Turnabout's Fair Play
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"You choose to leave! You're not welcomed back!" Scott shouted as Jean, Logan, Kurt, and Kitty walked in.
"Oh go to hell Scott."Jean said with a toss of her now short hair.
"Language red." Logan warned.
"I learned it from you." She inclined an eyebrow at him.
"Like we looked everywhere!" Kitty complained pulling her luggage with her. Kurt followed silently behind. The fact that they had yet to find his sister had worn on him. He didn't jest. He didn't titer. He just didn't.
And Scott's bitching was not helping. It was his fault Rogue was gone. Had she not suffered enough? He secretly was happy that Rogue got pregnant. The smile she had in her face everyday her son came to her made him happy. She deserved to be loved. To have a home. But he just had to ruin everything.
Kurt was never the type to harbor revenge, but Scott had bought out the worst in him. He was positive even if Rogue walked through the door right now he would still hate Scott.
"You heard him. Get out." Tabatha said walking down the steps.
"Look little lady," Logan said removing his sunglasses, "I don't know who you think you're talking to."
"Oh I know who I'm talking to." Tabatha snapped.
"Kitty am I imagining things or did Tabatha just talk to me like that?"
"Oh you're not imagining."
"That's what I thought." Logan said tossing his glasses and leather jacket to the ground.
Scott held the rim of his glasses awaiting an attack from Logan. Tabatha formed a power ball as Jean raised her long fingers to her forehead.
"Stop," Kurt demanded, "Ve are not animals! Ve are friends."
"I do not want to hurt you. Just go and I'll forget you ever came." Scott said calmly with his hands still on his glasses.
"Scott what is wrong with you?"
"You know what's wrong Jean."
"We aren't leaving!" Logan growled.
"Then I'll have to make you leave." Scott said about to reveal his eyes with Kurt still halfway between them.
"Kurt!" Kitty screamed for him to move but he refused.
Scott lifted his glasses. The ruby blast that bounced around his cornea began to surge forward, but stopped when a pain racked his head causing him to crumble to the ground.
"Make it stop!" Scott cried. His tears steadily turning from water to blood.
"Jean!" Logan growled.
"It's not me!" she said.
"No. It's me." The Professor said crawling towards Scott, "Put your glasses back on Scott." Tabatha helped to place them back on then the pain went away. Scott took a few minutes to regain his surroundings before turning to the man he considered his father.
The Professor was still in his silk stripped pajamas and brown slippers, but he was sprawled on the floor. It was obvious that he climbed out of bed. Luckily the man looked relatively well except for the uncharacteristic scowl on his face.
"You have disappointed me Scott." The Professor said crawling nearer. Beast, finally aware of the situation ran to fetch the old man's wheelchair. When he was properly situated he spoke again.
"Scott …" he started off in a scolding tone when he interrupted him.
"Professor what happened?"
"I believe the real question here Scott is what happened to you not what happened to me."
"But what did happen?" Jean asked placing a blanket she summoned over his legs.
"If you must know when the building collapsed I took a serious blow to the head. As we all know my corona is the center of my powers. When it was hit that hard my powers became too much for my body and for lack of a better term went on overload.
Instead of being in just my own or your minds my powers were starting to stretch in a radius that would soon encompass the whole country without any way to stop it. It was too much power for even my brain to process and I blanked out. I suppose that my body needed time to heal the wound and my brain needed time to reboot," He said tiredly. "If it weren't for Rogue and Gambit I may have died. Luckily they saw fit to see to my safety."
"I'm glad you're ok!" Jean flung herself at him in tears forgetting he was cripple. Charles welcomed the gesture before turning his attention to Scott.
"What is with that look Professor?" Scott asked wearily. He knew he was in trouble.
"Scott in times of crisis everyone looks towards their leader for strength. Instead of filling my shoes you played the coward ejecting certain people from my school that I welcomed with open arms."
"For the record sir I only evicted Rogue." He replied tartly.
"Oh so you just assumed that her child would just stay behind? And I assume Gambit left with her as well correct?"
"Yeah he's gone and like we can't find them nowhere." Kitty told him.
"Knowing her she's probably not ready to be found. Taught Stripes good didn't I?" Logan said.
"Professor," Scott once again bought the attention back to him, "I evicted her because she cost us some of our own! And don't act so high and mighty. You welcomed her here for her powers. That's all she ever was to any of us. An extra pair of arms to handle the bad guys!"
"It did start out that way my son, but I grew to cherish her just as I cherish each and every student here. Past or present."
"Sure I believe that." Scott crossed his arms over his chest indignantly.
