"Yeah, some people even call them 'RoLo'!" Kitty giggled in the dark.
"Ugh! They do not!" I exclaimed.
"Rumours have it that your dad got it tattooed on his butt!" Kitty went on, with Rogue snorting in the back.
"Ew, ew, ew! Why would you tell me that?"
It was the middle of the night and we were trying to sleep in the Hummer. Despite our preparedness in every other aspect, we had hardly any money with us. We all decided to save what we have for emergencies instead of spending it on a hotel. But we didn't mind, we were treating the experience like a sleepover (which, sure, wasn't the most professional thing for superheroes, but we're teenagers!). At the moment Kitty was telling me about my parents' secret lives while I filled them in on their lives as normal people.
"Ah'm glad Logan married Storm." Rogue said. She was stretched out in the back of the Hummer, with Kitty taking the middle seats and me reclined in the passenger seat.
"Yeah, what they have must be true love." Kitty sighed. "I mean, she turned down a god and a king for him."
"Whoa, what?"
"Yeah, didn't you know? Your mom used to date the Black Panthor. They were pretty serious for awhile. And she had a thing going with Thor for a while when she was with the Avengers." Kitty informed me excitedly.
"You're kidding." Mom gave a king and a god the boot to be with Dad? Woo, go Dad! To think I could have been a princess or a demigod…nah, I'd still rather be part Wolverine any day. Besides, there's no way Thor knows how to play pick up hockey.
"Mhh, Ah love Logan but I don't think Ah would dump Thor to be with him." Rogue decided. "With that golden hair, rippled body, chiselled chin…"
All three of us girls sighed in unison.
"Yeah, he's good looking but if I was going to date a superhero, it would probably be Tony Stark." Kitty declared.
"Iron Man? Why?" Rogue asked, crinkling her nose.
"Don't look at me like that! He's a good looking guy, even if he is old and an alcoholic." Kitty defended. "Plus he's super rich."
"Kitty's a golddigger, Kitty's a golddigger!" I sang.
"Oh shut up!" Kitty huffed, kicking my seat. While I was still snorting she asked. "Okay smarty pants, who's your celeb hero crush?"
"Oh, um, that's a hard one." I thought. Usually I would say Spiderman automatically, but I just wasn't feeling it for him anymore like I used to. Fang's face floated into my mind's eye…
"Do yah think this is what the X-men do on missions?" Rogue wondered out loud. "Gossip 'bout boys and stuff."
"Imagine, Beast and Cyclopes talking about who they like and what they're doing on the weekend!" Kitty giggled, making us laugh.
"So Leah," Rogue sat up to look at me. "Is it true yah ain't a mutant?"
Uh-oh.
"Yes, it is." I said slowly.
"Well that's just weird." Was all Rogue said in response.
"But I'm not useless, you know." I said defensively. My greatest worry was that the other two girls would decide I was too much of a liability, ditch me and go on to rescue my parents by themselves. "I'm kind of unnaturally durable. I'm not invincible, but I seem to be able to survive things other humans can't. And I'm really good at the martial arts, since my dad's been training me since I was five. "
"Ah wasn't judge'n Leah, Ah was just curious. We know yah ain't going to slow us down. " Rogue reassured me.
"Yeah, you're the brains behind this. The girl with the plan!" Kitty chipped in. "You're like Captain America. He's human but the Avengers would be nothing without him."
Yeah, but Cap's jacked on super soldier serum, I thought to myself.
I think to change the subject more than anything else, Rogue said "So we escaped the Avengers, that was pretty cool, right?"
We talked for a little while longer, but slowly we each drifted off to sleep.
xXx
"ARRHHH!" Logan roared. "ARRRRGGGHHH!"
"Just tell us where she is Wolverine, and we'll stop." The torturer said above the revving chainsaw in his hand. "Tell us where your daughter is!"
"Rot in Hell." Logan spat, gritting his teeth.
The interrogator sighed, bored, and began to cut through Logan's leg once more. His healing factor wasn't what it used to be, but it still prevented him from passing out. That meant he had to witness the twisted man repeatedly sawing through his leg and watch it grow back. Of course they couldn't get through his metal bone, but they could get through the muscle, flesh and vessels, so they could rip off a good proportion of it.
He got through it using the techniques he learned while with the army, the superhero teams, and while he was on his own. He took comfort in the fact that the MRD had yet to get a hold of Leah, but it was a little one when he heard the horrible sound of metal tearing through flesh.
