Summary: At last the Game begins. Part 18 of the Game.
Rated M for profanity, violence and some sexual content.
Disclaimer : I do not own the X-men or any of their associated villains, but the Siskans, the Dognan, Jael and the Outkasts are mine. Please do not use them without my permission. Thanks. :)
Updated 10-30-13 to add (break)s as needed and fix the usual junk.
(One)
I have heard many people say how they respect and are even sometimes jealous of those who have been presented with great opportunities and had the courage to take them. They accepted their destinies and fulfilled them with grace and courage. There is this idea that those great heroes were fearless and brave and strong and awesome.
I know better. They were pissing themselves with fear.
I'm here, dreaming again, but my sense of tranquility has long since faded. I know this will be the last dream I will have of this war, the final test.
I sit here in this guard shack, not on my feet just yet. I'm quietly refusing to co-operate just for one moment and so far the Spirits don't seem to mind. Perhaps they have granted me this one moment in time to reflect.
I sit, my hand held out in front of me, a large silver braided ring in the center of it, a silent promise. If I do this one thing — whatever it is the Spirits want of me – I can have this. I can have my Kimble free and clear, mine for all time. All I have to do is figure out what that one thing is.
I have watched my dreams as carefully as I can, tried to pluck secrets and clues from the scenes I've been shown. So many players here – my precious Remy, the gruff Wolverine, Chuckfet yet brave to their cores. Asher working his magic on the crowd. Zander so magnificent, all powerful rippling muscle and power. Mishnar with his strange lions.
And me.
I close my hand around the ring, feel the comforting weight of it. It is silver platinum of the finest quality, never to rust or break apart. A thing as solid as my love for Kimble will ever be. And sadly, as real as precognition, my curse. One has made the other possible and I must be faithful to both.
I hear a noisy crash of the door below me from outside my window and know that I must get with the program. I will rise and learn that which I must do. I will follow through and receive my reward or die in the ashes of this pathetic war. Asher claims that when someone dies in the act of saving another, they go to heaven in a state of perfect grace and will be redeemed against their sins. Well, if that is true, saving the life of my Lover and his child will serve me well. I am like those heroes, you see. I am brave enough, I have the will.
Just watch and you'll see.
(break)
Aiden bolted upright in bed, waking from a yet another excursion into dreamland as he screamed, "E'sz 'ere! Jael 'asz come!"
The words had been out of his mouth before he could stop them. They had not been part of his current dream, but they were part of his fate, their interruption into his real life a clear indication of that. His shout had alerted Kimble, who jerked suddenly awake beside him with a startled grunt.
Not a second later, the compound alarm went off, a horrible shrieking sound. They had both heard this before and knew what it was. All their hopes of never hearing it again were now suddenly dashed.
The Siskans scrambled to their feet in a bewildered daze. Kimble and Aiden had both been out cold after a nice hard round of play that had left them wonderfully sated and sleepy. They had been solidly asleep in a pleasing afternoon nap that was now so rudely interrupted. They stood still for a moment, waiting for the all clear bell to sound, hoping that this was just a drill. It didn't take long to see that wasn't going to happen, that whatever this was, it was for real.
Aiden turned his head sharply when he saw Kimble suddenly shiver with a soft whimper of surprised surrender, an odd sound. The pilot's face smoothed out and Aiden was looking into the eyes of a stranger.
Aiden couldn't help but shiver himself at Remy's warning to him - You ain't felt nuthin' 'til 'e look right at you and it's someone else gleamin' in 'is eyes, tellin' you to go take a flyin' leap. Well, here it was, that frightening duality. Of seeing Kimble but knowing it was someone else at the helm. So much for Asher's attempt at repair.
Aiden was frozen as Zander looked at him, tall and straight, not an ounce of fear. The Punisher's voice was low and gravelly, deep and commanding. "Stay here, Kimble's Aiden. Stay outta trouble. I'll takes care of this."
Aiden balked, fearful of what he knew Zander could do. For all he had known about Kimble's violent Punisher, they had never met face to face. The body was the same, but Zander's shine and vibrations were that of an entirely different person. It was hard now for Aiden to see him, this part of his nightmares coming true right before his eyes. Aiden replied sadly, " 'Ow'sz zat, eh? What will be will be."
Zander just grinned a wicked smile. He flicked his wrist and just like that, conjured his sword. "Not this time. This time Jael pays. He pays fer all of it!"
Aiden stepped back nervously, holding up a hand for patience. "Don' be szo 'aszty. We all 'ave rolesz to play."
