CHAPTER ONE
There was nowhere to go but down and the only way down was blocked by several thugs hungry for a fight. Of course there was always the alternative route of a free fall off of a 50-story building, which wasn't really the most popular of choices at the moment. Seeing the lack of escape route, the three mutants braced themselves for a fight.
Brennan threw a bolt of electricity at a thug who was approaching menacingly sending him reeling to the base of the roof entrance. Shalimar was in a full on fight with another thug who was throwing fast and furious punches and kicks and keeping up amazingly well with his feral opponent.
Jesse seeing two thugs coming from either side of him took a breath and phased as they attacked with their metal weapons, hitting each other in the process. Jesse took the opportunity to throw in an axe kick on one thug causing him to crumple to the floor unconscious and quickly massed as the other recovered enough to throw a punch at Jesse's solar plexus only to cry out in pain as the contact was met with the crushing of bones and he fell to his knees clutching his broken hand.
Brennan wielding a metal bar of his own, was busy with two other agents and was striking blows and parrying attacks with the deft and quickness of a skilled martial artist.
From the corner of his eye, Brennan saw a thug running full charge towards Jesse whose attention was fixed on another.
"Jesse, watch out!" Brennan yelled as he quickly finished off his opponent with a fierce roundhouse kick to the head.
Jesse turned and saw a figure coming at him at full speed and had no time to think as his reflexes took over and he quickly took a breath and found himself phasing to allow the thug to charge through.
He was about to turn back to the opponent he had left unattended when a piercing scream grabbed his attention.
Shalimar!! He thought as he turned around to see that the thug that had just charged through him had collided into Shalimar who apparently was having a fierce battle with another opponent behind him, causing the two to careen of the side of the 50-story building.
From then on, Jesse was conscious of everything as if it was happening in slow motion. He heard Brennan yell Shalimar's name as he ran towards the side of the building at the same time sending a bolt of electricity flying through the air to hit the thug that was Shalimar's opponent, square in the chest and rendering him unconscious.
Jesse massed and threw a punch at his opponent knocking him out instantly and quickly ran to join Brennan at the side of the building, with his heart at his throat as panic and dread threatened to choke him as he peered down the side of the building terrified at the sight that was to come into view.
***********************************************************************
"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled frantically as both he and Jesse peered over the side of the building. The crumpled body of the thug that had collided with Shalimar could be seen on the ground, albeit seeming rather small from the height and distance, a crowd already beginning to mill over the corpse.
Shalimar however was nowhere in sight.
"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled again relieved that Shalimar's body was not on the ground together with the thug but still in a panic as to where she could possibly be.
"I'm here!" Brennan and Jesse heard her faint cry and ran along the side of the roof to get a clearer view of her location.
Hanging precariously with one hand to what seemed like a flagpole fifteen stories down was Shalimar fighting hard to hold on for dear life. "Hurry!! I can't hold on much longer! She yelled, as a rack of pain tore through her arms and shoulders.
"Hold on Shal! We're coming to get you! Just please hold on! Brennan yelled back as he took off to get to a closer floor to safe the feral. Jesse was right behind him.
************************************************************************
The tension in the Audi was gripping as all three mutants rode home in silence. Brennan was attending to Shalimar who was clutching her arm in pain whilst Jesse drove the Audi silently back to Sanctuary.
Brennan had not said a word to him since the incident. He didn't need to. The glare Brennan gave him as he was protectively hugging Shalimar just as they got her onto solid ground said all that he needed to know.
Brennan was pissed and what was worst was that he was pissed with him.
Jesse didn't blame him. He knew that even with her feral powers, a fall off of a 50-story building would have killed Shalimar.
He couldn't bear to think of what might have happened if Shalimar had not had the reflexes to catch a hold of the pole. He closed his eyes trying to block out the thought but the image of the event was imbedded in his mind and replayed itself incessantly acting as a cruel reminder of what he had done. He knew, without a doubt, that Shalimar would surely have died and it would have been his fault His heart went heavy as an all too familiar guilt threatened to consume him.
