New Alliances: Chapter 3

An X-Men Evolution Fanfic

Rogue thought showers were probably human kind’s greatest invention. Even better was the fact that there were three in the women’s bathroom the Fury guy had shown them, so she and Tabby could take one at the same time.

She was fairly certain the horrible green stuff that had trapped her had been washed off several minutes ago, but the hot water felt so good, she decided to stay in a while longer.

When she finally got out, she changed into the standard-issue S.H.I.E.L.D. Sweatshirt and sweatpants. They were a little big, but clean and much more comfortable than her X-Men uniform. Tabby got out of the shower a minute later, wrapped in a towel, and started searching through the bathroom’s many drawers and cabinets.

“Are they seriously all empty?” she asked.

“Wait, really?” Rogue asked. The showers had been fully-stocked with shampoo, soap, and conditioner, and there had been plenty of clean towels waiting for them, so she figured someone must use this bathroom regularly, but if every drawer was empty . . .

“What are you looking for?”

Tabby rocked back on her heels and huffed. “A hairbrush. You’d think they’d have one.”

“Huh.” Rogue had thought there would be one somewhere. “Well, if you find one, tell me. I gotta go talk to Logan.”

“Yep,” Tabby muttered as Rogue left the room.

When they had arrived at S.H.I.E.L.D., Rogue had been too focused on getting a shower and getting out of the confused haze of what exactly had happened to them over the past 24-hours to pay attention to anything but the bathroom. Now she got a good look.

The bathroom led out into a large, utilitarian room that could probably best be described as a barracks. Four empty bunk-beds were lined against one wall, and four dressers had been placed between them. A soft, brown rug made the room a little cozier, but that was the extent of the decor. Rogue wondered why it was empty and who usually lived there. She hoped they hadn’t kicked anyone out with their sudden arrival.

She vaguely remembered a large room before that, but was surprised to find the room was actually a comfy, though sparse, suite.

The living room held multiple couches and several chairs arranged in an uneven circle around a small tv. A coffee table sat in the middle, and a couple end tables were placed between the couches. A counter separated the room from what appeared to be a fully-stocked kitchen that the boys were already raiding. Several bar stools were lined up against the counter.

Across from the bedroom she had just come out of, another door opened into what appeared to be a second barracks. Probably the boys'. Another door was beside it, though she had no idea where that led.

Logan was standing in the middle of the living room, watching the boys, so she walked over to join him. “So what do we do now?”

He didn’t look at her. Something in his expression told her she wouldn’t like the answer. “Logan?”

He grunted. “I’m going to look for the others. I have a guess about where Scott is, but the others . . . it may take some time.”

I’m going, he said. “You’re leaving us?”

Now he looked at her. “I don’t want to, stripes, but I can’t take you all with me.”

“Then what? Do we just go back to the mansion?”

“You can’t go back to the mansion. They’ll be looking for you there.” He sighed. “Fury said you kids can stay here for the time being. I don’t like it, but there’s not a better option, and you’ll at least be safe her.”

Rogue swallowed and turned away. She crossed her arms tight over her chest as though she could shield herself from his words.

“I’m not saying you have to stay,” he said. “If you find something better, take it, but I don’t see anything right now.”

“Yeah,” Rogue said sarcastically. “Nothing better than leaving us with a stranger.”

Several beeps stopped Logan before he could reply. Rogue turned around to see another door she hadn’t noticed before in the kitchen. Fury stepped in and held out two small objects to Logan. “I found what you asked for.”

“Thanks.” Logan took the objects, and Rogue realized they were cell phones. He flipped one open and started typing something into it.

“What’s that for?”

Logan said nothing, so Fury answered for him. “They’re burner phones. We try to keep several in case we need them.”

Logan tossed one to Rogue. “In case of emergencies. It has the number to this.” He held up the other phone and waved it. “And I’ll keep you updated on my search.”

Kurt popped his head over Logan’s shoulder. “Wait, you’re leaving?”

“Well, bye then.” Rogue pushed past them both. She pushed open the unknown door beside the boys' barracks and headed down the hallway.

“Wait, Rogue!” Kurt called, but she slammed the door. He didn’t follow.

