Disclaimer: the usual stuff, me no owning, own Aura, enjoy
Please R&R
July 6, 2001
"C'mon, Aurora. You're gonna be late!" Mrs. Winthrop called up the stairs. She rolled her eyes over to her husband and sighed.
"I'm comin', momma!" Aurora looked around her nearly empty room and unzipped her backpack. Walking over to the rented dresser, she pulled out her portable CD player and six books and put them into her bag. She wasn't really interested in going to a school on the other side of the country, but her powers were getting out of hand.
Sitting down on the same, stiff bed she had slept on for the last week, Aurora buried her face in her hands to cry, but nothing came out. She didn't feel sad anymore. Most likely, the waterworks would start again when she got to her new home. She looked up again at the clock. 1:00. Her plane left at two. As she put her shoes on, she telepathically ran a hand through her long brown hair. She placed her sunglasses on her nose, glanced once more around her bare room and left.
She had said good-bye to her little sister, Brandelyne, before her parents had taken the girl the mall so she could shop with her friends. Poor girl, she would have to enter teenager-hood without a mentor. Their brother, Isaiah, had gone off to college that year. But of course, Aurora would come back home occasionally to see how her family was getting along without her.
As Aurora followed her parents out of the ranch style house, she mentally said goodbye to everything. Her father put her baggage in the back of the silver minivan and her mother solemnly got in the passenger seat. The ride to the airport was done in the same manner.
They said goodbye each holding onto a brave smile. But Aurora knew that her mother would start crying on the way home. The Winthrops watched Aurora enter her gate and as Aurora looked back, she realized how old her parents seemed. Not over forty-five, her father had all his hair and it was starting to turn a beautiful silver color. Her mother had large bags under her eyes and Aurora could see them welling up with tears. She handed the flight attendant her ticket and walked down the long, suspended hallway to the giant C-17.
She sat in her window seat, number 194, and looked out the tiny peephole. Sensing movement to her right, she turned around just in time to see the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Black hair fell into his large dark black eyes and high cheekbones jutted up under bronzed skin. He was wearing a blue mesh T-shirt over baggy denim jeans. Aurora's breath caught in her throat as she glimpsed his sculpted body with its toned arms through the revealing garment. As he stored his duffel bag in the overhead compartment, a thorn style arm tattoo peeked out from under the sleeve.
Sitting down in the chair next to her, he said, "Hey chica. What's in the sack?" He pointed to the paper sack sitting in her lap.
"It's just a bunch of candy and gum to make my ears pop while we're gaining altitude. Wanna some?"
"Sure. Got any Juicyfruit?"
Aurora opened a pack and gave him a piece while taking one for herself.
"Name's Harley. Friends call me Ace."
She smiled. Leave it to a man to talk in sentence fragments. "Mine name's Aurora. Aura for short. Where are you going?"
Harley looked sort of surprised by her question. "I'm going to Albany to go see my parents over the summer. I go to college in Pierre."
"Really? I hear is real nice this time of year. I'm going to New York City to…" Realizing that he might be one of those mutant-haters, she decided not to tell him about the School for the Gifted. Instead she lied. "…see a Dido concert."
"Cool. You like her music?"
"No offense, but would I be going to see her if I didn't?"
"I like 'Kid Rock' and 'Linkin Park.' But I can't stand 'Limp Bizkit.'" He made a face that, even though it was to express a negative opinion, made him look even cuter.
Just then, the plane began to taxi down the runway. With her empathy, Aurora could sense Harley tense beside her. Turning back to her window, she activated her powers. Her eyes glowed bright purple behind her dark sunglasses while she silently probed Harley's mind for his fears. Sure enough, number one was flight. She had flown so much, she knew just how to handle the situation.
She slammed down the shade with trembling hands. She took of her sunglasses and turned to him with eyes wide with fear. "Harley, I thought I could do it, but I just cain't."
Harley was shocked by the color of her eyes. "Do what? And what's wrong with your eyes?"
"I'm afraid of heights! If my eyes are purple, it means I'm scared. It's just my contacts. But really Harley, I want off this plane right now."
Harley hid his own fears behind a quirky smile and while he tried to calm Aurora of her fake fears. She kept him busy until she felt the plane level off in the air.
Suddenly, she smiled, carrying out the "Damsel in Distress" act. "You were so brave, Harley. Thank you so much!" She gave him a peck on his cheek. "Well, now that we're in the air, I'm better."
"We're in the air already?" Aurora mentally congratulated herself for her success.
Then the curtains opening drew her attention. They parted and a man of medium height stepped out. He was nearly as handsome as Harley, but in a more childish sort of way. His short brown hair was slicked loosely back, the tips highlighted blonde. His cheeks were moderately pink on his otherwise fair skin. He was dressed like he came from California, but his demeanor said 'I'm a country boy.' To Aurora's surprise he walked right towards them and kneeled in the empty seat in front of her and Harley.
"What's up, dude?" He and Harley exchanged high-fives. "Man, you guys got it made back here." Suddenly he noticed Aurora. "Who's the chick, amigo?"
Aurora recognized a sort of Mexican twang to his voice. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm Aurora. Who the hell are you?" She said, folding her arms in front of her.
Harley looked at her, confused. She had been so nice to him, what encouraged this pissy streak? "Uh, this is Juan. Are you okay?" She looked up at him. "Why are you're eyes brown, now?" He asked.
"Mood lenses. They turn purple when I'm scared, brown, my normal color, when I'm calm, red when I'm pissed and blue when I'm nervous." She sat up straighter, and lifted the window-shade back up. "Hi Juan. I wasn't really mad at you. I was kinda taking my anger at Carlos, my old boyfriend, out on you. I think your voice triggered it."
"What did he do, Aura?" Harley turned to face her as did Juan.
"Well, he was Mexican, too, and he…" Again she had to hide the truth. Carlos was the reason she was in this mess to begin with. She had been so in love with Carlos that she had let her guard down and told him her power. Unfortunately, he was working for the Friends of Humanity. And now she was running. "Well, let's just say he was an asshole, okay?"
"Whoa. Sorry about bringing it up. I didn't know." Harley winced in remorse.
"S'okay, you couldn't have known." Aurora glanced at her watch. "So, Juan, where are you going?"