Their conversation was interrupted as Asher shambled down the hall, drowsy himself. He poked his head in their room, adjusting his not so sleepy Mumbler in his hands, Smee was wriggling and trying to go up onto his shoulder and around his neck. Asher startled noticeably and stopped fumbling with his agitated pet when he saw the change in Kimble. "What's goin' on? Who's this I'm lookin' at?"
"Disz isz Zandair, Ashair. I told you of him."
"Sharpsy sharp it 'tis!" Smee mumbled, still squirming. He didn't like the look of Zander's sword any more than Asher did. "Ouchy ouches!"
The centaur was shaking his head as he moved Smee up around his neck, a much safer position for the tiny animal. "Puts that sword down, kitten. There ain't no profit in fightin', only death."
Zander just laughed, a most unpleasant sound. "Just try and takes it, pretty boy."
Asher scowled at first in response, but then took a breath and calmed. His hands began to glow, wisping Morrowhiem. He was used to being in charge and wasn't going to let an unbalanced Siskan push him around, not without a fight. "He who lives by the sword, dies by that sword. What needs ta be done here ain't gonna be accomplished by that weapon, only be made ten times worse. Lays it down, Zander. Ya don't needs it. What happens today will happens by God's will, not yer own."
He didn't get an answer to that, at least not from his brothers. The front door suddenly burst open and Remy was there, breathless and flushed. He was dressed in full black, the first time they had seen this uniform in the real world. As if confirming Aiden's worst fears, this was the new battle uniform from his prophetic dreams, another sign that this was finally the end of all things.
As he held his bo staff nervously in one hand, Remy's shine was shimmering brightly with fear and anticipation, but he was doing his best to control his anxiety in front of the women. He had Angel and Molly with him and he gently shoved them towards the centaur who was still in the hallway. Remy was spouting orders - "Dat's de upstairs alarm. Molly's gonna escort you guys down a couple of levels to de evacuation area where dey keepin' all de kids. Fallen an' Set' already dere by now. Pack up a bag real quick and den you guys move, comprenez?"
"Goey goes to the safer places, yes!" Smee squeaked in agreement. He was still wriggling even though he had been moved to the position he had wanted in the first place, digging in a bit with his nails.
"Shure," Asher stammered lamely, still out of sorts from all the noise and confusion. He moved Smee from his neck back into his arms, protectively wanting a better grasp on him. He nodded at Remy. "Whatever you says I'll sees it done."
"Bien. Dere's two guys 'ere watchin' yo' door while you pack up. Don' be takin' too long, eh? You gotta move."
At Gambit's words, Zander had come forward, but Aiden used his position in the bedroom doorway to shield him from view, not wanting Remy to worry. Aiden looked out at the thief, "Disz isz it, right? Jael 'asz come."
Remy's crimson eyes smiled at him as he tried to put on his best face. "Don' you worry none. We gonna take care of dis, just like I promised. What y'all gotta do is go where Molly take you. Dat's how you gonna help. De only way. Now, where's Kimble at?"
" 'E'sz 'ere wit me. 'E shakin', but 'e fine. Do not worry. 'E'll be juszt fine. Me an' Ashair gonna keep an eye on 'im, neh?"
Remy paused, reaching out briefly with his empathy, just enough to sense Kimble was in fact there. It wasn't long enough for him to see that it was Zander in his place, the X-man was understandably distracted and had no time. He had to go and now. "Bien. Cause I can't be worryin' about all of you."
Remy looked at his wife. She was wearing a backpack, loaded with their own few necessities, but he next gave her a small metal box. "In case of an evacuation, dis will deactivate de trackers de Siskans 'ad to swallow. Don' use it 'less you guys gotta bail, comprenez? We gotta know where dese guys are all de time, especially today. You gotta go, you 'ead for de Dragons, Fallen will get you out."
Yes. I love you.
"Je t'aime, chere. Toujours." He gave Molly a deep kiss, bobbed his head at Angel and ducked out into the corridor, moving along into the crowd. Just like that, he was gone.
Asher looked at the closed door and at the two female humans trembling there. They were just as upset and disrupted as everyone else and frightened. Between having to deal with Zander and their terror, Asher was at a bit of a loss of what to do here himself.
Aiden wasn't. He had already turned to Zander, whispering in Siskan, "Get dresszed. Anjel isz outszide."
Zander started to argue, but he saw that Aiden wasn't fighting him, only taking charge. The Dreamer knew what had to happen here, he knew best of all. Zander dissolved the sword and grabbed at his pants, dressing quickly.
