A/N: Hello, the WritingGirl reporting for writing duty. Yes, at last we are through with the buildup and now we are on to the adventure. This is taking considerably longer than I expected but the plot is moving now and add that to community college, you get yourself a nice delay sandwich. Thank you if you helped me with thinking up names for the four of them. They may not be the most creative but I felt they reasonably fit the characters. So, let's get on with it.

Chapter 9: Journey to the New

The night, or rather early morning, was dark on the skirts of the small Canadian town. Most of the lights were turned off and the inhabitants were sleeping peacefully.

There was one grungy house on the edge of town where lights still glowed from the half closed windows. Inside a greasy man in his shorts and wife beater sat in front of the computer, typing furiously. He chomped on his cigar and brushed his messy hair out of his face and scrubbed his stubble.

"Deadline, on a deadline. Almost done…"

The light was making his eyes water but he ignored it. He finally hit print and the last of his work began to slide out of the printer. The man slid down in his seat in relief. His current clients weren't people that he would want to frustrate with delayed work.

"Have you finished the work we requested?"

The man flew out of his chair and clattered back against his desk. He had heard nothing, but now four shadowy figures stood just beyond the reach of the light coming from his computer. The one that stood forward was the tallest male. His face was still unclear, but his image was much easier to distinguish. He was dressed head to toe in a black leather body suit. What appeared to be a giant metal bow was slung over his back. His stance was poised, but with a reserved agression that showed he was prepared to spring into action at any moment. The other three remained in the dark, but he knew it was another man and two women. He gulped and was quick to answer his intimidating customer.

"Y-yes sir, I just finished. All of it's here, everything you asked for."

The tall man was still for a moment before he eased fully into the light. The man was shocked; the face of his client was far younger than he had assumed, still a teenager it looked like. However the expression resembled that of a veteran soldier, hardened by death and hardship. The skin was very pale and scarred in multiple places. His blue eyes were closed off to any emotion.

Moving as silently as a cat the young man picked up a thick folder and flicked it open. Long fingers separated the various papers and lamenated documents. All were there as he had said: Driver's licenses, IDs that could be fitted with their photographs later, birth certificates, and full life story outlines that they could memorize. Archer nodded his head and tucked the files away into his new pack.

"You've done what was promised, and here is your fee." The other man, who was strangely wearing sunglasses despite the darkness, stepped forward and tossed a bag at the forger. He caught it and checked it to make sure that it was all there. The considerable amount they had promised him for his work was all accounted for, and he didn't bother to ask where they had gotten it. He looked back up to the four and nodded, letting them know he was satisfied. Without a word they began to slip away.

The man, despite his questionable profession, was not a person to be deaf and blind to others. He felt a slight concern and his curiosity couldn't resist.

"Why would kids like you need stuff like this? You part of some secret agency or something?"

The one in the sunglasses turned and smirked at him. "Dat's our concern. Trust me when I tell y' dat you don't wanna know more than y' do. Oh, an' one more thing." He lowered his sunglasses and the older man yelped slightly and stared in fear. The irises were glowing red on black backgrounds.

"If you tell anyone about dis…transaction and who it was wit', you better watch your back mon ami. We're not anyone you'd wanna screw with." With that they breezed out of the window and disappeared.

xxxXXXxxx

A small fire flickered among the trees in the wilderness. It was a good distance from any roads or towns so it was doubtful that anything but wild animals would find the fugitives.

Rogue received her papers from Archer who was passing them around. They had been traveling for over a week, mostly on foot while sometimes catching rides on boxcars. Her legs were sore beyond belief, but her instinct was now to keep running no matter how much pain she was in. Her endurance was at least on beneficial thing she received from her imprisonment. She wished she could just fly, but it would have too much risk of detection involved. So the group just ran, leaping over fences and vegetation, cutting across properties, dodging towns, and shouldering on all day and a good way into the night.

Her eyes dropped to the sheets she held in her gloved hand. This was who she was to be now, at least once they found where they were going. So she examined her new identity with fervance. She felt a bit of warmth. She might be just Rogue in reality, but it felt comforting to at least make believe that her name was like anyone else's. Normal.

