~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Devon left the house. She turned down the street, not sure what she was going to do next. It was a feeling that had only occurred once to her before.
~It was night. Cold air blew through the alleyway where Devon and the tall boy at her side strolled. He slipped his hand into hers and smiled down at her. She smiled back, moving closer. He was leaning down to kiss her when it happened. Like the night before, the shadows began to move and writhe, detaching themselves from the wall and.. ~
Stop. Devon told herself firmly. That's over with. There's nothing you can do for him.
Devon, half unconscious, made her way wandering and meandering to the house she shared with Jason. She entered through the trapdoor on the roof, hearing Jason in his room, his television blaring. She quickly changed into another tank top, this one dark green, and new black jeans. She took her five-inch dagger from beneath her mattress and slipped it into the receptacle tied to her wrist. She began to leave the room when she heard breaking glass, then a piercing scream of terror from Jason's room. Out of curiosity rather than worry, Devon walked into the room, ready to grab her knife and fight.
The television was on some game show. Jason lay on the bed. Three puncture wounds were lined up neatly in his chest and his neck was twisted to one side at an unnatural angle. He was, without a doubt, dead. At first, Devon didn't see his murderer. Then a huge man leapt from the adjoining bathroom, tackling Devon. She hit the floor, rolled, and jumped up, blade in hand. For a moment, her attacker simply stood there, sizing her up. He was taller than Devon, thickly muscled, with excessive amounts of blonde hair, and claws and fangs, which were bared at her. Then he spoke.
"You're his.?" he growled in a low, thundering voice.
"No," Devon said quickly.
He laughed, a sort of muffled roaring. "Didn't think so. Who're you?"
"What do you want?" Devon demanded.
"I'm Sabretooth. Remember it." With that, he roared and lunged at her again, claws out. She slashed at him with her knife, gashing him across his chest in an ordinarily fatal strike. Sabretooth merely paused for a moment, as if surprised that Devon had struck him. Then he grinned and grabbed Devon's wrists, holding them up and forcing Devon to stand on tiptoe. She telekinetically picked up and threw a lamp at him, smashing it into his head. He ignored the blow.
"So yer a mutant." He appeared to be thinking. No amount of struggling loosened his grip, so Devon quit. "How'd you like to learn to use your powers right?"
"What do you mean by that?"
He grinned again. "Meet me at the train station tonight and I'll take you to someone who can teach you." He dropped her, turned, and ran out the broken window.
On the television, 'DANA' won a Ferrari.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Devon stayed to the shadows in the station, wanting to see Sabretooth before he saw her. The man's build made him impossible o miss in a crowd and Devon found him quickly. She walked up behind him and he turned.
"You came. Good. Come on." He led her out to a dark green Jeep, climbing into the driver's seat. Devon sat in the passenger's.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To see someone." Sabretooth reached into his pocket. "Don't bother buckling up." He withdrew a length of rope, which he tied around Devon's arms in the blink of an eye. She started to kick, but he soon tied her feet together as well. Then he gagged her. Devon lay against the passenger's seat, unable to move. Her bonds were tight, on the verge of cutting into her skin. Sabretooth picked her up and put her on the floor of the backseat, where no one could see her. She thrashed a little, testing her knots and finding them strong. She lay still. Sabretooth started the Jeep, then reached over and tied a piece of cloth over her eyes, blinding her.
They drove for an unknown amount of time. Sometime between thinking of all the ways she was going to tear Sabretooth apart and where he was taking her, Sabretooth turned on the radio to a country station. Devon muttered something under the gag. Sabretooth pulled to the side of the road and took the gag off, leaving the blindfold on.
"What's that?" he said.
"Cruel and unusual punishment. No country, for pity's sake."
Sabretooth laughed and put the gag back on, keeping the radio on.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After what seemed like an eternity of darkness, Devon felt the Jeep stop. The last leg of the journey had been extremely bumpy and Devon figured that they had been driving over unpaved road. Sabretooth removed the gag and blindfold. Devon had to shut her eyes against the light, but after Sabretooth had untied the last rope, she was able to look around to where she was.
