TITLE: Helix Reloaded Vol 1: Another Version of the Truth
STARRING: Hellion/X-23
UNIVERSE: Rewrite of the Helix universe
RATING: M
SUMMARY: This is just a writing experiment of mine, redoing the Helix series in my present style. Don't worry, I won't stop writing the original Helix series. This seems to be taking more of a drama turn, and while it follows the same basic plotlines, I'm finding that it's become its own story.
(Volume:1 Arc:"Coming to Xavier's" Issue:1/1)
"New Student"
Somewhere in Seattle…
The room is dark. Its walls and ceiling are cement, as is the floor. There is music playing quite loudly; the sound of electric guitars, drums and bass fill the air, along with the voice of a singer screaming at the top of his lungs.
In the center of the room is a dirty, torn couch; and writhing around on this is a pair of teenagers. The one on top has bleached blond hair, and pale skin; he is solidly built. Underneath him is a girl. She has choppy blond hair, and facial piercings, and is of a slender build; her eyes are closed as she responds to the boy on top of her, allowing him to reach under her shirt, which says ANARCHY in big, red, dripping letters.
A few feet away from this is another pair of teenagers. The boy of this couple has startling neon-red hair, and somewhat even features to go with a medium body frame; he's leaning against the wall, his arms caging the girl. They are kissing quite passionately.
"Mmmph," the girl against the wall says, running her black-nailed fingers through her partner's red locks. Her eyes are closed; her thick black lashes are long, and prominent against her very pale skin. Her finely-sculpted face is framed by long, silky locks of coal-black hair, which spread around her shoulders like a waterfall of ink. The body she presses against the boy is slender, like that of the other girl's, but curves more in some areas.
Suddenly, she pulls away from the boy; their mouths part with a wet smack gazes at the red stain her lips have left on his, and her forehead wrinkles in confusion.
"M-megan?" she asks. "Are you…?"
No answer.
"What's wrong, babe?" her partner asks, leaning closer.
"Get the hell away from me!" She pushes at his abdomen; he looks surprised as he stumbles back a few steps, but the girl doesn't notice this as she looks frantically around the room.
"MEGAN!" she shouts. "Where—I can't—"
"Over here, cuz," calls the girl from the couch, as she moves the boy's face out of hers. "Something wrong?"
"I—" the dark-haired girl pauses. "Yeah. I think…I'm freaking out."
"What the—" the boy on the couch says, as Megan begins to sit up.
"Move it or lose it." She gets to her feet, stumbles slightly, then heads over to the other girl.
"You need to go?" she asks, struggling to focus.
The dark-haired girl nods.
"Okay, Laura." Megan puts her arm around her cousin's shoulders. "Less' go."
"Justa minute!" The boy Laura had been making out with protests. "She can't just get me all fired up like that and then—"
"Yeah, she can!" Megan hisses. "You're lucky she let you touch her in the first place, Pike. Come on…cuz. We're out of here."
…
Outside in the fresh air, Laura finds it easier to think. The hot summer is turning into the coolness of autumn, bringing with it thoughts of school. School. She closes her eyes as she sags against her cousin's shoulder. She doesn't know if she can handle another year of her claustrophobic school.
She is already too smart for the material the teachers feed her every day; and she brings home report cards proving that she is the top of her class. The other children, though, are what really bother her. Not a day goes by without her getting into trouble with someone, be it staff or student. Or for bringing substances to school.
"Hey…cuz…can you walk now?" Megan grunts. "You're kind of heavy…and I'm still pretty stoned."
"Okay." Laura tentatively supports her own weight; her pocket buzzes, and she starts. "What the hell was that?"
"Calm down. It's your cell phone." Megan reaches into the pocket and withdraws a black iPhone. The word 'Mummeh' is flashing on the screen. "Oh, shit. It's your mom."
"Don't answer it. I'll go home now." The girl pauses and eyes her cousin. "Promise you'll always be there, Meg?"
"I promise." Megan grins. "Now go get yelled at."