"Uh…" He and Harley exchanged looks and then Harley cut in.
"He's coming with me to my parents' house," He said.
"Are you guys, you know..?" Aurora asked, then trailed off not wanting to finish the question.
"Uh-uh! There are too many hot chicks out there." Harley answered, "My parents want to see him. We've been buds since third grade."
A stewardess walked up to Juan and said shyly, "Excuse me, sir. But I have to ask you to return to your seat."
Juan flashed the timid stewardess a smile and she blushed. "Sure ma'am." He turned to Harley and Aurora, "See ya later, Ace. Nice meeting ya, Aurora.
Juan sauntered away as Aurora meekly waved good-bye. Then she let out a huge yawn. "How long is this flight anyway, Harley?"
"I hear it's about two ta three hours or so. Why?"
"Because I got like five hours of sleep last night. I think I'll sleep out this flight." She stood up, and leaned over Harley. She then snaked her back so she could see into the overhead compartment. She could see Harley's hand tighten on the armrest and could hear his sharp intake of breath ass he tried to avoid eye contact with her chest. Some of the other male passengers snickered.
"Hey, d'ya want something, too?" Aurora asked Harley.
"I-I'll just t-take a pillow." He replied, swallowing deeply. She handed him one and sat down with her own blanket and pillow. Harley exhaled loudly.
Aurora covered up and smiled to herself. She liked to know that men found her pleasing to look at. Or hard not to look at. In truth, she liked playing with men's minds. But she had her limits. And since older men (early twenties) thought she was older than her fifteen and a half years, she never dated them because most of them had developed ways of getting what they wanted, which was generally further than she was willing, or ready, to go. Giving into fatigue, she drifted to sleep.
* * *
She was dreaming about Heath Ledger when she was pulled out of REM by violent shaking. She opened her brown eyes to look into Harley's intense black ones. He had both hands on her shoulders and had bee trying to wake her up.
Aurora put her hands up in surrender, "What IS it?"
"Last stop, Albany!" a passenger answered.
"We're here already?" Aurora followed the other passengers off the plane, her backpack weighing down one shoulder, her purse the other. She walked into the terminal with Harley and Juan. They stopped next to the luggage tram and picked off the bags that belonged to them. Scanning the crowded airport, Aurora found a man holding up a sign that said "Aurora Winthrop." She turned back to her new friends. "Well, there's my ride," She said pointing to the man. She hugged Juan, then Harley.
"Y'know, Aura. If we weren't meeting on an airplane and heading in different directions, you wouldn't be that bad date." Harley said, pulling out of their embrace.
"Thank you. Well, see y'all later. Thanks for everythang." She picked up her bags and walked over to the strange man. Without a word, he led her to the black automobile and opened the door.
After they both were settled, he started the car. Aurora had never liked silence, so she tried to get the driver into a conversation.
"Nice car ya got here." She said, looking around. It actually was nice. A roll open sunroof, leather upholstery, enough room for her overly long legs, tinted windows, and a backseat control for the radio. Judging from appearances, Aurora would have to say it was a Subaru with redone upholstery. Not receiving any answer from the man up front, she continued. "Could really use one of these things when me an' my family go for a ride."
She paused after a few seconds. Still no answer. "How much did it cost?"
Silence.
Aurora really didn't like people ignoring her. "Listen, buddy. I really hate one way conversations, so if--" She was cut off by a .44 mm pistol shoved in her face.
"Shut yer yap, bitch. Or you're gittin'a face full a lead." She heard a man say before a soaked handkerchief was thrust in her face and she blacked out.
* * *
Aurora was awakened by the sound of metal doors slamming. Opening her eyes, she was met with a cold, steel, very unfamiliar ceiling. Her back throbbed and a blinking collar was locked around her neck. She got up from the metal cot and walked to the door. Trying the handle, she found it moved quite easily and silently.
Out in the hall, there were thousands of people walking back and forth like zombies and a good number of guards were posted up and down the corridor. She silently slipped into the mass of bodies, trying to be inconspicuous while she searched for a way out.
A guard tapped her shoulder and she whirled on him, expecting a battle. He looked surprised, "Prisoner 65816?"
"What are you talking about?" Aurora asked.
"Are you prisoner 65816?" He pointed to a metal armband around her forearm. There, a number was etched into the smooth surface. They bracelet had no apparent way of removal, so she guessed it was a tracking device. The bracelet read "65815." 'So I'm a prisoner. Better play along. Maybe I'll be able to escape later."
"I guess so. What do you want?"
"Dr. Trask requests an audience with you. C'mon." He grabbed her arm unceremoniously and dragged her a large office. He nearly her in after announcing her presence.
"So, Aurora. I see that you've met Peter. Don't take his nice-ness to heart. He's new and hasn't been broken down yet." A tall man, probably in his twenties, stood in front of a brick fireplace, his back to her.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, I know everything about you. Your powers, your last boyfriend, you name it." He turned around and Aurora was hit by a mental recollection. In her mind, she witnessed the face of everything she had ever met. Then his face came up in her mental bank and she witnessed him.
"Joseph Trask. So you're the bastard that did this to me. I should've known." Aurora glared at him. They had first met at the FOH meeting that Carlos had dragged her to before she knew what he was doing. And before she knew the threat that the FOH posed to her.
"Yes. And oh, by the way, that collar negates your powers. So, I suggest you don't cross me."
"What do you want with me?" Aurora started to stand up until a sharp pain coursed up her arm. The metal armband glowed an evil shade of yellow.
"My sources tell me that you know where the Xavier Institute is located. And the bracelet, while being a tracking device and an identification card, also serves as a torture device which only activates when you think about doing anything that would compromise our mission." He smirked.
"And that mission would be?" Aurora had always hated when the villain revealed his master plan to the heroine, but this time she would try to use it to her advantage.
"You will know all in due time." He turned away from her, which she thought signaled her to take leave.
As she reached the large steel door, he spoke once more, "Your things are in your cell. We checked them for anything that can be used as a weapon. Even though you creatures are freaks of nature, an occupied freak is better than a bored and whiny one."
Once she was roughly thrust back into the titanium cell, she got a good look at her surroundings. She was in a seven by seven foot room. The only furniture was the small metal cot she had woken up on and her suitcases and the walls were covered with padding. A small window up on one wall overlooked a dirt floor on the other side. The door was solid metal with a slide door about eye level that only opened from the inside.
