a Sunday walk as a three person team when D-M casually reached over and struck Professor with some kind of instant sleep sickness. Then the controls were ours.

Unfortunately, none of us ever figured out how to use the stupid thing control board. Sure, we could press all the round and square shiny buttons, even flip a few switches but we didn't want to accidentally kill anyone.

Seven, and no we didn't want to kill anyone on purpose either!


It was five in the morning, I had only gotten about three and half hours of sleep. We'd gone over the plan only once and after making sure Mr. Logan wasn't around, I went over it with each member separately. I was in the bathroom puking my guts out again.

Kia got me sick, at least that's what my dark little brain was wailing out between throwing up and being thoroughly disgusted with what it had to see.

My nerves were shot. I was completely nervous and so I threw up.

I made it to the toilet before I had reason to clean up the floor, so I sat there on my knees with my legs freezing from the floor.

He didn't come, not that I expected him to. Really!

He was probably still asleep and even if He was up, he probably didn't care in the least.

"Dumb jerks," I muttered to the toilet which probably would agree whole heartedly. "Selfish idiots." I was on an anti-guy campaign still and proud of it. Maybe it would have been better if I just didn't give him the time of day. After all it seemed to me that I was nothing but a 'play thing' in his toy box.

I was not a toy! I was-about to lose yesterday's lunch again.

I knew it was nerves, but I was going to blame him for it. Why not? I mean it wouldn't be like I'd ever be with him.

Ugh, I am going to be gargling everyone's mouthwash the rest of the morning (it's not like anyone uses it anyways)!


I didn't get to my team below as 'eight' clicked by in my head, but part of the team got to me.

Well, slammed into me would be more accurate.

"Kid gloves are off, shugah," Rogue drawled as we went ninety to nothing to the ground. As I made a new Kookie sized crater in the very solid ground, I thought my teammates better be very appreciative of what I was doing for them! "You attack us, we attack you."

I groaned and dislodged my face from where I left my mark (literally) in the dirt. Then I got a wicked idea and with a fake groan collapsed to the ground again. I waited until Rogue was right behind me, shaking my shoulder and calling my name.

"Rogue!" Someone screamed, "Watch out for her-!"

Wham!

I shot my wings straight back and sent the lady of green flying backwards into the trees.

"Wings," a different someone finished. I scrambled to my feet just as Storm decided she wanted my wings on her mantel as she shot lightning bolts down at me.

Nine, where the heck was he!

"Attention X-Men," Chris! He did it! He was talking through their comm. links! "The mansion has been taken and the Professor caught." D-M and Adrian were panting, grasping their stomachs and watching as each of the X-Men looked down at their badges (those who still had theirs). "You can't take it back either because it is now three o'clock. Game time is officially over!"

Do I really need to repeat the next few words which came out of Scott's mouth?

The first one was 'office' the last one was 'now' and it was said in my mind as well as outloud.


"You are not team leader. What right had you to put your team in danger?" Professor wasn't as furious as I thought, in fact he seemed sort of laid back (as much as this guy could be, I think I'd die if ever I saw him in khaki shorts, sandals, and one of Bobby-Jerk's Hawaiian shirts type of laid back). Even after we, uh, 'attacked' him (D-M healed him right away once we were sure it was really three and Bobby-Jerk didn't set all the clocks back as some weird off handed joke).

I braced myself for an onslaught of questions, and I had even taken a guess as to what they were going to ask me. For once in my life at the mansion I was actually prepared for what he was going to go on (and on and on and on) about like some ancient bald broken record.

He was glaring at me, whoops. Memo to self: learn to think quieter before they lynch me.

"I had every right to put them in the exercise since, according to your rules, the exercise was not over. I started out this week as being the leader of the team, and it was my obligation," quick glance at Scott, "to see it through."

"Your team already put Iceman in the infirmary and now the entire network is being rewired after your 'siege'." Yeah and I was still trying to cough up all the rocks I ate when I was slammed into the ground by Rogue. "And this happened under your orders, correct?"

"Yes," I admitted, sighing. "But keep me back if what happened wasn't by the book, but let them go forward at least. You can't blame a dog for doing tricks on command."

"Dog?"

"Well, sure, I mean if you get basic with this place it seems almost like a mutant obedience school. " Ahhhh! Shut up! Shut up! "You give the command and we do whatever trick it is you taught us to do." I should be banging my head on his desk (which brought an interesting question if they ever thought to polish and color the Professor's head for Easter like an egg). Man! They already considered me a failure! Now I'd just added rude to that description!

I couldn't believe I just referred to myself as a dog. I was female. Therefore I would be a female dog. Good thing Chris didn't hear this, he would never let me forget I gave my 'permission' to be called such a name. So I laughed nervously and found a feather to toy with, "And I guess with that comparison I just put myself in the pound."

"I see," Professor said, with (gasp, shock) a half smile. "You do realize you still are to step down as leader?" I nodded. "Then I believe Storm and Cyclops have something for you and your team."