Chapter Four: Conversations and Unseen Guest…
After Syrian and Kitty left her alone in the library she grabbed the first book she saw which was 'War of the Worlds'. Panther smiles to herself at the book she has selected.
Well I surely know how to pick books don't I? Panther thinks to herself as she walking over to a table at the very back of the library. Panther sits with her back to the wall facing the direction of the door. Panther shifts around in her chair and gets into a comfortable position but she is also in a position that if a threat of any kind should arise she can defend herself or escape. Panther opens the book begins reading the book while listening for anyone that might approach her.
Half an hour later Panther is not really paying attention to the words on the pages of the book but thinking back to the conversation she had had with her personal body guard, nanny, and first.
"WHERE ARE YOU!" Lazzering yells into the phone and into Panther's ear.
Panther pulls the phone away from her ear and looks at the receiver. A small smile crosses her face as she places the receiver back to her ear.
"Are you yelling at me?" Panther asks letting the amusement leek into her voice. She can imagine the stupid look on Lazzering's face as she realizes she has been yelling at the princess and her commanding officer.
"I-I-I'm sorry. But you disappeared without a word of where you were going almost six hours ago and then call out of the blue! How do you expect me to react? We and half your father's army have been searching the city and the surrounding area looking for you!" Lazzering all but yells into the receiver while glaring at the wall she is facing.
"Why am I not surprised," Panther says flatly. "Call them back and send them home. I'm fine and not in any danger. My location is Xavier's School for Gifted Youngsters," Panther explains calmly. "I will be here for a week. So don't worry. We will have more then enough time to attend the conference and I already know what I will bring to their attention."
"Yes very well I will send a small…" Lazzering starts but is cut off by Panther.
"No. If you wish to send a small detail then so be it but you must be with them and you can not be seen, do I make myself clear?" Panther says her voice completely changing from a light playful tone to a serious and commanding tone.
"Very well if those are your orders then we shall follow them to the letter. We will be there within the hour." Lazzering says standing a little taller and rigged.
"Alright. I will find you tonight after everyone has gone to sleep. Also send Derek home with the soldiers and Melecante (Mel-E-Sent)," Panther says then hangs up the phone so Lazzering can't argue with her.
Panther is pulled from her memory when she hears foot steps heading in her direction. Panther's right hand moves inhumanly fast to her right hip where she always carries her dagger only to have her palm come into contact with her cotton covered hip. Panther curses herself quietly the goes back to 'reading' her book. Panther looks over the top of the book to see who the footsteps belong to and finds Bobby "Iceman" Drake walking up to the table. When he reaches the table he pulls the chair across from Panther out and sits down.
Panther puts her book face down on the table top to mark her page and looks at Bobby with a raised eyebrow.
"How may I help you Mr. Drake?" Panther asks quietly and calmly.
"Just wondering how you're doin'?" Bobby says with a shrug of his shoulders.
"I'm doing fine thank you for asking. Is there anything else?" Panther says looking at Bobby with a cool and bored expression.
"I was wondering do you see in black and white since you have eyes like a panther?" Bobby says as he looks at her beautiful pantherlike eyes.
"I will answer that question with another. Do you piss ice cubes?" Panther says with a raised eyebrow.
"W-w-w-what? No of course not!" Bobby says unable to believe what the girl just said.
"Well I guest that answers your question now doesn't," Panther says with a small smile on her face as she stands up and walks away from the table leaving the stunned young man in her wake.
Panther walks down the isles of books to the door of the library and into the hall. As she walks down the hall people stop and stare at the young woman not just because she is Logan's daughter, which the news of this little discovery had spread rather quickly, also because she walks with the grace and posy of a ballet dancer. None of them know that her grace and posy comes from years of martial arts, weapons training, and years of being on battle fields.
When Panther reaches Prof. Xavier's office she raises her right hand and knocks softly.
Prof. X's office.
Prof. Xavier looks up from the paperwork spread out before him when he hears a very soft sound almost like someone knocking on the wall several rooms over. He looks down at his paperwork again when he hears the sound again this time a little louder then before coming from his door.
