Spun
By Liz Wyatt
Chapter Eight: Chasing Pavements
Should i give up,
Or should i just keep chasing pavements?
Even if it leads nowhere,
Or would it be a waste?
Even If i knew my place should i leave it there?
Should i give up,
Or should i just keep chasing pavements?
Even if it leads nowhere
-Adele
'It was all happening so fast' Rogue thought afterwards. Right now she didn't know if she was still breathing. Looking around the room she peered over at the sleeping form on the bed. Even with the single lamp to see in the darkness she knew that he was struggling. It had taken a good fight out of her.
She was sure that Bobby had been shocked. She'd shocked herself.
Four hours ago Rogue was caught up at the scene of a horrible fire that was quickly spreading throughout an apartment building.
Rogue was only on the scene to relay a signal to the figures who should have really been there.
It wasn't the fire or the fact that Bobby and Kitty were now pinned to the wall of another building by former brotherhood members or that she was running against that clock that got her heart pumping. It was the scene where five men had another person held down on the ground.
She knew it before she got to the circle that her next move was stupid. She didn't even have powers anymore, but here she was rushing to aid the enemy once again.
Her first thought was to look for Teva in the mass of people, but luckily she appeared to be away from the circle. Rogue wasn't sure if that was good or bad in the long run.
Bobby saw Rogue running. She was amazed that he had the time to sock a punch into Quicksilver's face and then turn towards her direction to yell.
"Rogue! I told you NOT to come!" his voice disappeared into her mind. Although she had the inclination to flick him off for the first time in her life, she let it go.
John had clearly heard her name, although the men still were unphased. Rolling to his side, he shook his head against the pavement in disbelief.
"I got his lighter!" a young guy with a Nirvana t-shirt was now grinning and waving the lighter above his head to show the others.
John managed to kick his leg up into the guy's chest thus causing him to heave over and throw the lighter in Rogue's direction.
She picked it up as the spun around to fetch the item.
Holding it in her hand she stared them down.
"well what do we got here boys? Lady want to join on in the fun?" this man's voice caused Rogue to shiver in disgust.
"sorry, but I'm not really into kicking someone while their down." The man's face changed into a hard stare.
"so you must be one of them." It wasn't a question.
"One of what?" she asked.
"a mutant." Then it happened. He ran at her and she had to restart her heart. She'd lost some of her courage from the run over until now.
She tried to punch his face, but he used his big right hook to hit her stomach. She felt the blow throw her onto her back.
"Dammit Rogue!" John yelled in a frustrated tone as he tried to get to his feet quickly.
This was not how she wanted to start out. She could see the man rushing with his leg up to quick her face and then she closed her eyes, took a breath, and saw everything in slow motion. She could hear Peter's voice in her head. 'they'll fight dirty. Don't be scared because this means you have the advantage. Dirty means reckless. They'll expose themselves to you. Get ready. Get set. Go!" her back arched and her feet pushed her off the ground. As she swept up she caught the man's foot in her hands. She used the momentum to twist her body one way and his foot the other. She heard a snap and he went spinning to the ground beside her.
Two came at her now and she jumped to fling her feet into their throats. One crumpled to the ground and the other staggered a bit before rubbing his neck and charging again with the pipe he had been hitting John with.
Rogue tried to bend her knee to pull it up and push her leg out when he got close, but he swing too quick and smashed the pipe into her forearm. She cried out as it impacted, but she quickly flipped to the other side and kicked his kneecap straight on. It broke back in the other direction with a severe crunch.
Holding her arm and gritting her teeth she saw that she only had two left. Then she heard Bobby and Kitty running to the scene. They stopped at the body of the first man.
"Rogue! What happened!?" Kitty yelled, but she distracted Rogue long enough for the last two to get the upper hand. One grabbed Rogue from behind and put her in a head lock. She could feel her air escaping quickly now, but as she struggled it only made him hold on to her stronger.
"so what kind of mutant thing you got. Ability to be a real bitch?" she felt him laugh because his chest was arching her back so that her throat would be caught.
Bobby raised his hands and Kitty's eyes widened.
"Bobby! No!" but it was too late he had already shot out and frosted the guys arm to her neck.
"Bobby! Now she really can't breathe!" Kitty yelled, although her yell was actually a lot kinder than Rogue's would have been.
The man was struggling as he freaked out. He was almost trying to pull away his frozen arm as hard as he had been holding on. Rogue had to think quick. Bobby's expression was pure terror. Kitty was trying to fight the forgotten man who was kicking John.
Rogue saw Kitty get hit into a pile of trashcans, but Bobby was still trying to figure out what to do with Rogue. He was trying to rip away the ice.
