Her breath was sharp in her lungs and burned as she ran her boots hard against the pavement as she got closer to the graveyard. In all seriousness it was times like these that Billy wished she could fly, the blonde cleared three fences and had to stun a Rottweiler with a light burst before cutting into another alleyway just across it she could see the iron gates of the cemetery. Billy groaned once more with sagging shoulder before scaling the fence jumping into the plots of headstones.
Billy took a quick glance around before putting two fingers to her temple and concentrating. Professor, I've reached the graveyard. She didn't have to wait long for a reply.
Good work, Billy. Storm and the others will be there shortly. Keep your eyes open, she should be very close. Billy didn't know whether to be thrilled or terrified. They had to help this girl, but one wrong move and she could be walking off with Billy's powers too and Billy would wind up like Kurt and the other boy. Be careful, Billy.
"You don't need to tell me twice." Billy let the psychic link drop taking a deep breath. "You can do this, Billy. Just don't scare her off or piss her off and you should be fine." She told herself. I hope. She quickly shook her head. "C'mon girl, you got this! Don't lose your nerve. Do it for Kurt."
Just as the words were out of her mouth, she heard the loud crack crumbling stone. A yelp came after and a low whimpering soon followed. Billy tiptoed behind a mausoleum towards the sound. Peeking out, she saw a broken girl curled up on a broken stone bench. She was paler than most with dark mahogany hair, strands stricken white cradled around her face with dark makeup wearing darker clothes covering all but her face and neck. Her hands were gloved; Billy quickly noticed one was missing. There was no mistake. This girl was the mutant and right now her whole world was falling apart. "When is this all going to end?"
Billy's heart slammed against her ribs. Her mouth went dry. A wave of vertigo so strong it knocked her off her feet as it seized her. She closed her eyes momentarily, only to see her reflection there, a shattered mess of what once was a happy teenage girl before it all went to sod in one life-altering moment, forever changed.
In the blink of an eye, it was gone. And Billy found she was walking towards the girl. Slow steady steps, one after the other. An almost paralyzing calm spreading from bottom to top as Billy stopped, her boots making a crunching noise in the dirt alerting the girl as she stood there, just out of reach.
"Hey." Her pale face turned up, meeting Billy's gaze. Her eyes wide reddened by tears. She's just like me. "I'd ask if you were okay, but that would be the stupidest question of the hour wouldn't it?"
The girl's broken exterior raw from her experiences hardened in a cold defense. "What do you think?" Billy laughed; the girl was talking to her. That was good.
"I think you've had one hell of a night tonight." Billy approached her again, slowly getting closer. She didn't want to scare her. "Everything spiraling out of control, trying to keep a grip on things but they slip through your fingers," Billy had to be careful, this girl could easily touch her now. Just speak softly, be empathetic of her situation. You've been here before; you know exactly what it's like. "It just feels like you've fallen neck deep in a big old pot of cluster fuck, don't it?"
It was small, and Billy barely heard it, but it was there. The girl laughed. "I guess you can say that." A glove had brushed away her ivory bangs, revealing more of her pale skin. "You're Billy? Billy Quinn, right?"
"How did you—"
"That guy, Kurt. I'm him now, all his stuff is in here." She pointed to her temple, looking almost ill thinking about it. "His memories, I have them. You're in them. You're one of them!" The more she spoke the more hysteric she became with every word she was losing herself between who she is and what she took from Kurt. "YOU'RE ONE OF THEM!" She clutched her head as if in agony, not physically but mentally and it was exhausting this poor girl. She's on the verge of a breakdown. I got to keep her calm. C'mon guys where are you?
Billy did the unthinkable. It was either very brave or very stupid. Without hesitation she dropped to her knees and flings her arms around her, her cheek upon her clothed shoulder. She had jumped headfirst into ground zero. "I wish I could tell you what you want to hear." She whispered as the mutant shook violently learning into her frame. It was an act of desperation. Like an infant seeking solace, a human being in need of the touch of another. Her arms closed around her with blatant need.
Tightly, Billy clutched her to her, stroking the trembling tension from her back, being very mindful of the seriousness of her situation. "I wish I could tell you that it will all go away. That it's all just a bad dream and everything will go back to normal when you wake up…" She laid her gloved hand atop the brunette's hair, gingerly stroking her locks. "But I can't tell you that. I can't make it go away…" Hot tears pricked Billy's eyes. It was agonizing to see her like this. "But it's not your fault, okay? None of this is your fault."
She held her breath. For a long moment neither of them moved. Did she hear her? The brunette raised her head slowly, her sobs gone.
Billy loosened her grip sitting on her heels, both girls holding each other loosely at arm's length. "What's your name?"
"…Anna." Her voice cracked weak from her hysterics. "Anna Marie. But everyone calls me Rogue." Billy smiled, reaching up and wiping the tears from Rogue's eyes.
