Scene 5 the Journey Back to the Mansion.
"I understand your policy but an emergency has happened at our school and we won't be staying the two extra days. So we won't be paying for those two days." Kitty shouted angrily at the receptionist.
"It's our policy mam, we can't change it. You have to pay." The receptionist responded curtly.
"Listen, it is an EMERGENCY. You do know what that is don't you?" Kitty retorted.
Rogue came down the hotel elevator to find Kitty and the receptionist in a heated argument. Logan was just outside by the bus trying, somewhat unsuccessfully to wrangle the kids and their luggage onto the bus.
Rogue smirked.
"Hey kid." He greeted.
"Hey." She looked around, confused.
"They're all asking why we're leaving early." Logan continued, "I told them they get an extra lap in gym each time someone asks again." He smirked, pleased at his teaching skills.
"Where's John?" Rogue asked.
"Pyro? I thought he was still in your room." Logan frowned.
"No, I woke up this morning and he was gone."
"Huh." Logan sniffed the air nonchalantly.
"What is it?" Rogue asked.
"Watch the bus."
" Logan? What is it?"
Logan walked briskly down the block, melding with the crowds of spring tourists.
"No I will not lower my voice this is robbery!" Kitty shouted. All the kids sitting on the curb turned to look inside at reception where their part time professor was almost at blows with a blonde woman named Cindy.
"Ok," Rogue threw a smile on her face, "Everyone on the bus while we wait for Professor Logan and Professor Kitty."
The kids filed into their seat warily watching reception. Rogue was counting heads while trying her best to scan the distant crowd for a familiar face or two.
Two blocks away from the bus Logan crossed the street then took a left through a door into a tiny apartment hallway. He was moving fast. Up the stairs two flights first door on the right. He shoved his foot just as it was about to close. Opening the door slowly he found Pyro, perched and ready for an attack.
"What's the matter?" Logan asked, "Jumpy?"
Pyro sneered. "What are you doing here?"
"I came to get you." He said, tucking his hands into his pockets.
Pyro put his lighter away. "And where are you gonna take me?"
"This place is a shit hole." He said abruptly.
"Well we can't all live in mansions." Pyro retorted.
"I know." Logan said.
Pyro looked him up and down and then gingerly took a seat on the torn couch.
"Where's Magneto?" Logan asked. Sitting on a turned over crate.
Pyro just glared. "No idea, he disappeared."
"Mystique?" Logan couldn't hide the distain in his voice.
"Magneto ditched her a while back, before Alcatraz. She's human now yah know. Not one of us, so we had to leave her." Pyro massaged his shoulder.
"Ironic."
"What is?" He asked.
"Magneto's human now too, or didn't you hear?" Logan said, shifting.
Pyro gapped. He didn't know.
"I woke up on a park bench. Everyone was gone and everything was destroyed." He started to fiddle with the lighter in his pocket nervously.
Logan studied him, "Any idea how you got there?"
"Nope." Pyro looked up, cold and harsh.
"Look kid," Logan sighed, "I followed you this morning only 'cause of a phone call I got. I thought you might be interested."
Pyro snorted, "Why's that?"
"It's about fire."
At the bus Rogue sat patiently on the steps by the driver's seat. It had been almost half an hour since Logan had run off into the crowd. Kitty had finally finished with reception, only paying one of the two-missed night's fees.
"Any sight of him?" Kitty asked, popping her head out of the bus.
Rogue had gotten up and was now scanning the crowd.
"Nope." She responded, "Wait…"
Logan was walking briskly towards the bus. He's always brisk Rogue thought. He was trailed by a hooded figure with a dark duffle bag.
"Is that who I think it is?" Kitty asked shocked.
Rogue just stared, open mouthed.
"Kitty," Logan told her when he finally standing next to the bus door, "John here is going to take that extra seat we have."
"Are you serious?" She asked, still gawking at the hooded figure.
"Yea, that's why I said it."
Kitty sighed and got back on the bus.
John tossed his duffle under the bus and followed Kitty. Wordlessly.
Logan shut the luggage container. "You ok with this kid?" He asked.
"Do I have a choice?" She responded.
Logan shrugged.
"Yesterday you wanted to leave him tah die in an alley." She said, confused.
"That was yesterday." He was stone faced. "Now let's get going before these kids commit mutiny, and the school sends out a search party.
Rogue nodded. Kitty came back out of the bus, stopping Rogue.
"You found him," She told her accusingly, "You sit with him."
Rogue sighed, and nodded again. Kitty bounded back on the bus, sneering at John as she passed his seat. He eyed Rogue; she looked back. He couldn't read her face, so he shrugged. She looked at her feat as she walked.
A minute later she was seated next to John. He had his headphones on looking out the window as the bus roared to life. Rogue looked from him to the bus's big mirror up front, where Logan was watching her. She laid her head back against the seat and shut her eyes.
"Maybe there was a bigger reason for things," she thought.