It was a short corridor. At the end, she found a glass-walled gym. It was small and nothing as impressive as the Danger Room, but she found a punching bag and decided that was all she needed.

She pulled off her sweatshirt, more comfortable in the sports bra underneath, and found some wraps for her hands in a cabinet with some small weights.

She hadn’t realized just how much she needed to hit something until she started. Her knuckles smacked against the firm leather over and over until she couldn’t breathe and the emptiness in her stomach became too desperate to ignore. She collapsed on the floor in front of the punching bag. She didn’t want to go back to the kitchen, and she wasn’t sure she could walk back herself if she did.

“Hey.” She looked up to see Tabby walk in. “Found a brush.” She held it up. “Well, the director guy found it for me. I’m not sure I want to know where he found it.”

“Probably not,” Rogue agreed. She held out her hand, and Tabby handed it over.

Tabby winced as she sat on the floor beside Rogue. “Oh, I’m going to be sore for days.” Rogue grunted in agreement. “So, Logan already gone?”

Rogue turned abruptly to look at her. “You knew he was leaving?”

Tabby shrugged. “Thought it was kinda obvious. I figured he’d take you, though.”

Rogue didn’t know if she meant just her, or if “you” included Kurt and Evan as well. “He said he had to go by himself.”

Tabby snorted. “Figures. So what’ll you do then?”

Again, Rogue wasn’t sure who she was referring to, but she figured it didn’t matter. She shrugged. “I guess we’ll stay here. Logan said it was probably safest.”

Tabby raised her eyebrows. “You’re staying just cause he told you to? That doesn’t sound like you.”

Anger flared inside her. “No, I’m not!”

“Okay, sure.” Tabby parted her hair down the middle and started to pull it into pigtails. “You got a hair tie?” Rogue stared at her, and Tabby shook her head. “Never mind, stupid question. Ugh, I hate having my hair down.”

“Sorry.”

“Not your fault.”

Rogue stared at her socked feet. She couldn’t have gone with Logan even if he let her. She didn’t even have shoes. “I’m staying cause he’s probably right. This is the safest place right now, and I’m not gonna abandon the boys or drag them into danger just cause I don’t like it.”

Tabby cocked her head and stared at Rogue for a moment. “Well, good luck, then.” It would have sounded sarcastic if not for her wistful tone, and then something clicked.

“Wait, are you leaving?”

Tabby looked at her like she was crazy. “Uh, yeah? The X-Men and Brotherhood don’t really get along, remember? Don’t want to overstay our welcome.”

Rogue stared at her. She hadn’t even considered that. Sure their groups didn’t get along and fought nearly every other week, but she didn’t want them hurt, and right now it was too dangerous for any mutants out on the streets. It worried her to think of Tabby and Fred alone with nowhere to go.

“Well I don’t see any X-Men here, do you?” Tabby blinked. “I’m just Rogue, and I’d be glad if you stayed.” She leaned forward and grinned conspiratorially. “I’d rather not be the only girl here.”

Tabby’s expression morphed into shock for a second, then she laughed. “Yeah, it’s not much fun.”

“So,” Rogue asked. “You gonna stay?”

“I’ll talk to Freddie,” she said. “We’ll see.”

Logan punched in the mansion’s phone number as soon as he stepped outside.

“Hello?”

He’d known Ororo should have stayed safe at the mansion, but it was still a relief to hear her voice.

“Ororo.”

“Logan?” she gasped. “Oh, thank the goddess. Where are you? Are you okay? The children–”

“I have some of them with me. The others . . . I’ll be looking.”

“Where are you?” she said again.

“I can’t tell you. You know that.”

She sighed. She sounded so tired. “Yes, you’re right.” She was quiet for a moment. “Is Evan . . .?”

“He’s safe.”

There was silence on the other end, and Logan thought it would be best to let her be. “I’ll call you when I find the others.” He hung up then started down the street.

Kitty woke wrapped in Lance’s arms.

He was still asleep, so she stayed there, studying his sleeping face. If she was honest with herself, she had imagined waking up next to him several times. In those daydreams, they were older with their own place, together because they chose to be, not because of the circumstances. Not everything would be perfect, but it wouldn’t have to be, because they would find a way through their problems together.