Stepping forward, "Well like I don't know about you guys but Rogue isn't like a pair of extra supper arms to me. She's my BFF."
Also stepping forward, "She is mein sister."
"A daughter and a great soldier." Logan placed a hand on Kitty and Kurt's shoulders.
Releasing the Professor whilst flicking her red hair, "A crazy psycho southern tomboy who so happens to be our friend and an XMen."
"This is all quite touching really," Scott placed his hands over his heart to emphasize, "But we can't change the truth. Because of her we'll suffer."
"I lost friends and Aimara had to had part of her leg pieced together!" Tabatha hissed.
"But I can still walk," Aimara said walking out, "Look I don't know much about Rogue. We never really talked. But I thought the purpose of being here was so that we could learn to control our powers to be able to function in the real world and if anyone needed that it was her.
And I thought being an XMEN was about being more than yourself. I mean I know that I'm an XMEN ,but I'm not really one. I rarely go on missions so I guess I kind of look up to you guys like you're hero's or something. And every hero has hardships. My favorite American hero is Batman. He had no powers and all but even he knew it was futile to send away his prolems cause they always found their way back to you in the end."
"Aimara you almost lost your leg!" Tabatha reminded her, "And our friends lost their lives!"
"The way I see it Rogue wasn't the one who hurt me or killed our friends. That pool guy did. Shouldn't we focus our energies on stopping him instead of ragging on Rogue?"
"At least somvone here has some since." Kurt commented.
"Watch it blue boy!" Tabatha snapped.
"Vat are you going to do blondie? Rob my parents?" Kurt retorted.
"How dare you!" Tabatha hissed. Kurt knew good and well she only stole because her father made her.
"Enough you two." the Professor stopped them, "We have more important matters to attend to now that I am back in charge. And Scott if this ever happens to me again I want to make one thing expressively clear to you. When you sit in my office, in my place you not only represent yourself but me and my legacy. What you do directly relates to me whether I am alive or not and I will not have you revoking students who I offered sanctuary here. Am I to be understood Scott?"
"Yes sir."
"And furthermore Scott if you find yourself unable to do as I ask I will find another to carry on after me. You are my son in nearly every way Scott. Do not make me take what's rightfully yours away from you."
Defeated he replied "Yes sir."
"Good now that that's settles I believe you should know that we are about to have company and whether we triumph or fail today we are not going to point fingers. Understand?" the Professor turned his chair to see everyone nod, "Good. We are all XMEN and as a team you we will all go and defend our home. Now move out!"
Together they went outside to once again see Deadpool, but this time he had an elderly woman with him in a lab coat. They were awaiting an attack, but Deadpool remained still facing them.
"Wade." Jane said readjusting her glasses on her wrinkled forehead.
"Yes Jannie?"
"Stryker wants them alive this time. They will act as bait. 826 will come for them."
"Bait." He complained. He had envisioned taking their heads this time.
"But you'll have the girl back."
"And the boy who should have been mine?" he glared at her.
"I will see what I can do." She wrote a few notes down on her clip board before saying, "Stryker needs to believe that you're under his control again. Do this and I guarantee the girl will be yours to do with as you please … after we research her of course."
"Fine. Can I have fun now Janie?"
She nodded at him taking a few steps back. Deadpool excitedly lunged forward. It was far easier this time than last to hurt them. It seemed they had become unorganized. Last time they sparred their movements were the beat of a heart. This time they were hail, chaotic, disorganized, attacking stronger in some areas and weaker in others doing minimal damage to his person.
Watching from the door way he knew his students would be subdued sooner rather than later and that they all would need a rescue. Focusing his thoughts first went to storm.
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Meanwhile on a throne made of animal furs and wood in Nairobi, Kenya sat Storm before her worshipers who worshiped, danced, feasted, and paid her tribute in the form of precious stones and pelts.
"I, Malawi of the Indunghu tribe, bless my goddess with a tribute of blue diamond." The boy bowed before her.
Her delegate grabbed the offering, handed it to her, she nodded in approval, thanked the boy, and sent for the next offering to be brought forth. While a woman crawled before her Storm looked at the diamonds. They were beautiful. One in particular was very thin reminding her of lightening when she heard the professor's voice in her head.
"Storm we need you. We are being captured."
"By who Charles? What is happening?"
"I have little time to explain. We are being taken to Alkalai Lake yet again. You will find us there and I will send for help for you."
"But Charles what is!"
"I must go!" he interrupted her by breaking the link. Storm rose from her seat to dismiss herself….
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"I love school mommy." Jaques told her as he sat in the kitchen waiting for Rogue to finish fiing him a snack.