Come on, think. Think of the good times.
The first time 'Ro agreed to go on a date with him. He had been asking for weeks, almost to the point of begging for her to give him a chance. She insisted that they shouldn't get involved because it would ruin the dynamics of the team. Finally, after saving her from the Juggernaut's death grip, she said she would go on one date with him, if he shaved off the mutton chops. The next morning when he came down to breakfast, his jawline was as smooth as the boyscout's and Storm went to dinner with him that night. Best sacrifice he ever made.
The time he took 'Ro out to an ice arena to teach her how to skate. He held her in his arms to keep her steady because she was wobbly. The next day he over heard Jean and Warren talking about how Storm taught some of the students figure skating during the winter months. The fink pretended to know nothing about skating so that he could play the big man and hold her tight as he taught her. He never told her that he knew.
When he repeatedly attempted to ask Storm to marry him, but kept getting interrupted by missions and people. Finally, just when he thought that they had been signs for them not to get married, he found twenty foot letters burned into the lawn outside his window reading "Will you grow up and marry me already?" The weather witch had summoned lightning to propose to him and they were married within the year.
The time the X-men played the Avengers at baseball and schooled them.
The time he dyed Scott's hair hot pink in the middle of the night.
When he and Storm found out she was pregnant after they had been trying for so long.
The night when Leah was born. He was with the Avengers in space, attempting to convince the planet Ego to get away from Earth. Eventually, Thor and the Hulk just punched him into deep space. He was going out for a beer with the Cap when he saw dark clouds and purple lightning brewing in the direction of the Xavier mansion. Both men hurried back, expecting some sort of attack from one of their enemies. They didn't expect a screaming woman with white hair, swearing that she'd barbeque her 'no good, cretin of a husband!'. Storm had gone into premature labour a few moments after he had left for space. She ended up having to have an emergency C-section because the cord was around Leah's neck. But in the end, when they first held their little girl, all was forgiven (of course, Storm got to name her Leah instead of Logan's choice of Annabelle, but he figured she deserved it).
How he taught Leah how to play hockey before 'Ro got her to learn the basics of figure skating.
The time he had to go pick Leah up from school because she had gotten in a fight. On the drive home, he questioned her about why she got in the fight. When she explained that a group of older boys had been harassing a boy in her class because he brought a doll to school earlier in the week. They had cornered the boy and began to beat on him, calling him a girl. Leah couldn't stand it anymore. She climb a tree that was shadowing them and leapt down, taking out two of the boys. Of course, once she was on the ground, the remaining two boys, each three years older than her, took her out. Leah was still proud of herself because the younger boy was able to escape and she had broken one of the bullies' nose. She was still disappointed by her black eye though. Logan was so proud of his little soldier, he promised he would teach her new hand to hand combat techniques for fighting larger opponents in groups (under oath that she wouldn't say anything about it to her mother and pretend to be ashamed when he reprimanded her about how fighting was wrong in front of 'Ro later that night.)
Oh, look, the torturer got to close. Logan popped out his claws in time to stab the man through the stomach. That earned him a thousand volts of electricity to shoot though his body, but it also bought him some time before they could find another torture expert.
xXx
We stood in front of a large, beautiful building, gazing up at it. Using Spiderman's stolen information, we had found Kingpin's main building.
"I think I'm going to throw up." Kitty announced.
"Don't." I said gently. "It'll draw attention to us."
Under our civilian clothes were our uniforms. As junior X-men (meaning that though they were still in school and didn't go on regular missions with the rest of the team, they practiced with the X-men and went on a few missions when their powers were needed or the threat level was low so that they could get experience), both of the girls had their own costumes. Rogue's was a green suit with a yellow middle, yellow gloves and knee high, high heeled boots. She had a brown leather bomber jacket over it. Kitty's was a traditional X-men uniform. Black and yellow with a X belt. Of course, I'm just a measly human so I don't have a costume to hop into whenever I'm feeling heroic. What I did have was a plain black spandex suit (stolen from the X-men's supply closet), that had a hood I could pull up to look like a cliché ninja. Oh, a pair of white knee high boots. Unlike Rogue's, they lacked heel's, but that was better for sneaking around in. On the inside of the boot was a yellow lightning bolt. Turn's out they were my mom's when she was still fighting crime.
