AN: We're almost getting the ball rolling here. Storylines are starting to converge. You'll see what I mean.
I am trying my best to write more and better chapters and I am striving to update at least once a week. Fingers crossed that I can keep that up. Now lets get some action up in this story.
Warning: Major violence, (anti mutant) bigotry, character death, some gore
Chapter 4: Grab and Run.
There were six of them. Big burly men, dressed in anti-mutant militia clothing. The mutant they were hurting was, well Rogue wasn't entirely sure just what it was. It looked like something out of one of those fantasy films Theresa loved to watch, like a goblin or a tree person or something. It lay on the ground, curled up into the ball to protect itself while the men attacked it.
As Kitty gasped, Rogue instinctively slid in front of Jubilee. Her heart started to race as all of her training started to rush back to her. They were outnumbered even with their powers. There were to targets she needed to protect, the mutant and Jubilee of course. Calling for back up would take too long. The only weapon Rogue had was the taser she carried in her purse.
Nobody else lifted so much as a finger to help. People hurried past, to their cars or into the mall, turning a blind eye to the violence in their midst. Even the mall security guard went back inside. Rogue wasn't sure if they were cowards or bigots, but in that moment she hated them all the same.
Kitty stepped forward and Rogue recognized that look in her eyes, she was ready to crack skulls. Rogue grabbed her wrist, pulling her back.
"No." She warned softly, nodding towards Jubilee. They couldn't put her in danger. They were responsible for her.
Another anguished cry came from the mutant as the men dragged it back into their midst, continuing their assault. Kitty glared at her, her eyes ablaze with rage and alarm. Rogue tensed, looking over the situation once more. They couldn't do nothing. They had to step in.
"Jubilee, get in the car." She ordered, letting go of Kitty, who nodded in relieve.
"But Rogue, I can help!" Jubilee protested as she stuck her hands out as if to prove her power. But even if she had been in full control of her fireworks, Rogue still wouldn't have let her get involved.
"Get in the car." Kitty added, her face set grimly. "We'll deal with this."
"But Kitty!" Jubilee tried but Rogue cut her off.
"Just make sure we can leave when we need to." She said, tossing her the keys and praying that Beasts driving lessons had taken root in the girl's head.
When she finally disappeared into the parking lot Rogue took a deep breath and stepped forward, with Kitty by her side.
"You ready for a grab and run?" Kitty asked softly.
"I'm ready." Rogue replied, the taser already in her hand.
"Oi! Leave that kid alone!" She called out to the men.
"Fuck off!" One of them spat.
"It's just a mutant, none yer business." Another man, who reminded Rogue of a walking talking pig, yelled at them, spitting on the mutant to prove his point.
"Fuck mutants." Another added.
"She said, leave that kid alone." Kitty practically growled, a dangerous edge to her voice that even managed to frighten Rogue.
The man still seemed to think that this was a joke, but their attention was fully on them now. While it gave the mutant some respite, it just reminded Rogue of how out gunned they were and just for a moment, she wished she had her powers back.
"And what are you two bleeding hearts going to do about it, huh?" The walking pig asked, smiling, like this was all some kind of game.
Kitty looked her way and their eyes met. Rogue nodded, giving the signal.
Suddenly Kitty sprang forward, phasing right through the man who cried out in shock. She sprinted through the others, grabbed the stunned mutant and phased into the asphalt with him in a matter of seconds.
It happened so fast that the men could only cry out and gape. Rogue used that spare moment to aim and shoot. When the man went down, squealing like the pig he looked like she couldn't help put feel immensely satisfied to see him writhe in pain.
He was out of the equation, but the other five got their shit together and the one closest started to bum rush her. But Rogue had been trained by the best. She sprang aside, managing to grab his arm as he went past, using his own strength and speed to break his arm with a loud snap. He fell to the ground crying in pain.
Fireworks exploded in the parking lot behind her and Rogue took it as her cue to get going.
Running as fast as she could, sliding over the hoods of cars, she was almost where they were parked and she could see Kitty, Jubilee and the mutant standing in the distance. But one of the men who chased her was fast and suddenly he was there, tackling her to the ground. But Rogue was fast as well and she twisted her body, making sure he broke her fall, then rolling of and away from him.
Someone screamed her name in the distance but the blood was pumping so loudly in her ears that Rogue couldn't recognize their voice.
The man was getting up already and although stunned, Rogue did the same.
But then there was movement beside her and the man went down again. For a split second Rogue thought it was Kitty who had tackled the man, till she got a better look at the girl who took her attacker down. She was short and thin, to the point of looking starved. She wore filthy rags an her long dark hair looked twisted and matter. She looked like a starved feral animal, but the fought like a professional and she knocked the man out with a few blows. There was something familiar about the way she moved.
The girl jumped to her feet, still poised to fight. The other three men were upon them now and Rogue slid into a defensive stance herself as Kitty phased out of the ground beside her.
"You're all freaks as well!"One of them yelled and Rogue had to fight back all the nasty things she wanted to yell back.
"I'd leave now if I were you." Kitty called back.
The feral girl let out a menacing growl.
Two of them stepped back, their hands held up in surrender, but on of them stayed put. There was something about his stance that jumped out at Rogue, but she couldn't pinpoint why it frightened her, not until Kitty grabbed her.
"Gun!" She screamed and Rogue felt the rush of being phased along with Kitty.
It happened so fast after that. Rogue had barely time to respond before the man drew and shot. The feral girl never moved, not until the bullet hit her, spraying back blood and brains that luckily went right through her and Kitty. The girl fell back and Rogue screamed.
The other men were already running, but the shooter still stood there, grinning madly.
Kitty let go of her and Rogue felt herself go solid again, but she wasn't fast enough to stop her. Kitty sprinted forward and knocked the gun out of the shooters hand.
A beat later Jubilee stood beside her, clinging to her arm, freaking out.
"Oh my god. He shot her. He just shot her!" She cried out and Rogue could see the shock and confusion on her face.
The man didn't put up much of a fight and Kitty had him down on the ground within seconds. She bashed his head against the asphalt. Again. And again.
"Kitty." Rogue called out, jumping forward to stop her as Jubilee slid down besides the girl. "Don't." Was all she could muster to say. She could see Kitty shaking from rage, so much that she was involuntarily phasing in and out. She was losing it and Rogue had top stop her, because if she was afraid she would lose it as well.
"He killed her." Kitty said and she sounded more broken than angry.
And it is our fault. Was the underlying messaged in her anguish and it hit Rogue just as hard as it hit her. They provoked the group. They started the fight. And because of them, this girl who jumped in to save her was now dead. They were responsible and now she was dead. Bile started to rise in the back of Rogues throat.
Sirens started wailing in the distance and they snapped Rogue out of her thoughts long enough for her to jump to action. She grabbed Kitty by her shoulders and pulled her away from the man. Thankfully she didn't struggle. Jubilee was sitting by the girl, checking her pulse in some misguided attempt to help. She dropped the girls wrist and looked up with tears in her eyes.
"Come on sugar, we gotta bounce." Rogue said, pushing her inevitable breakdown back in favor of getting everyone out of there alive.
Jubilee got up and followed Kitty to the car. Rogue looked back the girl one last time, rage and grief and confusion all pressing down on her stomach, making her want to vomit.
"I'm so sorry." She told the girl. "I'm so so sorry."
And the girl sat up, gasping for air.