SORRY FOR THE WAIT.
A calm cool rested over the Xavier Mansion, the cricket's chirp and night bird's call gave a peaceful quiet as the night seemed undisturbed. Inside however, was a different story. A stifled clatter almost inaudible stirred in the mansion's ventilation. A grate rustled and rattled disappearing into the air vent. A body garbed in deepest black crawled out in its place, landing soundlessly on the attic floor.
"Impressive." A disconnected voice quietly applauded. "You got past the automated defenses by using the air vents." The intruder was quick scanning the room, sniffing the air. "But you won't get past me!" Dressed for combat, Storm stepped out from the support beams. Summoned winds pushed violently through the windows bursting harshly into the attic. The intruder quickly jumped back air vents and closing the grate behind him. Hastily trying to escape the way he came in. "Testing me, hm?" Amused, Storm's eyes followed the patter of him crawling through the ducts. The storm caster smiled summoning her powers, the wind easily up its master as lightning danced and flashed around her body. "Alright then, its time you remembered why they call me Storm."
Storm clouds rolled dark over the manor, thunder and lightning following suit. Wind and water rushed from the clouds, washing fast down the chimney, strong rapids filling the air ducts. The intruder had little to no time at all as he was swept away by the rapids tossing him ruthlessly into the Danger room. The water puddled across the training room's floor as he washed up dead center.
"You look a little flushed." Storm stood proudly in the control room, looking down on him like a bird of prey. "And the forecast isn't good." For whatever bizarre reason he thought he could, the intruder lunged for the control room. An unnatural wind knocked him off his course, the air so cold the water temperature dropped drastically. Freezing in a sheet of ice as his back hit the wall, encasing him completely as he fell to the floor.
Miraculously, covered in ice he stiffly struggled to stand the ice only hindering him to some extent. "Now that…was cold." Ice shattered and broke off him with incredible force, flying off his body like feathers. Storm was undeterred by his resilience, leisurely activating more of the Danger room's defenses.
"Then let's warm you up." Compartments opened and a laser sprung forward, immediately firing at the black clad intruder. In one great leap he avoided the laser's fire extending three long metallic claws from his fists landing atop of the laser and out of its range stabbing his claws into it. The contact caused a combustible reaction; the laser exploded sending him flying across the room, his clothes in tatters as he landed on his feet.
"Got to connect first, got any other party tricks?" Another panel opened in the center of the floor, rising and revealing three rotating mechanical arms extending their spinning prongs in attack. He jumped back from one rotation before jumping back into the mid-sector, piercing his claws into the circuitry dragging it sharply through the wiring, jumping back as it sparked.
"Stop." At Xavier's command the mechanical arms slowed their rotation, the Danger room's defenses shutting down. The intruder retracted his claws. "It is, at the moment, as much as we can afford, Wolverine."
"Hey," The intruder scoffed pulling off his mask, revealing Logan under the mask as he walked around the machines making his way to the control room. "When I give a demo, I give a demo."
"Is that demo as in demolish or demonstration?" Inside the control room Scott and the others were watching and observing the train of events. "What was the point?" Some were less attentive than others.
"The point, young Cyclops," Storm replied, analyzing the systems before turning to the students. "Was to teach you something about finding the weak points in sophisticated security systems." Storm walked across the room briskly to another monitor. The control room's doors opened.
"That's right, bub." Logan walked in, the paneled doors closing behind him. "And I'd say that ours needs a little work."
"Yeah, why else would we have Logan run around in a ninja suit?" Scott turned away from Storm's analysis, glaring dryly at Billy as she popped a few kernels of popcorn into her mouth. "I thought your eyes were dangerous, not blind."
"Zhat vas tight!" Kurt exclaimed happily, taking handfuls of popcorn from Billy's bowl while hanging upside down from the ceiling with his tail. "I give it two thumbs up!" Billy muffled a laugh with popcorn as Kurt waved two fuzzy blue thumbs up still suspended upside down.
Jean shook her head as Logan grunted walking past them.
Watching the video Storm brought up from the security cameras. "The vents were pretty easily breeched. Gonna need to fix that." He managed to go through the vents easily without tripping the motion scanners. "Maybe electrify 'em, or install poison gas sprayers."
"Wolverine." Ororo gave him a scolding look for even mentioning such dangerous methods.
