Disclaimer: This fan fiction is not written for profit and no infringement of copyright is intended. Unbeta-ed, so all mistakes are mine.

What the fuck was that?

Kitty Pryde winced as Stark’s jet dodged through the air, spinning fit to make her stomach woozy. Darting left then right in a manner which clearly indicated he was engaged in a dogfight. To her right Jubes was coming groggily awake, the movement of the plane and the anti-sedative compound Hank had dosed her with before she left the Mansion finally kicking in. The expression on her face enough to give even Sabre-tooth pause. Shadowcat closed her eyes, trying to focus on her calculations to escape the electronic cages Stark had packed them into- mass x velocity, the cage is what, about 15 kg including the electronics? And I can produce approximately 0.0004 ton at a speed of 3.9 metres/sec- Carry the two, bring four over- wait, should that be-? But I have to factor in dampening effects of the altitude-

“Chica, duck your head,” Jubes muttered from behind her then. Sounding pissed.

“In a second,” Kitty muttered, “I’m still calculating-”

“Calculations finished.” And suddenly she felt the back of her neck collide painfully with one of the bars of her cage- Ouch!- The impact enough to set the restraint collar tumbling from her neck. Its power source apparently having been totalled by the blow. Kitty turned to find Jubes glowering groggily at her, hand held out in invitation even as she phased her through the bars.“Now can we please go and beat the bejayzus out of Optimus Dick?”chica growled and she nodded, the pair of them stalking through the plane to the cockpit, dead set on gutting themselves a millionaire play-boy-

Only to find Stark staring at the belly of the Blackbird in his front view-screen.

Staring at some metal-suit-wearing dude who definitely wasn’t Logan but who was hanging out of the bottom of the Blackbird.

An incredibly long beat of silence descended and then-

“Now that shit is just plain wrong,” Jubes growled.

“Fasten your fuckin’ seat-belt, shuggs.”

And Marie banked the Blackbird, spinning it. Trying to shake the Stark Industries jet which was flying so tight up her ass it felt like the pilot was trying to check what colour panties she was wearing. Or maybe whether she’d shaved her legs today. Beside her she could see Logan hurriedly pulling his flight harness tighter, his skin turning a lighter shade of pale as she spun the jet 360 degrees, very nearly clipping the pursuer before it darted away and resumed its course. Apparently having figured out what colour her undies were and now after a glimpse of her bra. Rogue bit her lip, bringing the stealth modifications off-line- there were too many civilian and law enforcement birds in the air this morning, she couldn’t risk them not spotting her- before yanking the communications head-set over her ear. Opening every frequency she had access to and praying her pursuer would listen.

“Mayday, mayday,” she practically growled, “This is Sierra Romeo Seven Seven X-Ray to the dickhead on mah portside, cease pursuit, Ah repeat cease pursuit- We are not a military target, please disengage-”

But the only answer she got was a burst of static and another dart towards the plane’s belly. Forcing her to loop-de-loop yet again (“Christ, Marie,” Logan muttered nauseously, “Who taught you to fly? Bobby?” ) and causing her to nearly smash into the NYPD traffic chopper to her right- Which needless to say would not play well on the nightly news. Wolverine began pulling the weapons’ systems online, muttering viciously under his breath about how he’d really, really, really like to blow some shit up after the week he’d had while the pursuing Stark Industries jet continued to dance around her, forcing her to manoeuvre dangerously, to spin the plane and rock-

Which was actually, now she thought about it, kinda weird.

Because their pursuer hadn’t fired on her, not once, and the Blackbird’s sensors showed that it was more than capable of it; Even Logan bringing their weapons online hadn’t prompted reprisal. So why the Hell weren’t they opening fire? And if they were worried about engaging over a heavily populated area like Manhattan, why bother to chase the X-jet at all? And again, she thought, with the weird. Marie frowned, slowing the plane slightly and then dropping it vertically for a second (“Feels like a Cyclopes landing, darlin’”), letting the Stark jet overtake her- And then darting around again, levelling the plane off and using the vertical drop to keep nose to nose with their pursuer. Refusing the spin the plane, holding it steady in the air. It took a moment for the other pilot to realise what she was doing and then- then- The Stark jet dived suddenly. Going down about a thousand feet below her and then ascending rapidly, nose aiming straight for the Blackbird’s hull. Trying to make her roll again, because the easiest way to get out of its path would be to pull another loop-de-loop, and another frown creased Marie’s brow as she realised that that was exactly what their pursuer wanted her to do. He wasn’t trying to take her out, she realised, he was trying to get her to shake her ass- literally-

And that was when the paffs started exploding inside the cockpit.