"What are y'all doin', Dreamer?" Asher hissed suspiciously, seeing that Aiden was up to something. He had to act, the humans would just have to wait.
"You believe in disz God of yoursz? Zen 'E ze one szendin' me dreamsz. Let me do 'Isz will zen," Aiden snapped and brushed past him. The Dreamer came into the livingroom where Molly was standing, Angel in her arms. "Who isz outszide, pleasze?" he asked Molly, trying to make the question seem casual.
Ben and Thomas, she signed in confusion. She could sense something was up with these guys as well, they were hiding their words in Siskan and everything was just happening too quickly. They certainly weren't packing up anything as they had been told. She herself was a mess, it was clear she had been crying and was terrified, but she was waiting, waiting for Aiden to do what he had been told.
Aiden had no such plans. He nodded to himself, assessing the situation quickly. The two men were betas, cosmetic mutants only. The tough guys were all upstairs joining the fight.
With one fluid movement, Aiden reacted. He turned quickly, reaching out suddenly to lay a hand on Molly's head, sending out a strong surge of Morrowhiem, one she could never fight. Sleep, was the command. Unsuspecting, she fell quickly, dropping the tracker box, but Aiden caught her, careful to lay her down gently on the sofa. He wouldn't see her harmed.
"Aiden!" Asher shouted, coming forward in alarm. He accepted the fact that Aiden knew things he had not yet revealed, but these actions were violent and inexcusable. This couldn't be happening.
Asher didn't get more than one step before he was violently shoved back to the wall by Zander. The Punisher had dressed and was done waiting. He wanted no more interruptions and the centaur was in the way. Zander was powerful and wicked in his own way, Asher was no match for Zander, not when the Punisher was in full control of his powers like this. Certainly not when he wasn't prepared for it.
Smee spilled from Asher's arms to the floor from Zander's powerful thrust and instantly began to complain. "Meany mean the brighty white!" he garbled in his tiny little voice and nipped at Zander's furry toes in defense of his Master. Zander just gave him a swift kick to the left, tumbling the ferret-like creature into the corner. Smee was uninjured but stayed where he was, bristling with diminutive fury.
"Hey!" Asher snarled in indignation. He was struggling against Zander once more, the panic in him already rising. He didn't know which was worse, Zander playing so rough with Smee or Aiden moving the humans around like pawns. "What're you guys doin'?!"
"Stay back!" Zander warned the centaur with another decisive shove, answering in Aiden's place. He looked at Asher square and ordered, "Takes care of Kimble's Angel. That's all ya gots ta worry about. Don'tcha lets her outta yer sight, understand?"
Asher wouldn't look at him, he refused to acknowledge this was really happening. His hands glowed with renewed Morrowhiem and he shoved them at Zander defensively, hoping to bring the Punisher down with an unexpected treatment of his power. Zander just laughed, absorbing Asher's Morrowhiem with a shiver and a flush of red in his shine that only spelled disaster. He had been aroused by the rush, but coupled with his violent mind, didn't have tender lovemaking on his mind. He was looking on Asher now with an ugly gleam of lust and violent intention.
"Zandair, come!" Aiden barked sharply with all the authority of a Master. He needed the Punisher's anger, couldn't wait to see it inflicted on Jael, but still had to maintain some kind of control of the situation here and now. He only hoped Zander would co-operate. "We 'ave no time! Come!"
Asher meanwhile had cringed back, horrified by the unexpected reaction to his power. He had no idea if he could be sexually forced but didn't doubt Zander's capacity to at least punish him for the interruption. He found himself pleading with the pilot, "Don't do this! You cain't wins by fightin'!"
Zander's reply was another forceful shove, pushing Asher back and away down the hall towards the bedrooms. Zander was obeying Aiden though, and withdrew, bringing his violent, lustful vibrations with him. He would use them in battle, not against his clutchmate.
Asher was relieved by Zander's retreat and did not resist any further, but he was being forced to accept the inevitable. Aiden had told him some of what he had dreamed so none of this was any real surprise. He scooped up his poor rumpled Mumbler and cradled him, needing the comfort of it. Smee curled up against him, shaking with rage at his mistreatment but wanting his Master as well. He wasn't squirming nearly so much now.
Aiden meanwhile had opened the front door and greeted the door guards, they had knocked on the door, questioning all the racket. They came in and Aiden overpowered them quickly with a startling brutality, moving with emotionless calm and efficiency. The guards hadn't expected trouble from within and the element of surprise was all Aiden's. They were both stunned with heavy blows to the head and laid down gently on the floor. Zander came quickly, creating surprisingly realistic replicas of handcuffs from the same substance as his sword to tie their hands, there was no way they would be able to break free.
