CHAPTER 23 - The Whole Point of View: Part II
Remy was grinding his back teeth as he watched the screen. His little ball of fire had sent fireworks in every direction, distracting the men long enough for her and Rogue to throw themselves to the ground behind cars before the air clouded with smoke and bullets.
“Merde!” It was all-out havoc as men climbed from the two Jeeps, circling around the cars.
“Where the hell are they?” Wolverine was squinting at the screen, trying to see where either of the two girls had gone. The angle didn’t allow for a good view between cars. “Come on, come on...”
“There,” Ororo exclaimed, pointing to a figure at the bottom corner low crawling across the wet asphalt.
“Dat is Jubilee,” Remy said. She moved along the ground in a frantic hurry to get away. They held a collective breath as a man came around the corner and she shoved herself under the car.
The man squatted, looking under and between vehicles. It was hard to see what she was doing, but he was getting closer and Remy found himself talking out loud to her.
“Move, chère!”
She couldn’t see him and he was getting closer. Suddenly her body jerked to the other side of the car where their line of sight was obscured.
Logan focused on the corner. “There’s a shadow over here, moving off screen. Pride, can you track it?”
Kitty’s hands moved over the keyboard and the the view switched to a different angle of the parking lot.
There they were, both girls. Rogue was dragging Jubes out from the other end of the car and they continued to crawl along the ground.
Thinking they were far enough away, they got to their feet, keeping to a crouch and moving along the line of cars. They were spotted by one of the men and the shots slammed into the car behind them as they flew forward, using another car as cover.
Remy felt his heart falter. Jubilee was on the floor, Rogue frantically covering her with her body. “Dis where she was shot, yeah?” he asked tightly.
Rogue got to her feet, dragging Jubilee behind her as they broke free of the cars and ran for the trees at the edge of campus. People were running every which way and it was hard to keep track of them. More shots and bodies fell to the ground.
“They’re shooting into the crowd?” Ororo said in horror.
Logan’s fists slammed into the desk. “Don’t lose them, Pride.”
Kitty scrambled for a different view. “Stupid files are lined up wrong...”
Remy noticed their figures and pointed. “Les petites are going into dat building. De lecture hall.”
Rogue was half dragging Jubes up the steps and his heart picked up speed. She was hurt, his firecracker.
XXX
Logan couldn’t fucking believe what he was seeing. They were actually shooting into crowds of people to get to them, to get to Marie.
Kitty jumped when Remy pointed out the lecture hall. “There’s a camera in there. It had audio. They’d use it for recording lectures as well as for security purposes.” She brought up a few screens, changing networks.
The screen came to life and they saw the large room come into focus in actual color. The camera was in the back of the room the main entrance towards the front right corner. They heard the sounds of gunfire as the doors came crashing open, Rogue and Jubilee plowing through the doors.
Logan’s heart skipped a beat at their appearance. Their hair was wet and plastered to their heads and faces, their clothing stained and ripped from being dragged across the asphalt.
“Can you focus in any, Pride?” His voice was tight.
She brought the focus in as the girls turned and slammed the doors closed, locking it. A breath and they flew into action.
“What the hell was that?” Jubes screamed as she staggered to the teacher’s desk.
Marie moved to the other side and they dragged it to the door. She was breathing heavily. “I don’t know,” were her only words. They were tight and clipped.
Logan could hear the barely-controlled panic in her voice. She’s scared. The knowledge brought a snarl to his mouth. He wasn’t accustomed to watching her like that.
He noticed a scrape along her cheekbone. Her breaths were coming fast and furious. She was so worked up she actually groaned every time she heaved the desk a bit closer to the door.
Jubes was having trouble. When they finally got the desk into place, she sagged against the wall.
Rogue fell to her knees in front of her friend. “Let me see it.”
“They fucking shot me!” was Jube’s incredulous reply.
Marie pushed at her shoulder and Jubes bit back a scream.
“It went straight through,” Marie said. She leaned back and pulled off her jacket, ripping off the sleeve.
Logan noted her thin cotton shirt was as drenched as the rest of her. He also noticed the almost imperceptible shaking of her body. They had dragged their bodies through icy water and sleet in the middle of December. They were running the risk of hypothermia.
Marie wrapped Jube’s arm and tied a severe knot to quench the bleeding. Jubes jumped and cursed.
“Easy, chica! You’re going to permanently damage my arm that way.”
Marie snorted. “At least it’s not your writing hand.”
“I’m left handed!” Jubes wailed dramatically.
Marie snorted. “I guess you’re screwed, then.”
Logan felt like he was dying. There they were, having been shot at by gun-wielding men, and still managing to keep it together. He knew Marie was strong. He was starting to see Jubilee in a similar light too. She could hold her shit together. They had to get through this.
