AN: Thank you so much for being so paitent with me! Too much to do...

Thnaks again to my reviewers!

Rogue14: Mystique is such a rotten person in general...but literalrally (Is that a word? Prolly not.) speaking, she;s such a fun character to write! (Is guilty)

Push Me: Prolly not! HAHA, there's an interesting plot twist, he crashes on a tropical island ("Forget Kitty! Look at the beach babes!") lol...y'all would kill me, thou, huh?

Soul Raider 116: Yeah, not so fun being a pawn. Poor Lance. I should cut him a break...but then, I wouldn't have a plot line! Unless...(See above plotline) (Grins evily)

Only 3 reviewers, though...I'm NOT complaining, I love y'all for sticking around...But I hope there's more of you reading than that! Please, please review if you're reading. It only takes a minute or two, and it makes writing and posting here all worthwhile...give me a smile, it's as easy as pushing that little 'review' box! Thank you!

Disclaimer: What we steadily, consciously, habitually think we are, that we tend to become. -John Cowper Powys


Chapter 17

He stumbled through the town, tired and cold. The only place he had found to eat, an inn with broken sign and dusty tables, had filled his stomach, but had done nothing to ease his spirits.

"She must know by now that I took the jet. Guess she knows I'm a hood now for sure." He stamped his feet in answer to the cold. "I just want this to work." He paused briefly, having come upon the dismal outskirts of town, and gazed up at the myriad of stars above him. "Even if she hates me for the rest of her life. Just- Just as long as she lives." He breathed deeply, allowing himself to think of her. Her smile. Her laugh. Her kindly touch. He ached to talk to her. To tell her- "To tell her. Tell her I love her. I really do lov-" His thoughts were cut short by a piercing yell.

"Back off!"

He hesitated. Whatever it was it was not his problem, and he knew the streets were not kind to those who interfered in other people's business.

There was another scream.

His mind raced back to a moment he had left behind in the deep recesses of his mind.

--(Flashback)--

But, Lance, haven't you ever wanted to be a real, live hero?

A hero? Me? Yeah, right. I'll never be a hero.

Why not?

Heroes are…brave, and smart and strong. They go around saving people, and they don't have any problems. I've got plenty of problems. Believe me, Kitty-cat, I ain't nobody's hero.

…You're mine, Lance. You're mine.

---(End)---

He snapped back to the moment, and raced toward the voice. To his dismay, there were three hoods surrounding a girl, moving in. He grew closer.

"I warned you!" She screamed, as the hoods laughed.

"Ooh, we're real scared!"

Just as Lance reached them, defying all reason, a tiger bounded out from behind the boxes in back of the girl. It let out a spine-chilling roar, and for a moment, all of them stood as if time had stood still. Then, the girl, turning, saw the beast and let out another shrill shriek, bringing the others to their senses. Yelling as if the tiger had them by the leg already, they ran in terror. The girl began backing away from the tiger, seemingly entranced by it. She slowly raised her arms in defense...

Lance ran to the girl. Grabbing her shoulders, he turned her toward him.

"Who are you? Let me go!" The tiger growled low, acting as though he was going to leap toward them.

"Run! I can handle this!" He whispered, trying not to encourage the beast into jumping.

"What are you-" He shoved her away, putting himself between her and the tiger. Pounding his foot into the ground, the ground responded to him, rolling and shaking. The tiger fell from his perch to the ground with a grunt.

Lance didn't wait around for it to get back up. Grabbing the girl's hand, he ran, dragging her behind.

"Stop! What are you doing?"

"Saving you, idiot, what does it look like?" With that, he grabbed her around the waist, and despite her rather loud complaints, he tossed her over his shoulder and carried her like a potato sack toward the X-jet.

She finally tore herself from him as he set her down near it. He glanced back. He didn't see the creature. She put her hands on her waist.

"Why did you carry me off like that?"

He looked at her as if to doubt her sanity. The fiery red head glared at him.

"Didn't you see that beast?"

She rolled her eyes. "You're a mutant, right?"

"W-What?"

"Don't try the cover up act with me. You made the ground shake."

"Alright then, whatever, I'm a mutant. You're welcome, by the way, for saving you're ungrateful butt."

She threw back her head and laughed.

The blood rushed to his face. "Forget this," He thought to himself. "Kitty was wrong. Being a hero isn't all it's cracked up to be. Just my luck I go and save an escapee from an insane asylum!"

"That wasn't a tiger!"

"What?"

"That wasn't a tiger."

"I heard you the first time."

"Well, then, why did you say what?"

"I- never mind. What do you mean, it wasn't a tiger? I don't care what it was, it had teeth and claws. I didn't want to stick around to ask it what species it was."

"No, I mean, it wasn't real."

He shook his head. "You have problems."

"So does Kitty."

His heart jumped. "W-What?"

"You say that a lot, don't you?"

He grabbed her by the shoulders. "How do you know Kitty?"

She smiled. "You're not the only mutant on Earth, you know."


KLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLKLK
AN:

Yes, I'm afraid dispite my repeated efforts to lose, drown, or poison him, Cliff is still around. Sorry!

Cliff: That (choke) was you? Oh, you'll pay for that one! (glare)

Author: Bring it, cliff boy!

Cliff: AHHH! (attacks)

Author: AHHH! (moves out of the way)

Cliff: AHHH! (runs past Author, careening off egde of waterfall Author had been standing by)

Author: (laugh) Sometimes, it's good to be Author!

Cliff: (hanging on edge) I'm still here!

Author: D'oh!