Red X: Firestorm - Crystal and Jean-Paul

[x-aerial.livejournal.com]

Crystal and Jean-Paul rescue a family, a dog, and a couch, and together they go flying through the forest and avoid hitting trees. Backdated



Jean-Paul was, once more, covered in soot. His suit dealt perfectly well with friction and the heat it caused, but that didn't mean that, when he set himself to flying over burning forests, he could cool off any easier than anyone else. The white part of the damned thing was fairly well blackened down and Jean-Paul himself felt like the most disgusting former superhero on the planet given the sweat now layered between the material of his suit and his skin.

Glancing toward Crystal, he found himself completely envious of her mutation - not only could she fly, but she didn't look like a bedraggled rat while doing it in these circumstances. "The next home," he called over the rush of wind around them. "It is to the west, oui?"

"Yes," Crystal said, directing the sound of her voice to her flying companion. "It is not far from here." Unlike Jean-Paul, she wasn't covered in sweat and soot, but she did have some on her. After all, her powers would be needed for important things, and she could always create her own personal shower when needed. However, staying comfortable was still important, and it would be easier for people to see her in the bright yellow outfit she wore than it would be if her body were covered with dirt.

Nodding, he shifted directions just a bit and took the lead. The fires weren't quite so bad in this part of the country as they'd been the day before. Jean-Paul attributed that to the work of the fire teams and the assistance Red-X had been able to offer Beta Flight. They were still spreading, though - the smoke just wasn't quite so thick.

He was keeping a careful watch on himself, since falling out of the sky due to smoke inhalation-induced unconsciousness seemed particularly foolhardy at this junction. However, that didn't necessarily mean he enjoyed doing this. He wasn't entirely sure how fast Crystal could fly and he wasn't interested in finding out by speeding off and leaving her behind, though that's precisely what he might have done in his younger days.

Crystal followed behind for a few moments, then moved to the side and matched his speed. She was well aware of the fact that he could fly faster than her; she could maneuver herself in the air quite well, but when it came to other fliers she had met, she would not be winning any prizes in the speed department. It was good to see that the fires had lessened, and to know that she had helped with that. Still, less fire didn't mean no fire, and people were still in danger. She flew on, keeping the smoke away from her face; no smoke inhalation for the woman who liked her air clean and smoke-free!

They flew in silence for several minutes, just covering distance at a respectable speed, before the house came into sight. Jean-Paul paused and pointed, then nodded to the approaching flames and drifted close enough to Crystal to ask, "Can you manage to keep the flames from the house long enough for me to see if there are any still inside?"

Crystal nodded and, at a thought, the flames closest to the house died down and the smoke shifted in a direction away from the building. The flames could still be seen, but under Crystal's command were lessened and unable to move closer to the house. The air around the house cleared as well. Hopefully the people would be willing to come; Crystal could not keep the flames back forever, and once she left she would not be able to protect this area as she could if she remained.

Nodding his thanks, Jean-Paul waited for a moment, then flew down to the house. He could see at least two children and a dog inside, the children's eyes peering out at him as he landed on the porch at the front. There wasn't a great deal of time, of course, but he did them the courtesy of knocking.

A rather frightened woman appeared at the door, opening it only a fraction so that it was obvious the chain lock was still in place.

"Pardon, Madam," Jean-Paul said. "I am sure you can see, there is a fire and it is coming to your home. My friend and I, we are here to help you get out of the line of the fire, you and your children. Please, we can fly you somewhere safe."

Crystal flew a bit closer to the house, the bright yellow of her clothing appearing bold against the otherwise dreary darkness of the scene. She pushed back at the fires that would otherwise continue on their path to consume the as-yet untouched house, dampening the flames rather then adding to the problem elsewhere. Before she had cleared the air, it must have been obvious that the smoke could be a danger to the inhabitants of the residence, even if they hoped they were out of the way of the actual blaze, and she was really to help people escape and move to a safer area.

"It's coming here?" The woman's voice was strained, the pitch far higher than Jean-Paul suspected it would normally have been.

"Oui, madam. It is no longer safe. I suggest you take some of your things, the important things, and let us help you and your family to safety." Jean-Paul checked the fires - he couldn't see the flame from here and the smoke was thinner, but that was likely Crystal's work.

"Al-alright," the woman nodded, calling for her children to pack a few items - clothing and the like - while she did the same. She had the two younger ones and an older boy, but there was no husband in sight.

