Chapter Six: Goodbye Wisteria Days: Part 1
Fire climbed the walls of the room and thick black smoke slithered throughout the room and out the front window and broken door to the townhouse. The west wall collapsed on itself with a giant hole where the entertainment center was, exposing the kitchen, which was blown to pieces.
The townhouse was creaking from taking all this damage on the first floor which held vital beams that kept the second floor from falling on the first. If the fire continued, it wouldn't be long before the entire townhouse was destroyed.
Faint coughing sounded through the rubble, followed by a groan as Gambit rolled to his side, clutching the left side of his chest. He pulled away his hand to see it covered in blood. He felt the wound site, wincing as he felt a sharp piece of wood lodged itself in his chest. It didn't feel deep and it didn't move when he gently pulled or pushed on it so he decided to leave it where it was until this was all over.
If he survived...
He scooted over to Mindee, checking her pulse with his bloodied fingers and sighed relieved when he felt a strong pulse. With a quick check, he discovered that she didn't have any outside wounds except a large bump on her head, hopefully explaining why she was unconscious. Next he checked on Rogue, hissing under his breath as he saw the large deep cut on her right shoulder. He needed to put pressure on it to stop the bleeding, so he grabbed the nearest cloth he could find and wrapped it around her wound.
Rogue screamed herself awake as he knotted the cloth, quickly putting his hand over her mouth to cut off her scream. She looked at him in shock, nodding when he put a finger to his lips as a sign for quiet before pointing out the window.
There were people outside who could be listening. The same people who are after Dawn and who shot a rocket through his window.
"How did-?" Rogue asked as she took in the wreckage. "We survived this?"
Gambit patted the red couch. "Had it especially made wit' carbon fiber and Kevlar and solid iron plates as a frame. Its hell t' move around but worth de money." He leaned his head against the burnt couch. "Worth de money."
Rogue nodded, shaken with the knowledge that Gambit had somehow seen that it would have been needed, no necessary, to have something like an explosion proof shield in his house. Rogue scooted over to Mindee, gently touching her head and waited as she opened her eyes.
"ow." Mindee said, blinking as she sat up.
"Mindee, can you get in touch wit' the others?" Rogue asked, helping her to their feet. Gambit had done the same but he was shaky, needing to lean against the wall. Rogue swallowed her gasp when she saw the blood run down his side. "Tell 'em we met opposition here. Also tell 'em that Dawn is, on the run near this location alone. She'll need ta be extracted as soon as she is found."
Gambit groaned as he tied off a makeshift bandage around his chest. "Just leave her alone. She has nothing to do with all dis."
"You don't have a say in this right now Gambit." Rogue said sharply though she soften her tone as she approached him. "Remy, she needs ta be protected. You said it yourself, y' know what happens when a mutant manifests. Whoever is out there," she pointed out the window. "Know about her and are prepared ta kill her and whoever is with her."
"Ah'm sorry. But ah can't leave it t' you ta protect her anymore." Gambit didn't say anything, his eyes staring at the floor and his fists clenched tightly on his side. He hated to admit it, but what she was saying was true. It was a pipe dream to think that he alone could protect Dawn now. The rocket through the window had proven that. He looked out the back of the kitchen to see the purple flowering vine that Dawn had planted was burning.
"Goodbye." He whispered quietly to the plant.
"I have contact." Mindee spoke up, fingers against her temple. *Miss Frost?*
*Mindee? Ow, what's happened? Are you in pain? I can see smoke across town from the school.*
*We found Gambit.*
There was a pause.
*Is the girl with him?*
*No. She's on the run. Alone.*
Mindee winced, catching the notice of Rogue. "Miss Frost has a wide range of curses."
*Miss Frost. We were attacked. They fired a rocket into the townhouse.*
Emma felt her stomach drop as her worst fear was coming true. A terrible sense of déjà vu overcame her.
*Someone knows about Dawn, I can feel them outside Gambit's townhouse. They were expecting us. They are armed and prepared to do whatever it takes to kill her. We need extraction now.*
*Where are Pixie and Hellion?*
*I don't know. I can't sense them nearby. They're gone.* Mindee was troubled by her friends' disappearance. If whoever outside had gotten to them before the rocket-
*We're coming for you now. Stay where you are.*
"Cyclops head towards that black smoke. The Rogue's team needs an extraction quick." Emma said to Cyclops. He nodded and turned the jet towards the other team's location. *Celeste and Phoebe?*
*Yes, Miss Frost.*
*Search for Pixie and Hellion's mental signature. They've separated from the rest of their team.*
Dawn ran with Laurie's hand in her own, staying as close to the crowd as they could because Laurie said it would be safer. Dawn didn't understand but something told her the same thing. So she didn't protest but worried for their safety.
((so caring.))
'I don't want them to get hurt.'
((don't think about that now.))
"Laurie-" Dawn gasped as the burning in her chest got worst. She stumbled but Laurie held her up until Dawn could get her feet under her.
Laurie pulled her down behind a car, holding her close as they stopped so Dawn could catch her breath. Dawn rubbed her eyes and held her head in pain, the pounding getting worse the farther from home she got. Everything hurt so bad...