It was a far cry from their current reality.

She leaned closer and pressed her lips gently against his cheek, then carefully slid out of his arms. When she stood up, she realized Todd and his blanket had both disappeared. He must have already gotten up.

She turned around, then froze.

There was a girl sleeping on the couch. She looked maybe a year or two older than Kitty, with tanned skin and long dark hair tied into a braid. Kitty had never heard her come in.

If she’d wanted to hurt them, though, she would have had plenty of time while they were asleep. Besides, Todd must have seen her when he got up, but he hadn’t tried to warn them. So either he expected her, or knew she wasn’t a danger.

Kitty tiptoed past the girl and into the kitchen, where Todd sat, eating breakfast. “Morning,” he said. “How’d you sleep.” His teasing tone suggested he knew the answer.

“Wonderfully,” she said. “And you?” He snickered, but didn’t answer. Kitty opened the fridge and looked for something she could eat and waited for him to bring up the girl. He didn’t.

“Want some pop tarts?” He held up one of his own. “They’re in the cabinet.”

She shook her head. “No thanks.” She had yet to find a pop tart that was kosher. She started looking through the cabinets when she found nothing in the fridge. Eventually she pulled out the package of bread she’d opened last night. It wouldn’t make much of a breakfast, but it was something.

“Oh, good. You’re awake,” a voice said from the doorway. Kitty looked up to see the girl with the braid staring at them with a hand on her hip. “So you can explain what exactly you’re doing back here.”

“Oh, hi, Tara,” Todd said. He appeared to be trying to melt into his chair, though he grinned as if he wasn’t. “What can I say? I missed home sweet home.”

Kitty wasn’t sure how you could miss a place like this, but she said nothing.

Tara shook her head. “I told you not to go. Told you you’d regret it.”

Todd shrugged. “Guess you were right.”

“Of course I was.” Tara looked him up and down. “You’ve been gone for a while, though.” She advanced like a steamroller, stopping short in front of Todd’s chair and leaning into his space. “Seem’s like you need a reminder on how things work around here.”

Kitty wasn’t sure what was happening, but she thought she should stop it. Before she could, though, Tara hooked her foot around the leg of Todd’s chair and knocked him onto the floor.

Kitty shot to her feet. “Hey!”

Tara sat in the now-empty chair and raised her eyebrows. “What?”

Todd hopped up before she could say anything. “Sorry, Tara. Forgot that was your chair.”

“I’m sure there’s a lot of things you forgot,” she said. “But don’t worry. I’ll remind you.”

Todd hopped over to the chair on the other side of Kitty and sat down. Then he grabbed her arm and tried to pull her down beside him.

Kitty bit her lip. She didn’t want to give in so easily, but they needed this place, and she didn’t want to get them kicked out so soon. Besides, Todd didn’t seem to want her to get involved. Slowly, she sank back down into her seat.

“What’s going on here?” Lance stepped into the kitchen.

“Oh, look.” Tara leaned her elbows on the table and propped her chin on her hands. “Sleeping Beauty’s awake.”

“Lance!” Todd hopped up so fast he would have fallen if Kitty hadn’t caught his arm and hauled him back up. “This is Tara.”

“Hi.” Lance clipped the word short and dropped into the last chair, turning it out from the table. He and Tara stared at each other, each sizing the other up. Kitty and Todd shared an anxious glance.

“Where’s Craig?” Lance said finally, turning to Todd.

Kitty frowned at him, then leaned away from the table to see the bedroom door. Sure enough, it was open, revealing an empty room. She hadn’t been paying enough attention.

“Celebrating, probably.” Todd turned to Tara. “I’m guessing you guys were on a job last night?”

You guys? Were there more people living here? Or was he talking about Craig?

Tara nodded and flicked her braid over her shoulder. “Couldn’t even wait until afternoon to go out and blow the money. We’re just lucky the places he likes don’t ask questions.”

Lance grimaced for some reason Kitty didn’t understand. “Aren’t you worried he’ll say something about where the money came from?”