************************************************************************ ************************************************************************
There was nowhere to go but down and the only way down was blocked by several thugs hungry for a fight. Of course there was always the alternative route of a free fall off of a 50-story building, which wasn't really the most popular of choices at the moment. Seeing the lack of escape route, the three mutants braced themselves for a fight.
Brennan threw a bolt of electricity at a thug who was approaching menacingly sending him reeling to the base of the roof entrance. Shalimar was in a full on fight with another thug who was throwing fast and furious punches and kicks and keeping up amazingly well with his feral opponent.
Jesse seeing two thugs coming from either side of him took a breath and phased as they attacked with their metal weapons, hitting each other in the process. Jesse took the opportunity to throw in an axe kick on one thug causing him to crumple to the floor unconscious and quickly massed as the other recovered enough to throw a punch at Jesse's solar plexus only to cry out in pain as the contact was met with the crushing of bones and he fell to his knees clutching his broken hand.
Brennan wielding a metal bar of his own, was busy with two other agents and was striking blows and parrying attacks with the deft and quickness of a skilled martial artist.
From the corner of his eye, Brennan saw a thug running full charge towards Jesse whose attention was fixed on another.
"Jesse, watch out!" Brennan yelled as he quickly finished off his opponent with a fierce roundhouse kick to the head.
Jesse turned and saw a figure coming at him at full speed and had no time to think as his reflexes took over and he quickly took a breath and found himself phasing to allow the thug to charge through.
He was about to turn back to the opponent he had left unattended when a piercing scream grabbed his attention.
Shalimar!! He thought as he turned around to see that the thug that had just charged through him had collided into Shalimar who apparently was having a fierce battle with another opponent behind him, causing the two to careen of the side of the 50-story building.
From then on, Jesse was conscious of everything as if it was happening in slow motion. He heard Brennan yell Shalimar's name as he ran towards the side of the building at the same time sending a bolt of electricity flying through the air to hit the thug that was Shalimar's opponent, square in the chest and rendering him unconscious.
Jesse massed and threw a punch at his opponent knocking him out instantly and quickly ran to join Brennan at the side of the building, with his heart at his throat as panic and dread threatened to choke him as he peered down the side of the building terrified at the sight that was to come into view.
***********************************************************************
"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled frantically as both he and Jesse peered over the side of the building. The crumpled body of the thug that had collided with Shalimar could be seen on the ground, albeit seeming rather small from the height and distance, a crowd already beginning to mill over the corpse.
Shalimar however was nowhere in sight.
"Shalimar??" Brennan yelled again relieved that Shalimar's body was not on the ground together with the thug but still in a panic as to where she could possibly be.
"I'm here!" Brennan and Jesse heard her faint cry and ran along the side of the roof to get a clearer view of her location.
Hanging precariously with one hand to what seemed like a flagpole fifteen stories down was Shalimar fighting hard to hold on for dear life. "Hurry!! I can't hold on much longer! She yelled, as a rack of pain tore through her arms and shoulders.
"Hold on Shal! We're coming to get you! Just please hold on! Brennan yelled back as he took off to get to a closer floor to safe the feral. Jesse was right behind him.
************************************************************************
The tension in the Audi was gripping as all three mutants rode home in silence. Brennan was attending to Shalimar who was clutching her arm in pain whilst Jesse drove the Audi silently back to Sanctuary.
Brennan had not said a word to him since the incident. He didn't need to. The glare Brennan gave him as he was protectively hugging Shalimar just as they got her onto solid ground said all that he needed to know.
Brennan was pissed and what was worst was that he was pissed with him.
Jesse didn't blame him. He knew that even with her feral powers, a fall off of a 50-story building would have killed Shalimar.
He couldn't bear to think of what might have happened if Shalimar had not had the reflexes to catch a hold of the pole. He closed his eyes trying to block out the thought but the image of the event was imbedded in his mind and replayed itself incessantly acting as a cruel reminder of what he had done. He knew, without a doubt, that Shalimar would surely have died and it would have been his fault His heart went heavy as an all too familiar guilt threatened to consume him.
************************************************************************ ************************************************************************