"Dawn?"
"My head hurts." Laurie frowned as she ran her fingers through Dawn's hair, feeling for any bumps or cuts. She found nothing. "I want this to go away. Make it go away Laurie..."
"I can't. I'm sorry." Laurie pulled Dawn close, hiding Dawn's face from the crowd when anyone got too close to see her eyes. Her glowing red eyes. They had been getting brighter since they escaped the townhouse.
Laurie was uncertain what Dawn's powers were but she hoped that they wouldn't expose them out in the open like this. And she hoped they weren't volatile. That would be dangerous to them all. She had hoped to meet with Remy to get his opinion on what was happening but that fell through when she arrived through the terrasect and saw that the X-men had beat her there.
"Come on. We have a long ways to go still." Laurie said, helping Dawn to her feet. They held hands and she led the way, pushing by a man with a white hoodie who was standing in the crowd. The scent of gunpowder hit her nose and her eyes widen as she turned her head to him, noticing his feral grin before she felt the world explode through her right eye.
A shot rang out and Dawn shut her eyes with a gasp, ducking behind Laurie as she pulled her claws out and slashed the air. A man screamed and then cursed. Another shot fired mad she felt Laurie jerk again, falling to her knees with her hair covering her face. Red dripped down to the sidewalk as Dawn screamed, tumbling to her knees.
Laurie pushed Dawn away weakly as another shot rang out and hit her in the chest just as Dawn landed behind the shelter of the car, hiding her from view. She stared wide eyed as Laurie fell to the side, her hair hiding her face except her mouth. Laurie's silent lips were pleading for her to run.
'Run Dawnie. Don't stop-'
Run.
((get up!))
Her hands fell away from her mouth and she pushed herself to her knees, realizing that she was shaking. The crowd had scattered when the gunshots fired, as a nearby policeman pulled his gun and fired on the man with the hoodie. He had jerked as he was shot and fell back out of sight.
"Laurie?"
Mum.
She laid just like this once. She-
((you gotta get away!))
-told me to run. But I couldn't.
((they're coming.))
I couldn't leave her. Not alone.
((call for me.))
Not when she was hurt.
"You! Stop where you are-!"
Not there.
The policeman fell as he was shot.
Dawn looked up from Laurie to see a group of men in white hoodie head in her direction with guns in their hands, with cold hard eyes and a grim look on their faces. She turned on her knees and saw that more men were coming from behind her just as armed. She was trapped and Laurie was hurt and-
There were fires all over the place. People were screaming and running and they were all disappearing and I was scared.
"Eh? The girl is still alive?"
((call me.))
"I'll take care of her." A man stepped ahead of the group and raised his gun at her, a manically grin on his face. He opened fired as Dawn gasped and brought her arms.
((call me!))
"Sokatsui Shuuhei!"
Fire exploded out of her and raced towards the man with the gun, engulfing him and the bullets in a wave of deadly heat, before flying pass him and engulfed the group behind him. Terrible screams could be heard from the men in the fire as Dawn covered her ears from the screams, shock written in her eyes as the fire finished that group and wrapped around her to get to the other group of men behind her.
As the flames receded, she felt a jolt of surprise when she saw a boy wrapped in flames, his black spiked hair and scowling face looking back at her before he disappeared with the fire.
"Shuuhei." she whispered. Dawn grabbed her chest as she felt a sharp pain in her heart and fell to the side, struggling to breathe. Her vision darkens around the edges as she rolled to her back, watching the sky turned black and disappeared.
((goodbye.))
"Are you sure?" Pixie asked as she and Hellion ran down the alley. "I think we should go back and help the rest of the team."
"No way. We have a mission. Find the girl remembers?" Hellion said to the pink/black haired girl next to him. "Cyclops wants her found and protected first. Above all others."
"Yeah but-" Pixie slowed down. "Rogue and Mindee are important too. Gambit even."
Hellion slowed down and grabbed Pixie's hand. "I know they are. After we find Laura and that girl, we'll go back for them. I promise."
Pixie looked unsure but nodded. "So you're sure it was X-23? For real?"
Hellion nodded. "I'm sure. That was Laura. I would recognize her anywhere. She had the new mutant girl."
"Why is she in New Orleans? And why did she have the girl?" Pixie asked as they finally entered the street and ran in the direction people were running from. It would be easier to fly up in the air to look for Laura, but it would also draw attention to their presence and from what they saw at Gambit's townhouse, that was something they needed to avoid.
"I don't know. Last I heard X was in Sydney Australia." Hellion replied.
"And how long ago was that?"
"Um, three years ago?"
"You dork! She could have-Ah!"
"Megan!" Hellion caught Pixie as she stumbled, holding her bloody right arm. "Oh god!"
"I've been shot!" Pixie yelled in surprised pain. She held her arm tighter to keep from bleeding too much but she could feel that the bullet had hit something. "Julian, it's bad!"