Todd and Tara glanced at each other, then laughed, their earlier tension forgotten. “Unless he starts talking in his sleep, it won’t be a problem.” Tara leaned her chair back. “He’s a lightweight.”

“‘S why it takes him so long to spend the money. He’ll be out for a while,” a new voice said.

“Mornin’, Danny,” Todd said without looking up.

The new kid looked several years younger than Jamie and stared blearily around the table at the four of them. Then he rolled his eyes and shook his head when he realized there wasn’t a chair left for him. He grabbed an open box of cereal from a cabinet, then walked back into the living room.

Tara leapt up, grabbed a bowl, and chased him out of the room, complaining about hogging food.

Lance glanced over at the napkin with two pieces of bread in front of Kitty. He frowned. “Is that all you’re eating?”

She shrugged. “It’s all I could find.”

He looked confused for a second, then his comprehension dawned. “I didn’t even think about that. We’ll find you something else later.”

Todd didn’t seem to be paying attention. “We’re lucky we got here when we did.”

“Why?” Kitty asked.

“They just finished a job. Like Danny said, Craig will be out for a while. I mean, he’ll come back here every so often, but he won’t need us.” He turned to look at Kitty. He stared at her intensely as though he was trying to communicate something. “Which is good, since your powers have to recharge.”

She blinked. “Wha–”

“And you can’t use them every day,” he said quickly.

“Oh.” She was too surprised to say anything else. Lance looked between the two of them, confused. “Yes. Since–since it takes time for my powers to charge–before I can use them, I mean. I, uh, I probably should have mentioned that to Craig yesterday.”

“So you’re saying we have time,” Lance said slowly. Todd nodded, and Kitty sighed, relieved.

This was just temporary. They had time to get out and find their friends . . .

If they could be found.

Amara sighed and leaned closer to the bricks of the mansion’s gate. She thought there was still a hint of yellow there, but most of the spray paint was gone, and her arms were tired from scrubbing.

She glanced over at Bobby and Sam, who were scrubbing a spot a couple meters away. “You need help?” she called.

“Yes!” Bobby shouted back, but Sam elbowed him.

“We’re good,” he said.

“Okay, then I’m going to go inside,” she said, relieved at his answer. The professor had called Jubilee and Rahne inside nearly half an hour ago, and they hadn’t come back out. She was starting to get worried.

Sam gave a thumbs up and turned back to keep scrubbing, while Bobby complained.

The professor was waiting in the foyer when she ran inside. “Amara, how’s the cleaning going?”

“Almost done. Sam and Bobby are finishing up.” She glanced around, but the rest of the room was empty. “Where are Jubilee and Rahne?”

His expression grew sad, and her anxiety spiked. What had happened?

“I believe they’re in their rooms.”

“Thanks!” She took off up the stairs to find their rooms. She came to Jubilee’s room first and knocked on the door. It swung open to reveal Rahne sitting on Jubilee’s bed, arms curled around her legs. Jubilee was stomping around her room, throwing things into an open suitcase at Rahne’s feet.

“Jubes?” Amara said softly, stepping into the room. Rahne’s head shot up. “What’s going on?” Jubilee froze.

“We’re leaving,” Rahne said softly.

“What?"

“My parents are pulling me out,” Jubilee said. “They think it’s not safe here.”

Rahne curled up tighter. “My mom wants me home.”

“But–” Amara couldn’t finish her sentence. They couldn’t leave. They couldn’t. She had already lost too many friends in the past week. She couldn’t lose any more.

“Do they really think things will be better there?”

Jubilee shifted uncomfortably. “It probably will. I mean, at home, no one except my parents knowns I’m a mutant, but here, living at the school, we pretty much have a target on our backs.”

“So what, you want to leave?” Amara asked.

“Of course not! Being here, with you all is the happiest I can remember feeling since I found out I was a mutant, but I don’t have a choice here!”

Amara collapsed on the bed beside Rahne, who put her hand on her shoulder. “I don’t want to leave either,” Rahne said, “but I’m scared. Jubes is right. Living here is putting a target on our back. Today it was just spray paint on the gate, but what if next time it’s something more dangerous? What if someone tries to break in?” Amara shivered at the thought.