It was a complex of some sort, that was for certain. They were parked in a kind of dirt courtyard, surrounded a cement building. The building had no windows and only one door, that looked to be made of steel, from the way the sun was glinting off of it. There was a large, square-shaped hole leading under ground. Devon guessed they had come in that way. Looking harder, she realized that a gate was now put up.
"Come on," Sabretooth said, taking her arm and dragging her into the steel door. It was thick and heavy, five inches of metal. Devon went through a long hallway with Sabretooth. The walls were all cement and there was no carpet on the floor. There were steel doors all down the corridor, evenly placed. Devon saw no one and there was no noise. They stopped in front of a door. This one had no handle. Sabretooth knocked twice, his grip on Devon's arm firm. The door swung open.
Taste for the melodramatic, huh? Devon thought when she saw the contents of the room. It was bare except for a broad, oaken desk. A single lamp lit the room, off in the far right corner. Behind the desk was a swiveling armchair, facing the far wall, its back concealing the person sitting in it. The chair revolved and Devon saw the man whom she had been brought to see. He was tall and muscled, but not to the point of Sabretooth. He wore a dark red silk shirt and black pants. His face was clean-shaven. The man's most striking feature was his hair. It grew wavy and snow white, almost unnaturally. When he spoke, his voice was faintly accented and cultured.
"Good day. I am Magneto." He moved his hand slightly and Sabretooth let go of Devon's arm and left. The thick metal door closed, but neither Sabretooth nor anyone else had touched it. "Please, sit." A chair suddenly rose out of the metal floor. Devon tried not to be perturbed by it, or the cocky smile on Magneto's face.
"No, thanks. Where am I?" Devon demanded, remaining standing.
"That I will not tell you. I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here, but it could not be helped. I hope."
"That's not the way things work. I want out of here." Devon turned toward the door, forgetting that there was no handle. She tried to push it, but it was too heavy. "Move it. Open it. I want out."
"My dear, you haven't even heard me out. I insist that you do at least that."
Devon remained by the door, but stopped trying to open it. "I'm listening."
"There is a war coming, between mutants and humans. Ordinarily, we would easily win. However, an old nemesis of mine has joined them. With him and his allies' help, the humans have a chance to beat us. If they were to win, mutants would be locked away in camps. I only request that you join me, fight with me. You could help decide the fate of mutant-kind. You might be the deciding key. You." There came a knock at the door. Magneto broke off in mid sentence and the heavy door swung open. A youth stood in the doorway, his auburn hair spilling long over one side of a black headband. His red-on-black eyes almost glowed in the somewhat dim lighting. He wore all black, with a long trench coat of the same color. On his gorgeous face was a look of absolute shock and surprise.
The boy spoke first. "Devon?" he mumbled, taking a tentative step forward.
Devon, almost unconsciously, stepped back a foot. "You're dead."
"Ummm. Not really."
"But. I saw you. them."
Magneto spoke then. "You know each other?"
Devon and the boy looked at Magneto with identical expressions.
"What did you do?" Devon asked.
Magneto seemed startled. "What are you talking about, girl?"
"He was dead. He isn't now. What did you do to him?"
"I. wasn't dead," the boy said, taking another step closer. This time, Devon did not step back. "Almos'." He grinned, or tried to. "Dey said I was in a coma f'r two weeks, though." His New Orleans accent was at once terribly and wonderfully familiar to Devon.
"Oh." Devon stood still, unsure of what to do. He was dead. her mind kept telling her, but something else. said to trust this. Remy was here, that was all that mattered. She regained her composure and turned to face Magneto. "Where do I stay?"
The white-haired man grinned. "I believe Gambit will be more than happy to show you to an empty room." Remy reached for Devon's hand. She pulled it away, still not quite sure what to do. He was DEAD. He looked a little hurt, but squared his shoulders and walked out of the room, looking back to see if Devon was following him. She was.
Once out of Magneto's room, the heavy steel door swung shut silently. Remy led Devon a little farther down the hallway before stopping.
"I thought you were dead, Devon." He reached for her hands again and she let him hold them.