Hellion picked up Pixie and quickly hid behind a car as more guns fired at them. The bullet tore through the car but didn't penetrate his TK shield. He helped Pixie wrap her arm, while calling for Mindee with his mind. He wasn't a telepath but he hoped that she could 'hear' his thoughts since they were on the same team and all. Carefully, he poked his head over the car to see who was firing at them and felt his anger grow.
"Purifiers." he hissed. "The Purifiers are here!"
"Julian!" Pixie grabbed his arm, frighten. She didn't like the Purifiers. She didn't like anyone who hated mutants but she feared the humans who did more. She had been on the wrong end of a beating once and that fear had stuck with her.
"Megan. I know you're scared but don't be. Be brave, you have to." Hellion ducked back down and gently grabbed Pixie by the shoulders and shook her. "These monsters can't get to the girl. They'll kill her. They've done horrible things in the past. They don't care who is in the way. You know this."
Pixie nodded, swallowing her fear but feeling it weigh heavy in her stomach. "Ok."
"Ok." Hellion let her go. "I'll knock them down and-"
"And I'll take them out." Pixie said with a firm nod. She gave him a shaky smile.
"Let's go." Hellion returned her smile with a grin. He stood up and quickly threw up a shield as the Purifiers fired at him. He counted ten men, dressed in white hoodies with thick black crosses on the front, and he bet, on the back. It was an updated look.
The Purifiers were nothing if not predicable, he thought as he sent out a telekinetic pulse to knock them off their feet. Give them a mutant target and they'd forget everything else.
The men climbed to their feet, angry that a mutant got the best of them and all fired at once at him. Hellion remained where he was with his shield protecting him, a nasty grin on his face. So concentrated on him, the Purifiers didn't see Pixie fly over them until she let loose a cloud of pixie dust on them. They yelled and coughed as the dust covered them in a fog. A few shot up at her but she quickly dove behind Hellion's shield.
"Good job Pixie." Hellion said as the Purifiers quickly succumbed to Pixie's dust. When the last of the Purifiers fell to the ground in a drooling daze, he dropped the shield and they headed to the men. "Let's get some answers. Oi! You there!" He grabbed a still conscious man by the collar. "What the hell are you doing here? How did you find us?"
"Beep. Beep. Follow the-" the man drooled excessively before his eyes rolled up.
"Ew." Pixie commented as she searched the rest of the men. "I think I overdid it on them." She frowned and picked up a handheld device that looked like a phone. "Hey check this out."
She handed the device to Hellion. "Looks like they upgraded."
"You can't buy this in a store, that's for sure." Hellion said as he looked over the device. It looked like something he would buy when he had money. He gave Pixie back the device. "You do something with it."
"Me?"
"You're a chick. You know phones." Pixie opened her mouth to protest but stopped. It was true she was always on her phone texting and chatting with her friends or playing games.
She started pressing the screen as Hellion kept a look out. A minute went by before she cried out, "I got it!" She showed Hellion what she found. "Look, they have a mutant detecting app! That's out they found us see? You point the camera at a crowd and if you see a different shade around a person than that person is a mutant." She stood in front of the device and waved her arms for Hellion to see that her form was tinged red while the Purifiers behind her were normal colored. "And I think those arrows on the top of the screen are like locators. They point out directions of other members that I bet also have apps like this."
"Meaning?"
"Well, this is where we came from," she pointed the phone towards the black smoke where the arrows flashed towards. "It means that someone over there has the same phone and app. Our phone is sharing with their phone and its saying that they found mutants. If you go this way…" she pointed the phone towards the direction they were chasing Laura and saw that the arrows there were flashing mutant. "It would lead us to the other group. They say they also found mutants."
"Man, that's crazy. A hand held mutant scanner." Hellion said with disgust but amazed. "That means we can use this thing to find Laura and the new girl!"
"But it only works if we're close to them or if the Purifiers find them first!" Pixie pointed out.
"It's Laura Pixie. She would never let anything happen to the new girl." Hellion said, wrapping his arms around Pixie's small waist as he used his powers to lift them up in the air. "Hang on, you direct me where we need to go."
A blind man crouched on the ground, pressed close to a concrete stairwell of a home, hiding among the wisteria vines, praying to God and his angels to protect him. He prayed that this violence stop, he prayed that the screams he heard would soften and the guns would silence. He heard so many things that he became lost and had sought the only comfort he could find. His partner struggled in his arms, whimpering in fear and panting from the effort to escape. He soothed the fur on her muzzle, his heart jumping in his chest as she growled fiercely.
That scared him. Joplin was the gentlest creature he knew, why is she growling like this?
Sobbing entered his range of hearing and he held his breath as the sobbing came close with the sound of scraping, like something was being dragged across the ground. Joplin continued growling as the source of the sobbing stopped in front of him and something heavy dropped. He heard a whimper and knew that it was a girl in front of him.
He wanted to reach out, to call for her but he stopped as a burning heat entered his chest. He choked as the girl grunted, breathing heavy and slowly continued on, the scraping sound following her. He fell back against the concrete, gasping and clutching Joplin close as fear hugged him tight.
In all his years of being blind, he never feared anything he couldn't see…until now.