Jubilee joined them on the bed and put her arms around them. “We’ll see each other again. This won’t be forever, right?”

Amara bit her lip and let her tears slide down her cheeks.

Pietro stared down at the six dollars left in his wallet. Honestly, it was a miracle they still had that much.

It was Saturday, but it seemed he’d forgotten, as he often did, to stock up on food on Friday morning to last through Shabbat. So, now that the sun had set, he had to go find something for dinner.

“I’ll be back,” he promised as he shoved his wallet back into his pocket. “Just gotta get some food. Anything in particular you want?”

Wanda shook her head without turning away from the window.

“Okay.” He scratched the back of his neck. “I may be a little while, so you don’t have to wait up.” She said nothing. “Well, bye!”

He grabbed one of the key cards off the tv table and left the room. When the door clicked behind him, he tested the knob to make sure it locked. Then he stuffed the key in his pocket and rode down to the lobby.

It’s a little late to be going out,” Ms. Whitman, the concierge, said as he passed the desk. She was friendly and liked to chat with all the hotel’s guests. He usually asked her for recommendations of where to look for work. So far, she believed his story that he and his sister were staying in the hotel after the pipes burst at home. She also hadn’t realized they weren’t paying for their room.

“I’m just running to the gas station. I wanted a snack.”

Her mouth twisted into a disapproving frown, which was completely warranted. The gas station down the street was one of the shadiest he had ever seen, and if he didn’t have his powers, he definitely wouldn’t go alone in the dark.

Ms. Whitman didn’t try to discourage him, though. Instead she grabbed her purse and started digging through it. “Why don’t you take my flashlight?” She held it out.

Not taking it would just lead to more questions. “Thanks.”

“You know, there’s a Walmart just a few blocks further. They’d probably have everything you need.”

“Oh, yeah, I didn’t think of that.” He waved as he left. “See you later!”

He didn’t use the flashlight. He preferred to stay invisible when he could help it, and in the darkness, he came pretty close even without his speed.

He didn’t go to the Walmart either. There was the distance, yes, but more important was the problem of money. Pietro had gone to this gas station a few times before, and he’d noticed that, besides the manager, the only worker on the night shift was a college-age kid who always seemed to be either hungover or half asleep. He hoped the manager might give him a discount in exchange for a few hours stocking shelves or cleaning the place (it certainly needed it).

When he arrived, it seemed he was in luck, as the manager was ushering out the drowsily protesting employee. “If you want to sleep, do it at home! I don’t need shoplifters because you can’t keep your eyes open!”

“But I–”

“Go!”

Pietro neatly side-stepped the kid as he stumbled away, then followed the manager back inside before the door swung closed. The manager marched up to the counter, grumbling about manning the counter when he already had too much to do.

“I could help,” Pietro said.

The man spun around. His eyes narrowed. “You? I don’t need help from kids trying to steal candy bars.”

“I could help stock shelves,” Pietro continued, undeterred. “I can’t steal something if you’re watching me the whole time.” He knew for a fact that wasn’t true, but the man would figure out it was him quick enough, and he didn’t want to risk an opportunity like this.

The man cocked his head and tugged on one ear. “Why? What do you want?”

“Just some snacks. Forgot my wallet at home, and I’d rather not have to go back and get it.”

The man narrowed his eyes. “Won’t your parents be waiting up for you?”

“Dad’s out for the night.” The lie came too easily, out of habit rather than strategy. A second later, he realized the danger. Never tell a stranger you’re alone, Mrs. Daniels' voice echoed in his head, from all the Stranger Danger talks she used to give him and Evan.

He didn’t have to worry, he told himself. He was fast enough to run from any threat, but years of those warnings prompted him to say, “But I’ll text my sister.” Another lie, since neither he nor Wanda had a phone. Would she even worry about him if he was out too late? Ms. Whitman might, if only because he didn’t return her flashlight.

He pushed the thoughts away and smiled politely. Hopefully in a you-can-trust-me way.

The manager looked from Pietro, to the back room, and back again. “Fine,” he said. “But only for tonight.”

He pushed the dark thoughts away

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