It was also, coincidentally enough, when Logan started swearing really, really loudly in just about every language he knew.

Because of all the things they’d expected to face, chica’s own brand of plasma bomb certainly hadn’t been on the list. And yet suddenly the inside of the Blackbird looked like the New Year night sky in Chinatown, pink, purple and golden paffs exploding throughout the plane. “Jesus H. Christ-” Logan snapped, “Is that what I think it is?” And then, as another one exploded at his elbow and made him yelp, “I swear I’m gonna make Gumbo a widower, she keeps this shit up.” Rogue pulled the Blackbird away, desperately trying to get some distance but it did no good: Jubes’ paffs pretty much went where she told ’em to, and so long as her friend maintained eye contact with the X-Jet there wasn’t really anywhere to run. Besides, once Jubes acquired a target she was like a fucking heat-seeking missile: She never gave up, it was why she was still barred from the Avenger HQ-

It came together in Marie’s head then.

All of it. The only possible explanation for this behaviour. Because the girls must’ve gotten loose and gotten the story out of Stark about Mystique taking the Blackbird from Nevada- Marie kinda hoped that interrogation had been painful- And now Kit and Jubes were opening fire, thinking they were bruising the Blue Bitch when in fact they were nearly killing herself and Wolverine. It was probably why they hadn’t just totalled the plane: they thought she and Logan were alive inside but being held prisoner. Marie rolled her eyes, cursing the fact that she’d pretended to be Mystique when she called that last time since now no matter what she said the girls would assume it was a trick. And no matter what she did someone was gonna end up hurt. Beside her Logan hissed in pain as a shower of paffs exploded in front of him, searing his skin and damaging his eyes more than his sluggish healing factor could handle-thank you, Porn Smurf-inflicted torture bling- Burns facing across his face and throat where the paffs exploded, the pain of it enough to make him floor him- And that wasn’t easy, Rogue knew. Fury rose in her at the sight of him hurt and she opened her comm channels again, snapping, “What the fuck, chica? You tryin’ t’kill me?” despite the fact that she doubted they’d believe her. And then, when that got no answer, “Yeah, Ah’m talking to you! Because just so ya know you nearly paffinated Logan with that burst-”

“Don’t even say his name,” a voice came across the channel then, and it ran Marie’s blood cold because that wasn’t Jubes, it was Kitty. And man, did she sound pissed. “You don’t get to say our sensei’s name. The only reason you’re still in the air is that you have people I care about onboard and we’re over a populated area. But if you force me to I’ll phase through your plane and disrupt every single piece of electronic equipment onboard, Porn Smurf-”

“But Jesus, Kit!” Marie snapped. “It’s me, it’s Marie, Ah swear! The Blue Bitch is out back-”

“And I’m the Virgin Mary,” Jubes weighed in over her. Another spread of paffs exploding inside the jet to make her point. “We can see Daken hanging on the ass of your plane-” What the fuck? Marie thought - “And we know you took Logan and Marie, traded ‘em to Stark for Pepper Potts. So cut the shit and shake Claw Bearing Ken loose or we’re gonna knock you outta the sky the old-fashioned way.” And the Stark jet accelerated suddenly, bearing down on them and threatening to hit them in a headlong collision- Though Marie guessed Kitty would phase the plane before it made contact. Her mutation being enough to ensure that the Blackbird went dead for a few minutes- if Daken was attached to the plane somehow the sudden deceleration probably would shake him off- though the Stark jet itself would be fine. Marie winced, panic for a split second taking over as she saw the wing of the Stark jet come hurtling towards her, the desire to avoid impact automatically making her close her eyes. She rolled the plane and as she did so she felt Logan pull her back against him, his once indestructible body trying to take the impact for both of them, though considering the shape he was in it might kill him now. His big, heavy hands wrapping themselves around her, his familiar voice muttering in her ear that he’d keep her safe. For a second time seemed to stand still, the only thing her brain could process being panic and reassurance in that weird, jarring package they always came together in when she was with Logan and then-

Then-

Another voice crackled through the cockpit.

The sound of it enough to stop Kitty and the Stark jet in its tracks. Because-

“Once upon a time,” Daken’s soft voice came over the intercom, “There were three little girls who went to Xavier’s School for Gifted Children.” A burst of static came, and she heard Jubes swear colourfully on the other line. “And they were all given very hazardous duties, duties they couldn’t hope to perform- Just like my little friend here. My little teleporting friend. Say hello, little teleporting friend!” And Marie heard a keening sob come over the line, the voice clearly that of a child-

“Sonofafuckingbitch,” Logan snarled.