She went over to her suitcases and looked inside. On the top of her clothes was a note. It read:
Dear Aurora,
Hope your plane ride was fun. We just wanted to say that you can come home any time if you need to talk or just want to go to a bike rally or something. We hope that you know that we love you and that it's okay to not feel up to a challenge.
Love,
Mom and Dad
She leaned back and began to cry. 'How can this be happening to me? This place is like a concentration camp. It can't be as harsh as that though, if they let me keep my things. I knew I never should have applied to that school. It had to be a scam.' She thought. Then she remembered something. 'Wait a second. He said that I knew where the institute was which means I still have somewhere to go.' She looked at the note with renewed confidence. 'No, Mom. It's not okay to give up.'
* * *
Aurora was about to crack. She had been captive for over three months now. After lunch everyday, Trask came and asked her where the school was. Her answer was always "no" and he then left the room in a huff. The only other communication with another human was Peter every so often coming in to talk to her about his day. She tried to escape five times already but had foiled by the bracelet. Before she left for New York, she bought a twelve pack of batteries for her CD player and had long since run out of those. She had read the books she had brought at least ten times each. Her whole entertainment supply had been exhausted and she was now left with nothing to do. She was definitely bored.
Now, she lay on her cot and stared at her day planner. She had been keeping track of the days and now it was October the seventeenth. Being bored made Aurora really think about things. She thought about how much she really missed watching television and remembered how she would turn the TV on or off and change the channel using her powers. She rolled onto her back and pointed her finger at the ceiling and concentrated.
A small pooping sound struck the air and a smoky hole, about the size of a marble, appeared in the padding. Aurora stood there, dumbfounded, her finger still pointing upward. Then she concentrated again and covered up the hole.
"Yes!" she rejoiced. Then, remembering Joseph, she quieted down. She could use her powers! For some reason, the collar didn't work on her. She looked her compact. Sure enough, her eyes were purple. She had read somewhere that a certain power negating collar, called the Genosha Collar, worked all the time except on high level mutants. The collar around her neck looked almost exactly like the collar in the book. So that must mean that she was very powerful.
Since she had powers back, she could escape. First, she had to make sure that none of her thoughts leaked out to Joseph, the guards, or the bracelet. She placed her hands on either side of her head and concentrated. She felt her mental shields raise. Now she could plan.
She figured that the codes for the collar would be somewhere in Joseph's study. Tonight she would travel on the astral plane and find the code for hers.
Thursday was almost over and barely anyone paid attention to anybody near the weekend. She would set up a mental image of herself in her room that would go about her normal routine, then she would burn a hole in the wall big enough to get through and then close it up. 'Good thing there ain't any cameras.' She thought.
That night, she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she separated from her body and floated upwards. A wave of euphoria overtook her and she floated aimlessly. Then, she shook her head clear of thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She concentrated on the codes and zoned in on a bookshelf in Joseph's office. A certain book caught her eye. It was a plain red book, no writing on it at all, yet her search insisted that it was the one. Opening it, she found that it was hollow. Inside, however, was a tiny memo pad, which upon further investigation turned out to be the reason the feeling was so insistent. She ran her finger down the column until she came to number 65816.
'While being a tracking device, and identification card…' Trask's voice echoed in her head. So that's what the number was for! There had to be thousands of number sequences in the book. But she couldn't worry about them right now. Her astral time was running out and she could liberate the others once she got out of there and found help. She found the code, emitted it to her memory bank and floated back to her cell. Laying down on the cot, she matched her astral self to her physical one. As her bodies joined, Aurora breathed in deeply. Her mission accomplished, she rewarded herself with sleep.
* * *
The following Saturday, Aurora cleaned her room up, putting all her stuff away. She had been saving half of her meals since the resurfacing of her powers and had been keeping them in a garment bag in her suitcase. After dinner, she got her luggage together, clouded everyone's minds to believe she was still there and burned a hole in the wall using psychic fire. Stepping out into the freezing night, she waved goodbye to her prison and sealed the hole back up.
After walking around in the dark woods for awhile, Aurora came across a cave. Going inside, she found it relatively dry and it didn't look as if it had been inhabited for quite some time. The cave was about the size of a small bedroom with a ten foot ceiling. Aurora piled some dry debris that she found scattered around the cave into the center clearing and used more psychic fire to set a spark. The fire both warmed her and allowed her to further search the cave. Etched in the stone near the cave's entrance was a crudely written message. After a few minutes of careful deciphering, she found it to read: Christian Belwolph, borne 1878, at Mėtis Cave, Manitoba Province. She smiled at the sentiment. A child had been born in this very cave hundreds of years ago! It sounded like a boy's name but it was a long time ago and you never knew with these old languages. Obviously this was Mėtis Cave, so she must be in Canada. She stood there a minute wondering why the FoH would choose Canada. Again Trask's words echoed in her mind. The bracelet was a tracking device. They could be looking for her that very minute and she had been just leading them to her.
Settling back in the corner, she got out her compact and turned the collar around to see the dial-pad. She hit the sequence and the collar snapped open. She took it off and rubbed and stretched her neck. Then she noticed a tiny dial on the bracelet. Getting out a sharp pencil, she punched the code into that dial too. The snap opened easily. She stared at the disagreeable objects. Taking two stones, she smashed the collar and bracelet into little pieces. She then walked to the cave opening and threw the scraps far into the woods. If they tried to find her, they would be on a wild goose chase. She glanced at her watch and, seeing that it was nearly eleven o'clock, went to lay next to the fire, using her backpack as a pillow.
* * *
Peter Macmillan walked the halls of the mutant prison, checking on all of the prisoners. He came to the cell of number 65816 and opened the door after knocking. He stepped inside and waited for the door to close before he started telling Aurora about his day. He looked at his watch. 9:00. She was normally very talkative at this time, but now, she was silent. He turned around to face her.
"Aurora?" She just stared at him smiling. He advanced toward her. "Aurora?" he repeated. He reached a hand out to shake her shoulders. His hands passed straight through. Her smile disappeared and so did half of the wall, her suitcases, and her.