"Alright, alright." Logan crossed his arms let down his ideas were shot down. "Knock out gas then." One could laugh at Logan's attempt to compromise, however laugh with caution. Some people like their faces where they are. A shiver and a groan brought Kitty to everyone's attention. With Kitty being the newest member of the group, she was having a difficult time adjusting to the mutant experience. Not everyone's eager to jump in the mutant train at first.
"Is it just me or is anyone else seriously freaked by all this?" Kitty was given several stares, each was different but they were giving her the same answer. Everyone was well accustomed to the way of things. Unlike Kitty, put off by the whole thing. "Oh, right. It's just me then?" This girl… "Great." Was seriously off to a rocky start.
"Relax, Kitty. You'll be fine." With a puff of smoke, Billy was quick to find her popcorn suddenly missing along with Kurt.
"Hey!" Kurt reappeared on Kitty's right, sitting cross-legged one of the many terminals linked to the Danger room's systems, Billy's stolen popcorn in his lap.
"Ve are right beside you." He teleported again, taking Kitty's left now, casually leaning back on his elbows now holding said popcorn up with his tail. "Popcorn?" Kitty unprepared for Kurt's flash show, jumped back with a yelp.
"Vhoops." That wasn't the reaction he was hoping for. Realizing over eagerness he was quick to right his wrong sitting up straight with a nervous laugh. "Sorry." He hopped off the terminal. "Next zime I'll honk before I port." Even with an apologetic gesture that some would find absolutely adorable Kurt wasn't making any positive headway with the reluctant Kitty who turned away crossing her arms over her chest.
"Whatever." Kitty turned to face the others tucking her hands behind her back in a modest gesture, "Look guys, it's late. If it's no biggy to you," Kitty sighed slowly fazing down through the floor. Kitty could move through matter, you see. "I'm gonna like drop out." Kitty casually disappeared through the floor, leaving everyone else to stare at where she had once been.
"Ah…She's fully not into ze fuzzy dude." Kurt shook his head before it hung low in a small depression. "Not zhat I really blame her."
"Ah, she's just bugging, don't worry about it." Billy quickly crossed the room, wrapping her arm around his back resting her hand on his upper arm before giving him a reassuring squeeze. "The girl's just having a hard time grasping the true blue totally awesome awesomeness that is you." Billy made way with a toothy grin, squeezing a little tighter. "She doesn't know what she's missing."
"She just needs time, Kurt." Jean cut in; taking Kurt's other side resting her hand on his opposite shoulder. "She'll come around."
"X-men," Xavier's voice was loud and urgent as he rolled into the control room, his expression was equally if not more so. "We have an emergency. Scott, get the Black Bird prepped for launch and since it's a weekend, assemble the full team." Scotty boy didn't miss a beat.
"Yes sir. What's the mission?"
"Cerebro had detected a new mutant in Caldecott County, Mississippi." The roomed filled with abuzz curiosity. "My mental impression from the scene indicated a highly disturbed individual. Our mutant is a danger to herself and possibly others as well." Everyone could feel the seriousness of the situation without question as Xavier looked at them with the utmost priority. "X-men, we have a rogue."
The significance of the situation weighed heavy in the air, they were quick to move. Suiting up while Jean and Billy dragged a rather reluctant and fussy Kitty from her room they rushed into the Black bird and after a short heated debate of piloting the jet Kurt was at the controls and the X-men were clear for a screaming takeoff through the underground Launchpad, through the waterfall entrance and over the manor in one smooth sweep.
"Stealth mode stable, leveling off at zen zhousand feet." Kurt studied the controls manning the altitudes and speeds. Not showing any sign of nervousness, it anything Kurt was having the time of his life.
"Steady…" Scott sat beside him at the controls, keeping an eye on his co-pilot. "Now hold it right there, and…you've got it!" Hard to believe he'd only just started flying…the simulator back at the manor was proof of that. "Nice job, Kurt." Scott gave Kurt impressed thumbs up. "You'll make a pilot yet."
"Heh, zhanks." Kurt laughed letting his ego swell, leaning back into his seat resting his head over his arms, steering the Black Bird with his…feet.
"Or maybe not." In the back of the jet, several of the others reached for their harnesses at the same time. "I've logged our flight plan with the F.A.A. we're cleared through to Jackson, we'll take the van from there."
"Good, your picking up logistics quickly, Scott." Xavier voiced his approval; Scott smiled and turned back to the controls, out of earshot of the girl gossip in the back.
