CHAPTER 22 - The Whole Point of View: Part I
Kitty dropped her bag by the desk and pulled out her laptop. Hooking it up, she pulled the chair over and put one of her earpieces in to listen to some tunes while she worked. She'd finally be able to work on that program for the security system she'd been itching to get to. She'd gotten in that morning and was definitely looking forward to a month long break. She never went home on vacations except for a few days. She felt more at home at the mansion.
Her parents never understood why. They always gave her a hard time about it. She tried to be patient with them -- she supposed her feelings would be hurt too if her own kid preferred to live somewhere else instead of at home. But they tried, and that's all she was going to ask for.
She rocked her head to the music as she typed away at the program. Bobby was going to flip when he saw how far along she'd gotten on this thing. Maybe he'd actually get around to asking her out this time back at the mansion. She was getting sick and tired of waiting.
He wasn't getting in until this evening. Rogue and Jubes were at their last exam right now. Hank was doing some work down in Washington and Ororo and Remy were busy herding the last of the kids into the buses to take them home for the holiday season. So Kitty had volunteered to take office duty.
She worked for an hour or so squinting at the her progress and enjoying the sound of rain beating down on the windows. She sat back and rubbed her eyes while listening to some old Queen songs. She loved their tunes. She hummed along to Bohemian Rhapsody, stretching her stiff arms when the phone rang.
The phone.
She stared at in shock. It was the central phone line used for emergencies. They'd all been given the number when they had arrived at the school. It was, upon penalty of likely death, only to be used in cases of crisis. Big, whopping, 'I'm in deep shit' emergencies.
It started its second ring before she flew out of her seat to reach for it. She brought it to her ear, trying to remember the protocol she'd been taught when first taking on office duties.
Quick. Even. Reassuring. Get the facts. As many as possible, in case there is an interruption. Don't mention the school’s name, in case someone has gotten the number who isn't supposed to have access to it. Don'tfreeze.
“Yes?” She tried to make her voice calm and steady.
A pause. “Kit Cat?” The voice on the other line was at a near shout. Only a couple people called her that. And that voice...
“Jubes?” Oh, God. She tried to calm her frantic nerves.
“Girl, we're in some serious shit over here.” She was panting while she spoke into the phone.
“What's going on?” Get the facts.
She heard some noises in the background. Screaming? “We're at the college. We got ambushed. There were a mess of guys waiting for us.” Her voice was shaking. “They’re psychos, Kit. They shot up half the parking lot. I caught one in the shoulder but Rogue is good so far.”
“You're hurt?” She tried not to panic.
“Not bad, babe. You know me. I get out of everything.” She paused and cursed. “You got a quarter or something?” Who was she talking to? “We got separated. Rogue's still back there fighting off some shitheads. Made me go find this damn payphone... I need a damn quarter!... Thank fucking God I had some change in my pocket...Shit.”
She thought frantically. Get more information. “Ok. Listen. Tell me exactly where you are. Quick. We ca...”
“Damn.” Jube's voice interjected. “It keeps asking for more money. I don't have...”
The line went dead.
Kitty's heart stopped.
“Oh, God.” She stared at the phone. They were at the college. In Salem Center, right? Men. With guns. Shooting. Jubes is hurt. And Rogue? In a fight somewhere.
Her mind raced and she struggled for what to do next for only a second. She ran to the corner of the office where the intercom system was located. She punched in the code for the main speaker system.
They didn't have time. Things were going down now. They had to get over there as soon as possible. There was no time to call everyone individually. She hit the speaker button, hearing the main speakers throughout the school come to life.
“All available team members. I repeat. All available team members. This is an emergency. Get to the Bird as quickly as possible. Get to the Bird. This is an emergency.”
She hit the end button and ran out of the room, turning the corner to the stairs. The elevator would be too slow. She leaped down the steps two at a time. Phasing through the closed door at the bottom of the stairwell, she ran down the hall to the locker room.
She noticed Ororo stepping off the elevator at the far end. “Storm!”
Ororo looked over and ran towards her. “What happened?”
“Just get suited up. Quick. I'll tell everyone when we're together.” A quick nod. Thank God Ororo trusted her enough to let her take the lead for now.
Ororo looked towards the entrance of the locker room as they stripped. “Are Jubilation and Rogue back yet?”
Kitty swallowed the bile in her throat. “No. Not yet.”
When she finally got her last boot on, Storm was draping her wind cape and hooking it up. They ran out together.
They were met by the men, already pulling gloves on and quickly moving towards the hanger. So few of us.
