Hnyswtypie: I apologise for short chapter. Although previous to that they had been pretty big. Glad you still liked it though. Although Remy has been rather cruel, it wasn't fair for Aurora to get angry with him for something he had not done.
Kimenomi: It doesn't look like Gambit really deserves anyone if he is going to flirt his way through the female residents. But who knows. You'll have to wait and see.
Tamazi: Logan did get the worse end of it all, but he has brushed himself off well.
Blix: Madeline screamed (I edited it almost instantly after first upload) Yup, it was pretty stupid to say that to Aurora, nasty too.
Chapter 43Logan couldn't recall a time he had run as fast and as desperately as he did now. His heart-clenching panic was driving him into an ungraceful sprint as he leapt up staircases and hurtled his body down corridors. His hands wildly flailed either side of him, propelling him around corners at his dangerously fast speed. Numerous times he had smacked his sides into the walls as he skidded around corners, but it did not throw him off. He merely continued to throw his legs forward in a wide-stepped and painfully strong run. His muscles were burning madly, his adamantium-coated bones feeling like they would rip out of joint any moment, but he did not slow his pace.
Even when the door to his daughter's room came in sight his legs did not slow. He ran right through the door, banging the wooden door open in a shrieking crack and stumbled into the room with heaving gasps. He could hear Aurora running close behind, the others further away. Madly, his eyes darted around her modest sized room whilst his chest wracked violently for oxygen.
There was clear evidence of a struggle. One of the chest-of-drawers was lying defeatedly on its side, a drawer open and clothes spilled over the floor. Splinters of wood were scattered from this drawer, a crumbling hole gaping in the wood. It looked like somebody had struck it with a steel girder. Further along from that sat the ruined bed. Duvet on the floor in a crumpled heap, the mattress half off the bed whilst the bed itself was now diagonal to the wall as though a great force had fell into it.
Behind him, Logan heard the gasping breath of Aurora as she arrived. She stepped round him to stare fearfully around the room, face looking shocked, "What on earth has happened?"
"I don't know," breathed Logan quietly as both Aurora and he walked closer into the room. Behind them came the delayed arrivals of Scott, Siren, Gambit and Storm, who all looked equally taken aback by the room's state.
Scott was the first to take action, he strode into the room, casting a calculating glare about the room before he turned and saw the opened window glowing at them with outdoor sunshine. The curtains blew innocently in the breeze. Logan followed Scott's gaze and his expression immediately tightened. He leapt forward, soaring easily over the bed before he landed heavily at the open window and forced his head through it, "MADELINE!" he bellowed, eyes darting frantically around the grounds. Her scent had almost gone. She had been taken through this window!
He felt a brush of material behind him and looked round to see Aurora glaring suspiciously at the lopsided bed. She lowered her head down to the material, inhaling quietly before she smoothened out the covers and made a surprised gasp. Everybody quickly looked at her.
"What?" asked Scott, quickly striding over to her.
But Aurora didn't yet answer; she was following some sort of trail as she crept down to the floor before she rose up beside Logan at the window and sniffed the curtains. A frown consorted her face as her hand gently lifted the curtains and she parted the gathered material to reveal a horrible tar looking substance stuck to the curtain fabric in a small black blob, running slowly down the soft material.
"What is it?" asked Storm softly, moving closer to the trio now at the window.
She looked up slowly, sharing a wary gaze with Logan before she muttered quietly to the room, "Serpentine.."
Scott quickly narrowed his eyes as he stared at the offending curtain, "That is not possible. Magneto said she was dead."
"Oh, and Magneto really is a good person to trust," muttered Aurora quietly.
"She must have survived the human attacks.."
Scott wheeled his eyes upon Storm, "But even if she has, why is she here?"
"And why has she taken Madeline?" said Logan in a bark, displeased at the fact nobody had yet made the connection.
No one could answer him.