Peter hastily got his walkie-talkie out. "We've got a problem."
"Roger that. What's your location?" A voice crackled out.
"The troublemaker's room. Bring the boss." Aurora had given them immense trouble, never staying in the designated wings. The head guard was at the door in a matter of minutes with Dr. Trask.
Trask examined the hole. A slow smile spread across his face. Peter walked over to stand next to him.
"What made it?" He asked. Joseph's smile was gone instantly.
"A very powerful freak of nature. She would have served our cause very well if you idiots hadn't allowed her to escape." Joseph grabbed Peter by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Peter spurted incomprehensibly. Joseph continued, "Take five of your best guards, Sergeant Gallen. Follow her signal and find her. Do not try to capture her on your own. She is too strong. Contact us and we will send our new sentinels. Now go." He threw Peter toward the door and he scrambled out the door.
"But what if she removes the equipment and our signal is lost?" Gallen asked.
"Not to worry. I implanted a bug in her ankle that is undetectable to any system known to man. Just follow that one and quit wasting time." Sgt. Gallen saluted smartly and hurried out of the room.
* * *
Aurora woke early in the morning. After eating breakfast, she didn't know what to do having not been unsupervised in such a long time. She decided that the best thing to do would be to notify the School of her position. But how? She had only a vague idea of what the school looked like and she had to be ready to run at a moment's notice. She decided that her best bet would be to focus in on a mental picture, the one from the brochure, and see what came from it.
She settled herself in a corner and sat yoga style. She rubbed her temples and formed a picture of the school as best as she could. Her bodies separated once more and she was suddenly walking along a great hall. Lockers lined both walls and the small number of people walking along it told her that class was in session. As she passed a classroom, she felt someone thinking about her. She passed through a door and found herself inside a tidy room with plants, chalkboards, and bookshelves lining three of the four walls. A beautiful white-haired African-American woman was teaching a bunch of normal looking kids, with the exception of a few, which appeared to be Studio Art. She heard her name again and focused in on the source. The thought led her to a blonde boy of about seventeen sitting next to a girl with freckles and frizzy red hair. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green and tended to switch from one to the other. He looked a little lost in his thoughts, sitting there on the stool in front of an easel in his baggy pants and red T-shirt opened over a white undershirt. He was pretty buff from what showed. She couldn't tell why he was thinking about her, but decided to take his body and get someone to help her. She sat on top of him and moved her body to match his.
The boy uttered something along the lines of "What the hell?" as they stood up and walked out of the classroom, the teacher following them for a little bit, threatening to give him detention if he "didn't sit his but down that second." Once the woman had given up and went back to the classroom, Aurora ordered the body to go to the man in charge.
"What do ya want with the Professah?" A disembodied voice, apparently from the original occupant of the body asked.
"Who's the professor?" She asked back.
"The guy in charge. Who are you?"
"Listen. There's no time for small talk. I need help."
"The X-men can help you." The voice said.
"And…Who are they?"
"They're a group of mutants who use their powahs fer good. Ah'm one of 'em. So Ah kin prob'ly git them ta help ya."
"I don't need HELP. I need someone to help me get here."
"But ya are here."
"Only mentally. Not physically."
"Okay. What do ya need me ta do?" The voice asked. This was going to be easier than Aurora expected.
"I'll let your body go and you go tell this professor about me. Then tell him that I'm in Mėtis Cave in Manitoba, Canada. If he wants my exact coordinates, he can analyze the area around you. That's where I'll be." With that, she stopped walking while the boy kept on going and their bodies parted. She floated behind him. He came to a door and walked in. A bald man in a strange yellow wheelchair was teaching a class of about five students.
"Professah? Ah need ta speak ta ya." The boy wrung his hands together.
"Okay, Sam." The man turned back to his class, "Your homework is to do page sixty through sixty-two, numbers one through five on each. You are dismissed."
The students got up to leave. One, a pretty girl with black hair and a high forehead, flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes in Sam's direction before leaving. Aurora watched Sam as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the Professor. "Um, Ah don't know how ta say this but, mah body was just taken over by someone else." Aurora slapped her forehead. How stupid that sounded!
"Are you yourself again?" The professor asked as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
"Yes sir. But she, at least Ah think it was a she, wanted us to take it here. It said it was in Canada."
"I see. Where in Canada did it say it was?"
"Ah think it was Mėtee Cave. Somewhere in Manitoba."
"Mėtee Cave. I've never heard of it."
"She also said that you could analyze the air around me to find her true coordinates." The professor closed his eyes and placed his fingers on his temples. A familiar purple glow formed at the crown of his forehead. He was a telepath like her! He turned in her direction.
"Hello young lady. How are you today?" Aurora was surprised. No one had ever been able to see her before. She quickly slipped back into Sam's body.
"I'm fine, but my body might not be. I have been away too long. I really should be getting back." She started to release Sam.
"Wait. Who are you?"
"My name is Aurora Winthrop. I was suposta be here about three months ago, but I was taken to this sort of mutant concentration camp. I just escaped a little while ago."
He was quiet for a while. "Alright, Aurora. I have found your coordinates and we will be there shortly. Go back now and defend your body. I sense a sinister force approaching." He opened his eyes and the glow disappeared. This news shocked her so much that she withdrew from her host body and went back to hers without saying goodbye.
When she got over the initial nausea of going that fast, she dared to venture outside her cave. She saw a shadow in the forest and went to collect her things. She kicked the ashes and firewood around the cave to make it seem natural. Running back outside, she found a branch from a pine tree and swept it on the floor to disguise her footprints as she backed out of the cave. Grabbing up her stuff again, she ran.
She could hear something pursuing her. She realized how far away she was going from the coordinates she had given the professor a started to turn gently while running on. Suddenly, she ran right through the center of a large clearing and tripped.
On her hands and knees, she sat in the middle of the clearing. Sensing them closing in, she stood up and began generating balls of psychic fire in her hands. A man charged at her and she threw one in his direction. He hit upon a tree and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Another man, enraged at his ally's defeat ran at her and received the same treatment. More and more her strength faded as she fought.
"I sure hope they get here soon," she voiced verbally.
Please R&R
July 6, 2001
"C'mon, Aurora. You're gonna be late!" Mrs. Winthrop called up the stairs. She rolled her eyes over to her husband and sighed.
