CHAPTER 9:
Next Step
In disbelief, Lyla sat.
After Rogue's dramatic exit, the meeting ended about twenty to thirty minutes ago. Lyla, sat. she said nothing. Did not move a muscle or focus on her surroundings. Her face was blank and empty. On the other hand, her mind traveled at the speed of light, remembering all the terrible trauma Graydon put her through.
She was the last person he wanted to see and vice versa.
Hate doesn't describe the rage pent up in her body.
Lyla promised herself she would forget about her dearest brother. Rogue wanted to lead the mission on the FOH; power to her. She, Lyla, wanted no part in it, them and him.
Though, Peter had a flare for the dramatics. He enjoys stirring the pot by putting Lyla in charge of searching for Gray. Because he's perceptive, he knows Lyla will kill Graydon when she finds him. He also knows Rogue will go to great lengths to protect their eldest brother. The stakes mean nothing to him and everything to the girls. May the best win.
"Lyla," His voice calmed with a hint of authority, "You've been sitting here for an hour."
Huh, she didn't realize.
Her eyes glanced at him, sighing. "Apologies, sir."
Mr. Shaw shook his head. The smug smile still plastered on his lips as if an ace hid up his sleeve. His chest puffed out, proud of his performance earlier in the meeting.
"Please, it's okay, no apologies needed," he settled in the chair across from her, unbuttoning his black blazer. "Are you doing alright?"
Her full attention focused on him, unsure if she heard him correctly. It's not like they have a strained relationship, quite the opposite. Rogue and he doesn't get along for reasons Lyla doesn't care about. He's going out of his way to make sure she's okay.
Peter isn't one to stoop down and ask others about themselves. Selfish? Oh yes, quite. It works for him. Women and men flock to him, wanting to worship the ground he walks. Of course, he pays them to mind because of his beautiful and ruthless fiancé Selene.
No matter, she will put on a show like him by faking a smile, "ah'll start lookin' for G-Graydon soon, sir."
His hands aimlessly played with the buttons of his black silk shirt, "You don't have to put a front for my benefit, Lyla. If you can't handle—"
"A-Ah can do this," Her eyes widened. What has she done? She interrupted the Black King. The last person who committed such a crime hasn't been around to tell the tale.
At her shame, she glanced down at her hands, mumbling apology after apology.
"Excellent," Peter said, rising from his chair.
Excuse me, what?
His knuckle knocked on the table's wood, catching her attention, "Bring Ms. Winters with you. Keep Sebastian, and Ms. Frost updated. If it's weapons and money, you need to know who to go to."
He gave her a small smile then his back presented itself to her.
Her mouth hung open, shocked.
And now, she must work with Malakai Winters, who knows nothing about her past with Graydon. Any sane person will ask. Lyla can't wait for the long nights of constant questions. Yay.
Tabitha thought school was a waste of her time. Though she still attended out of boredom, Rogue said she didn't want dumb criminals in the Brotherhood. How she allows Toad and Blob to stay is beyond her. It must be they're a lost cause. Who knows.
*Shaking her head, she moved it to the pop song blasting in her ears. Her feet propped themselves on the desk, waiting for class to begin. Who's she kidding? They would stay on the desk, and the music will still play in her ear—no care in the world.
Her peripherals caught onto someone or thing familiar, "AMARA, HEY!" She shouted, unaware.
The sweet girl from Nova Roma, Brazil, smiled politely at her. Her polished fingers pulled out her notebooks and pencils.
Amara, the girl, is a new student who arrived at the end of August. Kitty invited Tabitha to a get-together at the mall to make Amara and the other new girls feel comfortable about Bayville.
Tabitha put her feet on a firm foundation, "Cool, we have first period together." She hummed and gave the girl her undivided attention, "How's life at the geek squad treating you?"
Amara looked down at her notebook, chewing on the inside of her cheek. The brief silence gave tabby time to examine and study Amara as her back stiffened against her chair. Her dark brown hair shined under the sun's rays, as did her darker skin.
