Are You Afraid of the Dark?
Time:
4:30 am.
Mission: Multiple's room.
Daredevils:
Iceman, Berserker, Cannonball, and Jubilee.
"Shhh! Be quiet!" A voice whispered, and a thud against the wall could be heard as the owner snuck through a dark hallway of the Xavier institute.
"No, YOU be quiet!" Another male voice shot back venomously, earning two "shhhh!" noises from all the three others with him.
"Do you want us to get CAUGHT?!" Bobby reminded Jubilee, Sam, and Ray as they stood, huddled, outside Jamie's bedroom door. A shaking of heads was his answer.
"I didn't think so. Now here's the plan, guys. We're gunna get him back."
"How?" Jubilee whispered a little too loudly, causing the four guys she was with to "shhh" her in unision, along with glares.
Bobby seemed unbothered by this somewhat needed question.
"I was GETTING to that. Who here can tell me what short-stuff-Multiple in there is afraid of most?"
His three companions looks at each other helpfully, clueless looks on their faces.
"The DARK!" Bobby muttered in frustration, taking out a peice of rope and a bandanna. "Multiple is afraid of the dark. So, we're gunna use that against him by..."
"Wait a minute." Ray interrupted, sounding stubborn. "How do YOU, of all people, know he's afraid of the dark?" There was a murmer of agreement from the other two. "The little twirp never told US that. Why would he tell YOU?"
Examining his nails in an almost narcissus manner, Bobby leaned against the wall outside Jamie's door.
"Remember that time ALL the lights went out, and we were in the Danger Room?"
They nodded, slowly remembering.
"Uh, yah, that's when we figured out he couldn't DO very much." Jubilee stated, sticking her thumb nail in her mouth hastily with the anxioty of their mission.
"Well," Bobby continued, sending a glare Jubilee's direction at her interruption. "The WHOLE time, the little twirp was scared out of his wits! By the way it sounded, he was having an absolute panic attack. It was when Scott finally found us in the dark that short stuff admitted his fear, and had to be brought to the kitchen for some water. I just happened to..." He paused, as though thinking. "...accidently overhear it."
There was a chorus of giggles, and Ray signalled for the group to pull together.
"Common, guys, let's get this over with. I wanna see the look on that runt's face when I get through with him."
"Don't hit him!" Sam exclaimed nervously. "If you hit him, we'll have MORE to deal with. One might run off and get Logan."
Nodding in approval, Jubilee turned the doorknob to Jamie's room and cautiously cracked open the door. The room would have been dark, if it had not been for a bright shining night-light that was situated not far from the boy's bed. In the light they could just see blankets, and an arm hanging limply off the side of the bed, situated in blue flannel. The group moved forward cautiously, careful not to creak the floorboards underneath the rug in case of people below them.
By going closer, the foursome could see Jamie lying on his stomach, eyes closed and clutching a teddy bear almost as though in habit to his chest.
"Talk about innocence..." Bobby murmered under his breath, before grabbing Jamie's free arm and pulling it, while Ray grabbed the other and they picked him up.
"Wha...huh?" Jamie sleepily inquired, opening his eyes halfway and glancing at his surroundings before feeling a rope being tied around his hands, forcing them behind his back. "HEY...!" He started to yell, but before he could even manage a short sentence Jubilee had tied the bandanna tight around his mouth, paralyzing him from further speech.
Fearfully, Jamie gasped and kicked as the threesome dragged him into Scott's room with his open door. He wanted to yell "NO, NO!" as they pushed him in the black closet, but he could manage nothing, and the door was closed behind him with a click, and there was muffled whispers and a clunk as a chair was pushed against it so, indeed, he could not escape.
Great. Jamie thought to himself tiredly. Now what am I gunna do? I'm TRAPPED in a dark...very DARK closet. SCOTT'S very dark closet, none the less. What happens if a monster eats me? It'll be Jubilee's fault...she's the one who made it so I couldn't scream! So dark...something could be lurking behind me...!
Instinctively, as soon as that thought ran through his mind, Jamie attempted to turn abruptly, but his current position and the way his hands were tied simply wouldn't allow it.
What if it's behind me, and it's about to EAT me? He panicked, trying his best to free his somewhat numb hands from behind his back. Jamie burgers don't taste as good as they look. Really! I SWEAR!