"Anna Marie, that's a pretty name." Rogue laughed an actual laugh. Billy laughed too, standing up. "Why don't we get out of here? I don't know about you but this place is seven kinds of creepy." She held out her hand, Rogue looked at it, almost afraid to touch it. "It's alright." Hesitantly, terrified was more like it, Rogue took her hand. Billy helped her up and led her towards the gate. Hand in gloved hand. Billy grinned. This isn't so hard.
Mystique didn't like that. Hiding behind a memorial the shape shifter wanted nothing more than to ring the young blonde's neck. Billy was throwing a serious wrench in her plan and she wouldn't have that. She wouldn't have to worry long, no she wouldn't. For her ace in the hole was heading straight towards them.
Billy and Rogue walked halfway before the Lumokinetic caught sight of her companions. She greeted them warmly with a hearty wave high above her head. Everything was going great. Then Rogue looked up. She saw Storm and all but yanked Billy's arm out of the socket trying to get away.
"Y-you!" Billy tried to hold on, tried to calm her down. But Rogue was beyond consoling this time. She slipped through her fingers and slapped her hand away. "No, you won't take me!" Rogue ran, like a bat out of hell she ran.
"Anna!" Billy reached out.
"No wait!" Cyclops ran after her, he really did. But luck was not on their side and tripped him on the mud. Crestfallen, Billy and the other's watched her disappear.
"W-what just happened?" Billy didn't understand it. "One minute we were fine. We were getting along; talking, laughing even and then—"
"Then she saw me." Ororo realized resting her hand to her chest as she spoke "For some reason she's afraid of me." That didn't make any sense. The two had never met until just now. How could Rogue be terrified of someone she had never met?
"Well, she looked pretty beat." Scott disappointed wiped the mud from his face and visor as Jean helped out of the mud. "She can't have gone far."
That was all Mystique had to hear as the gears started turning in her head as she snuck away from them, following after the shaken girl forming a plan.
Rogue huddled in a large mausoleum under a large crypt rocking back and forth in the dark. A small sound of scratching stone was heard overhead, Rogue looked up fearfully. A small opening let the moonlight through and an angry Cyclops as well, she gasped as he jumped down. His appearance didn't startle her nearly as much, however, as the hateful expression on his face as she peeked around the crypt.
"Thought you could escape us, did you?" Cyclops trod towards her, reaching for a stone statue and pushing it hard onto the floor, shattering on impact. "The X-men don't leave loose ends" He reached for another statue and pushed it down, quite closer and spooking Rogue out of her hiding spot. She fell back on her backside, Cyclops looming over her ready to spring and getting dangerously closer.
In a panic, she scrambled to her feet making a dash for the entrance. Looking back she didn't see someone outside searching the mausoleum. With no warning she collided into…Cyclops? How did he get outside so quickly? Scared out of her wits, Rogue pushed him away throwing him to the ground in another mud puddle. The impact caused an optic blast into nearby power lines, which in turn exploded in a burst of smoke, electricity and sparks.
Rogue ran back to the mausoleum for safety as sparks rained down and Cyclops trying to get up. She looked back, making as much distance as she could before turning back. She skidded to a stop. Lumonai was glaring at her through her goggles. "Who do you think you are, huh? I tried to help you, and this is how you repay me?" Lumonai strode towards her, Rogue scared beyond words stepped back. "Someone ought to teach you some manners."
She reached out her hand to attack. Rogue's eyes went wide with fear and her face, pale already, paled significantly to a translucent white. Before the attack could strike, there was a puff of smoke and light. Rogue was gone.
She teleported over the cemetery; way over the cemetery only to scream in a fast free fall to the ground, accidently teleporting again to a safer distance from the ground. Rogue landed rough, splayed on the ground.
Light footsteps ran towards her as she tried to get her bearings.
"Oh my god, Anna! Are you ok?" Billy and Jean approached her with worry.
"Lie still. Don't try to move." Jean reached out to help her; Rogue breathing heavily unsure scooted away from them. Ororo cautiously walked towards her from behind.
"Child, what is it?" Ororo kneeled, trying to calm her. "We are your friends." She reached out as Jean had, in fight or flight Rogue grabbed onto Ororo's bare wrist. Light and electricity shot out from the contact. Ororo was flung back, unconscious.
"Ororo!" Billy bolted, hurriedly running towards her teacher as lightning and wind filled the sky. Scott rushed towards them as she ran.
"Hey what's with the effects? Is-" The sky darkened with clouds and rain came down in heavy sheets as Rogue raised to the sky the storm circling around her. "Oh no, No!" The wind and rain and lightning tore away at the surrounding area. Trees were being torn apart by the limbs. Jean quickly summoned a psychic barrier around her and Scott. It was small and was barely holding against the torrent storm around them.
"I can hold it off a little."
"Give it up. She's got Storm's powers but not her control." Scott was right, with each passing the minute the storm got worse and worse, knocking down mausoleums and stone.
Billy open to the elements pushed against the rain, sloshing through muck and water reaching blindly for Ororo slowly seeping into the muck before trying to pull her to the side. Lightning struck the power lines above them in another blast of electricity and sparks. Billy quickly covered them both with protective arms as sparks rained down. A surge of energy rushed through her arms expending in a growing flow.
