Rescue me (X-Men: Evolution - ROMY)

Chapter Six

Rogue was silent for a moment as she digested that.

"I... I know he was you friend but... well you don't think that Pyro could have done this, do you?"

"He couldn't have blown the place up, but he was my first thought when I read about the bird of flame too. I already made some calls but it seems he's been back in Australia for the past month. Couldn't have been him."

"You're sure?"

"Positive."

"So we're looking for someone with a combination of yours and Pyro's powers," Rogue said, biting her lip. "It's too much of a coincidence though, it doesn't make any sense."

"No it doesn't," he agreed. "Which is why I think the mutant we're looking for could have some different power that just looks like ours sometimes."

"What kind of power?" Rogue asked.

"Don't know, exactly. I mean a well trained telekinetic could use their power to control flame, maybe even blow molecules apart like an explosion, but it'd have to be one helluva powerful mutant. More powerful than I've encountered before. Could also be a power borrower like you, using two different powers at the same time. Someone like Scott with his laser eyes could surely destroy a mansion, especially if unlike Scott, they have learned to control it. Or maybe it's something we haven't encountered before. Maybe someone out there can... I dunno, make things spontaneously combust or something."

"Maybe we should visit the mansion for ourselves, see exactly what happened."

Remy hesitated. "Maybe," he finally admitted. "But let's keep that as a last resort."

Just then Sarah came through from her bedroom, dressed for thee day but rubbing her eyes.

"Mornin' petite. You brush your teeth?"

"Yeah," she yawned.

"Let's get some breakfast." To Rogue Remy said, "Tante Anna comes at 9 to give Sarah her lessons, so we can go through the police reports then."

Rogue nodded and followed him through to the kitchen.

By mid afternoon Rogue had skimmed the reports but Remy was still searching the internet. Rogue put the papers down on the coffee table, got up from the couch and stretched.

"Anything?" Remy asked her.

"No, no big ideas. Sorry."

"Don't be."

"What are you looking for?"

"News reports."

"On?"

"Flaming birds, and no, that's not a cocktail."

Rogue smiled and sitting next to him so she could see his screen. "Any luck?"

"Not sure," he confessed. "I've found a couple of reports, but most seem to be written off as hoaxes, UFO's or nutters. This website though," he clicked through to a site he'd saved, "is for paranormal phenomena. They've got a page dedicated to tracking this and, if all the reported sightings are right, it seems to be moving in an almost straight line, heading towards California."

"California?"

"Or somewhere between Bayville and California." He brought up another window, where he'd been tracking the course of the sightings using google maps.

"It's pretty straight," Rogue agreed. "Does the website say anything about causes?"

"Mutant is a pretty popular theory, but a portent of the end of the world is coming in a close second."