This was because of what he did to them yesterday.
He was just getting back at them for not letting him go into the Danger room...
They didn't have to lock him in a CLOSET!
A very dark closet at that.
Was that a noise?
Jamie tried to turn his head to located the noise. What was it? A monster?
"Bobby!" He tried to yell. "I won't do it ever again, I promise!" But his cries were nothing but muffled sounds behind the bandanna across his mouth. Sighing, Jamie kicked the object nearest to his foot.
"AHHHHHH!!" He screamed as loud as was possible with his mouth gagged, jumping backwards and slamming forcefully into the back of the closet. Multiples spilled out next to him in the same state as he.
There...in front of him...staring at him...was a...a...CLOWN! A clown, its deep, sad eyes giving him a sort of creepy look, just staring at him...STARING!
Unconsiencely Jamie moved as far away from the clown as possible as his Multiples untied his tightly bound hands, and undid the bandanna from his mouth. Bravely one of the four multiples that had appeared moved slowly, cautiously, into the darkness, letting out a sigh when he was no longer visible.
"It's just a MASK!" He whispered in a releived voice, and the other three multiples could be heard sighing with releif also.
"See Jamie, it's just a mask!"
"Just a mask!"
"A scary mask at that..."
"Stop it, Jamie, you're scaring Jamie!"
"Sorry."
Jamie sighed, looking around cautiously. At least he had company now in the dark.
"How are we gunna get outta here?" He wondered to his multiples, who leaned forward in curiosity.
"We could...yell for Scott!" One volenteered, but Jamie shook his head.
"Then we'd get everyone in trouble, and they'd hate us even more!"
The multiples took this into careful consideration as they all sat thinking.
"Why did they lock us in here ANYWAY?" Another multiple asked in a shaky voice, inching away from a dark corner nervously.
Jamie sighed as he too, noticing the dark corner, edged away from it.
"They probably knew I was afraid of the dark. It was just a joke yesterday!"
"They didn't think it was a joke." A stubborn multiple pouted, leaning against the other with his elbow.
"Well it was!" Jamie argued back. "Maybe it was a little...revenge joke. Ha ha?"
He only received amused looks from his Multiples.
"HEY! It's not like we're gunna get outta here anyway until Scott finds us, and then we'll be in trouble! So we might as well just WAIT!" Jamie huffed, crossing his arms and plopping down onto the hard floor of Scott's closet. Two Multiples crowded others, staring at the original Jamie with quizzical looks.
"Well...what are we supposed to do 'till then?" One of the newest Multiples questioned, adding to the annoyance Jamie was feeling.
"I...I don't know...stop asking ME! Why don't YOU guys help?"
The multiples all looked at each other, before shrugging in unison.
"We uh...never thought of that."
"Maybe we should help."
"No ideas here."
"Is anyone else hungry?"
"What are we gunna say when Scott comes?"
"I'm tired."
"Are you okay, Jamie?"
Jamie gripped the rug in a mock-calm manner.
"Yes, you should help, no I'm not hungry, I don't know, I don't care, and YES! I'm FINE!" His voice dripped with annoyance that left the multiples taken-aback.
"Sorry Jamie." They chorused in unison, apolegetic looks on their identical faces.
"It's okay." Jamie sighed. "I'm just...tired. With you guys here, the dark isn't so bad. But how are we gonna get out?"
Totally ignoring Jamie's question, a multiple against the wall of Scott's closet looked down with a depressed face.
"Guys." He sighed. "Our power stinks!"
There was a murmer of agreement from all the other multiples, and a sharp look from Jamie.
"No really." The multiple continued, realizing he was on a roll. "We can't do anything in the danger room, or in Scott's training sessions. It'd just be easier if we had a NORMAL life!"
Jamie nodded, but his left eyebrow remained cocked.
"Not exactly." Jamie argued. "If we lived a normal life, we'd go to school and stuff, but then, whenever someone bumped into us or something, people would call us a freak. Remember that time at the mall?"
Reluctantly, the multiples all nodded. It was obvious they would rather not remember.
One time, when Jamie was new to the institute...
"Common, Jamie, you NEED to go clothes shopping!" Jean weedled, trying to force Jamie out the door of the Xavier institute to Scott's car.