…
"LAURA?" a woman's voice calls, from deeper in the house. The girl closes the door behind herself and hangs her head, the metal in the soles of her boots scraping against the tile floor. The house she has just entered is small and clean, with well-coordinated colors and strategically placed decorations, including a plethora of water color paintings.
She moves past the staircase and living room, into the kitchen, where her mother is waiting for her, still holding her cell phone. She is surprisingly like Laura in appearance: the same long, dark hair; startling green eyes; and finely molded features, along with a curvy figure. She is slightly taller, and more conservatively dressed, with a pair of glasses perched on her nose.
"Where were you tonight?" she asks, in that soft voice that warns Laura danger is coming.
"Not here." Laura sways slightly, reaches for a chair back. "Can we have this…talk…later…Sarah? My head hurts."
Sarah tilts her head. "What have you been doing to yourself, sweetheart?"
"Nothing." The girl looks at the floor. "It's…nothing."
"Go,to your room," Sarah orders in a firmer voice. "You're grounded. No allowance…no phone…no internet…and no Megan, for a week."
Laura makes no comment. After a few moments, she shuffles out of the kitchen and up the stairs, while Sarah presses her hand to her mouth. She looks at the phone on the kitchen wall, and wonders if she should call him.
…
"Loser," a boy sitting behind Megan hisses, thwipping her ear. The girl grimaces as her earrings rattle from the motion. She turns around and gives him a death-glare, then her eyes meet Laura's, two desks to the right.
They share grins.
They both know what they'll be doing on break.
…
"Miss Kinney, Miss Parveen," the councilor says sternly. "That was not in the least bit amusing, what you did to poor Mr. Hodges. I hope he will recover. Don't you feel even the slightest remorse for damaging him like that?"
Laura blows out a puff of air. "What…I only broke his nose. He had it coming."
"Kinney." Mr. Grawsley leans forward. "Mr. Hodges might require surgery to correct it, if it doesn't heal properly. He could sue you, and sue the school. Is that what you want?"
"He can sue all he wants," Laura says. "I don't have anything to take. Besides, if he did that, he'd have to admit to the court why I beat him up."
The councilor leans back in his chair.
"I am recommending your expulsion from this school, Miss Kinney," he says calmly.
"What do you know? Dreams cancome true!" Laura says, holding her hand up.
Megan high-fives her, and the councilor grimaces.
…
Laura closes her eyes and takes her surroundings in. The hum of the refrigerator, which bears some of her drawings. The sensation of her fuzzy slippers on her feet. Her mother, Sarah, cooking dinner. The wooden surface of the table under her elbows, her cheek leaning on her hand.
She winces. Why does everything have to be so loud? So overbearing?
"Laura. We need to talk."
Clink of the spatula. A curl of smell rises from the cooking pan; delicious sizzling hamburger. Fat and bacteria being evaporated.
"I'm sure," Laura yawns in disinterest.
"I received this today…" Sarah reaches for a letter on the counter.
Laura grins, realizing what it is. "Are you proud of me?"
"Hardly," Sarah says softly. "Laura…is this about the experiments?"
The girl blinks. She can barely remember what her mother is speaking of; the experiments. They only bother her in her sleep nowadays, since she's made such an effort to forget all of it. "No. I just can't stand the kids at the school. And the teachers are all pretty lame. I'm sick of it."
Sarah frowns. "Laura, you come home with three letters a day from teachers, stating how you've gotten into some fight or another. The only reason they kept you on was your grades. You could really be something if you applied your energies the right way, you know."
"But I already am something," Laura says, wrinkling her nose.
Sarah closed her eyes. Better to just come out with the news, than dance around it too long. It is obvious that Laura isn't going to make this easy.
"I'm sending you to Xavier's."
Laura's hand slaps down on the table, in shock.
"WHAT?" she gasps. "But…you…NO! That place is a death trap!"
"Laura, please."
"You can't. You're just doing this to get rid of me." Her daughter glares at her. "You feel guilty! That's why you're trying to send me away."
