A/N: I know it's taken me well over a year to update this again, but after writing sporadically when school allowed, I've finally completed this fanfiction. I'll be posting the rest of the chapters a few days apart from each other to give you guys time to read and review. Enjoy!
++Chapter V: Doubly Daring++
"To do anything truly worth doing, I must not stand back shivering and thinking of the cold and danger, but jump in with gusto and scramble through as well as I can."
- Og Mandino
Natalie had never enjoyed a math class. It wasn't a subject that she was particularly adept at, and quite frankly, it was rather boring. She didn't see the point of learning how to calculate the distance of a line on a graph, or how to tell whether that same line was actually possible to draw or not. Most people in the class seemed to be cruising along just fine, which usually caused a bit of frustration on the girl's end. Oddly enough, this was an issue that her best friends also had – all three were highly intelligent, but something about mathematics just wasn't compatible with their brains. She grinned a little as she thought of how all three of them had complained about their math classes just the other night before falling asleep. Kim had called walking into math class the "beginning of a fatal syntax error." It certainly felt taxing on the brain.
"Hey, Nat, did you finish the homework from last night?"
She turned around as someone tapped her on the shoulder, and couldn't help it as her grin widened slightly. If there was one good thing about her math class at Xavier's School, it was blue, golden-eyed, and German. And his name was Kurt. "Uh, yeah, " she replied automatically, gesturing toward her notebook. "Why, did you want to compare answers or something?"
Kurt Wagner grinned, too, and sat next to her, tail swishing slowly. "I did, " he replied, flipping open her notebook expertly with one hand. "You usually get all of the answers on the homework right."
Natalie's gaze shifted slightly. "Well, uh, not really, " she admitted, picking briefly at her pencil's eraser. "I'm not very good at math. That's why I zone out so much during class." Or at least, it was one of the reasons. Sensing his eyes on her, she lifted her dark ones to meet his liquid, yellow gaze.
"You don't – understand the material?" he asked, after a moment, confused. "Then how do you do the homework?"
Her expression briefly turned a trifle guilty. "My friend helps me out, " she muttered. "It's nice of her and all that, but I still don't get it. I've never enjoyed it very much."
"But math can be fun, " Kurt insisted, gently, and Nat found herself reflecting momentarily on how remarkably encouraging his voice could sound, even with his harsh, Germanic accent. "I can work with you after class, if you'd like. I'd be more than happy to tutor you, sometime."
Her expression brightened. "Really?"
He nodded, smiling a little. "Really."
She was barely aware of Dr. McCoy striding into the room to begin the lesson, and remained in a sort of daze throughout class. Despite her vague expression, she was the first person to leave the classroom, and ran smack into someone on her way out of the door.
"Whoa, you might want to watch where you're going, " Rogue said, somewhat startled. "You alright, Natalie?"
Nat blinked, staring at the Southern girl for a long moment. "Huh? Oh. Yes, I'm – I'm fine."
"Well, if you're sure, " the other replied, dubiously. "Look, I got to get on to my next class, but it was nice running into you, I suppose." She grinned a little and continued down the hall, leaving Natalie to make her way toward her next class.
"Hey, Natalie, did you want to get together after dinner tonight?"
She turned a little too eagerly toward the speaker. "Oh, sure, Kurt. Where should I meet you after I finish eating?"
"How about the library?" Kurt suggested. "It's usually nice and quiet in there, unless you have a better idea."
"Oh, no, the library's fine, " she responded, smiling. "So I'll uh, see you after dinner, then."
"Pssst, Nat. Nat!"
The girl turned abruptly toward the sound of her name, gazing blankly back at a concerned looking Kimberly. "You're interrupting the class, Kim, " she whispered, gesturing toward the front of the classroom, where Professor Xavier was explaining the finer points of a video concerning the ethical issue of abortions, and prompting the class to explain how the action would affect mutants, and vice versa.
Kim grimaced, rubbing at her forehead. "Yeah, well, you are interrupting my train of thought. Your mind's absolutely absent-minded today." She peered more closely at her friend. "Did you brain stay at the dining room table during lunch?"