"I'm comin', momma!" Aurora looked around her nearly empty room and unzipped her backpack. Walking over to the rented dresser, she pulled out her portable CD player and six books and put them into her bag. She wasn't really interested in going to a school on the other side of the country, but her powers were getting out of hand.
Sitting down on the same, stiff bed she had slept on for the last week, Aurora buried her face in her hands to cry, but nothing came out. She didn't feel sad anymore. Most likely, the waterworks would start again when she got to her new home. She looked up again at the clock. 1:00. Her plane left at two. As she put her shoes on, she telepathically ran a hand through her long brown hair. She placed her sunglasses on her nose, glanced once more around her bare room and left.
She had said good-bye to her little sister, Brandelyne, before her parents had taken the girl the mall so she could shop with her friends. Poor girl, she would have to enter teenager-hood without a mentor. Their brother, Isaiah, had gone off to college that year. But of course, Aurora would come back home occasionally to see how her family was getting along without her.
As Aurora followed her parents out of the ranch style house, she mentally said goodbye to everything. Her father put her baggage in the back of the silver minivan and her mother solemnly got in the passenger seat. The ride to the airport was done in the same manner.
They said goodbye each holding onto a brave smile. But Aurora knew that her mother would start crying on the way home. The Winthrops watched Aurora enter her gate and as Aurora looked back, she realized how old her parents seemed. Not over forty-five, her father had all his hair and it was starting to turn a beautiful silver color. Her mother had large bags under her eyes and Aurora could see them welling up with tears. She handed the flight attendant her ticket and walked down the long, suspended hallway to the giant C-17.
She sat in her window seat, number 194, and looked out the tiny peephole. Sensing movement to her right, she turned around just in time to see the most beautiful man she had ever seen. Black hair fell into his large dark black eyes and high cheekbones jutted up under bronzed skin. He was wearing a blue mesh T-shirt over baggy denim jeans. Aurora's breath caught in her throat as she glimpsed his sculpted body with its toned arms through the revealing garment. As he stored his duffel bag in the overhead compartment, a thorn style arm tattoo peeked out from under the sleeve.
Sitting down in the chair next to her, he said, "Hey chica. What's in the sack?" He pointed to the paper sack sitting in her lap.
"It's just a bunch of candy and gum to make my ears pop while we're gaining altitude. Wanna some?"
"Sure. Got any Juicyfruit?"
Aurora opened a pack and gave him a piece while taking one for herself.
"Name's Harley. Friends call me Ace."
She smiled. Leave it to a man to talk in sentence fragments. "Mine name's Aurora. Aura for short. Where are you going?"
Harley looked sort of surprised by her question. "I'm going to Albany to go see my parents over the summer. I go to college in Pierre."
"Really? I hear is real nice this time of year. I'm going to New York City to…" Realizing that he might be one of those mutant-haters, she decided not to tell him about the School for the Gifted. Instead she lied. "…see a Dido concert."
"Cool. You like her music?"
"No offense, but would I be going to see her if I didn't?"
"I like 'Kid Rock' and 'Linkin Park.' But I can't stand 'Limp Bizkit.'" He made a face that, even though it was to express a negative opinion, made him look even cuter.
Just then, the plane began to taxi down the runway. With her empathy, Aurora could sense Harley tense beside her. Turning back to her window, she activated her powers. Her eyes glowed bright purple behind her dark sunglasses while she silently probed Harley's mind for his fears. Sure enough, number one was flight. She had flown so much, she knew just how to handle the situation.
She slammed down the shade with trembling hands. She took of her sunglasses and turned to him with eyes wide with fear. "Harley, I thought I could do it, but I just cain't."
Harley was shocked by the color of her eyes. "Do what? And what's wrong with your eyes?"
"I'm afraid of heights! If my eyes are purple, it means I'm scared. It's just my contacts. But really Harley, I want off this plane right now."
Harley hid his own fears behind a quirky smile and while he tried to calm Aurora of her fake fears. She kept him busy until she felt the plane level off in the air.
Suddenly, she smiled, carrying out the "Damsel in Distress" act. "You were so brave, Harley. Thank you so much!" She gave him a peck on his cheek. "Well, now that we're in the air, I'm better."
"We're in the air already?" Aurora mentally congratulated herself for her success.
Then the curtains opening drew her attention. They parted and a man of medium height stepped out. He was nearly as handsome as Harley, but in a more childish sort of way. His short brown hair was slicked loosely back, the tips highlighted blonde. His cheeks were moderately pink on his otherwise fair skin. He was dressed like he came from California, but his demeanor said 'I'm a country boy.' To Aurora's surprise he walked right towards them and kneeled in the empty seat in front of her and Harley.
"What's up, dude?" He and Harley exchanged high-fives. "Man, you guys got it made back here." Suddenly he noticed Aurora. "Who's the chick, amigo?"
Aurora recognized a sort of Mexican twang to his voice. Her eyes narrowed. "I'm Aurora. Who the hell are you?" She said, folding her arms in front of her.
Harley looked at her, confused. She had been so nice to him, what encouraged this pissy streak? "Uh, this is Juan. Are you okay?" She looked up at him. "Why are you're eyes brown, now?" He asked.
"Mood lenses. They turn purple when I'm scared, brown, my normal color, when I'm calm, red when I'm pissed and blue when I'm nervous." She sat up straighter, and lifted the window-shade back up. "Hi Juan. I wasn't really mad at you. I was kinda taking my anger at Carlos, my old boyfriend, out on you. I think your voice triggered it."
"What did he do, Aura?" Harley turned to face her as did Juan.
"Well, he was Mexican, too, and he…" Again she had to hide the truth. Carlos was the reason she was in this mess to begin with. She had been so in love with Carlos that she had let her guard down and told him her power. Unfortunately, he was working for the Friends of Humanity. And now she was running. "Well, let's just say he was an asshole, okay?"
"Whoa. Sorry about bringing it up. I didn't know." Harley winced in remorse.
"S'okay, you couldn't have known." Aurora glanced at her watch. "So, Juan, where are you going?"
"Uh…" He and Harley exchanged looks and then Harley cut in.
"He's coming with me to my parents' house," He said.
"Are you guys, you know..?" Aurora asked, then trailed off not wanting to finish the question.