"Scott seems so like…together!" Over her drama in the Danger Room, Kitty was practically gushing over Scott with puppy eyes and girlish sighs watching dreamily her chin in her hand. "So cool and he's kind of cute." Billy did her best to hide a snort under her gloved hand rolling her eyes before staring out the cockpit window. That didn't stop wondering eyes from looking.
"Cute?" Jean looked at the brunette with disbelief. Billy's snort quickly turned into a whispered laughing fit. "Uh, stiff maybe." Billy's composure grew harder and hard to control as Jean looked at Scott or at least the back of his head. "Exacting definitely, but…hmm," Jean considered Kitty's point of view, grasping her chin lightly in thought. "You know, from a certain angle…" Before Billy could bust her gut, Kurt crestfallen by their words did what any testosterone-crazed teenager would do, something stupid.
Before anyone was the wiser, Kurt teleported out of the cockpit and onto the jet nose. His brash thinking was short lived; he managed to stand for a few moments outside before the speed of the jet and the air current sent him flying back. Fortunately Kurt was quick enough to teleport himself back to the safety of the cockpit, the momentum he gained however sent him careening through the cockpit crash-landing upside down in Kitty's seat, with Kitty still in it.
"Oh boy…" Billy face palmed shaking her head.
"Kurt, the Black Bird is not the place to be fooling around." Xavier scolded looking back as Kitty unceremoniously pushed Kurt off of her and onto the floor. "You frightened Kitty." Kurt got up quickly a guilty look on his face.
"Sorry Kitty." Kitty wasn't having any of it.
"J-just like," Kitty unfastened her harness hastily. "Stay away from me!" Kurt stood crushed as Kitty got as far away from him as she could to the front of the plane. The mood of the plane taking a new turn killed Billy's fit, Watching Kurt fall into a depression by Kitty's appall, looking back and forth a moment or so with a quirked brow.
"Wow." She quipped quickly crossing her arms behind her head crossing her legs in the same fashion a kidding smile tickling her lips. "Give her some stilettos, a latte and a Gucci bag and could be from my hometown." Her words did little to lighten his spirits. Kurt slumped in Kitty's previous seat with a dejected look, making Billy's jester grin fall like stone sitting straight with concerned eyes.
Logan, neutral up until this point watched the scene play before him with obvious distaste rolling his eyes from the drama and angst. "Kids."
"Alright, stakeout!" Logan curbed a loud groan in his throat squeezing the steering wheel as the bouncing blonde excitedly looked over his shoulder. "This is so cool! I totally feel like Charlie's Angels right now!" The second time, Logan wasn't as strong as he glared at Billy. "Eep!" an involuntary squeak and she was gone. Yeah, he still got it.
"This really necessary?" Hiding the Black Bird and taking a van was one thing, but sitting in what could very well be puke green minivan outside of a hospital didn't sit well with Logan. Especially dressed the way they were. The girls mentioned Cos-play as a cover but a quick glare from Logan quickly killed that idea much to their pouting chagrin.
"Yes, Logan. The boy Cody is the key to finding our rogue." Xavier in the seat behind him and Kurt, Kitty and Billy sitting around him, the psychic quickly concentrated on the task at hand, focusing his powers. "But he's unconscious and his mind is elusive. To isolate his memory patterns I need someone…on the inside." The professor focused harder as Jean worked quickly incognito to strengthen the link to the supposed boy inside. One to which this new mutant accidently put into a comatose with nothing more than a mere touch which made the matters all the more serious.
It was a race against time and this kid already had a long head start, waiting impatiently as Xavier probed the boy's mind for some clue as to where this "rogue" was heading.
Sure enough Xavier didn't have to dig around long before he sent them out in the general direction. The mutant had a cocktail of memories both hers and the boy Cody's to muddle the professor's idea of an exact location. This wasn't proving to be an easy matter. Xavier sent out Wolverine, Nightcrawler and Shadowcat to scope out the area, leaving Cyclops Storm, Lumonai and Jean Grey on standby. All was quiet except the general noise of the city and the tap, tap tapping of Lumania's boots.
"What's taking them so long?"
"Patience, Billy. This mutant is in a very unstable state, we cannot rush into this with foolhardy impatience." Ororo waved her finger to and fro at her pupil. "We need to handle this with the outmost care lest we break what little fragile control she may have left." Billy stared blankly at Storm's white clad finger before her perfect blues met Ororo's with a hint of familiarity in their depths.
