Chapter 13: Maui Bound

Rogue and Mystique entered the X-Jet. The X-Men looked at them as they took their seats. Rogue sat at the controls besides Storm, Mystique took the empty seat beside Logan in the middle and Bobby and Kitty sat in the back. Logan let out a low growl and then looked at Rogue. "So Stripes, did all that yelling work? I'm pretty sure the professor could hear you back home."

Rogue set the coordinates for the Hawaiian Island Maui. She started the engines and the jet roared to life. It lifted off the ground, tilted up and then took flight. "Ya Logan, it worked. Now we've got a good fourteen hour flight ahead of us so Ah suggest we take turns at the controls an' before ya get all excited in the back there, Kitty an' Bobby ya ain't flyin'."

The two in the back pouted. "Why not?" asked Bobby.

Rogue looked at him over her shoulder. "Because y' like t' 'crash 'n' burn' Bobby, an' Kitty, Ah love ya an' all, but ya can't drive within the speed limit." Kitty tried to protest but Rogue cut her off, "Ya go 65mph in a 40 zone, sometimes 70mph. I want us t' arrive alive if that's alright."

"Well what if you like put it on like auto pilot and let me just like sit there?"

"No!" replied all the adults.

"But I promise I won't like touch any buttons. Please Rogue I will be like so good!"

"Sorry Kit Kat Ah jus' can't risk it."

Kitty pouted and Bobby said, "Hey Kitty, don't worry about it today. One day it will be us up there flying this bad boy. Rogue and the others won't be around to fly it forever."

Logan gave a smirk, "Yeah like that will happen Ice Man."

Bobby looked at him, "What do you mean? Scott and Jean won't be at the mansion forever, and Rogue…"

Logan cut him off, "You won't be flying this jet unless I'm dead."

Rogue rolled her eyes, Storm gave a small smile and shook her head and Mystique looked back at the two teens.

They looked at one another and Bobby said, "So Logan, how old are you then? Ow, that hurt Kitty!" Kitty smacked Bobby hard in the arm before he had the chance to react.

"It's rude to ask an adult their age. Storm, what do you teach them at the school?" Mystique glared at the two.

To avoid a fight Rogue called to the back, "What Logan means is with his healin' power you'll never be flyin' this baby. Now t' all o' ya that want t' know what Ah'm doing Ah'm putting her on auto pilot. When we come to the ocean Ah'll take her off. Right now we should be good fer four hours."

"Good job kid. So how do you want to handle sharing the controls? I know you've got something planned out."

All eyes went to went to her. 'Gawd Ah hate the attention, well here goes nothing.' "Yes Logan. Ah have estimated that we will probably be over water fer 'bout eight hours minimum. We should have two hours o' land where we can put 'er back on auto pilot, but Ah'd feel safer usin' manual controls over seas. Logan, if ya wanna take the controls in six hours, Mystique can navigate givin' Storm and me a rest. How does that sound?"

"Rogue, doesn't that put us over seas when switching?" asked Storm.

"Ya, but Ah figure it ain't fair t' have me sit here an' do nothin' for four hours. She'll only be on auto pilot fer a short minute or so while we change seats."

"I trust ya Stripes. Besides you will have to be on your best game when we reach Maui."

There was silence and then Rogue called back to Kitty. "Kitty, d' ya have the lap top set up?"

Kitty looked down at her lap. 'Shit! Out of all the times to forget to turn it on why now!' "Um, like give me one sec Rogue."

"Ya forgot, didn't ya Kit." This wasn't so much of a question; it was more of a statement.

Kitty flipped it open to find a half played game of solitaire on the screen. "What the hell! Bobby did you like mess with my like PERSONAL lap top!"

Storm and Logan looked at them and then turned back to navigating and watching for any approaching aircrafts on screen.

Bobby turned red. "Well I got board when we were waiting for Rogue at The Brotherhood House and you were talking with Logan so I…"

"Decided to waste my battery?"

"No Kitty, it was plugged in!" Bobby protested.

Rogue jumped in next, "So you decided t' waste the jets back-up power?"

Mystique rolled her eyes. 'This kid must only have half a brain.'

"Well actually Rogue, I like plugged it into the jet," Kitty confessed. "But I did it so we could like have a full battery for when I like turned it on. Not some stupid game of solitaire."

Logan crossed his arms and let out a "Humph." He then called out, "So Stripes, what you need from that fold-up machine?"

'Thank God for Logan' thought Rogue. She was now re-focused. "First Ah need t' know if any more of the drug has been shipped out. Secondly Ah need t' know if that cell phone is still on Maui. Finally Ah need t' confirm that Hana is indeed our target. Can you do that Kitty?"

Kitty started punching in keys faster than Mystique had ever seen. Mystique was good, but not that good. Logan saw her face, "Half-Pint's got talent. She may not be able to change form but before I finish…"

"Yes to all three Rogue. We are still landing on Maui and that base is like so on Hana." Kitty finished.

Logan smirked. "Told ya," he said to Mystique.

Rogue had been flying for six hours now. She had been in touch with the mansion talking to the professor, Kurt and Jamie. She told them that more of Kicking the X had been shipped out and Kitty was sending them the most resent list. If nothing else they could try warning these people before they received it.

Logan looked at Rogue and Storm. "'Ro, ready for a break?"

Storm looked at the screen and then at the clouds. "She may take over navigation; however I must deal with the clouds. I have a feeling we may get some rain." Storm motioned towards the darkening clouds up ahead.