Jubes got to her feet and looked around. “We gotta get to a phone, girl.”
He noticed when Marie stood, her shaking became more noticeable. He cringed.
“Yeah,” she said through chattering teeth.
Jubes turned from her position checking out the doors and looked at her.
“Jeez, your lips are turning blue, girl. Here...” She tried to unbutton her jacket. “Your coat wasn’t waterproof, mine was. Take mine before you...”
Logan saw both girl’s freeze as a voice came through the door. “Blood trail leads in here, boss. I knew I got the Asian one.”
Jubes looked down at her arm as a high pitched whine started.
“Is dat...?” Remy started next to him.
“Explosive!” Logan said with alarm. The girls looked at each other, apparently realizing the same thing. They threw themselves to the floor as an explosion ripped and splintered the door.
Smoke enveloped the room for endless moments. Logan frantically searched the screen for their forms. He knew in his head that Jubes had called after this, which meant they had survived. But he couldn’t keep the feeling of panic that took over him.
Three men climbed in over the desk, guns in hand. More fireworks flew through the air and they dropped their guns with yelps of pain and anger.
They were covered in black clothing, including gloves. For Marie, Logan thought desperately. To grab her without getting hurt.
One of them bent down to retrieve the weapon only to curse vividly. “Melted, boss.”
The second man directed them to look around as the dust finally settled. “Find them.”
They were met with another rain of fireworks before they could look any further. They backed up and Logan suddenly saw Jubes reach behind the one near the door, jerking him back with her good arm and slamming his head against the desk.
“Dat’s my girl!” Remy said through heaving breaths.
The man slumped to the ground. They turned to her and then Marie came back into frame. “Get to a phone,” she yelled before landing a piece of wood on the back of one of them. He fell to his knees and she went to follow Jubes.
Logan snarled as the one in charge grabbed her around the waist and threw her to the ground easily. Jubes faltered, turning away from the door to help.
“Go,” Marie yelled. She rose to her feet and threw a punch as Jubilee climbed out the door.
This is where their knowledge of events ended. This is where Jubes had called, only knowing this part. Logan felt a terrifying horror grip his soul.
He watched helplessly as the man easily grabbed her arm and swung her around. The second man, the one she’d clobbered with the wood stood and wrapped his arm around her neck.
Logan gripped the desk in fury. She fought furiously and they jerked around the room as the man holding her tried to keep her under control. She turned her chin into his arm and leaned forward, breaking the choke. She used her opposite arm to elbow the man in the ribs. He let out a grunt of surprise as she took hold of his arm and flipped him onto his back, heaving his considerable weight with a grunt of her own.
Logan felt a feral smile come to his face as she locked his arm into place with her leg and jammed it down to splinter the humerus. The man screamed in agony.
Her victory was short-lived, however, as the man who’d directed the other two snatched her up again and threw her into the desk.
Her wet hair swung around in dark locks and she shoved it out of her face as she quickly rose to her feet.
Logan gripped the table as the man started to talk to her. “Marie D’Ancanto, is it?”
She was visibly taken aback. Beyond a widening of her eyes though, the only reaction she had was to widen her stance and raise her arms in defense.
“We’ve been hunting for you for awhile now.” He chuckled. “You’re an elusive little thing, aren’t you?” He cracked his knuckles. “Finally tracked you down to that school. You realize we’ve been trailing you for a month? Waiting for that man you’re always with to leave you alone?” Logan growled. “Finally got to follow you this week without interruption.”
Logan’s jaw clenched. The man was trying to bait her.
“You could just surrender,” the man crooned. “I get half a million more if I bring you in alive.”
And there it was. The bounty on her head was set high, dead or alive. This man didn’t look like he cared either way. Logan snarled.
She did nothing but set her fists. Logan’s chest filled with pride.
He circled her. “I was curious to meet the little mutey that made Old Worthington cave on his moral standings.” He laughed. “You should be proud. The man never took out a bounty on any other mutant. You must be a prize indeed.” He leered. “With that shirt sticking to you the way it does, I can tell you’d be one hell of a ride, sweetheart.”
Logan felt the animal rise within him. He wanted to reach into that screen and eviscerate the shitface.
Marie moved along the room, countering each of his steps with one of her own. Her breath was steady, but her body still shook from the cold that had seeped into her bones.
He lunged.
Logan’s heart stopped as she dodged and went to punch him in the gut. He caught her arm and twisted her around, slamming her up against the wall.
“Oh, my,” he laughed into her ear. “You’ve been trained.” He pushed her head into the wall viciously. She slammed her head back, catching his chin. It gave her the opportunity to lift her leg against the wall and heave with all her strength. They fell back to the floor.