"Ya do? And wat do ya like bout school?" she asked. Why just the other day it took a good forty minutes to take the kid form the car to the classroom.
"I met a friend!"
"Really?"
"Uhuh her name is Maka, she's Native American and her name means earth. And she had the softest hair and the prettiest eyes mommy and we share cookies, our juice box, and we sit next to each other during lunch!"
Rogue wished Gambit was here so that she could hit him upside the head. No doubt he was the one filling the child's head with nonsense that he was too young to know about. She was pulled out of her thoughts by her son.
"Gumbo says that if you like a girl you kiss her. I haven't kissed her yet. Should I?" Jacques asked seriously.
"No ya cant kiss her!" she said hurriedly, "Yall should be friends first. Ya know hang out and share apples or sometin."
"Ok mommy! Do you think Maka like green apples?"
Rogue was about to respond when she felt her mind being invaded, "Professor?" she asked.
"Rogue I am glad that you are alright, but we need your help."
"Does we include Scott?"
"Yes, you see Deadpool is back. He plans to take us back to Alkalai Lake as bait for you. I have sent for Storm to assist you. I know it is unfair of me to ask you to return to that place again, but we need you."
"But …" she was about to respond when the link ended.
"Is sometin wrong Mommy?" her son asked.
"No … I was thankin. How about ya wait here and I'll go buy some apples fer ya friend at te grocery store. I'll get green and blue ones and"
"Purple. Maka likes purple."
"And purple just let me finish yer sandwich here and let me get my wallet."
"Can I come?"
"No I'll do it. Ya got homework."
"But I don't want to write the alphabet." He complained.
"Jacques ya will do ya homework." She used that tone of voice that made him instantly start doing her work. When she was sure he was distracted she went to her living room. On either side of the fireplace was a vase of faux flowers sitting atop a small, wooden, table with a drawer.
She went to the left vase, pulled out booth of the knobs on the table then have them a quick 360 turn before pushing them back in. Then pulling out the maroon faux flower placing it back in. When that was placed back in the wall behind the vase opened to reveal a retinal, hand, and voice recognizing scanner.
When she was done with that the wall closed and swung open to reveal a secret passageway. With one quick look in either direction she went in and shut the door behind her. She ran down the spiral staircase to their lower level.
If she was going to help she couldn't do it in her teaching getup. She'd need something else. Along the wall to the immediate left at the bottom of the stairs were her uniforms. The first was the green breast polypropylene plated XMEN outfit. Her original one.
On its right was a tight fitting grey suit with a huge red X in the front that did reveal a nice amount of cleavage and had a brown trench coat. This one was made to match Gambit's. The one next to that could easily remind one of something Trinity would wear in the matrix. The last one was white instead of black with a fur rimmed hood and boots made for colder weather. This one would be perfect for the job.
She changed out of her clothes and into the suit. She gave herself a few quick looks in the mirror before donning a Christmas gift of hers from Gambit. Apparently these stylish shades had night and heat vision. Never know when that comes in handy. She also got a small white back pack to match her clothes and carry necessary supplies. In short it would add an extra ten pounds to her current weight.
The last thing she did was place on the knife holster that came with the outfit which they bought off of a secret Russian version of EBay. Taking one last look in the mirror she was more than ready to go. She hoped on her snowmobile and went out their secret underground tunnel and garage. Her son would be ok. Gambit would be home in five or so minutes as was per usual on a Tuesday evening.
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Nearly an hour later Logan, Beast, Kurt, Kitty, Jean, Tabatha, Aimara, Scott, and Charles were held up in a cell with power limiting chokers on.
"Do you like it in there?"Stryker asked moving his eyes along the confines of the small cell, "This used to be 826's room."
"826?" Kitty asked fighting her busted lip to speak.
"Oh yes you're … friend Rogue's room. I had her here for nearly seven years. Do you like it?" he smiled wickedly, "It is time for you mutants to learn your place and if that place isn't six feet under its caged like the animals you are."
"We aren't animals." Jean turned toward him fighting the concussion that was threatening to take her at a moment's notice.
"Be that as it may I am going to give you all a little taste of my 826's lifestyle."
"Leave the kids alone Stryker. Take me instead." Logan quickly volunteered. He knew what it was like to be a prisoner here.
"Oh I almost forgot you were here Logan," Stryker laughed, "How about you inform your pups on what is to come." He laughed again before leaving them. The moment he was gone two men in blue suits with shock sticks neared them.
A third, being a female, came with a bucket of water and drenched them before backing up and letting the two guards toss in the glow sticks. Their screams filled the night sky.
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