"Uh-uh! There are too many hot chicks out there." Harley answered, "My parents want to see him. We've been buds since third grade."
A stewardess walked up to Juan and said shyly, "Excuse me, sir. But I have to ask you to return to your seat."
Juan flashed the timid stewardess a smile and she blushed. "Sure ma'am." He turned to Harley and Aurora, "See ya later, Ace. Nice meeting ya, Aurora.
Juan sauntered away as Aurora meekly waved good-bye. Then she let out a huge yawn. "How long is this flight anyway, Harley?"
"I hear it's about two ta three hours or so. Why?"
"Because I got like five hours of sleep last night. I think I'll sleep out this flight." She stood up, and leaned over Harley. She then snaked her back so she could see into the overhead compartment. She could see Harley's hand tighten on the armrest and could hear his sharp intake of breath ass he tried to avoid eye contact with her chest. Some of the other male passengers snickered.
"Hey, d'ya want something, too?" Aurora asked Harley.
"I-I'll just t-take a pillow." He replied, swallowing deeply. She handed him one and sat down with her own blanket and pillow. Harley exhaled loudly.
Aurora covered up and smiled to herself. She liked to know that men found her pleasing to look at. Or hard not to look at. In truth, she liked playing with men's minds. But she had her limits. And since older men (early twenties) thought she was older than her fifteen and a half years, she never dated them because most of them had developed ways of getting what they wanted, which was generally further than she was willing, or ready, to go. Giving into fatigue, she drifted to sleep.
* * *
She was dreaming about Heath Ledger when she was pulled out of REM by violent shaking. She opened her brown eyes to look into Harley's intense black ones. He had both hands on her shoulders and had bee trying to wake her up.
Aurora put her hands up in surrender, "What IS it?"
"Last stop, Albany!" a passenger answered.
"We're here already?" Aurora followed the other passengers off the plane, her backpack weighing down one shoulder, her purse the other. She walked into the terminal with Harley and Juan. They stopped next to the luggage tram and picked off the bags that belonged to them. Scanning the crowded airport, Aurora found a man holding up a sign that said "Aurora Winthrop." She turned back to her new friends. "Well, there's my ride," She said pointing to the man. She hugged Juan, then Harley.
"Y'know, Aura. If we weren't meeting on an airplane and heading in different directions, you wouldn't be that bad date." Harley said, pulling out of their embrace.
"Thank you. Well, see y'all later. Thanks for everythang." She picked up her bags and walked over to the strange man. Without a word, he led her to the black automobile and opened the door.
After they both were settled, he started the car. Aurora had never liked silence, so she tried to get the driver into a conversation.
"Nice car ya got here." She said, looking around. It actually was nice. A roll open sunroof, leather upholstery, enough room for her overly long legs, tinted windows, and a backseat control for the radio. Judging from appearances, Aurora would have to say it was a Subaru with redone upholstery. Not receiving any answer from the man up front, she continued. "Could really use one of these things when me an' my family go for a ride."
She paused after a few seconds. Still no answer. "How much did it cost?"
Silence.
Aurora really didn't like people ignoring her. "Listen, buddy. I really hate one way conversations, so if--" She was cut off by a .44 mm pistol shoved in her face.
"Shut yer yap, bitch. Or you're gittin'a face full a lead." She heard a man say before a soaked handkerchief was thrust in her face and she blacked out.
* * *
Aurora was awakened by the sound of metal doors slamming. Opening her eyes, she was met with a cold, steel, very unfamiliar ceiling. Her back throbbed and a blinking collar was locked around her neck. She got up from the metal cot and walked to the door. Trying the handle, she found it moved quite easily and silently.
Out in the hall, there were thousands of people walking back and forth like zombies and a good number of guards were posted up and down the corridor. She silently slipped into the mass of bodies, trying to be inconspicuous while she searched for a way out.
A guard tapped her shoulder and she whirled on him, expecting a battle. He looked surprised, "Prisoner 65816?"
"What are you talking about?" Aurora asked.
"Are you prisoner 65816?" He pointed to a metal armband around her forearm. There, a number was etched into the smooth surface. They bracelet had no apparent way of removal, so she guessed it was a tracking device. The bracelet read "65815." 'So I'm a prisoner. Better play along. Maybe I'll be able to escape later."
"I guess so. What do you want?"
"Dr. Trask requests an audience with you. C'mon." He grabbed her arm unceremoniously and dragged her a large office. He nearly her in after announcing her presence.
"So, Aurora. I see that you've met Peter. Don't take his nice-ness to heart. He's new and hasn't been broken down yet." A tall man, probably in his twenties, stood in front of a brick fireplace, his back to her.
"How do you know my name?"
"Oh, I know everything about you. Your powers, your last boyfriend, you name it." He turned around and Aurora was hit by a mental recollection. In her mind, she witnessed the face of everything she had ever met. Then his face came up in her mental bank and she witnessed him.
"Joseph Trask. So you're the bastard that did this to me. I should've known." Aurora glared at him. They had first met at the FOH meeting that Carlos had dragged her to before she knew what he was doing. And before she knew the threat that the FOH posed to her.
"Yes. And oh, by the way, that collar negates your powers. So, I suggest you don't cross me."
"What do you want with me?" Aurora started to stand up until a sharp pain coursed up her arm. The metal armband glowed an evil shade of yellow.
"My sources tell me that you know where the Xavier Institute is located. And the bracelet, while being a tracking device and an identification card, also serves as a torture device which only activates when you think about doing anything that would compromise our mission." He smirked.
"And that mission would be?" Aurora had always hated when the villain revealed his master plan to the heroine, but this time she would try to use it to her advantage.
"You will know all in due time." He turned away from her, which she thought signaled her to take leave.
As she reached the large steel door, he spoke once more, "Your things are in your cell. We checked them for anything that can be used as a weapon. Even though you creatures are freaks of nature, an occupied freak is better than a bored and whiny one."
Once she was roughly thrust back into the titanium cell, she got a good look at her surroundings. She was in a seven by seven foot room. The only furniture was the small metal cot she had woken up on and her suitcases and the walls were covered with padding. A small window up on one wall overlooked a dirt floor on the other side. The door was solid metal with a slide door about eye level that only opened from the inside.