"No...noooooo!" Jamie argued back, grabbing into the handle of the door as she tried to pull him. With a large tug, Jean detached him from the door and somehow managed to situate him in the backseat of Scott's convertible. Kurt jumped in the front, and Jean in the driver seat, and they headed off.
"I'm sorry about my force, Jamie, but Professor Xavier insisted you go clothes shopping, and I'm just the one to take you. Don't you want new clothes?" Her happy go lucky voice was peircing, but, calming in the situation of him being forced to go clothes shopping with a girl.
Kurt turned around in his seat, grinning.
"Ja, Jamie, don't you vant new slammin' threads?"
Jamie giggled and nodded, uncrossing his arms and removing the angry look from his face to enjoy the wind toseling his hair. The three students pulled into the mall and parked, and Jean had to lead Jamie inside to avoid anyone bumping into him. Although many a person bumped into Jean, no one suceeded in bumping into Jamie.
"First..." Jean pondered, looking about the mall with a maniac glint never seen in her eyes by Jamie. "First we'll go to..." Her face lit up. "Abercrombie!"
Kurt could be heard gasping, "NO!" behind them, but Jean paid him no mind.
"Common, Jamie, we've got shopping to do. Common Kurt." Kurt groaned and followed reluctantly, heard breathing under his breath, about "turning poor children into preps."
Upon buying some very...bright clothes for Jamie from Abercrombie, Jean dragged the two boys to D.E.M.O., Aeropostale, and Pac Sun.
"Jean..." Jamie whined, running his fingers through his hair irritably. "I'm getting tired..."
Jean sighed as though dissapointed, but wagered.
"Alright, common, just ONE more store, I PROMISE." She turned her head to him only for a second, before letting him to walk with Kurt.
"Ja, I feel your pain man. I'm BEAT!" Kurt mumbled to him, careful to make sure Jean didn't hear. Jamie nodded and scuffed his feet tiredly, too tired to pick them up high enough to walk normally. Jean dissapeared into a store called "American Eagle", so Jamie and Kurt slowly followed.
"Jamie! I found these CUTE pants, and a couple of shirts..." Jean's voice was evident the moment they were inches into the store.
Three pairs of pants and four shirts later, Jean left Jamie to check out.
"I wish there were benches to sit on..." He grumbled crossly, leaning against a table with the words, "SALESALESALE" with a million explanation points after the words on it.
A person never would have seen it coming, even with Kurt's eyesight or Jean's telepathic powers. All that could be seen was a large group of people, probably wanting to go in for the "SALESALESALE!!!!!!!!" bustled past him, and an elbow connected hard with his chest, sending him to slam into the table behind him.
"Ugh!" He managed, but his pain was not the worst of his problems. Turning, he caught a glimse of...five more of him.
"Oh my GAWD!" A voice screamed, identified as an old woman wearing some sort of fur.
"It's one of those FREAKS!" A teenage boy imitated the old woman's actions, and his group followed his lead.
"Stand back and you won't get CONTAMINATED!"
"Watch out for the FREAK!"
There were numerous screams of "freak!" and many people running, but many people stayed just to gawk and point and critisize. Jamie backed up slowly, unsure of what to do, but thankfully, the smell of brimstone, a hand on his shoulder, and an unmistakeable "bamph" sound signalled him and his multiples out of the situation he had just been the middle of.
"Jamie-man, are you okay?!" Kurt asked in a worried voice as three of his multiples absorbed back into him.
Jamie's lip trembled as he carefully sat down on the ground next to Scott's car. Leaning against the back tire, tears ran down his face freely.
"Hey, calm down..." Kurt tried uncertainly, placing a hand on Jamie's shoulder and sitting next to him. The two remaining multiples watched with interest as Kurt only received a sob in response.
"GUYS!" Jean cried as she approached them, opening the trunk and shoving the shopping bags in before slamming it once again and standing in front of the two. "I am SO sorry...I didn't think...if I left for just a SECOND..." Noticing Jamie's tears, she sighed with shame.
Kurt stood up, then pulled a still sobbing Jamie up with him.
"I think we should go home." He said slowly, helping Jamie into the car and then 'porting in himself. Jean nodded and started the car, driving out of the parking lot in silence. Trying again, she broke it.
