King Tide: Jean and Angelo (Backdated)

[x-jeangrey.livejournal.com]

Jean and Angelo try to retrieve an old cranky Portuguese woman from being hit by the tsunami.



"I don't sense anyone else up here," Jean said, trudging up the large hill as she scanned the landscape just to be sure. The others, teammates and stubborn islander holdouts, were spread across the island. They were preparing for the inevitable and it had Jean on edge. She had considered not coming but she knew she would be needed should any complications arose...and there usually were.

"That's good", Angelo said, keeping an eye out anyway. "It's not a guarantee, some of them might have powers that hide them from you, but it's a good start."

Jean smiled. "That's why we're still up here looking," she said. On an island full of mutants most would want to remain undiscovered, especially if they'd made a home here and didn't want to leave. Perhaps it was an unawareness of danger, or the belief that by some small miracle they would be the ones who would remain unharmed and the warnings were just for show.

"I think I see a cave opening. We should check in there," she said quietly.

He nodded, glancing up at the shadow in the rock. "It's the kind of place people might think they'd be safe from the water, hiding aside."

"Let's hope we're wrong," Jean said as she slowly approached the cave, pulling out a flashlight.

~We should be prepared for any potential resistance should there be anyone inside.~

"~Yep~", he returned, following her lead to switch to mind talk, and stepped carefully into the cave - and almost immediately retreated as the elderly occupant took a swipe at him. "~...Resistance.~"

"Esta é a minha, caverna obter o seu próprio!" (( This is my cave get your own!)) the woman rasped, swinging her cane at him every time he tried to get close. She was squat and fat, and resembled a turtle with her weathered, sun baked skin and tattered green dress.

After a couple more swings the cane was yanked out of her hand by Jean's influence. They had little time. Of course this spooked the woman and she tried to go deeper, in but found herself blocked by a telekinetic barrier.

~Skin, can you coax her out without hurting her? ~

"~My Portuguese isn't great, but I can try~", he returned dubiously, and turned to the old woman. "Não é seguro aqui. Você vai se afogar." ((It's not safe here. You will drown.))

The woman shook her head. "O morro é alto. Estou seguro!" ((The hill is high! I'm safe! )) she said, then turned back to the cave, and tried beating against the telekinetic field with her hands. "O que você fez? Deixe-me ser!" ((What did you do? Let me be! ))

When it became clear that they weren't going to let her go, she eyed them a moment, then took off into a hobbled run down the hill.

"Wait!" Jean shouted, taking off after her. But the roar of water and the encroaching shadow told her it was too late.

Angelo could only hope the old woman made it to one of the boats - and right now, he was more concerned for his and Jean's own safety. "Um... Phoenix?"

A moment after the word left his mouth he was pluck off his feet by the scruff of his uniform. The older woman, only a short distance away, was grabbed as well, and had a few expletives, but they were quickly drowned out by the sound of water hungrily swallowing the landscape.

The waves licked at their legs before they went higher and higher until it was almost too high. Luckily by some small miracle they stopped, hovering over the devastation.

Jean stared down at the water and the twisted forms of overturned trees, demolished buildings, and drowned livestock that had not made it out. Her fingers held her passengers in a vice grip so tight her knuckles were white.

Angelo twisted in her grasp, after a few minutes of taking in the horror below, to study her face. "You okay?"

Jean didn't reply, her expression blank and ashen. Her breathing quickened until it was ragged and gasping. Her hands started to shake, and she heard her blood pump in her ears, blocking out the sound, making her head feel heavy, like she were swimming too . The thoughts of those around the island came barging in, bewildered and shocked and pleading for help. Some were drowning.

"Muito quente...Muito quente!" ((Too hot! Too hot! )) the woman shouted, as smoke started to rise from Angelo and the woman's collars where Jean was grasping them.

Jean's eyes widened. Her breathing suddenly stopped. They plummeted toward the ground.

Angelo reacted instantly, grabbing both Jean and the old woman in strands of skin before doing his best impression of a hang-glider. At the very least, he could slow their fall.

The older woman was screaming, blurting out more curse words as they glided toward the earth. But she didn't try to fight him, she knew better.

"Você está louco! Minha caverna era mais seguro do que isso!" ((You are crazy! My cave was safer than this!))

Jean shut her eyes, trying to control her breathing, and everything else. Her heart felt like it was about to burst through her chest, but she remembered the feeling. She had felt it before back at the concert with Scott and the others. It didn't ease the feeling any less but knowing what it was meant she knew she wasn't going to die...even if it seemed like it. And in that moment she felt guilty, inexperienced, knowing she had put herself in the situation and almost getting two people killed because of it.

"Você está vivo" ((You are alive. )), Angelo told her, focusing on getting them back to dry land or at least shallow water. "Desfrute da aventura. ((Enjoy the adventure.)) Phoenix, you okay there?"

It took a few moments for Angelo's voice to win dominance over the others in Jean's mind. She swallowed, forcing herself to open her eyes as she have him a shaky nod. One image stood out over all the rest, something that brought her a sudden sense of clarity, all the while burrowing a pit in her stomach.

"I need...I need to find Hope. Now."

"Hope? Student Hope?" He frowned, but nodded. "Then let's go find her."