Natalie frowned a little. "Kim, you didn't read my mind without my permission, did you?" she asked, slowly.
Kimberly shook her head, quickly. "No, it's just that you're – broadcasting. You're completely on cloud nine, or an equivalent of it." Her expression melted into a grin that bordered on a smirk. So, after dinner, huh?
Shut. Up.
If I have to ask you to hold your conversations until after my class again, Professor Xavier broke into their thoughts, then I will have little choice save to ask you both to serve detentions.
We're sorry, Professor, Kim replied, hastily. It won't happen again. Really.
See that it doesn't.
Later on that night, Natalie made her way into the library, math notebook in hand. She was a bit early, as Kurt hadn't quite finished eating, yet, and took that opportunity to wander closer to the bookshelves. Glancing over the titles, her nose wrinkled a little. Even at first glance, none of them seemed interesting to her. Her gaze fell over The Rise and Fall of the Roman Empire, and the corners of her mouth quirked upward. Now there was something that Kim might enjoy reading, if the title were anything to judge by.
Kurt teleported into the library, bright eyes alight with mischievous excitement. "Natalie, some of the other students are planning to take a vehicle out for a little ride, tonight, " he grinned. "They were going to ask you if you wanted to come along, but you left the table so quickly."
Nat's eyes narrowed slightly. "Did they really, or did they merely invite you and you passed the message along?"
The German's expression shifted a little, turning a trifle uncomfortable. "Well, uh, does it matter which one?" he replied, sheepishly.
A grin split across her face. "Oh, yes, " she said firmly, tossing her math notebook onto a table. "It most certainly does." She cast a measuring glance toward the hallway. "Teleport us out to the garage when everyone gets ready to go. I've got an idea."
Kurt's tail swished slowly from side to side. "What did you have in mind?"
Her expression turned smug. "A little contest between fellow mutant students."
His eyes widened, and then he grinned widely, showing his fangs. "I will see when the others are planning on going, " he responded, vanishing into a puff of swirling smoke.
Several minutes later, he reappeared, casting a quick glance toward the hallway. "Bobby, Rogue, and Jubilee are taking one of the cars – I think they said they were taking Scott's, actually, " he informed her.
Nat actually chuckled quietly. "Good. Get us to the garage. We're going to give them a run for their money."
"We're taking a different car?" he questioned, as he came closer to her.
"Oh, no, Kurt, " she smirked, wrapping her arms about him as they prepared to teleport. "We're going to take something much, much better than a car."
BAMF!
They arrived in the garage just in time to see Scott's shiny blue vehicle roaring off into the night. Natalie's gaze immediately went toward the far corner of the garage, settling on a shiny, black motorcycle.
"But they took the best car, " Kurt pointed out, turning to look in the direction of Nat's gaze. "And -- " His voice trailed off as he saw that same, smug grin beginning to form over the girl's excited visage. "You can't be serious."
"Watch me, " Nat replied, tossing him a helmet as she fastened one about her head. "Ever ridden on a motorbike?"
"Nein, " he answered, clambering awkwardly onto the back of the bike. He raised his eyebrows as she hopped onto the front seat and started the ignition. As the bike roared to life, he added, "Have you?"
"Nope, " Nat replied, revving the engine.
Kurt's eyes widened. "You mean you don't know how to drive one of these things?"
Natalie shrugged, reaching down to release the brake on the bike. "How hard can it be?"
As the motorcycle zoomed off down the mansion's incredibly long driveway, she was forced to swerve hard to avoid a squirrel running across her path, and turned on the headlights as they shot out of the gate. Now, if they could just catch up with the crew that took Cyclops's car, they'd all have a good time. She'd make sure of it.
Forced to duck to the side as a motorcycle flew past her, Jessica watched its progress from the shadowed bench she had been forced to throw herself toward, and frowned a little. It looked as though Kurt were one of the passengers on that motorbike – but didn't it belong to Scott Summers? And if she hadn't known better, she would have sworn up and down that the driver looked – familiar. "It couldn't have been Nat, " she muttered to herself, shaking her head. "You're being silly again."
