Day Zero: Found

[x-firestar.livejournal.com]

Battered and exhausted, two groups manage to finally cross paths and reunite.




Angel peered out of the end of an alley and sighed tiredly. "Looks like the coast is clear," she said quietly, looking over her shoulder at Yvette. The younger girl was hiding a little further down in the shadows and Angel found her by looking for the blue of her eyes. "Let's see if we can go hit up that deli while the others keep a look out."

They were all battered and bruised from their run in with that crazy mutant and needed food and water again. Angel slipped out of the alley and winced as her muscles protested the movement.

Yvette was more tired than she could ever remember being in her life, but they needed sustenance. And they needed distance between themselves and the crazy woman with the horrible powers. She nodded, slipping away for a moment to talk to the rest of the group before returning. "Catseye will keep watch," she reported, joining her roommate. "We will have to be very fast - something is happening, something bad." They could all feel the tension in the air.

All she wanted to do was find someplace soft to sleep and maybe a nice cow to cook for dinner but both were impossible. "We'll get enough food for everyone and then book it to Silver," Angel replied, shoving her hair off her face. "We need to get there soon or we're going to run into my crazies. I don't know about you, Yvette, but I can only handle one crazy."

That they squished. She was trying really hard to not think about that.

"Yvette? Angel?"

Marius came trotting around a corner, head high and alert despite the dusty state of his leathers. His eyes found the two girls, and he blinked. "Thought it was you I heard. Curious -- luck is the one thing I'd rather stopped expectin' at this point." His head cocked in concern as he took in the state of them. "You lot all right?"

At the sudden appearance, Yvette squeaked and scuttled back towards the alley, knowing that Angel could protect herself by flying upwards. Cautiously, she peeked around the corner at the newcomer: wait, was that... She began to edge out back into the street again. "Marius...?"

"Yes, that is Marius", came another voice from around the corner, just as Kurt stepped into view. "Are either of you hurt?"

Every part of Angel was screaming “Yes! Yes! Finally!” but she held herself back, still leery after so many days on the run and after the attack the group had just survived. “How do we know it’s really, really you guys?” she asked, edging forward slightly. “I mean, it could be like some weird brain mutant who can shapeshift or – we’ve seen some really weird things and I…” Her chin wobbled as she stared at them.

Marius traded a puzzled look with Kurt. "Well, under the circumstances I suppose that is not beyond the pall of probability, but upon deeper consideration you must admit the premise has certain flaws. Firstly, why, specifically, should a canny foe choose to assume the shapes of Nightcrawler an' myself? Mr. Wagner, undoubtedly, is a respectable and respected authority figure, but one would suppose any probable companion would have been chosen to reinforce the natural sense of security his presence would provide. Mr. Summers, perhaps, would be a likely candidate, or--"

“Oh god, Marius, shut up!” Angel sobbed and threw herself at Marius, sending them both staggering back in the street. “I get it, you’re not like some weird aliens that shapeshift or something.” Angel was crying but not quite as much as she would once they were actually home. “You guys found us…”

Yvette wasn't far behind, skidding to a stop before actual contact, her eyes glowing brightly. "We can be going home?" she exclaimed, clasping her hands together in front of her and bouncing on her toes slightly as her relief and excitement threatened to break her tight self-control. "We were starting to think we would not find anyone and there was a woman, she was hurting us with her powers so we had to be fighting her..."

Kurt looked at Marius again, then looked the two girls over more carefully. "We can go straight home, yes. What did this woman do to you?"

"She made us hungry," Yvette explained. "And my skin wasn't working, and everyone was falling over except Cessily and then Inez was throwing the big rubbish container at her..." Her eyes widened. "The others! We must be going back to let them know we are safe again!"

Marius spoke a word he had persistently denied knowing to his mother, though due to the presence of minors he did so under his breath. "Yes, that would indeed call for self-defense. Cheers on handlin' her, though -- she get anyone bad?" He nodded his head towards Kurt. "Had a bit of an incident ourselves. Happily recovery isn't as difficult as one would think, but calories are not reclaimed by will alone an' that . . ."

Kurt had his own concerns, in the same vein as Marius' question. "Where are Cessily and Inez, girls? And is there anyone else with them?"

"They are waiting for us, back there." Yvette gestured back down the alley. "And it is being everyone who was on the field trip, yes? Catseye and Inez and Cessily and Nori and Tatiana and Meggan. We were keeping each other safe." She shrugged a little. "Well, except for being so very hungry and tired. We were looking for the food when you are finding us."

Kurt sagged visibly in relief at the news that Meggan, in particular, was safe. "You did a very good job", he said reassuringly. "At keeping each other safe. Go and fetch them, now, and we will take you to get better food than you could have found."

Before the inevitable cheerful response could be given, the sky lit up with what looked like a meteor shooting straight down and impacting the Citadel. The sonic boom came seconds later, and even from the distance, it was obvious that the large black structure was starting to fall.

A split-second later Marius gave a jerk punctuated with the sort of noise which occurred when you tried to gasp and grind your teeth at the same time. After a moment of getting his jaw unclenched he managed, "Or we could now be directed by the voices which continue to so rudely appear in my head unannounced to converge upon, ah . . . that imminent pile of rubble in the distance, it seems." He looked at Kurt, a hint of question in his voice. "This lot, too."

"...they want the children there?" Kurt asked, confused. "Well, I suppose that is where they will be the safest among us all... girls, go and fetch the others. I believe there is a hot-dog stand not far from here."

"I don't care where there is," Angel said, rubbing her eyes, "but I'm totally not going to be left behind, not after we just found you." She grinned down at Yvette, some of the tension draining out of her. "Come on, the others are going to love this."

"I suppose it is somewhat safer to ensure the younger amongst us are lead towards our massed forces rather than away whilst we are in the midst of urban breakdown likely to be soon overrun by the panickin' minions of a self-proclaimed high lord. Although," he added thoughtfully as he glanced at Yvette and Angel, "possibly moreso from the perspective of the minions."