Kitty and I turned our attention to Rogue, who was walking back to us. The first phase was complete. She entered the building smoothly, playing the part of the lost tourist girl. Flirtatiously, she touched each of the guards and desk workers until she got the location of our target in the building.
"Top floor. Kingpin gave him his own pad up there." Rogue informed us. "Guess it was part of the deal."
"That's great Rogue." I said, proud of her. "Now go back to the Hummer, so people won't get suspicious to why you're hanging around. Keep in radio contact though."
Rogue saluted and nonchalantly took off towards the direction of the Hummer.
"Alright, take me up Kitty." I ordered. First we went to the part of the building we knew the security cameras couldn't pick us up. We quickly stripped off our over clothes and put on masks (in my case, the hood that covered my face and had a slit for my eyes). We didn't want Kingpin to recognise us as the teenage girls lounging outside. Plus, we looked pretty badass in our costumes.
Kitty's mutant power gives her the ability to not only phase through solid objects, but float. She grasped my shoulder and made us intangible. Like ghosts, we floated up through the building to the top floor. When we got there, on the balcony of what must have been Alaban's condo. Kitty gasped and collapsed on the floor.
"Hey, are you alright?" I whispered, kneeling and placing a hand on her shoulder.
She nodded. "Yeah, I just never took someone that far before. I'm fine, just have to catch my breath."
"Okay, you do that. If you can, take out the security system on this floor, but only if you feel up to it." I instructed. "If we need to make a quick break for it, you'll need to take us back down."
"I should be okay," Kitty answered, getting to her feet. "Going down is a lot easier than up. What are you doing?"
I had started to edge towards the glass door. "I'm going to go talk business with my good buddy Alaban."
"Whoa, you can't go in there by yourself!" Kitty hissed, looking around nervously. "Leah, you're huma-"
"I'm human? Whoa, when did that happen?" I asked in a sarcastic voice. I slapped Kitty on the shoulder good naturedly. "I'll be fine. I'll have both you and Rogue at a radio call away, and even if I lack superpowers, I can handle myself."
"Yes, I'm sure little Leah Logan will handle herself just fine." A silky voice asked.
Slowly both of us turned to the glass door. In the doorframe leaned a man in his early thirties. On his elfish face, his thin lips formed a smirk. His thick black hair was combed back in a 1940's style and he wore a black bath robe. He made a sweeping gesture towards his condo.
"Please Ms. Logan, come inside. I'm sure Ms. Pryde can amuse herself out here while we talk." Alaban said, holding out his arm condescendingly.
I felt Kitty grasp my arm tightly, holding me back.
"It's alright Kitty." I stepped into the condo, brushing past Alaban's arm. Inside was a modern living room, decked out in white and black. Alaban pasted me and took a seat on the black leather couch.
After taking a sip of his brandy, he studied me. "So, what brings you to break into my employer's building, Ms. Logan?"
"First of all, you may call me Saphien." I said coolly, silently vowing that I'd think of a cooler code name if I got out of here.
"My apologies, I should have realized from your costume that you are playing superhero. Please, continue."
Jerk.
"I would think that if you knew both mine and my partner's name, you'd also know why we came to you."
He took another drink from his glass. "You need my assistance finding your gorgous mother and your animal of a father. And might I say, I am completely enthralled to see that you took after Ororo than him."
Ignoring his remarks, I said. "So can you help me?"
"Oh, I really do hate that word. Help. It sounds too much like someone asking for charity." Alaban shuddered. I crossed my arms, waiting for his response. "If it is a matter of 'can', of course I have the ability to locate your parents. But really, it is a matter of 'will'."
"What do you want?" I asked firmly, ready to batter.
"Well, I could always use a maid. A blue eyed, mocha skinned beauty is always a treasure to have around." Alaban smirked, baiting me.
"For some reason I don't think you want a maid to wash your socks." I spat, disgusted.
"No, I have ugly women to do that for me." Alaban cooed.
"Stop playing around, Alaban. You can either take this seriously or I'll find someone else." I challenged.
"I very much doubt that. I'm sure there are a few out there that have some degree of my skill, but it would take time to find them and time is something your dear parents don't have. Besides, none of them have my charm." Alaban commented. After taking the last swig of his drink, he threw the glass at the wall, causing it to shatter. Calmly, he held out his hand. "Give me your hand."
When I hesitated, he added. "Tick tock, my dear."