"Silly?" a squeaky little voice retorted. "Excuse me, human, you're the one being silly! This is a dangerous, dangerous time to be outside!"
Startled, the girl glanced around, hazel eyes spotting no one in the immediate area besides a little squirrel chattering by her foot.
"Did you just – say something?" she gasped, staring at it wide-eyed.
"We always try to say things to you, but no, you humans never listen to us!" the squirrel squeaked back at her. If animals could roll their eyes in annoyance, this one certainly would be doing so. "The person driving that thing doesn't own it, " it added, quickly. "Too rough and uncertain of how to make it move than its owner – and he normally wears these really bright things on his face that glint red in the sun or moonlight."
Jess's eyes narrowed suspiciously. "I think I know who that other driver is, and if I'm right, she's going to be in so much trouble." She slid off of the bench and crouched down to look the little squirrel in the eye as best she could. "Look, uh, not all humans are trying to be particularly rude or anything. Most of them don't understand animals. Most of them can't understand what you're saying when you try to talk to them."
"That would explain why they stare at me strangely every time I try to communicate with them, " the furry creature groused. "Well, it was absolutely wonderful meeting someone who can actually understand me. What's your name?"
"Jessica, " she replied, smiling at the squirrel. She decided after a moment that judging by its constantly alert posture and grumpy voice that it could be a male squirrel. Maybe. "What's yours?"
"Grayson the Sixteenth, " he returned, seriously, "but maybe you'd better find a different handle to call me by. There are tons of Grayson squirrels throughout the population around here."
Amusedly, she thought of the first time that she had watched Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs. Grayson the Sixteenth reminded her awfully of Grumpy, but somehow, she doubted that the squirrel would want to be called that. "Would you – mind if I called you Grumpy?" she asked, hesitantly. "No offense intended, really."
"Most of my friends would say that it's a fitting name, " Grayson the Sixteenth grumbled. "But if you must – you may. If you mention me to anyone else – I am still Grayson the Sixteenth, son of Grayson the Seventh and champion tree trunk spelunker."
She giggled a little as she stood, brushing leaves from her clothing. "I'll try to remember that, Grayson the Sixteenth. It was nice meeting you. Perhaps I'll see you around, sometime."
As Grumpy scampered off into the growing darkness, Jess slowly began to walk back into the mansion, reflecting over her conversation with the little guy. She had always felt that she understood animals, and empathized strongly with them whenever they were hurt, frightened, or alone. For the first time in her life, she had actually talked with one – and in that moment, she felt relatively certain that she knew what her mutation enabled her to do.
Kimberly rushed up to her as she entered the entrance hall, concern evident on her swarthy visage. "Jess, have you seen Nat? I've been looking all over for her – but I can't find her or Kurt. Did she mention going off to do anything after studying with him in the library?"
Jessica shook her head. "No, " she replied, "but I'm pretty sure that I know where she is."
"Where?"
Just as she opened her mouth to reply, Scott strode into the hallway with a stormy expression. "Have you seen Logan?" he demanded.
The two friends exchanged glances. "No, " Kim replied for them both. "Is something wrong, Mr. Summers?"
"This is the last time that I'm ever letting him use my stuff, " Cyclops swore, pacing the length of the hall angrily. "If he's done something to both of them, I swear I'll -- "
"Look, if you have a problem, Scott, you shouldn't be taking it out on the students, " Logan interrupted as he came in from the kitchen, cold soda in hand.
Scott whirled to face him, brow drawn into a heavy scowl. "Look, Logan, " he retorted in a similar tone, "just because I let you use my bike once or twice in the past doesn't mean that you have the right to just take it from right under my nose without my permission, and then hide it somewhere – and that goes for my car, too!"
Logan had the good grace to look confused. "What are you talking about?"
"My car and bike are gone!" Scott raged. "I know you took them and did something with them!"
This wouldn't have anything to do with Nat's mysterious whereabouts, Jess, would it?
Jessica grimaced a little. Well, yeah. She and Kurt zoomed down the driveway a while ago on his motorcycle.
There was a long pause. And then: They are so screwed.