Devon left the house. She turned down the street, not sure what she was going to do next. It was a feeling that had only occurred once to her before.
~It was night. Cold air blew through the alleyway where Devon and the tall boy at her side strolled. He slipped his hand into hers and smiled down at her. She smiled back, moving closer. He was leaning down to kiss her when it happened. Like the night before, the shadows began to move and writhe, detaching themselves from the wall and.. ~
Stop. Devon told herself firmly. That's over with. There's nothing you can do for him.
Devon, half unconscious, made her way wandering and meandering to the house she shared with Jason. She entered through the trapdoor on the roof, hearing Jason in his room, his television blaring. She quickly changed into another tank top, this one dark green, and new black jeans. She took her five-inch dagger from beneath her mattress and slipped it into the receptacle tied to her wrist. She began to leave the room when she heard breaking glass, then a piercing scream of terror from Jason's room. Out of curiosity rather than worry, Devon walked into the room, ready to grab her knife and fight.
The television was on some game show. Jason lay on the bed. Three puncture wounds were lined up neatly in his chest and his neck was twisted to one side at an unnatural angle. He was, without a doubt, dead. At first, Devon didn't see his murderer. Then a huge man leapt from the adjoining bathroom, tackling Devon. She hit the floor, rolled, and jumped up, blade in hand. For a moment, her attacker simply stood there, sizing her up. He was taller than Devon, thickly muscled, with excessive amounts of blonde hair, and claws and fangs, which were bared at her. Then he spoke.
"You're his.?" he growled in a low, thundering voice.
"No," Devon said quickly.
He laughed, a sort of muffled roaring. "Didn't think so. Who're you?"
"What do you want?" Devon demanded.
"I'm Sabretooth. Remember it." With that, he roared and lunged at her again, claws out. She slashed at him with her knife, gashing him across his chest in an ordinarily fatal strike. Sabretooth merely paused for a moment, as if surprised that Devon had struck him. Then he grinned and grabbed Devon's wrists, holding them up and forcing Devon to stand on tiptoe. She telekinetically picked up and threw a lamp at him, smashing it into his head. He ignored the blow.
"So yer a mutant." He appeared to be thinking. No amount of struggling loosened his grip, so Devon quit. "How'd you like to learn to use your powers right?"
"What do you mean by that?"
He grinned again. "Meet me at the train station tonight and I'll take you to someone who can teach you." He dropped her, turned, and ran out the broken window.
On the television, 'DANA' won a Ferrari.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
Devon stayed to the shadows in the station, wanting to see Sabretooth before he saw her. The man's build made him impossible o miss in a crowd and Devon found him quickly. She walked up behind him and he turned.
"You came. Good. Come on." He led her out to a dark green Jeep, climbing into the driver's seat. Devon sat in the passenger's.
"Where are we going?" she asked.
"To see someone." Sabretooth reached into his pocket. "Don't bother buckling up." He withdrew a length of rope, which he tied around Devon's arms in the blink of an eye. She started to kick, but he soon tied her feet together as well. Then he gagged her. Devon lay against the passenger's seat, unable to move. Her bonds were tight, on the verge of cutting into her skin. Sabretooth picked her up and put her on the floor of the backseat, where no one could see her. She thrashed a little, testing her knots and finding them strong. She lay still. Sabretooth started the Jeep, then reached over and tied a piece of cloth over her eyes, blinding her.
They drove for an unknown amount of time. Sometime between thinking of all the ways she was going to tear Sabretooth apart and where he was taking her, Sabretooth turned on the radio to a country station. Devon muttered something under the gag. Sabretooth pulled to the side of the road and took the gag off, leaving the blindfold on.
"What's that?" he said.
"Cruel and unusual punishment. No country, for pity's sake."
Sabretooth laughed and put the gag back on, keeping the radio on.
~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~
After what seemed like an eternity of darkness, Devon felt the Jeep stop. The last leg of the journey had been extremely bumpy and Devon figured that they had been driving over unpaved road. Sabretooth removed the gag and blindfold. Devon had to shut her eyes against the light, but after Sabretooth had untied the last rope, she was able to look around to where she was.