"Can we take the dog?" The little boy asked, giving Jean-Paul some of the biggest, bluest, most pathetic eyes he'd ever seen - which was saying something, considering he was dating Kevin.

"I... believe that will be possible, yes," Jean-Paul said, suppressing a sigh. It wasn't like he'd let the poor animal roast to death, after all.

Stepping farther out onto the porch, Jean-Paul looked up at Crystal and gestured toward the mother, who'd come outside just after the children. Crystal would hopefully be able to take the mother and the older boy while Jean-Paul took the younger two and... he'd have to figure out a better arrangement, actually, since carrying the dog would be awkward under the best of circumstances.

Lifting off, he met Crystal in the air and then indicated the dog as well as the people on the porch, now burdened with their few possessions. "Is it possible that you can lift three? They do not wish to leave the dog."

Crystal looked at Jean-Paul, a bit of an amused expression on her face. "I can lift all of them if you wish. I do not need to touch anyone to lift them, remember? The only possible issue is their comfort as those who are not used to traveling in the air without the benefit of an airplane can find other methods quite disconcerting. Perhaps there is a piece of furniture they could sit on to at least give them the appearance of traveling on something more than the air itself?" Taking one or two people in the air was one thing, she could always reach out and hold one or both if necessary, but if there were more and people began to panic her job would quickly become much harder.

"Oui, I will see what they have," Jean-Paul said, nodding his thanks. "I simply did not wish to assume." Then he quirked a smile. "Or to make you do all the work. I can take the younger children. I believe the older can hold the dog with the woman on the couch, if we can move it." He flew groundward again, explained the situation to the mother, and then worked with the elder boy to move the couch out onto the porch.

He gave Crystal the signal from the porch and then picked the younger children up, one in each arm. They didn't seem frightened, per se, but he could certainly tell that they weren't horribly excited, either. Not that he could really blame them - their house was in the path of a very large fire, they were only able to take a small bag each, and now they were being carried about by a strange man who intended to fly them through the air.

The couch and its passengers rose just a few inches above the ground as Crystal tested the weight and feel of it . She directed a slight seating adjustment to allow for proper distribution of weight; while that wasn't necessary, it was helpful. Once Crystal was satisfied, people, dog, couch, and bags lifted up higher into the air and they were on their way.

Jean-Paul lifted off as well, keeping pace with the couch so that the mother could observe her children while they all headed back toward the safety of the joint Red-X/Beta Flight camp. They'd made it a good distance before they ran into any trouble - a combination of fatigue and inattention led the Quebecois to stray too close to the flames beneath them which, in turn, allowed one of the gusts of hot wind to take him slightly off course. If he hadn't had to worry about the children he carried, Jean-Paul might have been able to correct his flight path easily. As it stood, however, careening into a barrel roll would likely make him drop one of the children and that would have been unacceptable.

Unable to correct his flight path, though, Jean-Paul found himself buffeted yet again by the fire-heated wind - and heading straight for a burning tree that he would have sworn wasn't in his way just seconds before.

The screams of the mother alerted Crystal to the sudden danger. One moment everything had been fine, the unusual procession floating safely above the extreme heat and flames, and the next three lives were in danger. Crystal had to think and act quickly, taking into account her passengers and the couch. And of course Jean-Paul wasn't alone in his erratic flight; his body was built to withstand high speeds, but the bodies of the children weren't equipped for being whipped around in forceful winds, and smashing into burning trees was harmful to the majority of the population.

Crystal and the couch darted after Jean-Paul, and the couch moved ahead of her. Calling up winds of her own design, she altered Jean-Paul's path, moving him away from the flames that blazed from the tree that had been in his path. There were other trees, though, and strong winds. The idea of Jean-Paul flying through the forest like a ping-pong ball, unable to have the chance to take control of his own path of flight, was not a good one. With another redirection to the wind, slowing and changing the speed of Jean-Paul's unplanned flight, Crystal directed him at the couch.

Jean-Paul put the children on the couch, sending an apologetic look toward the mother as he did. Perhaps he should take a break once they reached camp again. This didn't bode well, really - if he was this tired on the second day after only one night of not sleeping... well. He'd have to find somewhere to sleep, else he'd wind up doing far more harm than good.

Unburdened, he let himself drift in the calm air around the couch for a moment, then glanced up toward Crystal and waved his thanks.

Crystal nodded, pausing her own flight and that of the couch. She wasn't about to continue on without making sure that Jean-Paul was all right, plus she wanted to make sure her passengers calmed down before they zoomed off again. In comparison to the obvious heat in the forest, the air around the couch was cool.