She went over to her suitcases and looked inside. On the top of her clothes was a note. It read:
Dear Aurora,
Hope your plane ride was fun. We just wanted to say that you can come home any time if you need to talk or just want to go to a bike rally or something. We hope that you know that we love you and that it's okay to not feel up to a challenge.
Love,
Mom and Dad
She leaned back and began to cry. 'How can this be happening to me? This place is like a concentration camp. It can't be as harsh as that though, if they let me keep my things. I knew I never should have applied to that school. It had to be a scam.' She thought. Then she remembered something. 'Wait a second. He said that I knew where the institute was which means I still have somewhere to go.' She looked at the note with renewed confidence. 'No, Mom. It's not okay to give up.'
* * *
Aurora was about to crack. She had been captive for over three months now. After lunch everyday, Trask came and asked her where the school was. Her answer was always "no" and he then left the room in a huff. The only other communication with another human was Peter every so often coming in to talk to her about his day. She tried to escape five times already but had foiled by the bracelet. Before she left for New York, she bought a twelve pack of batteries for her CD player and had long since run out of those. She had read the books she had brought at least ten times each. Her whole entertainment supply had been exhausted and she was now left with nothing to do. She was definitely bored.
Now, she lay on her cot and stared at her day planner. She had been keeping track of the days and now it was October the seventeenth. Being bored made Aurora really think about things. She thought about how much she really missed watching television and remembered how she would turn the TV on or off and change the channel using her powers. She rolled onto her back and pointed her finger at the ceiling and concentrated.
A small pooping sound struck the air and a smoky hole, about the size of a marble, appeared in the padding. Aurora stood there, dumbfounded, her finger still pointing upward. Then she concentrated again and covered up the hole.
"Yes!" she rejoiced. Then, remembering Joseph, she quieted down. She could use her powers! For some reason, the collar didn't work on her. She looked her compact. Sure enough, her eyes were purple. She had read somewhere that a certain power negating collar, called the Genosha Collar, worked all the time except on high level mutants. The collar around her neck looked almost exactly like the collar in the book. So that must mean that she was very powerful.
Since she had powers back, she could escape. First, she had to make sure that none of her thoughts leaked out to Joseph, the guards, or the bracelet. She placed her hands on either side of her head and concentrated. She felt her mental shields raise. Now she could plan.
She figured that the codes for the collar would be somewhere in Joseph's study. Tonight she would travel on the astral plane and find the code for hers.
Thursday was almost over and barely anyone paid attention to anybody near the weekend. She would set up a mental image of herself in her room that would go about her normal routine, then she would burn a hole in the wall big enough to get through and then close it up. 'Good thing there ain't any cameras.' She thought.
That night, she laid down on her bed and closed her eyes. Taking a deep breath, she separated from her body and floated upwards. A wave of euphoria overtook her and she floated aimlessly. Then, she shook her head clear of thoughts and focused on the task at hand. She concentrated on the codes and zoned in on a bookshelf in Joseph's office. A certain book caught her eye. It was a plain red book, no writing on it at all, yet her search insisted that it was the one. Opening it, she found that it was hollow. Inside, however, was a tiny memo pad, which upon further investigation turned out to be the reason the feeling was so insistent. She ran her finger down the column until she came to number 65816.
'While being a tracking device, and identification card…' Trask's voice echoed in her head. So that's what the number was for! There had to be thousands of number sequences in the book. But she couldn't worry about them right now. Her astral time was running out and she could liberate the others once she got out of there and found help. She found the code, emitted it to her memory bank and floated back to her cell. Laying down on the cot, she matched her astral self to her physical one. As her bodies joined, Aurora breathed in deeply. Her mission accomplished, she rewarded herself with sleep.
* * *
The following Saturday, Aurora cleaned her room up, putting all her stuff away. She had been saving half of her meals since the resurfacing of her powers and had been keeping them in a garment bag in her suitcase. After dinner, she got her luggage together, clouded everyone's minds to believe she was still there and burned a hole in the wall using psychic fire. Stepping out into the freezing night, she waved goodbye to her prison and sealed the hole back up.
After walking around in the dark woods for awhile, Aurora came across a cave. Going inside, she found it relatively dry and it didn't look as if it had been inhabited for quite some time. The cave was about the size of a small bedroom with a ten foot ceiling. Aurora piled some dry debris that she found scattered around the cave into the center clearing and used more psychic fire to set a spark. The fire both warmed her and allowed her to further search the cave. Etched in the stone near the cave's entrance was a crudely written message. After a few minutes of careful deciphering, she found it to read: Christian Belwolph, borne 1878, at Mėtis Cave, Manitoba Province. She smiled at the sentiment. A child had been born in this very cave hundreds of years ago! It sounded like a boy's name but it was a long time ago and you never knew with these old languages. Obviously this was Mėtis Cave, so she must be in Canada. She stood there a minute wondering why the FoH would choose Canada. Again Trask's words echoed in her mind. The bracelet was a tracking device. They could be looking for her that very minute and she had been just leading them to her.
Settling back in the corner, she got out her compact and turned the collar around to see the dial-pad. She hit the sequence and the collar snapped open. She took it off and rubbed and stretched her neck. Then she noticed a tiny dial on the bracelet. Getting out a sharp pencil, she punched the code into that dial too. The snap opened easily. She stared at the disagreeable objects. Taking two stones, she smashed the collar and bracelet into little pieces. She then walked to the cave opening and threw the scraps far into the woods. If they tried to find her, they would be on a wild goose chase. She glanced at her watch and, seeing that it was nearly eleven o'clock, went to lay next to the fire, using her backpack as a pillow.
* * *
Peter Macmillan walked the halls of the mutant prison, checking on all of the prisoners. He came to the cell of number 65816 and opened the door after knocking. He stepped inside and waited for the door to close before he started telling Aurora about his day. He looked at his watch. 9:00. She was normally very talkative at this time, but now, she was silent. He turned around to face her.
"Aurora?" She just stared at him smiling. He advanced toward her. "Aurora?" he repeated. He reached a hand out to shake her shoulders. His hands passed straight through. Her smile disappeared and so did half of the wall, her suitcases, and her.
Peter hastily got his walkie-talkie out. "We've got a problem."
