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Disclaimer: I do not own and am making no money from the X-Men. Vixen belongs to her creator Corrinth. Blaze is mine. That is all.

Scene Five

As they drove, the countryside changed. Fields of maize loomed up taller than the car, so that it felt like they were driving through a golden tunnel. When the maize broke eventually they found themselves in open grassland. Cattle roamed endless pastures behind twisted barbed wire fences. A smattering of trees dotted the horizon over which flocks of starlings whirled like black smoke, choosing their roosts for the night. Rogue opened the car window, closing her eyes as the breeze lifted the hair from her face. Tabby was dozing with her mouth open. Blaze was filing her already immaculate nails, trying not to be hypnotised by the passing wooden telegraph poles that carried the black overhead cables alongside the road.

All of a sudden a terrible tinny ringing made everyone jump.

"Oops, that'll be my cell phone!" admitted Kitty, taking it out of her pocket and putting it to her ear.

"Where did you get that ring-tone?" asked Jean.

"The question is why did she get that ring-tone," said Blaze. Kitty, sticking out her tongue, answered the call.

"Hi Lance…no I can't talk now…really…really really…no, look I…" Kitty giggled, blushing. "No you hang up…no you…I mean it…alright…bye bye…bye…bye. Oh, he's gone."

"Good riddance," said Rogue.

"I think I'm gonna throw up," groaned Blaze.

Conversation dried up again, but only for a couple of minutes before Kitty's cell rang again.

"Lance, I told you…of course it's nice to hear your voice…I'm missing you already too…Blob did what? Well you don't have to take that…"

"Oh please!" Rogue rolled her eyes.

"Look I have to go…we'll talk later…yeah I know…bye…bye…bye…." Kitty hung up, then noticed Rogue and Blaze turning round to glare at her. "What?" Rogue and Blaze were saved from replying when Kitty's cell phone rang for the third time. This time Blaze was quicker than Kitty, reaching back to grab the phone out of Shadowcat's hand.

"Hi Lance," she answered it, then "bye Lance," as she opened the car door and tossed the phone out onto the road. Kitty screeched. The car started making frantic beeping noises because the door was open, and Jean cried out as she tried to carry on driving. Blaze slammed the door again, looking pleased with herself.

"Ah can't believe I'm sayin' this," Rogue admitted, "but thanks Blaze."

"Rogue!" objected Kitty.

"No probs," said Blaze. Kitty instantly retaliated by phasing through Blaze to take the older girl's cell from her pocket and putting her hand through the side of the car to drop it on the road. Blaze yelped and turned in her seat. "What'd you do that for?"

"You started it!"

"I'm not the one romantically involved with a member of the Brotherhood!"

"No, you're the one involved with a former Acolyte and Rogue's ex!"

"That's enough," cried Jean, "both of you!"

Just when things couldn't get any worse, they got worse. A huge boom resonated through the car. Immediately, Jean lost control of the wheel. The car hurtled headlong across the road, spinning in a cloud of tyre smoke. The girls screamed.

Jean stamped repeatedly on the break, but the car did not stop until it hit the rough verge at the other side of the road. It teetered, lodged on the edge of a drainage ditch as the engine stalled and died. For a moment everyone just clung on and panted, staggered they were still alive. Rogue was the first to unfasten her seat belt and push open the car door. As she hopped down onto the asphalt, the others followed suit. They lined up along the verge to examine the damage. The left rear tyre had exploded, leaving shards of black rubber across the road.

"Um," said Jean, "does anyone know how to change a wheel?"

"Can't we just call someone?" asked Tabby.

"Maybe if we had a cell phone," replied Rogue, glaring at Kitty and Blaze.

"Did I miss something?" Tabby wanted to know, but no one was listening to her.

"You're a telepath Jean, can't you buzz someone?" said Blaze.

"No, we're too far from the mansion," Jean answered, "and who else am I going to call?"

"Ghostbusters…" suggested Blaze.

"Don't worry 'bout it folks," chirped Tabitha. "We're intelligent, independent young women. Surely between us we can work out how to change a wheel."

"Of course we can," agreed Jean decisively. She led the others towards the back of the car. "It'll be a piece of cake…"