Chapter 34:A Shit Storm
"What a dump. This place is awesome. Why are we here again?" Twice asks as Dabi hails a cab outside the bustling airport.
"Shut up and keep your head down. We don't want to draw attention."
A cab screeches to a halt, barely missing the car parked in front of it. Dabi and Twice, squinting from the setting sun, climb inside. "And as for why we're here, let's just say I don't want to be surprised anymore about Number 2's little friends."
"Where to?" the cab driver interjects.
"2000 Graymalkin Lane in Westchester County, NY." Dabi rasps.
"No can do, buddy. Unless you live in a treehouse on Xavier's property. And it's going to be dark when you get there. Xavier doesn't like nighttime visitors."
Dabi drops into his seat. "Your job is take me where I want to go. I pay you when we arrive. End of transaction."
.***** **** *****.
Returning from their late night training, Hawks and his shadow swoop towards Hawks' bedroom balcony railing as silently as two owls.
"You're definitely improving, but you still need to work on your aerial combat."
"Understood. Dark Shadow and I will work harder."
"We'll practice more tomorrow. I'm beat and have a bed calling my name." Hawks says. "You need sleep, too. We can't have you dead to world tomorrow."
"Yes, Sensei. See you in the morning then."
Hawks' wings sway in the fresh spring air. Sensei, Hawks thinks. I've never experienced respect like that before. Hawks' thoughts are interrupted by headlights behind him illuminating the dark. Peering between his wings, he watches a cab making a u-turn away from the gates. Quickly the lights vanish and the mansion falls dark again. Hawks eyes narrow uneasily.
.***** **** *****.
"I don't know, something's just not right about him." Scott replies, grasping at the nearly-out-of reach racquetball Rogue had just served.
"Like what?" She responds, returning his volley.
"He just- GAH" Scott smacks the racquetball, which ricochets off the wall and wisps by Rogue's head in a near miss.
"Geez, don't take it out on the ball. Seriously what's your beef with him?"
"His following. I mean, he and Kitty were in a heap of shit when we showed up. You were injured trying to help him. Am I the only person who sees this?!" Scott winds up to deliver another earth shattering blow to the innocent racquetball but whiffs, falling to the hardwood floor. Looking up, he sees the ball still suspended in the air.
"What the hell was that, Rogue?!"
"Dude, note taken, I'm never playin' this with ya when you're mad. Let's get out of here before ya kill me."
As Rogue and Scott pack up their gear and walk out of the racquetball court, Scott continues.
"I just- I get this feeling that they're going to come after him here. How do we know what happened In Japan wasn't a setup? The last thing we need is a double agent."
"Oh, come on, Scott. Does this have anything to do with Jean?"
"No, the dude is a jerk and anywhere he goes, one of us ends up hurt."
"So when he saved your life- that was him being a jerk?"
"Why do I have to keep explaining myself? How am I the only one who sees it?!"
"Wow, I didn't realize how late it got." Rogue says peering out the window as they leave the courts, hoping to change the subject. Unphased, Scott continues his bantering.
Rogue, clearly consumed by Scott's tantrum, completely misses two sets of eyes intently staring back at her from the outside the window. Twice turns to Dabi.
"Man, sounds like that guy hates Hawks just as much as you do. You would make great friends." Twice says.
"Shut it." Dabi counters. "We just found our jackpot."
.***** **** *****.
After hours of tossing and turning, Hawks walks out of his room into the foyer. Stretching his arms over his head, he tries to stay alert. Certainly it would be a two-coffee morning. He continues with the same questions he has been asking himself all night. Did they drop someone off? If so, who? And why didn't I see anyone? We could be danger. Hawks frowns. This just doesn't make sense. This place has an extensive security system, but no alarm has sounded.
Hawks' wings twitch anxiously, but his feathers, just like the mansion, are silent. "Maybe I-"
Hawks' jumps, startled by a hand touching his shoulder. Whipping around, a feather sharpens in his hand, only to soften in relief seeing Logan's gruff but friendly face. "Jesus, Logan! Are you trying to give me a heart attack?!"
"I guess that might be one way to keep you from causing trouble,"Logan teases.
"Haha, very funny, Silver Claws." Hawks scoffs back, "but seriously, what are you doing awake?"
"I've got this feeling something is not right. What are you doing awake?-" the movement of reddish brown fur to Logan's right, illuminated by the moon shining through the window, catches both their eyes.
"Halt!" Hawks interrupts him, shooting feathers towards the apparent intruder.
"Stand down, Feathers." Logan orders, frowning when he sees the wolf before them frozen in fear. "Rahne what are doing up this hour?" The wolf transforms into a red haired Scottish girl. Hawks recalls his feathers.
"I- I can't sleep. I have this eery feeling something is amiss so I was going to check it out." Wolfbane replies.
Logan's eyes flash back to Hawks. The pro tries to keep his composure as Logan's stare bores into him like daggers. Hawks opens his mouth to say something when a new set of footsteps echos down the hall. All three turn their heads as Jean appears, still in her nightgown.
"What's going on?" Jean asks, scanning the group before her.
"Right back at you, Red." Logan responds. "That's what we all want to know."
"I take it you all are having strange feelings, too?" Wolfbane wonders aloud.
