Disclaimer: I don't own Thunderbirds or X-Men in any way, shape or form.
GIFTED
Like I said in the last chapter I know it's been a while but hopefully I can start updating more often but I'm struggling with this new upload method so please be patient
Also, if you are into Gundam Wing then please check out the first ever fanfic I wrote in that section. It's called Future's Past and is the first chapter of the first part of my first saga. Ya' know, I'm not even sure if I followed that
Enjoy!
Chapter 6 – Journey's End
Rain.
TinTin had been New York City for three days now and it that time all it had done was rain. Although that alone was irritating the warmer weather of the fast approaching summer gave the big city an almost tropical feel and reminded her of Tracy Island.
Tracy Island. Home.
'I wonder what they are all doing right now.'
Of course she knew. They would all be franticly searching for her using every resource at their disposal but they wouldn't' find her. Of that she was certain as she had spent too much time and effort just to be found now.
Right now she was sat in the corner of a small coffee shop in Manhattan trying to figure out what to do next.
Taking another sip of her tea she gazed out the rain streaked window and watched as people went about their daily lives. A sea of umbrellas, briefcases and long trench coats pushing and shoving their way up and down the crowded streets and a bid to get home as was expected in the rush hour.
It was getting late and TinTin knew that she couldn't spend another night wondering the streets. She was tired and very much in need of rest and a decent meal.
Draining the cup she placed it back on the table and hefted her rucksack over her shoulder making her way to the door. Stopping in the doorway she sighed.
'Why didn't I pack an umbrella?'
Then with great reluctance she stepped out onto the street outside.
The rain was heavy and it wasn't long before TinTin was thoroughly soaked and struggling with the now waterlogged rucksack. She was pushed and pulled as she slowly made her way down the street to the nearest crossing. There wasn't much traffic on the streets where she was walking but many cars were making the most of this by traveling faster than the speed limit. More than once she was almost knocked over by the number of people on the sidewalk but she managed to keep her footing.
She ducked into an alley to get out of the crowded street and catch her breath. TinTin leaned back against the wall of the alley and let the rain run down her face for a moment.
She needed to reach a subway station but the nearest station was across the street and the nearest crosswalk was still a full block away.
Looking out beyond the busy sidewalk TinTin noticed that there weren't that many cars on the road.
Moving out of the alley and pushing past the swamp of pedestrians she stood on the edge of the sidewalk.
Taking her time she searched for an opening in the traffic waiting for the right moment to cross the street and then she saw it. A gap in the traffic just behind a yellow cab and as the cab zoomed by TinTin stepped carefully out into the road.
She was no more than a few meters away from the other side of the street when a silver car turned sharply out of a small side street and onto the road.
TinTin looked up at the sound a car horn and noticed the silver car heading towards her a speed. She froze. The driver slammed on the brakes but it was already too late.
TinTin couldn't move. She was paralyzed in fear as she watched the speeding car get closer the smell of burning rubber filled air as the driver tried desperately to stop the car.
Something snapped. TinTin couldn't explain it any other way. One minute she was standing there with her life flashing before her eyes and the next thing she knew the silver car was lifted up into the air by an unseen force and thrown thirty feet back down the road.
People were screaming and running scrambling desperately to get out of the way of the falling car, which landed on top of two yellow cabs. The drivers of the cars managed to pull themselves free quickly as the authorities and emergency services began to arrive.
TinTin was still standing there in the middle of the road breathing heavily.
'Oh no! Not this, not now!'
People were starting to point and stare in her direction and a paramedic was walking towards her flanked by to police officers.
Feelings of panic began to stir, which finally enabled her to move so grabbing the rucksack, which had fallen from her shoulder she dashed the rest of the way across the road and into the crowd of the people standing there. Out of sight.
Twenty feet away two women on a shopping trip saw her disappear into the crowded sidewalk. Neither of them were shocked at what they had just seen. Surprised but not shocked.
"Wow!" Exclaimed the red head as she rearranged the many bags in her hands.
"Did you do that?" Asked her white haired shopping partner.
"No I didn't." she replied worriedly.
The white haired African woman frowned and looked back at where she had last seen the eastern teenager.
"Come on…." The red head announced as she started pushing her way through the crowd. "……we've got to find her."
They had almost reached the end of the block when they caught a glimpse of the girl as she hurried down the steps of the subway station entrance. Following quickly they moved down the steps into the station and had just enough time to purchase two tickets before they lost sight of her again as ran down onto the platform.
Walking down onto the platform they saw her board a train and boarded it as well so then it was a simple task of finding the right car.
They finally located the girl in an empty car. She was sat in the corner with a big black rucksack beside. She didn't notice them.
Moving slowly down the car they stopped ten feet from huddled figure and made themselves known.
"Hi there, are you alright?" The redhead asked gently and wasn't surprised when the girl jumped. She had seemed to be deep in thought and was now looking slightly fearful as she watched the two strange women move closer.
They sat down opposite her and tried to appear relaxed to try and calm her. It only had a marginal effect.
"Who are you! What do you want!"
"It's alright, we're not going to hurt you. Are you ok? Were you hurt back there?" The white haired woman said carefully leaning forward and resting her elbows on her knees with her hands clasped in front of her.
"No, I'm ok but who are you?"
The redhead leaned forward coping her collegue and spoke quietly.
"My name is Jean Grey and this is Ororo Munroe. We're teachers at a school for gifted children and we want to help you."
The girl looked skeptical.
"No-one can help me."
"We can. If you'll give us a chance." Replied Ororo sincerely.
The girl still looked skeptical and appeared increasingly uncomfortable by their presence and that they were alone in an empty car of the train.
Jean smiled having picked up on the girls discomfort and the reason for it.
"Will you at least let us buy you dinner, you look like you could use a decent meal and we can talk more while we eat. How does that sound?"
Ororo smiled as well and at last the appeared to genuinely relax around them.
"Alright."
Ororo stood up and took a step away from the girl and her friend.
"Well if we want to find a good place to eat then it's about time we got off this train. But before we do…….."
The girl tensed in her seat.
"………how about you grace us with a name."
The girl uncurled herself and stood up picking her bag up as she stood.
"M…my name is TinTin." She said hesitantly glancing from one to the other.
Jean stood as well and laid a hand on TinTin's shoulder.
"We're very pleased to meet you TinTin and don't worry everything's going to be ok."
TinTin looked from the hand on her shoulder to the face of the person the hand belonged to and she suddenly had the strangest feeling that those words were true and that everything would be alright now.
TinTin smiled for the first time in days as she accompanied the two women off the train, out of the station and back out into the city of New York.
TBC
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