Cute girl. Tabby's sure the boys and girls will trot after her, possibly drooling.
Finally, Amara answered, "Good, I guess." She breathed, "But I messed up training with Jean this morning."
"Oh, you mean," Tabitha sat up straight, "Ms. Yes, this is my true color, Grey?" Tabitha waved her off, "You don't have to take that; I know I didn't." Amara sighed. Snapping her fingers, Tabby smiled, "Hey! I know, let's go to the mall today after school. Get in touch with our shallow teenage values."
Amara perked up at the idea, "Sure!"
Jumping out of her seat, Tabby moved to the window, "Now pay attention, here comes the track team." *
Distracted by the sweaty boys on the track team, the guns, shots, and screams in the hall didn't register.
Her smile faded when her teacher rushed into the room, slammed the door behind him, and flicked off the lights. He told them all to get down and hide. Some jocks moved the teacher's desk in front of the door as a barrier. Who said sports players were dumb? Good thinking.
She winced, now was not the time for jokes.
Tabby pulled out her phone when she noticed Amara looking out the window, still. Grabbing her hand, she yanked the girl down. Her blue eyes moved through her phone, frantically searching for Rogue's number.
She prayed the boss lady would answer.
On the first ring, she heard Rogue pick up. Taking a breath, she didn't wait for her to say anything.
Tabby asked first, "you're still comin' to the basketball game tonight?"
"Are yah serious?" Rogue sneered, "Ah'm in the middle of an important meetin'!"
That's right. She told the team to do without her for the day since she was going to New York. One of the main reasons she came to school today was. No one was at the house except Blob, and she wasn't in the mood to listen to him fart all fucking day. Now, she can't have Rogue send it back up because there's no one around. And she'd rather die than ask the X-Men.
Okay, that's a stretch. She wasn't in the mood to grovel to the X-men when she could quickly devise a plan.
"I'm tryin' to tell you the FOH are here, and they're tryin' to separate humans from mutants." Or was it mutants from humans?
Rogue was about to tell her to stay put, don't do anything reckless. Well, her phone went dead. Forgot to charge it last night. On cue, the classroom door flew off its hinges.
A FOH member, dressed in all black except his purple t-shirt, stepped into the room. His combat boots tracking mud behind him searched the room. Smart of him to cover his face with a ski mask. It won't matter later when she kills him or Rogue.
His voice was high-pitched. She wasn't to take him seriously until he pointed the gun at her, "Boom-Boom and Magma, come with me now, hands locked behind your heads, or…get shot here."
They did as the creep asked.
A few mutants she didn't recognize were wrangled up in the hall along with some of the X-kids.
What were they calling themselves?
Oh yeah.
New Mutants.
Tabitha rolled her eyes; what a stupid name.
Amara glanced at her Air Force Ones, shaking. Tabby wanted to lie, like the X-Men, and tell her newfound friend all will be fine. There's no point because Amara can see it isn't. Rogue and the X-Men weren't showing up in time.
Within that time, people, kids, and teachers would die. Hell, some already lay dead in their pools of blood.
If she dies today, so be it. Tabitha Smith had a wild party on Earth and wouldn't change a thing.
There's something new with the FOH every damn day. Can't catch a break or a breather from their constant nonsense.
A faction in Miami, New York, Bayville, who knows where the hell else. It's starting to tick her the fuck off. Now, they're at a school. Her old school. Sure, she hated it there; people bullied her not only because she was goth but a mutant. Rogue got over it, people are ignorant, but Duncan and his pals never shot up a school. He and the jocks knew better than to steer clear of any of the mutants roaming the halls of Bayville High.
Before she shows up and does something reckless, she needs backup.
Too bad Wanda was away in Genosha, Lance was at a car show in Flint, Blob went to a cooking competition, and she doesn't care where Toad or Pietro is. So, she must beg the X-Men to help her. Christ, she thought she could move on from them and their morals. Nope. They'll want her to play by their rules. Or it won't help at all.