"Roger that. What's your location?" A voice crackled out.
"The troublemaker's room. Bring the boss." Aurora had given them immense trouble, never staying in the designated wings. The head guard was at the door in a matter of minutes with Dr. Trask.
Trask examined the hole. A slow smile spread across his face. Peter walked over to stand next to him.
"What made it?" He asked. Joseph's smile was gone instantly.
"A very powerful freak of nature. She would have served our cause very well if you idiots hadn't allowed her to escape." Joseph grabbed Peter by the collar and lifted him off the ground. Peter spurted incomprehensibly. Joseph continued, "Take five of your best guards, Sergeant Gallen. Follow her signal and find her. Do not try to capture her on your own. She is too strong. Contact us and we will send our new sentinels. Now go." He threw Peter toward the door and he scrambled out the door.
"But what if she removes the equipment and our signal is lost?" Gallen asked.
"Not to worry. I implanted a bug in her ankle that is undetectable to any system known to man. Just follow that one and quit wasting time." Sgt. Gallen saluted smartly and hurried out of the room.
* * *
Aurora woke early in the morning. After eating breakfast, she didn't know what to do having not been unsupervised in such a long time. She decided that the best thing to do would be to notify the School of her position. But how? She had only a vague idea of what the school looked like and she had to be ready to run at a moment's notice. She decided that her best bet would be to focus in on a mental picture, the one from the brochure, and see what came from it.
She settled herself in a corner and sat yoga style. She rubbed her temples and formed a picture of the school as best as she could. Her bodies separated once more and she was suddenly walking along a great hall. Lockers lined both walls and the small number of people walking along it told her that class was in session. As she passed a classroom, she felt someone thinking about her. She passed through a door and found herself inside a tidy room with plants, chalkboards, and bookshelves lining three of the four walls. A beautiful white-haired African-American woman was teaching a bunch of normal looking kids, with the exception of a few, which appeared to be Studio Art. She heard her name again and focused in on the source. The thought led her to a blonde boy of about seventeen sitting next to a girl with freckles and frizzy red hair. His eyes were a mixture of blue and green and tended to switch from one to the other. He looked a little lost in his thoughts, sitting there on the stool in front of an easel in his baggy pants and red T-shirt opened over a white undershirt. He was pretty buff from what showed. She couldn't tell why he was thinking about her, but decided to take his body and get someone to help her. She sat on top of him and moved her body to match his.
The boy uttered something along the lines of "What the hell?" as they stood up and walked out of the classroom, the teacher following them for a little bit, threatening to give him detention if he "didn't sit his but down that second." Once the woman had given up and went back to the classroom, Aurora ordered the body to go to the man in charge.
"What do ya want with the Professah?" A disembodied voice, apparently from the original occupant of the body asked.
"Who's the professor?" She asked back.
"The guy in charge. Who are you?"
"Listen. There's no time for small talk. I need help."
"The X-men can help you." The voice said.
"And…Who are they?"
"They're a group of mutants who use their powahs fer good. Ah'm one of 'em. So Ah kin prob'ly git them ta help ya."
"I don't need HELP. I need someone to help me get here."
"But ya are here."
"Only mentally. Not physically."
"Okay. What do ya need me ta do?" The voice asked. This was going to be easier than Aurora expected.
"I'll let your body go and you go tell this professor about me. Then tell him that I'm in Mėtis Cave in Manitoba, Canada. If he wants my exact coordinates, he can analyze the area around you. That's where I'll be." With that, she stopped walking while the boy kept on going and their bodies parted. She floated behind him. He came to a door and walked in. A bald man in a strange yellow wheelchair was teaching a class of about five students.
"Professah? Ah need ta speak ta ya." The boy wrung his hands together.
"Okay, Sam." The man turned back to his class, "Your homework is to do page sixty through sixty-two, numbers one through five on each. You are dismissed."
The students got up to leave. One, a pretty girl with black hair and a high forehead, flipped her hair and batted her eyelashes in Sam's direction before leaving. Aurora watched Sam as he rolled his eyes and turned back to the Professor. "Um, Ah don't know how ta say this but, mah body was just taken over by someone else." Aurora slapped her forehead. How stupid that sounded!
"Are you yourself again?" The professor asked as if this sort of thing happened all the time.
"Yes sir. But she, at least Ah think it was a she, wanted us to take it here. It said it was in Canada."
"I see. Where in Canada did it say it was?"
"Ah think it was Mėtee Cave. Somewhere in Manitoba."
"Mėtee Cave. I've never heard of it."
"She also said that you could analyze the air around me to find her true coordinates." The professor closed his eyes and placed his fingers on his temples. A familiar purple glow formed at the crown of his forehead. He was a telepath like her! He turned in her direction.
"Hello young lady. How are you today?" Aurora was surprised. No one had ever been able to see her before. She quickly slipped back into Sam's body.
"I'm fine, but my body might not be. I have been away too long. I really should be getting back." She started to release Sam.
"Wait. Who are you?"
"My name is Aurora Winthrop. I was suposta be here about three months ago, but I was taken to this sort of mutant concentration camp. I just escaped a little while ago."
He was quiet for a while. "Alright, Aurora. I have found your coordinates and we will be there shortly. Go back now and defend your body. I sense a sinister force approaching." He opened his eyes and the glow disappeared. This news shocked her so much that she withdrew from her host body and went back to hers without saying goodbye.
When she got over the initial nausea of going that fast, she dared to venture outside her cave. She saw a shadow in the forest and went to collect her things. She kicked the ashes and firewood around the cave to make it seem natural. Running back outside, she found a branch from a pine tree and swept it on the floor to disguise her footprints as she backed out of the cave. Grabbing up her stuff again, she ran.
She could hear something pursuing her. She realized how far away she was going from the coordinates she had given the professor a started to turn gently while running on. Suddenly, she ran right through the center of a large clearing and tripped.
On her hands and knees, she sat in the middle of the clearing. Sensing them closing in, she stood up and began generating balls of psychic fire in her hands. A man charged at her and she threw one in his direction. He hit upon a tree and slumped to the ground, unconscious. Another man, enraged at his ally's defeat ran at her and received the same treatment. More and more her strength faded as she fought.
"I sure hope they get here soon," she voiced verbally.