It was a complex of some sort, that was for certain. They were parked in a kind of dirt courtyard, surrounded a cement building. The building had no windows and only one door, that looked to be made of steel, from the way the sun was glinting off of it. There was a large, square-shaped hole leading under ground. Devon guessed they had come in that way. Looking harder, she realized that a gate was now put up.
"Come on," Sabretooth said, taking her arm and dragging her into the steel door. It was thick and heavy, five inches of metal. Devon went through a long hallway with Sabretooth. The walls were all cement and there was no carpet on the floor. There were steel doors all down the corridor, evenly placed. Devon saw no one and there was no noise. They stopped in front of a door. This one had no handle. Sabretooth knocked twice, his grip on Devon's arm firm. The door swung open.
Taste for the melodramatic, huh? Devon thought when she saw the contents of the room. It was bare except for a broad, oaken desk. A single lamp lit the room, off in the far right corner. Behind the desk was a swiveling armchair, facing the far wall, its back concealing the person sitting in it. The chair revolved and Devon saw the man whom she had been brought to see. He was tall and muscled, but not to the point of Sabretooth. He wore a dark red silk shirt and black pants. His face was clean-shaven. The man's most striking feature was his hair. It grew wavy and snow white, almost unnaturally. When he spoke, his voice was faintly accented and cultured.
"Good day. I am Magneto." He moved his hand slightly and Sabretooth let go of Devon's arm and left. The thick metal door closed, but neither Sabretooth nor anyone else had touched it. "Please, sit." A chair suddenly rose out of the metal floor. Devon tried not to be perturbed by it, or the cocky smile on Magneto's face.
"No, thanks. Where am I?" Devon demanded, remaining standing.
"That I will not tell you. I apologize for the manner in which you were brought here, but it could not be helped. I hope."
"That's not the way things work. I want out of here." Devon turned toward the door, forgetting that there was no handle. She tried to push it, but it was too heavy. "Move it. Open it. I want out."
"My dear, you haven't even heard me out. I insist that you do at least that."
Devon remained by the door, but stopped trying to open it. "I'm listening."
"There is a war coming, between mutants and humans. Ordinarily, we would easily win. However, an old nemesis of mine has joined them. With him and his allies' help, the humans have a chance to beat us. If they were to win, mutants would be locked away in camps. I only request that you join me, fight with me. You could help decide the fate of mutant-kind. You might be the deciding key. You." There came a knock at the door. Magneto broke off in mid sentence and the heavy door swung open. A youth stood in the doorway, his auburn hair spilling long over one side of a black headband. His red-on-black eyes almost glowed in the somewhat dim lighting. He wore all black, with a long trench coat of the same color. On his gorgeous face was a look of absolute shock and surprise.
The boy spoke first. "Devon?" he mumbled, taking a tentative step forward.
Devon, almost unconsciously, stepped back a foot. "You're dead."
"Ummm. Not really."
"But. I saw you. them."
Magneto spoke then. "You know each other?"
Devon and the boy looked at Magneto with identical expressions.
"What did you do?" Devon asked.
Magneto seemed startled. "What are you talking about, girl?"
"He was dead. He isn't now. What did you do to him?"
"I. wasn't dead," the boy said, taking another step closer. This time, Devon did not step back. "Almos'." He grinned, or tried to. "Dey said I was in a coma f'r two weeks, though." His New Orleans accent was at once terribly and wonderfully familiar to Devon.
"Oh." Devon stood still, unsure of what to do. He was dead. her mind kept telling her, but something else. said to trust this. Remy was here, that was all that mattered. She regained her composure and turned to face Magneto. "Where do I stay?"
The white-haired man grinned. "I believe Gambit will be more than happy to show you to an empty room." Remy reached for Devon's hand. She pulled it away, still not quite sure what to do. He was DEAD. He looked a little hurt, but squared his shoulders and walked out of the room, looking back to see if Devon was following him. She was.
Once out of Magneto's room, the heavy steel door swung shut silently. Remy led Devon a little farther down the hallway before stopping.
"I thought you were dead, Devon." He reached for her hands again and she let him hold them.