“What's the deal, Pride?” She snapped her head over to Logan. Her heart in her throat, she panicked at the idea of telling him.
“Pride. Situation. Now.” He was all business. Calm. Cool. Collected.
She stared him straight in the eyes when she spoke out to everyone. “Jubilee called.”
She saw the moment he made the connection. He stilled and his eyes turned angry and dangerous. She barely noticed the surprised and horrified gasps from those around them.
His voice was low and feral. “Talk. Now.”
“There was an ambush waiting for them at the school. The parking lot, I think.” She gathered her courage. “There was a fight. Involving guns. Jubilee said she was hit, but not badly. They got into one of the buildings. She wasn't able to tell me which one before we got cut off.”
“And Rogue?” He was barely containing his rage.
“I don't know.”
He bared his teeth.
“She said they came into the building together. Rogue hadn't been shot. But they were separated during a fight in the building. Jubilee went to find a phone.” She took a deep breath. “From what she said it sounded like there were casualties.”
Ororo took a breath. “Let's get going.”
They took off down the hanger and strapped themselves into seats. So few. She thought. Logan,, Remy, 'Ro, Warren and me. She closed her eyes. Only five. Just like at Alcatraz.
That hadn't gone so well.
XXX
Warren was never comfortable on planes. From early childhood he'd thought them frightening and dangerous machines that did nothing but shoot along the sky with very little grace.
He'd admit it probably had to do with that first flight -- the one his father had taken him on when he was only eight. It had been so violently bumpy and unstable, Warren had refused to get on another plane without a screaming fit for the majority of his childhood.
He was quite young when his mutation manifested. It wasn't long after that initial flight that he'd started feeling the itching and soreness on his back. It had horrified him. It had horrified his father.
The first time he took flight, he'd relished in the smoothness and assurance of his wings. It was a difference that only made his dislike for aircraft more pronounced. The day he'd leapt from his father's office building had been the first time in his life he'd used those wings to claim his freedom.
Sitting on the Blackbird was making him ill. It was smoother than any other commercial plane. But still. He would always prefer air travel his own way. But there were moments like these. Moments where he had to put aside his fears and deal with the situation.
He didn't speak much to the Wolverine at any time. The man was so different from Warren, they found little, if anything, in common. Not only that, Warren felt a rather deep sense of guilt about the entire situation they currently found themselves in.
His father's company had wanted to keep Rogue for experimentation. And while Warren no longer had any contact with his father, he still felt responsible by association.
Knowing the Wolverine's temper on a good day, he wasn't about to push himself on the man now. He'd probably get three sharp claws in the chest. But they were pulling over the campus now and Warren felt he had some rather pertinent information. He cleared his throat.
“Worthington Lab’s policies don't allow for these actions. My father was always very proud of the transparency in the program. I don't think it's them.”
There. A general statement. Not directed towards anyone. So why was the Wolverine glaring at him with a murderous stare.
“You tryin' to say they ain't a part of this?”
Warren flinched. “No. I'm just...we should look outside the company as well. My father was training me to take over one day. There's no budget for these kinds of dealings.”
They were coming down over the baseball field. Wolverine unbuckled himself before they even landed and moved to the exit door, obviously eager to get out at the first opportunity. He glared at Warren. “You ain't your dad, kid. But don't try and protect the bastard.”
Warren let out a breath he wasn't aware he was holding. He wasn't being blamed. That was a bigger relief than he thought it would be.
They finally touched down and Warren felt his muscles relax. The gangway opened and they quickly made their way out, Storm staying behind to monitor the plane.
The ground was drenched and muddy. It had rained hard, but the sky was clearing now. Warren brought up his wings to stretch them out. He looked around and took note of the scorekeeper’s tower.
Wolverine cursed. “It fuckin' poured down rain for the last hour at least. It's going to make it damn near impossible to catch either of their scents.”
He looked at the three of them. “I can hear the sirens. The cops and fire department are here. Ambulances too. We're going to need to split up to search.” Kitty dug out the earpieces from her bag, handing one to each of them. “With cops hangin' around we need to keep to call signs.”
They hooked up the earpieces and coordinated channels. Warren couldn't help but notice how Wolverine's movements were quick and blunt. He was on edge. With one of the missing members being Rogue, Warren was surprised he wasn't more distracted. Then again, he did look like he might murder someone given the slightest provocation.
“Gambit, Shadowcat...take the north side. Stay away from the cops. Maybe the girls were able to get to that side of campus.” He turned to Warren. “Angel, get up there and see if you can't see them from the sky. Sparky's always wearing that God-awful yellow. She'll be easier to spot than Rogue. I'll take the south end of campus. Any of you see a damn thing, you get on the com and let me know. We clear?”