Angel was crying, upset by all she was seeing. It was all happening around her so quickly that she couldn't comprehend it. Why was Molly on the couch asleep and why did daddy look so strange? This wasn't the gentle Kimble she knew. "Daddy, what's going on?"
Zander bent and looked at her, fixing her with his eyes. The change in his voice and his posture was enough for her to know Kimble was no longer there. He didn't even try to deceive her. "Yer daddy's not here right now. I'm Zander an' I swores ta protects ya an' that's just what I'm gonner do. Now, to do that, I gots ta helps out outside. Me an' Aiden both. They wuzn't gonna lets us but we gots to, that's just how it is. They needs us, they just don't knows it, is all."
She sobbed harder at the change in his voice, she knew who this was. "Let me help my daddy!"
"You kin helps yer Kimble by stayin' here where it's safe."
"Is he coming back?"
"Of course, darlin'. Takes care of Asher fer me, he's gonna bring ya down to where Seth is, he'll watch over you."
Angel sobbed, seeing the lie in Zander's words, the uncertainly he felt. He couldn't possibly know the outcome of his actions, but she sensed enough of his obligation, of his desire to protect her that she could let him go, understanding that he was doing this for her.
Aiden watched this exchange with mixed feelings. It would be very simple now to pick up Angel and run, to just take her away and hide now that he knew she was the one he had to save. Yet he couldn't deny the overpowering feeling that to do so would be a terrible mistake. He had always been shown snippets of things, most often taken out of context. He might know the ending of something, but not how he got there when the getting there was sometimes the most important thing after all. The dreams had been very clear – he had to be outside and in that guard shack. Whatever he was supposed to do, it was to happen up there, not down here. If he tried to alter that history in any way it could have disastrous consequences and unlike his dreams, there would be no second changes to do it all again and get it right.
His decision made, Aiden started for the door, but Zander grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. We gots them trackers inside 'a us, we'll set off the alarms. They gots ta be deactivated."
Aiden nodded and grabbed the controller box from where Molly had dropped it. He began to work the buttons, deactivating their trackers against the door alarms. They would be free to move about now without alerting anyone to where they were going, or getting zapped by going out of bounds.
Asher trembled as he watched all this, one hand still grasping the cross around his neck, the other his Angel Smee as tears poured down his cheeks. There had to be some other way, God must give him a sign.
It didn't come. All he saw was the mad, deranged anger in the Punisher's eyes as the pilot turned to look at him, daring him to try to stop them again. Zander and Aiden were at the door, ready now to leave and do whatever it was they had planned. Zander growled at him, "You watch over the girls, we gots ta go now."
"Y'all gotta swears ta God ya won't kills nobody! Don' risk yer souls!" Asher begged, his misery the brightest thing in the room.
Zander's smile grew wicked, his eyes blazing with cruelty. "Not a chance. There ain't no God. If there wuz, he wouldn't've allowed all this shit ta happen. Maybe yer God'll come an saves ya just ta proves me wrong, but I'm bettin' He won't."
Asher looked at Zander's accomplice, pleading with his eyes. "Don' do this, Dreamer. Please!"
"It isz asz I dreamed it. Szo it muszt be ze will of your God," Aiden replied, throwing this back at his friend. "Don' worry, eh? It'll be over szoon. Goodbye, my friend."
Aiden and Zander slipped out into the hallway, closing the door behind them. "We cain't goes tagether, we gots ta break up, make it up to the surface on our own," Zander said, eyeing the upstairs door to his right.
Aiden nodded. It wasn't that he was agreeing so much as it was that he had seen all this already. He knew which way he was supposed to go. His path would take him another direction. He reached for Zander's hand and found it, meeting the Punisher's eyes. "You watch my Keemble, eh? I want 'im back in one piecze. Don' do anyt'ing sztupid."
Zander growled rough laughter. "I'll keeps yer Lover safe, boy. Don't you worry none about that." He dragged Aiden close with a dangerous toothy smile, yanking him by his shirt and hauling him up for a deep bruising kiss. "Later, Dreamer."
Aiden gasped from the kiss. The red from Asher's treatment still blazed there in Zander's shine and for a moment he tasted Zander's powerful lust. Aiden had only a moment to wonder what it would be like to be taken by this creature, but then felt a surge of fear as he had an idea it would be something he probably wouldn't enjoy. Aiden wasn't one for rough handling. Zander released him with a dry chuckle and was gone just like that.