"Jamie...I'm...I'm sorry..." The sobbing didn't cease. "I...okay, I shouldn't have left...I geuss I forgot."
Kurt shook his head at her lame attempts to make Jamie's mood better, and opened the glove compartment of Scott's car. Pulling out a small bag of chocolate chip teddy grahms, he motioned for Jean to watch.
"Ja-mie..." Kurt waved the bag in front of Jamie's wet face. "Crying boys don't get cook-ies!"
There was a fit of coughing for a moment as Jamie tried to catch his breath, and, although the tears didn't stop, the sobbing did, and Kurt thought that good enough to give the boy cookies.
"ZAT'S how you make it better." He whispered to her, watching as Jamie munched happily on the bear shaped cookies.
"I uh...don't think we should bring Multiple to the mall anymore..." Jean concluded, as they arrived back at the Xavier institute, Storm waiting at the door to take the still crying Jamie to his room.
"I...I geuss you're right. But still...it's a nice thought." The multiple gave a small smile and shrugged one shoulder. The rest of the multiples around him nodded.
"I wonder if Jean got yelled at for that...?" A multiple next to Jamie thought aloud.
"I'm not sure." Jamie admitted. "But she hasn't talked to me since."
"Does anybody know what time it is?" One multiple asked meekly, glancing around him at all the grouchy looking Jamies.
"TOOL TIME!" Every voice in the closet whispered in unison, and all the Jamies grinned. Getting back to buisness, Jamie looked at his digital watch and pressed the button to make the face glow.
"Six thirty. About a half an hour until Scott wakes up." He sighed, leaning up against the barricaded door. "If it was anybody BUT Scott, I'd probably start SCREAMING right now because I would know they wouldn't tell Scott...well maybe Jean would, but...back to the point. I don't want to get Bobby, Ray, Jubilee, and Sam in trouble! They'll never let me go anywhere with them EVER again!"
There was a chorus of "oh, ya"s and "good point"s throughout the closet. Than one of the multiples spoke the truth.
"They...never really let us go anywhere with them ANYway.." This was thought over by the multiples in the closet, as they heard Scott's alarm clock beep dully in the room.
V"He's waking up EARLY!" Jamie whispered happily as he heard a groan and a thump as Scott fell out of bed. The alarm clock rang on, but was soon turned off with a crash. Scott dragged his feet across his room torwards his closet, putting his glasses on in the process.
"Why is there a chair in front of my closet?" He muttered sleepily, pushing it off carelessly with a crash and opening the closet door, fully awake when he glimsed what was inside.
"WHAT THE...?!" He questioned loudly, then regained his senses. "Jamie?"
Jamie stood up gratefully.
"Hi Scott..." He greeted sheepishly, and his multiples copied his actions.
Scott, on the other hand, was amused but not fooled.
"Why were you locked in my...closet?" He asked, adjusting his glasses and putting a strangely well manicured hand on his hip.
Darting his eyes, Jamie surveyed his options before answering.
"Uh...I don't know?" He tried, but Scott looked torwards the multiples for an answer only seconds after his had been given.
"It was BOBBY!"
"And Jubilee!"
"And BOBBY!"
"And Cannonball!"
"Ray was there too!"
"And BOBBY!"
"Yeah, BOBBY!"
"Guys!" Jamie sighed, crossing his arms in defeat. "Great..."
Scott lifted an eyebrow at Jamie.
"I geuss they somehow found out about your fear of the dark and took advantage of it..." Jamie shrugged, but cast a nervous glance at the still dark closet. "I'll have to talk to them..."
"NO!" All the Jamie's shouted in unison, surprising the senior.
"Why?" He questioned, confused. All the multiples burst into explanation at once.
"If you do, we'll never be able to..."
"...won't take us anywhere...!"
"...sneak out!"
The multiples all looked at each other and scowled.
"How could you?!" They yelled together, and Scott laughed.
"Well, go back to bed. I reckon YOU guys, didn't get alot of sleep last night." Jamie and the multiples nodded, and a voice in the crowd shouted, "I GET THE BED!" which led to a stampede of Jamie's running from his room...past a very confused Logan.
"What the..."