Her new name was Darcy Morgan Addams. She was sixteen years old, her birthday being September 6th. Apparently her parents had been the average working middle class people, her father working in insurance and her mother had occasionally subbed as a teacher in an elementary school. When 'Darcy' was thirteen her parents had died in a car crash, and with no close relatives on hand, Darcy was put in a foster home. Included was a geneolgical table of real people who had born the name Addams, who had died at the same time her profile listed. The man who had created their fake identities, despite his humble settings, was quite thorough and professional.

Rogue scanned the rest of her papers, a feeling of strange closure settling within her. Having finished, she inched around the fire and joined Genesis as she read her profile.

Genesis was to be called Theo Huyana, a girl with Native American Sioux descent. She had been born to a single teenage mother and had been put up for adoption right after her birth, going through numerous orphanages and foster homes.

By the time they had all finished reading, they had memorized their new identities. Rogue was Darcy Morgan Addams, Genesis was now Theo Huyana, and Archer's name was Andrew Flynn Cross. At the moment they were gathered around Gambit and reading over his shoulder.

"Russell Girard, not bad," 'Theo' commented. "Russell meaning redhead or fox-colored, that's appropriate, and Girard means 'strong spear'? That's different."

"Can't a homme read in peace? An' it's pronounced Roo-sell." Gambit asked them, though not completely annoyed. It always felt so much better when they were closer together, stronger and inseperable. Genesis lightly slapped the back of his head.

"Be nice, we're only curious. Besides, it's better if we get to know each other's personalities sooner rather than later."

Rogue spoke up. "There's one thing I'm wonderin'. If we're all so young then how are we gonna stay together when Genesis an' I aren't old enough to be let go by the social system?"

Archer shrugged. "We're still far out and we don't even know where we're going yet. When we figure that out then we'll work out that issue. For now, it's about time we got some rest. In a few hours the sun will be up and we'll have to get moving again." Their were nods of agreement and they settled down against their trees, trying to get comfortable. An owl hooted off in the distance as the fire began to die.

By the time the horizon grew pale merely four hours later they were already moving. They were in a very remote area with lots of trees and open fields, occasionally crossing paths with a small stream or two. Locked in HYDRA's hold their skills had been commonplace, what was required of them to stay ahead of the dangerous survival game. Out here though, was very different. They flew over the fields like Olympic champions, barely more than ghosts in the dawn mist. The four leapt over logs with the ease of fleeting deer, weaving among the fauna with hardly a rustle of leaf or a snap of twig. Their dark uniforms kept them shadowed. When passing a town a lucky person might glance into the trees and see a flash of movement, a quivering branch. That was the only record of the liberated ones' passing.

Around one in the afternoon they made a full stop. Before they had only taken two breaks to sip from streams and continue the run. Rogue plopped down on a moss covered rock in the middle of the wood where they had stopped beside another babbling brook. Clouds were beginning to cover the sky and a few drops began to fall. She leaned her head back, allowing the flecks of rain to tap against her face. It felt so good, and the smell of the woods seemed to be cleansing the last of the mustiness from her soul. She could feel the stirring in her head that signified Carol's presence. Her mindmate hadn't spoken much for several days, but her meloncholy joy was there; happy because they were free, and hurting because she was seeing it through someone else's eyes. Opening those same green eyes Rogue looked to see what her friends were doing.

Archer had removed his boots and was allowing his feet to soak in the cold water. It numbed the pain from hours of exertion. Genesis had let her hair loose from its tight tie and permitted the long white locks to fall to her waist. Rogue still marveled how beautiful her friend was. She felt sad. If they had been normal Genesis would have been adored by men her age, her sleek and curving figure and kind face attractive in the extreme. For now, the other girl had her fingers placed on her temples and was scanning their surroundings for anyone nearby. Gambit had disappeared, most likely to hunt.

The rain began to pour down in earnest, getting them wet but it didn't concern them much. It was the closest they would get to a shower for a while yet.

Genesis sat down gracefully beside Rogue and smiled wearily at her. She pulled her knees into her chest and gazed off into the woods.

"Do you feel as disoriented as I do right now? Suddenly being thrown from one way of life into another so swiftly?"

Rogue nodded and began to pull up some of the moss from the rock while leaning back against the tree behind her. The pattering of the rain was soothing.

"I do feel the same as you. I don' remember anythin' before HYDRA and now that we're suddenly here… It's just frightenin'. I love freedom, but now that we have it I don' know what t' do with myself."