Logan felt himself bare his teeth in response to his mate’s fight. He suffered through watching this nightmare unfold by encouraging her from the future. “Come on, darlin’...That’s it, Marie.”
They grappled on the floor, each looking to get the upper hand. The man was twice her size. But Logan knew first hand how much force his girl could pack.
She grunted and groaned through moves he’d taught her, avoiding each of the man's locks and pins.
He saw her reach for his face twice. Each time, the man quickly deflected and laughed. “You think I don’t know about your skin, sweetheart?” He ground his knee into her shoulder and she screamed in pain.
Wolverine roared in fury.
Storm flinched and turned away. Remy cursed colorfully.
The man grabbed a handful of her hair and hauled her up to her feet. She struggled to turn and he punched her across the face, hard. She landed on the floor with a sickening thud. Her body automatically jerked to stand up and then faltered. She flopped back down with a cry of pain.
“Get up,” Logan commanded. He couldn’t breathe past the fear clogging his chest.
She struggled to move, probably disoriented from the blow. The man sighed. “You’re good. Really good. Who trained you? That boyfriend of yours? I’d love to go up against him.”
Logan felt a similar desire. He’s show the man a thing or two.
The man leered at her. “He teach you how to fuck, too, sweetheart?”
She glared up at him.
“Obviously he’s got military training. But there’s a little bit of down and dirty in there, as well.” He smirked. “I’m impressed.”
She stood and readied herself again. Her hands shook visibly. Logan felt the bile rise in his throat.
The man smiled encouragingly. “You’ve got spirit, sweetheart.”
They engaged again. She held him off for quite a few combinations before he dropped her again with a laugh.
“I give credit where it’s due. You have good muscle memory. Very smooth. But you hesitate. And your timing’s off.”
Logan growled. He’d told her that twenty times in the last month alone. The fucking asshole was drawing this out. He was having fun with her. Logan’s blood boiled. He’d hunt the man down and feed him his own testicles. He was a dead-man-walking.
Remy spoke quietly next to him. “Remy is afraid de Rogue is tiring quickly.”
“Shut the fuck up, LeBeau,” Logan snapped. He turned back to the screen and watched as she struggled once again to her feet. Blood ran down her nose and mouth. Logan’s stomach lurched.
She was heaving for breath and shaking violently now. Shock had set in. But Rogue would die fighting. Logan hadn’t fallen in love with someone who gave up. He toppled her easily this time, kicking her in the chest. The air left her lungs with an agonizing cry and Logan felt his eyes sting painfully at the beating she was taking.
She fell to the ground onto one knee, facing away from the man, obviously trying to regain her breath.
The man raised his hands. “I’m all for learning though. Tell me. What do you think? I know my angles are probably off. I never was one to worry about positioning. But I’ve done pretty well.” He walked up to her, obviously comfortable in his dominance. “Go ahead, Marie. Let me have it.” He waited.
She was faltering. And Logan saw the second her body sagged in defeat. “No!” He watched in absolute horror as the man shrugged and took out a knife.
“Don’t give up, darlin’...Marie, get up and find the damn hit!” She had to get up. She just had to get up.
“Come on, sweetheart. Let’s hear it.” The man walked up behind her and unsheathed the knife. “Have it your way.”
Logan reached out to the screen as if he could grab her. Time stopped.
The man reached the knife around to her throat.
She came to life. She turned and jerked, twisting free of the hand with the knife. He faltered and took a step back before pushing her back down.
“There!” Logan called out to her, as if she could hear him.
And in his mind she did. Because she pushed up from the ground with an animalistic scream of fury, jamming her hand up to collide with his face. With a sickening crunch, the heel of her palm met with his nose. Blood exploded from his face as shards of the broken nose splintered up and into his brain.
He fell backwards onto the ground, dead.
A roar of triumph exploded from Logan's chest. Kitty and ‘Ro gasped in relief. Remy’s jaw fell open in disbelief.
He could barely contain himself as he watched her stagger. She was gulping down oxygen and trying to stay upright. She stared down at the man.
Logan was momentarily stunned when she kicked the man’s leg in rage.
“You talk too much!” she shouted at him.
Logan felt a ridiculous laugh burst from his chest.
His relief was short-lived though. Her strength evaporated, the adrenaline of the fight finally wearing off. She collapsed against the wall, sagging to the floor.
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Author's Chapter Notes:
This may just well be my favorite chapter. I'm sure you'll know why by the end. BETA-ed by fabulously wonderful doctorg. She really helped out with getting the characters to sound right! Hope you enjoy reading as much as I enjoyed writing this one!
Chapter End Notes:
KICK ASS~KICK ASS! I L.O.V.E.D. writing that fight scene with Rogue. Especially from Logan's POV! REVEIW..pleeeeeease! I need reviews!