Even as the dark spots started to cover her eyesight, Rogue reached in her pocket to slide the lighter across the bloodied ground and into the waiting hands of the only one who could save her now.
John struggled to his feet and charged towards her direction. Bobby was too freaked out to be aware that John was roaring at him to help Kitty.
John pumped the flame into his hands. Rogue was sure that his grinning face was going to be the last thing she saw.
Then she was free, and falling. He caught her as she fell forward aiming to the ground. She heard the man screaming out in pain from behind her. John's legs collapsed as well as he caught her waist and supported her head against his chest. She saw that the man who had been holding her was wailing around…and on fire.
Now wasn't the time for her to lecture him.
Bobby had managed to cool the flames on the burning man and with a disgusted look he turned towards John with Rogue on him. Kitty had fought her attacker off and was running in the same direction.
"Rogue, you okay!?" Kitty was out of breath and searching up and down Rogue's body for signs of trauma. Kitty glanced at John, but could tell that he was exhausted.
They all seemed to forget the burning building in the process as it was only now that they heard the firengine's sirens and see water hoses thwarting the inferno.
"You start that?" Rogue whispered so only John could hear.
"Would you believe me if I said no?" He smiled slightly.
As Rogue shifted to get to her feet she saw John do the same. Now they were all standing and Bobby made a move to grab John. He got a hold of John's jacket thrust the Pyro up a bit.
"you're supposed to be dead!" Bobby yelled.
"Sorry to disappoint." John was smirking and this only fueled Bobby's anger. The ice man looked ready to tear the Pyro's head off.
Rogue stepped him and shoved both of them apart. She turned to face Bobby as she pressed her hands hard into his chest. His eyes were wild and he barely registered that she was there until she was yelling in his face.
"Hey! Quit it!" Bobby pushed Rogue violently aside. She lost her balance and fell. Kitty rushed to help her, but Rogue swat at her helping hands as she was more than capable to lift herself up.
"nice one. Gonna push around your girlfriend?" John taunted. "or is it the kitty cat now? Do you always beat up the good ones because you know that they talk back?" Bobby was about to run at John and once again Rogue was there.
"move!" Bobby roared as he waited for her to leave her place. Kitty watched with wide eyes as Bobby put his hands on Rogue's shoulders to move her. Overhead the x-wing was landing on a building. They all felt the rush of wind. In that moment the only sound that broke from the wind was a bang from the impact of Rogue's fist crossing into Bobby's cheek.
He staggered and Kitty rushed to wrap her arms around Bobby's arm and shoulder. Rogue stood there infuriated.
"You. Are not. The boss. You are not even the leader! And THIS, right here, right now is why! You can not see past yourself and until you do…you'll never be as good as Cyclops. So stop trying to be better than you are." Her words were meant to cut him in the way she wanted to.
She heard the cops coming down the alley and Kitty was leading Bobby back to the car.
Rogue was running towards her bike as she saw Logan and Storm approaching Bobby's car. Storm seemed to be talking to Bobby and Kitty as she looked quizzically in Rogue's direction. She slipped onto the Bike and started the engine. She was about to rush off, but she saw John stumbling towards another alley way. She road over and stopped to cut him off. He leaned against the brick wall.
"John. You can't just walk off. You're in bad shape."
"eh, I've had worse." He laughed but ended up coughing deep in his chest.
"where's Teva?" she asked. His eyes changed and for the first time she thought that he was panicking. "John?"
"she ran. I told her to go to the tiki cup motel."
"Fine." She stated and after a pause she added, "hop on."
A/N: Hey so I know it's a bit of a short chapter update, but I wrote this quickly so I could continue. And I HAD to add some good Rogue ass kicking because let's face it she really didn't do it in the movies and yet she's tough in the comics. Sorry if Bobby is a little too whiney. That's the way I see him in the movies though. Correct me if I'm wrong. I also hated making Kitty kind of be 'okay' with how Bobby was acting, but she's still confused here so whatever… Hope you like. Next chapterthe hotel room and some old friends stirring up the past.
Thank you again to my REVIEWERS!!
Sarahroseserena: once again, a nice kick.
Unenlightened: this chapter of crazy bobby is for you. Haha Thanks for the advice on pimping out the story. Not sure where I'd even begin, but I might look into that.
13Skylar: well I am right there with you. I hate when people rush into the relationship. You can blame it on my slow writing, but I don't seem to rush it. Though some people would prefer I wrap them up in a room and let them at each other.
Hughslilboo1969: hope you got your wish
Wanda W: Yet again you grasp at all my little writer's points that I figure no one would. Sooooo I'm happy!
Dulcesweet: it's all good as long as you like what you're reading then I'm pleased. Hope you like the hint of Ryro here, but don't worry it's coming!