Aiden fell against the wall, gasping from the overpowering presence that Zander had been. All those times Kimble had lain asleep next to him, the Lover hiding such a savage power deeply within. It was like Kimble had been a stranger all along and they had never really known one another. He closed his eyes and sobbed once, momentarily overcome with the tension of all this. He was poised to lose so much, it had only been ten minutes since he had awakened from his nap, time was flying by in a blur.
Well, he had better not waste any more of it. He wiped at his face and got moving. He headed for stairwell at the opposite end of the hall and around the bend. He knew it would end up being the same stairwell as if he had come up from the Lab, just as in his dreams. He took the stairs quickly, rushing. He knew he would be coming out closer to the upper Complex and that he would have to travel across the tarmac. He had very little time.
Just as he expected, he came up under a guard shack almost at the building's edge. He kept his head down low, taking his time. From here he could see the distant line of the gathered X-men. The alarms had sent most of them to the tarmac where they had drilled endlessly for months now. They had grouped mainly on the north side, the direction the perimeter alarms had indicated Jael was approaching from. Also as expected, he saw the row of parked planes and three guards shacks in a neat line, heading out in the same direction. Somehow he had to get to the furthest one without being detected.
He kept low, running in as much of a crouch as he could manage. He made it to the first shack before it occurred to him he might want to remove his brightly colored shirt before he attracted too much attention to himself. Where he usually liked to be in the spotlight, this time wasn't one of them. He tore it from his body, leaving it behind inside the first shack before he scrambled to the next one. He was amazed that he hadn't been spotted, but then, all the attention was directed in front and he was creeping up from behind.
The next shack was going to be more difficult. There were some changes from his dreams, the X-men team was already assembled instead of him coming out here first. He could see the backs of both Remy and Logan leaning against the window on the back side of the shack. Good thing the door was on his side and already open. He bolted for it, making it inside without a sound, and under the desk he went.
Right on cue, the phone rang.
Remy's head turned at the sound of it. "We goan' get dat?"
Logan snorted, "Please. It's just the auto check in. Leave it."
" 'Kay."
Aiden heaved a silent sigh of relief and relaxed into the wall. These were small clues from his dreams, things were falling into place, but it was still all happening too quickly. He was drenched in gel sweat, as much from the heat as from being so terribly afraid. The heat was different here in this all too real life scenario. In his dreams it had been a dry desert heat, today it was humid and oppressive. There were clouds in the sky, something Aiden had never seen in all the times he'd been brought up to sun. Another sign that this was no ordinary day. He could only guess at what else might have been changed by the chaotic currents of fate. Good thing he was fairly adaptable, he had an idea he would need every ounce of his courage and cleverness today.
Soft knuckles rapped against the window glass, prompting Aiden to look up. Gambit had stretched, bracing his bo staff across his shoulders, his hands touching the glass. / What you doin' 'ere, Aiden? You suppose' to be watchin' m' girls./
Aiden shivered, horrified that he had been detected so easily. Swallowing his panic, he replied as honestly as he could, demanding understanding with every part of him. / I 'ave to be 'ere. Disz suppoze t 'appen. Pleasze! Do you undersztand?
A vibration of impatience. / Who's wit m' girls if you 'ere?
/ Keemble and Ashair, Aiden replied, praying the thief would accept the lie. Lord, he was so afraid.
/ Don' be scared. Gambit's got watch, the thief sent in a vibration of reassurance, shifting just slightly to cover more of the glass and protect him from view, just as in the dream. / Just keep yo' 'ead down, d'accorde?
Just that simple thing brought out such a surge of love from the cowering, terrified Siskan that Remy was forced to smile and laugh softly at the measure of it.
"What?" Logan asked, turning his head.
"Rien. Just ready to get dis over wit."
"Remember, no heroics, Cajun. You and Jason here cover the stairwell. No one gets down. That's it. Yer too busted up to do more, got that?"
"Absolument, patron. Don't worry."
Remy shifted again as there was a low rumble of thunder in the distance. " 'M Stormy's a bit upset."
Logan grunted at the mention of the team's resident weather witch, Storm. She and Remy were longtime friends, she had been the one to bring Gambit onto the team all those years ago. The weather often reflected her mood. The day's brewing storm was a sign of her agitation and he hoped it would grow no worse. There was nothing more irritating than trying to fight in the rain. "The sooner this is done, the better off we'll all be."
There was a cry and all heads snapped forward. Jael had been sighted.