"I shall consult Cerebro." came a voice from inside everyone's heads. It was Charles. He was going to check Madeline's whereabouts.
"Don't worry, Logan," said Storm quietly as she turned to him, "Charles will find her immediately and we can go and help her." Logan just glanced down at her before saying nothing, his face stern as he glared out of the open window.
"Let's not stay in here, hm?" suggested Siren gently, "We can go and wait in the common room. The students won't be there, they will be having their breakfast now."
The outdoor sunshine seemed to have weakened since the upstairs revelation and the wind outside had developed on from just a gentle breeze. The X-Men had gathered in the downstairs common room, scattered on the sofas and chairs. Logan paced in front of the unlit fireplace. He walked up and down with long strides; he paused every now and then to run a hand through his thick hair worriedly before he resumed his walking.
Gambit, seemingly bored by this whole affair, was leant back in a tall armchair beside the large settee. A pack of cards were held in his tanned hands and he slowly shuffled them. His scarlet eyes lifted from his actions and studied Logan shrewdly, eyes following him up and down. "Ya gonna be wearin' a hole in da rug," he murmured quietly, "Sit down.. huh?"
Logan whirled a glare upon Gambit at the words, looking severely annoyed by the suggestion. He did stop pacing however, but did not sit down. For his own reasons, or just to rile Gambit, was anyone's guess.
A few anxious eyes watched the glare sent to Gambit, the X-Men clearly sensing an argument on the way. But Gambit did not retaliate, he merely continued to shuffle his cards quietly. Logan turned to the fireplace, leaning both hands on it as he glared at the ornament-decorated surface darkly.
A few moments later, the door of the common room parted quietly as Charles entered, his eyes quickly fixing themselves upon Logan who clearly looked distressed by the whole affair for his head was nowhung and eyes closed. But when Charles entered, Logan slowly turned his head, peering to the man before he straightened, "Have you found her?" he asked hopefully, but there was a stench of negativity in the air.
Charles gently shook his head in a sorrowful way, "I'm afraid not. Cerebro lost her tracks when she entered Illinois.. for some reason Cerebro is being blocked by that entire state, and that was not the case when I used it yesterday."
"Blocked?" said Scott in obvious surprise, "But nothing can block Cerebro.. only.."
"Magneto.." Storm finished for him, both of them exchanging glances before looking sharply back to Charles.
At that moment, Aurora quickly went, "Sssh!" and the X-Men turned to see her looking carefully at the news report on the large TV screen. It showed a riot, humans protesting against mutants by the sounds of their chants. A female news reporter was stood in front of the camera, informing the watchers of the events. But that was not what had caught Aurora's attention. For at the bottom of the screen, the words clearly stood out at them, "LIVE FROM ILLINOIS."
"The police are trying to tackle what is now an angry riot in Chicago. It appears to be a backlash to a recent mutant settlement here. Protestors have explained to me that one of the mutants is a convicted criminal, escapee from prison under a year ago. Apparently he has been – "
The young news reporter was cut off of her sentence as something slammed into her side and tackled her, something large and green. The camera shook in surprise, stumbling down, and the viewers saw the woman screaming under the large snakelike body of Serpentine. She looked round slowly at the camera before growling and leaping towards it.
The screen went black.
Scott looked around from the television slowly, face a little slack from the shock of the situation, "X-Men, change into your uniforms, we're going to Chicago." He turned his eyes to Gambit, "You too."
"Do you think Madeline may be there?" asked Siren, turning to Scott as she took her eyes from the TV.
"It fits," answered Logan instead, eyes narrowed at the television before he stalked out of the room, "The signal was lost in Illinois, and Serpentine is now there causing trouble."
"Come on X-Men! No time to lose!" called Scott as the mutants began to file out of room.
Thank you for reading! Please review! I'll try and get another chapter up before my exams. I have A levels in two weeks.. bleh.
Also, if you are a fan of Harry Potter, I have started a story on that! I am already on the third chapter, hehe.
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