Reluctantly, I held out my hand. He grabbed it, pulling me closer to him, then studied it with interest. He muttered while he examined. "Yes, how interesting. Yes…"
I quickly withdrew my hand. To my relief, he did not seek it again. Instead he got to his feet and walked down the hallway off from the room. "Come with me."
I followed him with caution into a small room. It was covered with maps, from the tables to the walls and ceiling.
"I have decided to assist you, Saphien." He announced.
"For what price?"
"Nothing." He answered with a sly smile. "Consider it a gift."
"Cut the BS, I'm not buying it." I said firmly. I leaned on the table separating us.
"You amuse me. Your path is a strange one, full of twists and turns. The strange part is that I can not see all of it, there are too many decisions to be made." He said vaguely. "The only way I'll be able to know the whole story is if you follow through on this mission. Think of it like you are the star of your own soapopera, and I'm your biggest fan."
What the Hell is he talking about?
"Do you want to find your mummy and daddy or not?" Alaban asked in a harsh voice.
I took a deep breath, hoping that I wasn't making a huge mistake. "Alright."
"Good." That said, Alaban snatched up my hand and pulled out a slim knife. I barely had time to react before he ran it across my hand.
"Ah! What the Hell are you-" I started to protest, but he held a pale finger to his pale lips.
"Shhh, look." He whispered, his eyes blood red now. He muttered incantations under his breath.
I watched in horror as the blood that dripped from my hand flowed away from me, moving like a snake. It slithered off the table to the floor, where it created a river that ran up the wall onto one of the maps. Now it gathered on one spot on the map, creating an 'X'.
"There you go, the location of your parents. Don't thank me all at once." Alaban said, taking a bow. His eyes were black once more as he went to the wall and took down the map, handing it to me.
"That was disgusting." I said, accepting the map.
"Black magic usually is." Alaban replied calmly. "Now before you run off, I'd just like to thank you."
"For what?" I asked suspiciously.
"For providing me with the entertainment of a life time. What you'll find what you're looking for at the base, but you'll experience the greatest loss your heart has ever known." Alaban said mysteriously, making me go cold. "Such delicious heart break just makes my palate tingle. Now I suggest you make a mad dash for it, because I have sent a distress call to my employer and he is sending up the 'big guns'."
I heard a crash and heavy footsteps from somewhere in the apartment. "Oh, it sounds like they're already here. Run, little Saphien, Daddy's waiting."
I made a mad sprint for the balcony, but to my horror, Kitty was no longer there. I shut the glass door to stall, but one of the HUGE guards broke it, sending shattered glass into my face.
"Ah!" I yelled, stumbling back as I attempted to shield my face. I went back too far and fell over the balcony's railing.
The next thing I knew, I was falling from the thirty story building, cursing Kitty's name. I felt a sudden jerk and felt strong arms wrap around me. I looked up in shock to find Spiderman holding me to him as he swung from a web.
"Do I have great timing or what?" He asked. When we got to the ground, we ran to the hummer.
"What are you doing here?" I asked as we ran.
"Oh, you're welcome for saving your life." He replied. Seeing me glare, he added. "The Avengers have been searching everywhere for you girls."
"And you found us."
"Just as your friend with the freaky hands touched me, I tagged her with a bug." Spiderman told me.
"We're not going back to the school. We know where my parents are now and we can't turn back." I said seriously as we stopped by the Hummer.
"I'm not expecting you to. I know you need to do this." Spiderman replied. "But I also know you can't do this by yourself. Wolvie would cut me up into tiny little pieces if he knew I let his daughter break into an MRD base with only two teenage girls for back up. I'm here to help."
Spiderman held out a red gloved hand. I studied it for a moment, then accepted it with a smile.
"Let's go." I said, getting into the van.
"Oh goody, a road trip!" Spiderman said, following me in. He gave a wave to Kitty and Rogue in the front seats. "Hello ladies."
I quickly explained our new teammate's presence and Kitty apologised from leaving me. She lost control of her powers momentarily from exhaustion and phased to the bottom of the building. Rogue tore up the roads, placing as much space between us and Alaban as possible.
I felt better knowing that we had an experienced superhero on our side who wasn't trying to send us back to the school, but I couldn't shake the coldness that had sunk into me when Alaban told me my vague fate.
"You'll experience the greatest loss your heart has ever known."
What did he mean by that?
xXx
So, because of people's reviews, I saw that maybe some people voted Spidey to join the rescue team. And I just had to comply :D Thank you guys for review, it really motivates me to write more!