Okay, a lie.
They will help, but they'll ice her out.
She mumbled a few curse words in Xavier's office, which hadn't been more than 24 hours.
"What brought you back here, Rogue?" Xavier leaned back in his unique chair, fingers linked together.
The Lord knows she would if she could slap the arrogance off his face. No tie for that.
"Bayville high is under attack," She glanced down at her boots, humbling herself. "Ah would like to use some of yah X-Men to infiltrate it and take down the culprits."
He tilts his head to the side. His brows furrowed in thought. There are a few of his new students who attend the school. As mentioned earlier, he will help more for that reason, but one could dream he's not as selfish as Mama makes him out to be.
"Of course, of course. All I have is Jean and X-23."
Perfect, she mentally snarled to herself: little Ms. Perfect and an unknown.
"Great, well we ain' got the time to waste…."
He shook his head, disappointed.
"Rogue, you know as well as any I have already contacted them telepathically."
Fair point.
Dressed in their X-Men uniforms, Jean and X-23 stepped into the room, ready to go.
"Please, keep me updated."
Rogue waved on her way out, ignoring him.
She relaxed her shoulders when reaching her 200 HP Triumph Bonneville bobber motorcycle. Her mind raced, searching for a plan, anything on the fly. Then she nodded.
"Jean, when we get there, yah can disrupt their minds, or whatever y'all mind readers do, and then X-23?" She turned over her shoulder, glancing at the oddly familiar girl, "X and Ah van go on and grab our students, call the cops, and then call it a day."
Jean stopped walking, "That's all good and well, but we have a problem."
Rogue whipped around to Jean's phone, showing a live feed of a mutant execution. It looks like Tabby and the others are going to have to fight.
Damnit, she wished she had more : Human by Sevdaliza
"I know you guys haven't fought out in the real world yet, but ya might." For Tabitha, panic began to set in. she called Rogue over an hour ago but still hadn't shown up. Within that time frame, the FOH goons had time to put them in some cuffs, put them on their knees on the gridiron, and set up a camera. They're videotaping them die. The lead guy was rambling about mutants being an insurgence, a disease that needed purging. Stupid and misguided teaching, but she doesn't have time to think about him and his ignorance.
"And how do you suppose we that?" Bobby Drake snapped.
Usually, Bobby's the optimist. Always sees the unplanned plan. He comes up with odd ways to get the job done. Yet he chooses this very moment to run out of ideas. Dammit, Bobby and Tabitha mentally screamed.
Amara bit down on her bottom lip. Her body shook with each shot that went through a classmate's head. She was afraid of being next. They all were. Tabitha couldn't think straight. Her mind was empty, eyes bulged, hands shaking behind her back. If only her powers would work.
The FOH member in charge knelt in front of the screen, twirling his gun around in his hands, "And now watchers, the X-Men," he nodded, manic. "Yes, that's right, the terrorist who preach equality, but they hurt us, humans, bomb our homes, destroy our reputation, no longer."
A machete was replaced his gun.
A meaty hand took a fistful of Jamie's curly hair in his hand, dragging him in front of the camera. The rest of them jumped up, fighting their way to Jamie. The glue of the mansion.
Jamie Madrox, the youngest New Mutant, was the guy you could talk to; your secret was safe with him. Jubilee almost died in the Danger Room because Bobby and Roberto joked around and didn't take the scenario seriously. Not only did they get their shit pushed in, but so did Jubilee. The person who nearly died. After she got her punishment, she sat in the rec room alone, balled up, crying. Jamie came into the room, laid her head on his lap, and calmed her. No one else did such a thing except him.
When it comes to the mission, he puts his age on the back burner and does what's asked of him.
And here she was, getting pinned down, gun in her face, unable to save him.
She saw the boy smile, shaking his head. His posture slacked, ready for the weapon to separate it from his shoulders.
"Any last words, Mutie?" The leader spat.
Jamie glanced at his friends, smiling.
Amara and Jubilee cried uncontrollably beside Tabitha.