"It's not like I want to bust in guns a blazing." Billy dejected sticking both index fingers out and pulling a quick cowboy act. "I'm just saying with old grumpy butt out there, you'd think they would have found her by now?" Billy got a chill, praying Logan wasn't close enough to hear. "Guy's got the nose of a bloodhound."
"Billy, really now?" Ororo shook her head as Billy's seriousness flew out the window.
"What? He does. The guy sniffed out my Twinkies I know he did!"
"Billy, not his again…"
"I'm telling you, Logan ate my Twinkies! He found my secret stash and ate my Twinkies!" Billy waved her around so fast they almost blurred. "That Twinkie stealing grumpy butt!" Jean stifled a giggle under her fingers; Scott groaned face-palming shaking his head grumbling something unremarked to her ears. "I want my Twinkies."
"Odd." Xavier drew their attention away, deep in concentration following what would be Cody's brain patterns. "The trail seems to have gone suddenly cold." That didn't sound good.
"Professor?"
"I can no longer read Cody's brainwave patterns."
"Great…" Billy groaned, Jean wasting no time to access the situation.
"But if he's gone, then-"
"Then it may simply mean that the effect of transference is temporary." Professor cut her off turning to them all. "Our problem now is how to find the girl."
"Back to square one, great." Billy hung her head groaning under her breath as she and the others followed Xavier down the sidewalk. "How the heck are we supposed to find her now?"
"Try about ten gardens due west."
"Ack!" Billy jumped, nearly out of her skin suit and all as a bodiless voice spoke behind a tall wood fence. A moment later Wolverine climbed over the fence landing on the sidewalk in a crouch. "Give a girl a heart attacks why don't you?" Billy all but screamed, hand over her piston pounding heart.
Wolverine ignored the startled blonde, throwing his thumb back in the direction he came in. "Kurt's trying to keep her from bolting."
"Then we must—"Xavier cringed suddenly. "Ah! Kitty…Kitty? N-not so loud." The others watched as Xavier seemed to be communicating with Kitty obviously about the mutant girl. They felt uneasy as Xavier's expression turned troubled. "Wolverine, it's Nightcrawler. The Rogue has his mind and his abilities—"No one anticipated the light caster pole-vaulting over the fence so brashly, Billy was gone before anyone could stop her. "Billy!"
Billy didn't stop stomach in her throat as she hopped one fence over the other. The mutant got Kurt, that was all she needed to know, her arms and legs moving on their own. Billy, come back. Xavier's mind caught up to her five gardens over but it didn't still her movement or Logan who was catching up fast behind her. Billy control yourself, We can't run into this blindly. Billy's teeth clenched as she made it over garden seven, the wood creaking loudly under the momentum. Billy didn't reply, maybe because she wouldn't or maybe because she couldn't. Kurt was hurt and that was all that mattered.
She was halfway through an alleyway before Wolverine gruffly grabbed her from behind stopping Billy in her tracks. "Whoa there, take it easy kid."
"Let me go." Billy squirmed and fought but Wolverine wasn't letting go. "Kurt's hurt, we need to go!"
"No" Said Wolverine without a trace of emotion. "You're too emotionally involved to do him any good." She threw her head back, her glare so sharp it could have cut like his claw's.
"I don't care, damn it. I said let me go!" Logan glared at her through his mask.
"Fine." Wolverine pushed her away roughly, Lumonai spinning wildly around glare still in place. "Prof's got the girl heading towards the graveyard. Put that adrenaline to use and track her down. I got the fur ball."
"What?"
"Storm and the others are heading there now, if you move it you can catch them." He clapped his hand on her shoulder. "Don't want another one of us dropping, do ya?" Billy's mouth opened and closed but Wolverine already jumped the next fence before she could speak. "Get moving, kid!"
Billy growled loudly before cursing and booking it down the alleyway, and heaven help anything that got in her way.
I AM SO SO SOOO SORRY GUYS!
I KNOW THIS TOO FOR FRICKIN' EVER, I CAN'T EVEN BEGIN TO APOLOGIZE ENOUGH!
I CAN ONLY AS THAT YOU ENJOYED THIS NEWEST CHAPTER AND HOPEFULLY STICK AROUND FOR THE NEXT ONE.
RATE AND REVIEW.