"Awe well that's jus' great," Rogue grumbled.

"Want me to take the controls kid?"

Rogue glanced at Logan. "Don' ya think Ah should wait until Storm clears us a path? Ah don' think auto pilot's the best' idea right now."

Logan shrugged. "Ok then, you can deal with the turbulence. Remember Rogue, this is not the simulator, this is reality. It's going to get really bumpy."

"Awe really Logan, Ah had no idea."

"I'm just saying if you want me to take over now's the time to ask."

Rogue stared strait ahead focusing on the up coming storm. "An' Ah told y' that Ah don' wanna put her on auto pilot in a storm over seas! Now hold on tight 'cause here comes the wind."

The jet rocked back and forth and Rogue did her best to keep the Black Bird as steady as she could. Storm used her power so more sun sawn through the clouds giving Rogue a little better view. As they passed through the rain the sky begun to clear. Rogue let out a breath. Storm smiled at her. "Nicely done Rogue. Logan is right; you will make a fine pilot."

Rogue gave a small smile and then said, "Ok guys, looks like, awe shit hold on!" Rogue made a sharp turn to the right, made a nose dive down leveled and then climbed gently back up to there previous 12,000ft. "Is everyone ok?" she asked.

"What the hell Stripes!"

Bobby groaned, "Please don't ever do that again."

"Maybe you should consider getting her a fighter plane Logan." Mystique suggested.

"NO! She already has a motorcycle. Now I want to know why the hell we did a right nose dive!"

Storm had finally caught her breath and started to laugh.

"Ro, I don't know what's so funny. What just happened up there? I'm still waiting for an answer." Logan had been pissed before, but hearing Storm laugh made him less angry, but mad enough that his claws were still out.

Ororo looked at him. "Logan, put those away. Everything is fine now. I can not believe I am saying this, but I believe Mystique is right when saying you might make a good fighter pilot."

There was a shout from the back, "Hey, does anyone want to tell us what like just happened. I think that Bobby was like almost sick, almost."

Rogue sighed, "Alright y'all calm down. It was a flock o' stupid birds. They came right' out o' the clouds after the rain. We didn't see 'em cause the clouds were so dark. Before ya start askin' Logan, Ah have no idea why they weren't on radar."

"BIRDS! You did a nose dive for BIRDS!" Bobby shrieked.

"Cool in Ice Boy. Better to avoid them than having to peel them off the windshield don't you think?"

"Ewww! That is so gross."

Rogue put the Black Bird back on auto pilot and changed seats with Logan. She then turned to Kitty and said, "Y' visit Lance at his house an' Toad is there. Ah'd say Toad is ten times grosser than flattened birds on the window."

Kitty giggled at this and said, "Yea but I don't have to like touch Toad. I would of had to peel the birds like off the window if you like hadn't dived."

Rogue did her best to relax for the remainder of the trip. She knew there was something someone wasn't telling her. What was it that was making her feel this way? 'Those stupid birds got your adrenaline runnin' before ya were ready.' No that wasn't it. 'The storm threw meh off a bit.' No that wasn't it either. She looked around the jet. Logan was piloting, Mystique was navigating, Storm was resting, Bobby was still looking slightly pale from the nose dive three hours ago, 'Man, it was jus' a lil' dive, geeze get over it.' And then there was Kitty who was locating a good landing spot for them on her lap top.

She glanced around one more time and then, "Spill it Mystique! What are ya hidin' from us?"

"I am not keeping anything from anyone Rogue. What makes you think I am?"

"Right before' we left the house, ya looked at Magneto. What d' ya know!"

Everyone had their eyes on the pair, except for Logan who was piloting but listening intently.

"There something you ain't telling us Raven?" he asked.

"No, I don't know what you are talking about Rogue."

"Ya y' do! At the house Ah said "Now Ah'm ready", started to turn 'round and y' gave Magneto a look. Ah saw it out o' the corner o' mah eye. Now what was it?"

All eyes pinned themselves to Mystique. She sighed, "I don't know any more than you do, any of you. I just have a bad feeling. I think it is a good thing that you forced Magneto and the Brotherhood to go to the mansion Rogue." She stopped.

"A feelin'. Y' jus' got a feelin' somethin' bad is gonna happen."

Mystique glanced around the jet and then locked eyes with Rogue and said, "Yes." She then proceeded to continue navigating. She also was keeping an eye on the radar to see if anything they passed showed up. So far they had passed three planes while in stealth mode and all had registered on radar. 'Guess those birds had a death wish. Too bad my girl can fly.'

Just then Logan yelled out, "Approaching landing area. Half-Pint, you sure this is it?"

Kitty looked at her map. "Yes. It puts us away from the crowded areas but not close to Hana but not close enough to be spotted."

"Good," Logan grunted. "Buckle up, and Raven, you better be tellin' the truth. If my team gets hurt I'm blaming you."

She Shrugged, "Logan, you blame me for everything anyways. What makes this any different?"

They landed and Logan shut off the jet. They all unbuckled and he turned to her and said, "Because this time you are taking in my Stripes! If she gets hurt…"

"Logan," Mystique hissed, "She is my daughter!"

Logan growled and slid his claws out. Rogue came up to them. "Y' know what guys, as much as Ah love haven ya fight ova meh we have a mission. Oh and for the record Ah love ya Logan. Mystique, can't say that Ah'm fond o' ya 'cause Ah hate y' for every ting y' did t' meh. Puttin' that all aside for now, let's go kick some ass!"