"Come in," Xavier calls out to whom ever is behind his door. He is slightly surprised to see Panther open the door and walk in with out making any sound. She walks up to his desk and stands by one of the two chairs in front of his desk.
"Miss Lee. Have a seat. How can I help you?" The Professor asks as Panther takes the seat she was standing next to.
"I came here to talk about something of importance with you," Panther says from her seat.
"Alright what is you wish to talk about?"
"I came here to talk to you about my traveling companions,"
"Oh alright. What about your traveling companions?"
"My companions do not like the fact that I am here and I have explained to them that I have an obligation to stay here. So a few wish to be on school grounds until I leave,"
"Oh? How many?" The Professor asks as he sits back in his wheelchair.
"Not many," Panther says in such away that Xavier knows that she isn't going to give him an exact number.
"Well I'll have some guess rooms made up for them,"
"That will not be necessary Professor. They would prefer few know that they are going to be there. So just you and I,"
"I have to inform the teachers I don't want my students to be put in any danger,"
"Your students will be in no danger if anything they will be safer with them here," Panther says with a hint of pride in her voice.
Prof. Xavier closes his eyes and thinks about what Panther has asked him and told him. He has a feeling even if he does say no there will be people living in the woods on the school grounds.
"Very well," The Professor says as he rubs his eyes.
"Thank you Professor Xavier," Panther says as she stands and bows slightly at the waist. She then turns and walks out of the room.
As Panther walks out of the Professor's office she almost bumps into someone. Panther again reaches for the dagger that is no longer there as she looks up to see whom it is that she almost ran into. Panther looks up to see the surprised face of Marie.
"Oh Panther!" Marie says in surprise. "How are ya feelin'?"
"Fine thank you," Panther says then begins to walk away. She does not what to face the woman that her father is going to destroy next.
"Hey Panther Ah was wunderin' have ya eaten anything?" Marie asks trying to make any kind of conversation with Logan's daughter.
Panther was going to tell Marie that she is not hungry, which would be a bald face lie, and thank her then be on her way but her stomach decides to answer for her and growls rather loudly causing Panther's tanned cheeks to burn red with embarrassment.
"I suppose I am," Panther says with a shy smile with her cheeks still burning. Just give me an egg and I will cook it right here on my face. Panther thinks to herself as Marie gives her a big smile and motions for her to follow her. Panther returns the smile and follows the young woman down the hall to what she guesses is most likely the kitchen.
Kitchen.
Panther and Marie sit across from one another at the table eating a couple of ham and cheese sandwiches, chips, and a bottle of Coco-Cola.
Marie stares at Panther as they eat which is starting to grate on Panther's nerves.
"Marie may I ask why you are staring at me? I did not think my manner that bad,"
"Oh Ah'm sorry it's that you don't look anything like Logan so I was thinkin' that you must look like ya're mama. If so I can see why Logan loved you mama," Marie says with a smile after she swallowed the bite of sandwich in her mouth and smiles at Panther. Her smile fades quickly when see Panther go rigged and all emotion except extreme anger is written across her face. Uhu-oh, Marie thinks to herself as she sees this. This can't be good.
"Marie…My father did not love my mother nor does he love you. He can not it is not in him to give a damn about anyone or anything but himself. If I were you I would cute my loses and leave him before you to are left behind broken and used," Panther says in a scarily calm voice then stands up and leave the room leaving behind her half eaten sandwich and untouched chips.
"Good job Rouge. What a way to screw up," Marie says to herself as she looks at the unfinished plate of food.
"Rouge do you know why Panther was storming down the hall?" Ororo asks as she walks into the kitchen where she seen Panther storm out of just seconds before. She sees the unfinished plate and Marie looking like her best-friend just died.
"Yea. Ah said since she doesn' look anythin' like Logan she must take after her mother in looks and that her mama had to beautiful and Ah could see why Logan loved her and that was the wrong thing ta say,"