Gold eyes darkened in saddened agreement. "Me either. I mean, what could we do? We've been trained to kill, spy, and steal. How could we apply that in a career? Also, we are lacking social skills."

Rogue grunted, realizing how true this was. They knew nothing about the world around them aside from the technical information needed to blend in and accomplish missions. "Maybe figuring everythin' out is what we're meant t' do. We could travel, see the world and everythin' it has to offer."

A sigh escaped Genesis. "That would be nice, but there's something else. There's this nagging in the back of my head trying to break through. Something, someone, is important that I can't remember but I know I should. I feel that this should be my goal but I just can't figure out what it is. To find…oh I don't know." Her head dropped to her knees and frustration.

The southerner didn't answer but could understand. She could feel the tugging, the persistent whispering that was telling her she should be doing something. Whether they ever found out what they were meant to do was a thing only time would tell. She nudged the other girl lightly and Genesis looked up. "Hey, don't worry about it. We got our whole lives t' figure this out now. One day everythin'll make sense."

"Let's hope so," said Archer as he drifted over. "Now move over, you guys have the only semi-dry spot nearby and it's hard to sleep with the rain hitting me." He nudged into the middle of the girls and leaned back.

Genesis raised an eyebrow. "Rude Andrew." He stiffened at the new name and relaxed with a slight smile.

"Huh, Andrew doesn't sound half bad. Would it be less rude if I made it a bit warmer?"

Rogue smirked as she leaned against him. In their full body suits she didn't have to worry much about making skin contact. "We might forgive ya."

Archer draped an arm around each girl and there was a humming. The molecules of air rubbed together and created warmth from friction. With faint sighs and yawns they settled in to wait for Gambit, their eyes beginning to drift close. The slight rain and blowing wind didn't effect them, but even in rest they were alert, senses tuned to danger. Their freedom was still fragile and so easy to take away in a moment. That was something they weren't yet willing to risk.

xxxXXXxxx

"Ya sure it's clear?"

"Positive. Closed two hours ago and I haven't seen any movement since."

"Le's go den. We ain't gettin' dose tickets wit' puppy eyes an' a sob story."

"Actually, if Gambit was doing the puppy eyes we might get away with it."

"You're a real original Archer, now come on, we have a couple hours to do this and I'd prefer it while this place is empty."

The four shadows darted across the empty parking lot towards the large mall. It was the largest city they had actually dared to enter so far. They were only about a day's travel on foot from the Canadien border and then they could disappear in the United States. By the time they crossed the country line it would be better to take a mode of transportation other than their own feet. It was time to lift some cash.

Silently Rogue bore them all up to the roof, hugging the wall to remain as unseen as possible. Touching down on the roof they gathered around the skylight. Gambit motioned Archer forward, who shook his head.

"Glass is a little hard for me. I can't loosen the molecules yet without shattering it."

"Well, dey's gonna know we were here anyway," Gambit mumbled. With a bare fingertip he traced a wide circle in the pane. Small sparks of magenta and orange danced over the reflective surface for a moment before they fizzled out, leaving a large hole that they could easily slip through. Rogue lowered the boys, while Genesis merely leaped down and plunged to the floor. At the last second she used her small amount of telekinesis to halt her descent six feet from the ground. She dropped into a crouch as Rogue floated down beside her.

Gambit dropped and straightened his uniform. "I'll go wit' Rogue an' take the upper floors, an' you two clear out down here." Genesis and Archer nodded, the man forming a crackling energy ball in his hand before melting into the darkness, the girl behind him.

Plucking a leaf off of one of the fake plants, Gambit allowed his charge to set it glowing. "Let's go." The two headed upstairs.

Rogue's super strength allowed her to wrench open the iron gate over one of the shops and they entered without a hitch. The mall only had alarms on the entrance doors.

Rogue headed for the register to see if any proceeds remained from the day. Not much, but plenty for their needs. She pocketed the money and looked up, realizing Gambit wasn't with her.

"Gambit?" she hissed into the dark clothing store. There was a rustle and he emerged from among the racks. He was holding something. She glared at him. "This isn't the time t' be playin' around."

He ignored her scolding tone and held up the object. "What do y' t'ink chére. Gotta have somethin' else t' wear besides dese uniforms non?"