"The power lines, if they hit that water, Storm and Lumonai will be fried!" Before they could rush in however, they were startled by the growing pulsing ball that surrounded the lumokinetic and the weather witch and pushing water and showering sparks out. "What is—"
"I don't believe it." It was a barrier. Billy was creating a barrier now roughly the size of a car and slowly staking a solid glow. But it stayed set in place where they lay and still in harm's way and the power lines were coming down. "Come on!" Jean grabbed Scott's wrist and with her mind carried them and Billy with Ororo into the air. "Billy, let us in!" Jean shouted over the wind.
"I-I'll try!" Beads of sweat dripped down Billy's forehead concentrating on opening her new barrier. It faded slightly, only to begin pulsing again. Jean with Scott in tow, concentrating on Billy's thoughts slowly eased through the barrier's walls as the storm grew more violent around them; With Billy making the barrier, Jean holding it up.
"I can't keep us up for long." She wouldn't have to. In the eye of the storm Rogue was losing her grip on the elements around her. She was at her limit.
"Too much power…I can't… control it." Lightning caged around her viciously in the tempest. "I have to—ah!" In a blinding light she was gone. Teleported away and with her gone the wind and rain died down almost instantly. The lightning disappeared. The storm clouds cleared. All was calm again. Out of danger Jean slowly lowered them down, Billy's barrier dissipating into small light particles, exploding in a harmless flurry as they touched the ground.
Scott quickly helped Billy set Ororo down unconscious, but otherwise unharmed. The familiar whir of Xavier's wheelchair alerted them of the others approaching, Logan carrying an unconscious Kurt, seems to be a trend tonight.
"W-what do you think happened to the rogue?" Scott asked. Xavier concentrated for a moment, and only for a moment before he sighed.
"She's gone, somewhere." Goodness knows where. "Her mind is a jumble. I can't trace it," With all that's happened in the last few hours it would be a miracle if he could. "But I strongly suspect the hand of another at work here."
"Hmm…" Logan sniffed the air, confirming Xavier's suspicions. "Mystique, she can change her body but not her scent."
"Then we have to go after her!" Kitty exclaimed.
"There's been enough damage done today. And the girl must come of her own free will." A lot of walls and bridges had been built only to be broken down. Enough was enough for one night. "Or not at all. And we must first tend to our own." Charles words seemed so have broken the spell as Ororo and Kurt arose from their sleep. Billy, relieved latched on to Ororo who was confused at first but welcome the confort.
Kurt groaned rubbing his head before looking around that the mess of broken stone and fallen steel.
"Looks like I missed quite a party." Seeing Kurt away, Kitty giddily moved toward him.
"Kurt, you're alright!" He turned to her with an odd stare before his legs caved. It was either the fatigue or Kitty acknowledging his blue fuzzy self with a positive attitude. Kitty quickly grabbed hold and pulled him back up. "Easy you fuzzy elf, everything is going to be just fine." Befuddled, Kurt looked to Scott who could only mouth 'Fuzzy elf?' as Kitty cuddled Kurt's arm.
"Hey scoot over." Billy laughed. "I want some fuzzy love too!" The blonde wasted no time and squeezed her arms around his middle. "Don't you ever scare us like that again, you hear me?"
"Um…sorry?" Kurt looked for help as he was squeezed by two laughing girls. "Uh…guys, a little help?"
"Sorry, Kurt." Scott said the other quietly laughing. Logan chuckled. "You're on your own. Even though things hadn't turned out the way they had hoped, things could have been a lot worse.
With nothing more to do, they made their way back to the jet as night gave way to the rays of the dawn. The boy would be awake and everything would go back to a sense of normalcy. Billy sighed staring out the window as the X-jet took off. She was just like her, Billy could still vividly recall Rogue shaking in her arms. She was so close. There was something there.
And just like that it was gone.
Could she have done something more? Should she have known that someone else was gumming up the works. It was all just one big mess.
"Hey." Jean clasped her hand on Billy's shoulder, stealing her from her train of thought. The blonde turned to her. "Are you okay?"
"I'd ask if you were okay, but that would be the stupidest question of the hour wouldn't it?"
Billy stared at her blankly before she smiled tiredly. "Yeah, I'm fine." After a little reassuring the redhead returned to her seat. Billy waited until she was gone before she sighed and looked out the window. "…I'm just fine."
I Live!
Another chapter after a long run of college courses, work, and a heck of a dry spell. I do apologize again that these take so long. I had to work all night into the early hours of the morning to get this done before the weekdays start...for me anyway. I do hope you've enjoyed this chapter and I look forward to all your commentary and critiquing.
I'll write the next one as soon as I can and hopefully within the next two weeks.
Ta ta lovelies.
A/N:
Also, if your wondering how Billy was able to hug rogue without getting ZAPPED. her uniform covers everything but her face. Everything from the neck down is covered. So no worries.
Kisses.