DISCLAIMER: I own none of the official Marvel characters but I do own Marlena. If some characters seem well… out of character, it's just to make the scene more entertaining. I'm not making any money out of this, though I could definitely use it…. o.O
Marlena huddled in a lonely alleyway in front of a rotting pile of garbage. Her feet were bare and she wore a pair of baggy, torn black pants and a white t-shirt that was two sizes too big for her. All she had to keep her warm was a thin, navy blue hoodie wrapped tightly around her well-figured body. Her hands were clasped to her ears, desperate to block out the unceasing voices of people she didn't know.
Look at him, drinking his beer and staring at the TV. I wish that he…
I hate her! She never lets me do anything…I'm sixteen! I just want to go out and…
She looks like an angel when she sleeps. She's the most beautiful woman I've ever seen…
She squeezed her eyes shut, curling into a tight ball as she pressed the heels of her hands painfully against her eyes. There were so many voices that she could hardly focus on just one, all of them mixing together and creating an unbearable headache for Marlena. She opened her eyes to see the alley before her blurred while fuzzy white dots danced across her vision.
"He went this way!" Marlena cringed, the sudden loud shout close to the alley jarring her head.
She sat up straight, looking from side to side in quick, jerky motions. No one seemed to be coming down the alley, until some one jumped or fell from above into the pile of garbage she was sitting in front of. She screamed as she saw a green tinted finger and face peek out to tell her to be quiet.
If she gives me away… I swear I'll kill 'er!
Her hands once again pressed tightly to her ears as she clumsily settled once again in front of the garbage, trusting this new voice to be able to carry out what it said. She had very little time to consider this as four tough looking teenagers rushed hotly into the alley.
"Did you see anyone?" The tallest boy asked her, stabbing forward to grab the neck of her jacket. Filthy piece of garbage… She cried out, holding her eyes shut and struggling forcefully as four new voices entered her head. "I said… Did you see anyone!"
"N-No!" She shouted, struggling hard to free herself. He was much stronger then her and showed no signs of letting her go. She gripped hard to his wrists and with out warning went completely limp, almost draggin her assailant down with her.
"You little rat!" He yelled, throwing her harshly into the arms of a portly but strong mexican boy. "We can't find the freak, but at least we can have some fun with this filthy bitch." The tall boy's gloved hands reached into his pockets and pulled out a large bike chain. "Marco, Quinn, hold her!" His brown eyes gleamed with violence as the portly Mexican boy and a strong muscled black boy grabbed her from either side.
"STOP IT!" She screamed as the remaining boy shuffled through a pile of garbage and found a discarded table leg. Their thoughts were full of excitement at beating her to death and it frightened her to tears. "I didn't do anything!" She pleaded, squeezing her eyes shut as the tall leader prepared for his first hit.
With her eyes closed she heard a loud thump as the tall leader cried out in surprise. Her captures suddenly released their hold on her and she fell heavily to the floor. There were a few more loud thumps followed by some sickening crunching sounds and she opened her eyes just in time to see the green figure she had been protecting land heavily on the black boy's chest, causing her to cringe at the sickly crunch it caused.
Please don't let me die! I swear I won't harm another fly!
I don't wanna die…!
She could hear their voices in her head and she hated them. She pushed her hands hard against her ears and bit her lip until she tasted blood, desperate to make the pathetic, whining voices go away. Her wish was granted as two fell silent and the other two slowly faded. She failed to hear the last thud that granted her wish, or the hands that gripped her shoulders.
"Oi, lady, snap out of it!" Marlena shot her eyes open to be face to face to a green tinted man gently shaking her.
"I… They…" She muttered as all other voices seemed to fade away. "You saved me…?"
"It's just not right ta beat a woman. 'Sides, you didn't tell them where I was." His accent was unmistakably british and was strangely hypnotic to Marlena's ears. "Why'd you do it anyway?"
"I… I…" She reached up and ran her fingers through dirty, strawberry blonde hair. "You… Threatened me. I was afraid."
"What?" His eyes went wide as he let her go. "But… I-I never said anything! You…" A sudden shock of realization spread across his face and his mouth twisted into a devious grin. "You must be a mutant."
"A what?"
"A mutant. 'Aven't you ever 'eard of mutants before?" He laughed deep in his throat, taking a pack of cigarettes from his jacket pocket and lighting one up. "Ya know, people born with super powers and the like."
"N-No…" She shook her head quickly, strands of matted hair falling in her face. She made a movement to swipe them away when she paused. "What… I-I have…! The voices… The voices have told me before!" She looked pleased with her recollection.
"Bloody 'ell! Wot a find! A telepath that ain't been found by Xavier and 'is X-Geeks. Magneto's gonna love this one." The stranger leaned in close to Marlena, his nose mere inches from her face. "'Ow would you like a nice warm place ta sleep tonight, luv?"