"I just- my quirks are going crazy right now. Like they're sensing something off, but I'm not sure what."
"Feathers?" Logan asks as all six eyes turn to face Hawks."You have been unusually quiet."
"Oh uh… yeah." Hawks chuckles nervously. "If there's someone here, we should probably go find them. I can't think of anyone else more suited to team up than those of us here."
.***** **** *****.
After over three hours of scouring the mansion, Hawks, Rahne, Logan, and Jean sit at the kitchen table. Hopelessness looms through the silence. No scents detected from Logan or Rahne. No movements detected by Hawks or Jean. I know what I saw. Just- how did they get past me and the others? No way it's a bunch of kids messing around.
"You all look tired." Hank says, breaking away from the rest of the group following him into the kitchen for breakfast.
"Xavier and I saw you guys in the corridor last night. Did you find anything?"
"No," Hawks responds, "how about you all?"
Professor begins speaking, but it is drowned out by the kitchen commotion. Hawks' breath shortens and palms sweat. Desperate to get outside, he stands.
"Come on, let's get moving, Toko. I promised you some training time today."
"Oh no you don't, Keigo. Sit and eat. You can't live off coffee." Jean says placing an omelet before Hawks while pushing his shoulder gently back down into his seat.
"We will pick up training once we are all ready." Tokoyami says with Dark Shadow nodding behind him.
With a sudden shake of his feathers, Hawks jumps back to standing as fire alarms begin to sound.
"Let's move." He says to Tokoyami and Jean. Like a flash of lighting they bolt out of the kitchen.
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The hauntingly familiar smell of smoke becomes thicker as Hawks turns the final corner to the hallway of his bedroom. Jean and Tokoyami, panting behind him, turn the same corner a few seconds later.
Hawks bursts through the door but is blasted backwards by the blaze behind it.
"Dark Shadow, fire extinguisher!" Tomoyami screeches as Jean approaches Hawks.
"Get that door closed to suffocate the fire!" Jean screams to Hawks as she begins making a barrier between the flames and them. "This whole place is going to burn down if we're not fast."
Tokoyami and Hawks rush to get the door shut just as Dark Shadow comes back with the fire extinguisher and someone sprinting after it.
"Rogue!" Hawks exclaims. "Grab the fire extinguisher and use Kitty's quirk to phase it through the door. I'll slide a couple feathers underneath and use them to extinguish the fire!"
"You've got it!" Rogue exclaims, taking the fire extinguisher- but something is wrong.
Dark shadow screeches. "I'm stuck to it! Wait! AHHH!"
Rogue, without hesitation, plunges Dark Shadow and Tokoyami into the enflamed room then levitates and breaks the fire extinguisher .
"Toko!" Hawks screeches, lunging towards the door.
"What the hell, Rogue?!" Jean snaps. "Get ahold of your powers! —
— Hawks, don't!-"
"Jean, trust me! Put down your barrier! I've got this." Hawks hurls himself through the fading barrier towards his door.
"Dark shadow!" Tokoyami screams between his wheezing and coughing from the smoke.
"Toko, I'm coming!" Hawks bursts open the bedroom door, shooting a feather to whisk Tokoyami into the hallway. The flames leap towards the open door, spreading into the hallway. "Jean, barrier!" He yelps.
"I- I can't!"
"What do you mean you - " then he saw her eyes, fixated on Jean, who seemed to almost be frozen. "Rogue, you fucking psychopath!" He screams, glancing at the fire rapidly approaching, then lunging between her and Jean.
Hawks becomes frozen, absorbing the power Rogue was putting on Jean.
Jean scrambles to her feet, creating a force field that knocks Rogue backwards into the burning room, blocking the trio from Rogue and the fire. Hawks breaks free from his invisible restraints.
"We don't have much time!" Hawks exclaims. "The fire is still getting bigger, it is going to explode at this rate. Tokoyami, hurry and get Storm! We need to dowse the fire!"
"Yes Sensie!" Tokyoyami coughs.
"Jean, are you doing okay? Whatever you do, please don't drop the barrier."
"Time's ticking! I can't hold it much longer."
Just below the ceiling of Hawks' room, a dark cloud forms and it begins down-pouring. Within minutes the fire is extinguished as Storm and Tokoyami join Jean and Hawks outside the room.
"Are you guys okay?" Storm asks, patting Jean on her shoulder in recognition of the strength it took to hold the barrier.
Hawks stares at remains of his room, as the last of the fire sizzles out, almost hearing the ghostly raspy voice echoing through the smoke filled air.
"What's wrong, Keigo Takami? Bite off more than you can handle?"
"Go home, Hawks, you're going to get yourself hurt." Hawks begins sobbing. She's gone. She trusted me and she's- gone.
"Hawks-"
"Shhh." Jean urges. Just let him be for a moment." She walks to the charred dresser as a piece of red barely visible on top catches her eye. Getting closer she's able to make out the singed shape with short red fringes dead center. "He's a lunatic!" Jean screeches.
As Jean heads back toward the door, she sees Hawk's Endeavor doll lying on his bed unscathed. She picks it up to take to Hawks. On her way, she slips on a gooey gel on the ground. "Hawks! It wasn't rogue, but we've got a serious problem!"