Ray tried using his pure strength to remove the men holding him back. A determined boy, no wonder Jubes liked him.
Bobby rocked his heels, biting his lips, praying for a miracle. And here, she, Tabitha, lay, unmoving. A coward.
The machete rose, the sun reflecting off the metal, blinding them all when the leader's body flew across the field into the bleachers.
Tabitha looked up to see Jean floating above the turf.
About time!
The rest was a blur. She didn't see the new girl, X-something, or Rogue. Tabitha rushed over to Jamie, her hands still behind her, ensuring he was okay when a FOH goon tackled her to the turf. His hands wrapped around her neck, wanting to take out as many mutants as possible. A shot cracked in her ear like thunder.
Tabitha's mouth opened to shout, let it out, afraid it was her.
A boot pushed the guy off her.
"Tabby, it's aight, gal; Ah got him," God, is she glad to see Rogue?
Scrambling to her knees, she pressed her temple to Rogue's muscular legs, whispering thank you.
Rogue dropped to her knees, pulling Tabby into a hug and rocking her back in forth.
"No, no, don't say thank yah. Yah stayed alive. It's okay, Ah got yah."
Her shoulders slumped, face hidden in Rogue's shoulder. What is she to be ashamed of? She wasn't brave and strong like her boss or those she fought beside. As Rogue said, she stayed alive. What if they didn't show up? Jamie's head would've rolled off his shoulders, blood soiling the turf.
Yet, Rogue held her close, reminding her everything would be fine.
X-23 unlocked the cuffs on the remaining students when the police arrived, finally. It was an entire hour since the broadcast, the shooting, and they just now showed their dog-on faces. Unbelievable.
On the bleachers, her deep emerald eyes examined the power-dampening cuffs. Where on Earth are these college students getting such technology and weaponry? Cameron is a politician, not a scientist. Graydon? No, he's a talker and a planner. It can't be Kelly. But who is dumb enough to put partner three politicians?
Rogue offered to touch, skin to skin, one of the FOH knuckleheads, but Jean stepped in, saying she'll read their minds.
Jean came up empty.
No warehouse and no thought-out plan. Someone paid these guys a handsome amount to cause a scene at the school. They acted on their own by disguising themselves as school shooters. These boys went to NYU.
None of this makes sense.
Bobby and Jubilee stepped up to Rogue, heads down, "Can Tabby stay the night?"
Rogue looked up from playing with the cuffs, "She's capable of makin' that choice on her own."
Bobby threw an arm around Jubilee, ushering them back toward the others.
Jean came over, "You're more than welcome to stay over. We know the others are gone."
Rogue shook her head, "Thanks, but no. Ah have things to do."
Nodding, Jean took the X-kids toward the X-van, where the rest of the student population waited for their parents.
Home alone, the muffling sound of the local news played on the television. Socked feet propped on her wooden coffee table, Rogue paid no attention to Robert Kelly's grating voice. Instead, her attention glued to the cuffs from the massacre when,
"Thank you for having me."
Rogue's eyes snapped Cameron Hodge's arrogant face spread on his face. His dirty blonde hair brushed back, his dark eyes staring into her soul as if he knew she was watching.
"Today's events were tragic," He paused for a moment, his hand patting his chest, "A group of mentally ill college students killed high schoolers." His eyes searched the crowd, then landed back on Rogue, "We preach mutants and humans can't co-exist, and even though I agree, there is an alternative, Mr. Kelly."
Robert patted Cameron's hand on his shoulder, then moved to the podium, "We are implementing power dampeners in all of our schools so all children can feel equal."
Rogue rolled her eyes; yeah fuckin' right.
Her fists, as she gripped the cuffs, whitened.
"As well, for situations like today, we are pushing for the Registration Act to protect all our citizens. Mutants, X-Men, and Brotherhood, count your days of freedom." He smiled, "Thank you, my office will answer all your questions."
Rogue snapped the cuffs in half.
*X-Men Evolution season 2, episode 10