The respite was much appreciated and Jean-Paul sent a grateful smile Crystal's way as he hovered there, breathing in the cooler, cleaner air for a long moment before indicating that they should move on.

The rest of the journey was fairly uneventful, and the two mansion residents, the four people they had rescued, their few possessions, the dog, and the couch showed up at the camp unscathed. Crystal set the couch down on the ground and directed the family to an area where they could find shelter and food. She then turned her attention on Jean-Paul. "Your clothing used to be two different colors, did it not?"

Jean-Paul looked down at himself fro a moment, then back up at Crystal and answered, "Oui, once upon a time... there was a black side and there was a white side. Not so, any longer."

Crystal nodded. "I hope you are not too attached to the outfit. I did not bring anything with me that I planned on wearing again." She sat on the now abandoned couch. "Much more comfortable than a flying carpet, I would imagine," she mused out loud.

"Attached to this?" Jean-Paul asked, sitting on the couch next to Crystal and attempting to keep it from looking like he was actually just collapsing. "Non, I am not so attached to this. I have others. I am not attached to them, either, though..."

"Good," Crystal said, her eyes closing. "It is quite dirty. It would be a shame if you cared much for it. I doubt that it would be easy to clean." She wasn't even going to bother having anyone try to clean the outfits she had brought with her, and her clothes weren't winding up anywhere near as foul as Jean-Paul's current suit was.

Jean-Paul actually managed a ragged sort of laugh at that. "I believe you are very right, mademoiselle."

"Of course I am," Crystal replied. "What do you think of Red X? Are you planning on joining?" She knew it wasn't his first time out with the group but he wasn't an official member.

"Likely not," Jean-Paul said, shaking his head. "I am here now because Kevin could not be. He asked that I come in his place. And, as he said," the Quebecois continued, gesturing toward the camp around them, "It is my country." Then he let out a slow, almost contemplative breath. "It is good work, oui? But I think it is not so much for me."

"You came in his place?" Had Crystal's eyes not been closed, she would have raised her eyebrows at that. "When he comes with Red X you will not wish to go with him?" Not that she thought this would be a good reason for someone to join Red X or another group, she certainly hadn't joined the X-Men because Forge was on the team, and in fact they had never been members of the New York location at the same time.

"He asked if I would come, since my flying would be helpful," Jean-Paul said. "I thought it would be good, since he is on so much medication - he wished to be here himself, of course." He released another slow breath, pausing briefly to wonder just how horribly he was ruining the couch upon which they sat. "As I said, I do not think Red X is so much for me."

Yes, he'd said that, and while Crystal might wonder why that was she wasn't about to press the issue. She didn't know Jean-Paul very well and was aware that he had changed during the few months between his past two stays at the mansion. If he wasn't interested in being a part of different things, that was his business. Some people, such as Jean, seemed to want things to be as they had been before and slipped back into familiar roles and activities; others did not appear to attempt to reclaim their old lives. "He can come next time if he is not injured or on medication when the next call goes out," Crystal said. "Red X missions can be quite exhausting and people who go must be able to help others without endangering themselves. While it can be tempting to work nonstop, proper rest is important." Maybe they made an odd scene at the moment, two people sitting on a couch in the middle of an aid camp, but Crystal didn't particularly care about that at the moment.

"I believe this is what he would like," Jean-Paul said, nodding. His head moved back and forth against the cushion behind him and he quirked a rueful smile. "Would you like lunch before we go on our next mission? I think the next house we are to check, it is farther away." Keeping his feet on the ground might be good for a little while, at least until he'd gotten some sustenance in his stomach so he could concentrate on flying without nearly hitting trees.

Crystal was perfectly content to stay right where she was, and she hoped Jean-Paul had paid attention to her message about resting. As he wasn't officially with Red X, he hadn't received Red X training, and part of her job as a field leader was to make sure people didn't do silly things such as over exhaust themselves and fall out of the sky or hit trees at high speed. During her first time out with Red X, Crystal had temporarily lost her abilities while she was high in the air, and Kurt had saved her from becoming a broken, splattered mess on the ground.

But food was a good idea, and there was still much work to be done. A lot of time for recharging wasn't needed, and eating was a good way to both rest and refuel before flying through smoke and fire again. Crystal opened her eyes, her head shifting a bit as she looked at the man sitting on the couch with her. "Yes, I believe that having lunch is an excellent idea."