When they nodded, Wolverine didn't waste any time. He took off at a run towards one of the parking lots.
Warren broke off and ran to the scorekeeper’s tower. The door was bolted but he easily kicked it in with one smooth blow from his foot. He quickly made his way up the narrow steps to the small office. The grate was closed as well, but had no lock. He stood on the desk and pulled up on the handle. It noisily slid up. He had a clear view.
Kitty had once been shocked to learn he couldn't just fly off the ground like a bird. He was too big and aerodynamically speaking, the human body wasn't built to fly. His bones were much less dense than those of a regular human. But beside the wings, it was the only major physical difference he held. He was actually quite light, lighter than even the girls on the team.
Even so, he wasn't a bird. He couldn't just take off and fly up. He required lift. He'd always just told everyone he didn't fly, he glided. It was more accurate.
He ducked out of the window and looked down. Thirty or so foot drop. It was enough. He coiled his wings in and let go. Swan diving off the ledge, he brought his wings out and caught the current of air, immediately soaring up.
Much better than the Blackbird.
He spent twenty minutes gliding around, landing on rooftops to get a better look into alleys and turning back to avoid being seen by the authorities. He would have been able to search better if they weren't around. It was making everything difficult. From the reports of Remy and Kitty, they'd only just managed to get around the security at the one end of the building.
Wolverine gave curt commands but stayed mostly silent.
Warren took flight and decided to give himself some distance above the parking lots to see if he noticed anything.
Suddenly, Kitty came over the com. “Shadowcat here. I've just phased past security. I've managed to hide inside one the cars here in Parking Lot C. Heavy police presence.”
Wolverine's voice came over the speaker. “Report, Shadowcat.”
“I have visual of...” She paused for a moment. He could hear her hesitation. “the car. It's been flagged and taped off along with four or five other vehicles.”
“What's the situation there?” Warren couldn't tell if Wolverine sounded angry or desperate.
When Kitty came back on the radio, her voice was hitched. “It looks like someone laid out a couple hundred bullets into the thing.” Warren took a deep breath and held it.
There was silence on the line. Suddenly Remy's voice came over the line. “Gambit in de security building now. Dey have surveillance cameras throughout, homme. If Shadowcat can get into de system, we have a better look, non? Between us and de police, every inch of dis campus been covered already, comprends? More looking on foot -- dat’s just wasting time les filles don’t have.”
Finally Wolverine answered. “Get over there, Shadowcat. Get all the footage. And I do mean all of it. Every last camera, you hear?”
“On my way,” she answered. “Give me five minutes, Gambit. Try and clear out the room with the mainframe in it. I can download everything from there with minimal interruption.”
“Oui. Gambit do dis,” the Cajun answered.
“Keep a look out, Angel. As soon as you get it, everyone back to the Bird.”
“I understand,” Warren answered, followed by Remy's affirmation.
He came back down some to look at the havoc beneath him. Hundreds of bullets? How many men had they sent?
XXX
Ororo was never one to make assumptions. It was a quality in which she took a fair amount of pride. When she'd first noticed Logan's growing attraction to Rogue, she'd reserved making any judgments. While others made vulgar commentaries about his intentions, she'd thought somewhat differently.
Logan was a strange creature, difficult to read, difficult to understand. He was instinctive and brutal. Not much passed his notice. He had an animal wildness to him that required a release of energy in forms of violence. She suspected his history of being tormented in a lab had a good deal to do with that.
His instincts weren't only towards fighting, but towards...other aspects as well. Female companionship, especially. He enjoyed the company of women in his bed, if only for a couple of hours at a time and with a wide variety. No one could deny his...attractiveness. But his soul was much to unquiet for her taste.
Through it all, through all his less-than-clean track record, there was one thing that had been absolute with Logan. When he chose to put his trust in something, in someone, he put all of himself into it. She'd seen it from the very beginning. First with Rogue and then with Jean.
He'd given his life for Rogue. Under no assurance of resurrection, he'd given all of himself to her so that she might live. He'd chosen to give his trust to Jean as well, along with a good piece of his heart. He'd given her everything too. He'd answered her pleas for him to save her the only way she could be saved. He'd destroyed a woman he loved so that she wouldn't suffer.
Yes, if there was one thing Ororo Monroe was absolutely sure of, it was the infallibility of Logan's honor. He was not capable of hurting Rogue. If he'd been merely attracted to her, he wouldn't have taken one step in that direction with her.