"Don't look at me, Scott, " Wolverine replied, shrugging. "If your car and bike aren't around here, then someone else has taken them for the night. I'm standing right here, and unless you're suggesting that I'm actually Mystique and that the real Logan is out there on your bike while managing to drive a car at the same time …"
"What's going on out here?" Professor Xavier inquired, wheeling in from the hallway branching off to his study. "Is there a problem, Scott?"
"His car and motorcycle are missing, " Logan explained, ignoring Scott's dark glare. "Someone's taken them."
"Some people, more like, " Scott muttered, "seeing as it'd be highly difficult for someone to drive both a motorcycle and a car simultaneously."
Kim shifted slightly, toeing at one of the seams in the wooden floor. Should we tell them?
Nat will get in trouble, Jess replied, eyes rounding slightly. But I am worried about her. Does she even know how to drive a motorcycle?
I have no idea, Kim responded, unaware that Xavier's gaze had shifted onto them. But I'm sure that she figured it out – you saw her zoom past, after all. She wouldn't have been able to do that if she hadn't figured out how to operate it, right?
True. Nat's pretty clever with figuring out things like that – especially if it works perfectly with one of her schemes.
Still, Jess, I think we ought to tell them. What if something happens to her?
You already have, another voice responded, eliciting a gasp from Jessica and a startled look from Kim.
"Scott, why don't you go into the kitchen and get a glass of water? When you've cooled off sufficiently, I'll be able to tell you who took your car and your motorcycle, " Xavier suggested, shifting his gaze onto his field leader.
"I – right, sorry, Professor, " Cyclops muttered, and headed into the kitchen.
"Professor, we had nothing to do with it, " Kimberly said at once, as soon as Scott had left the foyer. "But Jessica saw Nat zoom down the driveway on a motorcycle with Kurt in tow, and, well, we're a little worried about her."
"She's alright, for the time being, " he responded, causing Jess to exhale in relief. "However, I'm not sure that she will be once she and her friends return. They're going to have their bit of fun – but they will have to pay the consequences."
Consequences were the last thing on Natalie or Kurt's mind as they zoomed down the road. One was too busy enjoying the thrill of driving a motorcycle, and the other was hanging on for dear life, and loving every minute of it. Both kept their eyes peeled for the other rogue vehicle on the road as they put more distance between themselves and the mansion.
"This is great fun, Nat!" Kurt exclaimed, tail happily swinging freely behind him. "We should do this more often!"
"Too bad one of us doesn't own this bike!" Nat called back, grinning widely. "Man, I'd give a lot to own something like this!"
Twenty minutes later, the girl's eyes narrowed predatorily as the motorcycle's headlight finally landed on something blue and shiny. The shadows around them suddenly swept toward Scott's car, forming into a shapeless sort of phantom that drifted toward its windshield. Hearing the tires squeal as the driver was forced to slam on the brakes, Natalie's grin widened a bit more as she and Kurt easily drove up alongside the car, and idled momentarily next to it. "What's the matter?" she called as the driver rolled down his window. "Run into something on the road?"
Bobby Drake peered back at her, and shrugged. "No, we just felt like stopping, " he replied, raising an eyebrow as he noticed Kurt on the back of the motorcycle. "So you guys took the bike, huh? Clever, " he complimented, after a moment.
"Better choice than riding in this thing, " Pyro muttered, gesturing toward the CD player and the dashboard from the backseat. "Cyclops listens to N'SYNC and the Backstreet Boys." He made a face. "Least your ride doesn't have to deal with that."
"We'd ask you if you'd like to join us, " Jubilee said softly from the back, "but I'm afraid we don't have anymore room in this car."
"We wouldn't join you anyway, " Natalie replied, raising an eyebrow smugly. "Our ride is far superior to yours."
John Allerdyce's eyes widened. "Is that a challenge, Shade?" he asked, flicking his lighter case open, and then shutting it.
"Consider it one, " she replied, smirking a little. "Or are you too afraid to have a little – contest?"
Inwardly, Bobby groaned. Nothing really good could come of this, although he was relatively sure that they would already be in enough trouble, as it was, if they were caught sneaking back into the mansion around midnight. "What are you proposing?" he asked, at last.