Rogue finally took a close look at the thing he held. In the light of the charged decorative leaf she saw that it was a long duster trench coat. It was made of dark brown leather, with attractively cut lines and lots of pockets. Gambit was wearing a near goofy grin as he admired the coat. Rogue had been about to reprimand him for being distracted while they had business to attend to, but when she saw the smile she stopped. She had only seen that smile once, many years ago when they had first met that night. It was close to the smile she had seen as he had poked his shaggy head out of the ventilation shaft and greeted her in his husky, accented boy voice. Rogue couldn't stand to make that smile go away. Besides, when she really looked at it, it was quite a nice coat.

She smiled at him. "I like it. It's really nice." She hadn't even finished speaking before he had slipped the coat on. The grin cranked up even wider and his eyes gleamed.

"I t'ink I'm gonna get tres fond o' dis coat." Using a stolen pocket knife he slit the security tag away and straightened his new fashion statement. Rogue smiled at him, seeing a remnant of the boy she had first met on his time-hardened face.

He stood up straighter and motioned her to join him. "C'mon chére, dere's still a lot of work t' do before we leave here."

She pushed him ahead, reigning in her greater strength. "I wasn't the one that got distracted boy. Don't tell me that."

Gambit smirked at her, a cocky grin that seemed to have been made for his face. "Gambit knows your jus' jealous. Don' worry, we'll find one for you soon enough."

Rogue rolled her eyes. "Keep movin' Cajun." Her heart swelled like it hadn't in years.

Roughly an hour later the four shadows lifted through the skylight once more and disappeared into the silent hours of the night.

xxxXXXxxx

It was night once again with no moon to be seen. Gambit crouched low in the bushes beside his companions. The wind was cool, a nice temperature for this late at night. He rolled his shoulders and relished in the warmth and feel of his duster coat. He hadn't taken it off yet and he didn't intend to for a good while yet. For now though, he had more important things to attend to other than the feel of his coat.

They were crouched in a grove of trees, looking down on the security checkpoint on the border of the US. He felt an excitement inside. Once they were over that border they would be truly liberated. It was like the last ten seconds in a training session: your lungs were burning, pain was all-consuming, but you knew it was almost over, that rest was just beyond that final barrier.

They were on higher ground than the border checkpoint, with the road below crossing countries in a trench between the raised forest ground on either side. They all looked up beyond this last obstacle. The land dipped down, winding down from the hills. A last splash of paler light left behind from the day stained the satin dark sky, showing a great forest of gently swaying trees as far as the eye could reach, with the winding road disappearing beneath them. The horizon was dotted with faint stars.

Rogue stood forward and leaned against a tree trunk, gazing out to the far reaches of her sight. Gambit thought she looked beautiful, framed beside the black tree and standing as a shadow against the backdrop of the lands ahead.

"We're almost there. Just gotta cross the border an' the child slaves of HYDRA will be left behind forever." Her voice was soft, but filled with emotion.

"We just have to take the last steps." Archer stood forward. His eyes scanned the treetops. "I think staying above ground will be our safest bet. Let's go."

Rogue floated up, while the other three clambered up the trees with well-practiced ease. Leaping like squirrels across the thicker branches. They timed their jumps with the rustling stirred up by the east wind, springing unnoticed over the cars and security who were never the wiser to the young mutants above them.

With one last bound of impressive distance, Gambit spread out his hands and latched his feet to the branch where he had landed, beyond the border of liberation. He straightened and saw Archer and Genesis situated in their own trees. With a whisper, Rogue touched down on the thick branch beside him. She glanced back briefly before turning her eyes south and east. The green gems sparked with a new fire.

"A new life begins. I never thought I'd see the day Gambit."

He put an arm around her, drawing her closer. "You never t'ought, but y' hoped. An' now we got our whole lives ahead o' us Darcy."

She looked up at him, the green fire blazing now. "Our whole lives. I'm lookin' forward t' that Russell."

"We all are," was Genesis' concluding reply as they looked to the future.

XXX

Yes, I'm finally back after a long break. This was a difficult chapter to right even though it was short; this is the third rewrite and I'm still not completely satisfied with it, but it was the best I could do. Anyway, thank you for your help if you gave me ideas for their names and I have a special thanks for Lorelai Chase and Kii-g-14, who's words have inspired my writing and really boosted my confidence in this story. Thanks to all my readers and I hope as always that you enjoyed. Oh, and Happy Halloween!