But she watched him struggle, watched him wait. It was eating him up. When she realized that something had happened between them, shortly after the accident, she wasn't at all shocked. It wouldn't have mattered anyway. The way he was with her -- the gentleness, the intensity, it was magical to watch.
He had given his love to Jean.
He gave his soul to Rogue.
Waiting here on the Blackbird, thinking about that bond, she was truly frightened for him. They didn't know what had happened to the girls. The very idea that they could already be gone, never to return...Ororo wasn't sure if it wouldn't actually kill him.
She listened to their small group as they reported back to one another. When Kitty had gone off to find the main network to get the security footage, Ororo scrambled to the back of the jet where their computer system was housed and started turning on machines. Kitty would need all this running and ready when she returned to the jet and they needed to see those tapes as soon as possible.
She listened through her headphones as Kitty reported back, step by step, her progress.
“Almost there. Downloading now.” Her voice was strained but calm. They all knew a good deal about computers and networks, but Kitty was astounding at any system. She was better than even Scott had been.
After booting up all the systems Ororo hurried back to the front of the plane to monitor the local authorities, making sure they hadn't spotted the jet.
Kitty's voice crackled through. “Got it! I'm heading back to the jet now. ETA...ten minutes maybe.”
Logan's voice followed only a second later. “Make it five, Shadowcat.”
She made it back in six, Logan climbing into the jet behind her. Kitty threw herself into the seat at the back and shoved the data stick into their computer, hands already flying across the keyboard.
“Give me a sec to upload these files.” She started mumbling to herself. “Need multiple screens. Where's the damn floor plan file?”
Logan stood, arms crossed, eyes staring at the screen as different windows flew across it. When Remy and Warren came climbing into the jet, Ororo stood. “Warren, would you mind...”
He jogged up to the front. “I don't mind, 'Ro. Go ahead.”
She breathed a sigh of relief. She was on edge. She needed to know where her girls were. She thought of them that way; the three of them. She felt a great deal of affection for the three of them, Jubilee, Rogue, and Kitty. They were so strong even so young. They threw themselves into this cause without a thought to their own lives. They reminded her of...herself.
When she got to the back, Logan was grumbling about how damn long it was taking. Kitty was flying through screen after screen looking for the right files. “I'm going as fast as I can, Logan.” She bit her lip. “Here!” She highlighted a group of files and opened them up. “What time were their exams? I can look at the parking lot camera right before that to see them arrive. Then we can follow and see what happened.”
“Eight. They were running late though. Probably got there just in time.” Logan supported one hand against the desk, leaning in to get a closer look at the screen.
“Let's pull it up at ten of, then,” Kitty muttered.
The picture came up and she focused in on the area where the car had been. She fast forwarded and they watched as cars filled the lot across the black and white screen.
“There,” Logan said, pointing at the car.
Kitty played the tape and they watched as the car quite quickly pulled into the spot and Jubilee and Rogue spilled out, clearly in a rush. They scurried across the parking lot, Jubilee stopping to talk to a gathering of young men.
Rogue returned to drag her along. 'Ro's heart contracted. So normal, she thought. Everything was so calm, they suspected nothing.
They fast forwarded two hours and looked for the crowd exiting the building. At the right spot they watched as people filed out through the rain, rushing to their cars.
Jubes and Rogue left the building, stopping under the overhang to pull on gloves and hoods. They began to splash quickly through the rain, weaving through the cars in the parking lot.
Ororo noted when Jubilee slowed, occupied by something in her pocket. Keys, maybe? As she searched, a man stepped out of a Jeep, armed with some sort of automatic rifle. She hadn’t noticed yet. She began to run towards the car again. Something caught her attention. She stopped suddenly. He said something and she brought her hands up by her sides.
Rogue, who had made it to the car, turned looking for her, unaware of the situation with the downpour making it difficult to see. She stopped as well when she realized what was happening. And then there was a second and a third man, stepping out of another Jeep, behind Rogue. She turned and for a moment, they all stood, apparently discussing the situation.
Logan was growling low in his throat, his eyes staring at the screen.
Ororo found herself caught up in the story playing out in front of them. “What’s happening?”
Kitty shook her head. “With no audio, all we can do is wait and see.”
Suddenly, Jubilee’s hands sparked to life. Grey-white light flashed across the screen and everything happened at once.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
Wow! This chapter was SO big I had to break it up into two parts! As always, big thanks to my BETA doctorg! Especially in the next couple of chapters. She really helped me get the characters right! Hope you enjoy!
Chapter End Notes:
It's just going to get better! Review or I will hide under a rock. That or resort to writing Twilight fanfiction....there you have it, threat made.