"She's asking us to race, Bobby, " Rogue answered, giving him a faintly surprised look.
"Twenty miles from here is a new apartment complex construction site, " Pyro interrupted. "We'll race you there. Without powers."
Kurt blinked, staring from the car back to Natalie through his visor.
"You're on, " Nat replied, flipping the visor back over her helmet, and gunning the engine. "Let's go."
With a roar, the two vehicles simultaneously shot back onto the road, battling for the lead position between the two lanes. Clinging tightly to Nat, Kurt noticed, after about ten minutes, that the motorbike was beginning to fall behind the car. Soon, they were far enough behind to just make out a shiny flash of blue at the edge of the bike's headlight. "Uh, Nat?" he questioned. "They're pretty far ahead – I mean, it doesn't look like we have much of a chance of catching up with them, from this vantage point."
Natalie snickered under her breath as their opponents began to lose them. "Oh, don't worry, Kurt. We'll catch up with them just when they least expect it." She momentarily glanced down at a small, silver switch located near the ignition, and grinned.
"They fell behind rather easily, " John noted, craning his neck to peer out of the back window of Scott's car. "It almost looks like they're not even trying. If I didn't know that Nat would never give in on something like this … I'd almost be willing to bet that she is."
Jubilee sighed and rolled her eyes a little. "Give it a rest, Pyro, why don't you? She challenged us to a race, so she's racing us. Maybe their bike is starting to run out of gas or something."
"I doubt it, " Bobby chimed in, keeping his eyes wisely on the road. "Cyclops loves both of these vehicles. He always keeps them in tip-top shape."
Occasionally, Natalie and Kurt would gain on the other mutants, and just as quickly as they would, the car would once again pull ahead. However, as the vehicles began to eat up the final five miles, Nat's dark eyes narrowed in anticipation. It was time to stop playing games. "Think you've won?" she muttered, pressing the switch near the ignition. The turbo accelerator activated with three, loud blasts, and suddenly, the motorcycle was shooting forward at a tremendous speed, going so quickly that its passengers could feel G-forces beginning to pull at their skin.
John rubbed his eyes, incredulously. A huge blur was flying toward them – and mere moments later, passed them. "What the hell was that?" he demanded.
"Hey guys, I think we lost them, " Jubilee said suddenly. "I don't see them behind us, anymore."
Whoops rang through the car as they began to pull triumphantly into the construction site. Their joy was short-lived, however; standing there waiting for them were Kurt, Natalie, and the bike.
"You cheated!" Pyro blurted, after they had lifted their jaws off of the ground. "There's no way you could have gotten here that quickly without teleporting!"
"Like Kurt would teleport a huge, heavy bike, " Natalie replied sarcastically.
"So how exactly did you beat us here?" Bobby asked,
"Nat found this little button, " Kurt volunteered with a grin. "The motorcycle has a turbo accelerator built into it."
The others groaned good-naturedly, and then began to laugh a little.
"If we had known that you had that, " Bobby managed, "I don't think we would have accepted your challenge."
"Chicken, " Nat grinned, adding a moment later, "but probably a wise decision."
"Speaking of wise decisions, " Rogue piped up, "Taking joyrides tonight probably wasn't one of them. We should probably head back before anyone notices that we're gone."
Agreeing that this was a sound idea, everyone drove back to the mansion in a much friendlier mood. They quietly stashed the vehicles back where they found them, unaware in the darkness that both car and motorcycle were considerably coated in dust, dirt, and a few leaves, signifying recent use.
"Let's sneak back in through here, " Bobby whispered, and, following his lead, everyone quietly made their way into the mansion through the garage, creeping down hallways toward the main staircase.
Just when they thought that they were home free, a voice broke into all of their thoughts, simultaneously. Welcome back home, new recruits. I hope you all enjoyed yourselves. Scott's got some tasks lined up for you bright and early in the morning. For now, get some sleep – and please, do not attempt something like this ever again.
As one, the six offenders turned to glance at each other, each displaying an identical, disgruntled and resigned expression, but Nat eloquently summed up their emotions best.
"Damn it. He's going to give us all hell."