"That's not it, sweetheart, and you know it." Sarah pauses, looks at the spatula. "I think you need to learn how to control your powers. Without the drugs, I mean."
Silence, for a moment.
"But I heal," Laura says. "Nothing I do can hurt me. I don't need to learn anything. It's under control already."
"I won't have my daughter walking around in a drugged stupor," Sarah says. "It reflects poorly. I know that your powers have gotten much stronger lately…and I also know what you're doing to deal with them." She pauses. You can't live that way forever…and you need to learn a better way now. You need to learn how to usethose powers properly."
"That's so much bullshit!" Laura snaps. "I don't need to learn how to use a power that's automatic! What do I do, stand around and heal myself? Come the fuck on!"
"Language."
"Fuck you!" The girl fumes. "I'd have to say goodbye to Megan…and aunt Debbie…"
"Not forever." Sarah pauses. "You know I love you, and want you near. But just now…you needto be at that school."
For a few moments, Laura is silent.
"I hateyou. I'm not going."
"No buts," Sarah says gently. "I received your acceptance letter this morning. We're going to the school the end of this month. It'll be a chance for you to get to know your…father."
…
At the Xavier Institute in New York…
"Damn, I love fall term."
The boy who has spoken is watching a group of students pass by, his grey-blue eyes scanning through them and picking out the girls. Specifically, the attractive ones.
He possesses this quality himself. His features are even and well placed, with an air of youth about them. His hair is thick and dark, swept back with a light layer of gel, suggesting that he puts effort into his appearance. The expensive clothes on his nicely proportioned, pale-skinned body add to this idea.
"Hell yeah, dude," his friend beside him says, in a deep, guttural voice. He has a much more startling composition; he is made entirely out of pieces of smooth, molded granite rocks. They are patched together in a craggy manner, lending the illusion of scales. His eyes are white and lack pupils.
The third boy in their posse remains silent. He has dark skin, with slightly broader features; above his full lips, his liquid brown eyes are very slightly slanted; and on top of these, his dark hair is braided tightly into rows of dreadlocks.
"Think this'll be the year?" The large boy made of rock asks.
"Yeah. She's got to give in. I mean…I've been nothing but smooth with her…and we even made out a little before Summer break. That's got to mean something…right?"
"Right," his friend says. "I was talkin' about the Hellions though, dude."
"Oh." The first boy pauses, flushing very slightly. "Yeah. No doubt about that."
"What's there to doubt?" the boy who had previously been silent speaks up. "You'll lead us to victory this year, Julian…I'm sure of it."
"Would have had it last year, but the New Mutants pulled that last one out of their butts. I mean, how was that simulation even supposed to be fair? They have people that are made to take the Hulk out!"
"Hey, look!" The rock boy says. "There's a car pulling up."
"Huh. Must be another student," Julian says. "Hope it's a girl. Never enough of those, am I right?"
"Always," his dark-skinned friend supports him.
"C'mon…let's roll out the welcome wagon," the boy who seems to be the leader says.
…
In her mother's Lexus, Laura rubs her eyes blearily. Last night had been filled with terrors; traces of the lab, visages of torture…her claws separating the flesh of nameless, faceless people.
Thelab.The place that she doesn't think about, ever.
The car rolls to a stop. Laura refuses to look at the impressively large buildings that comprise the institute. She hates her mother for doing this—yes, hate is not too strong a word for how intensely she feels.
"Laura…"
She turns her head to the window, showing her ignorance towards her mother. Fingers touch her cheek; she pushes the hand away roughly. "Don't touch me!" she snaps, her hand scrambling for the handle on the side. She shoves the door open and bolts out of the car, towards the lawn.
"That's a damn fine piece of ass," she hears a boy's voice say. Then, to her: "Hey YOU!"
Laura ignores the speaker and stomps on.
"She must be on the rag or something," he murmurs. Another boy snickers. "Or a dyke."
She whirls around at this and fixes the group with a glare. "Fuck you, all of you." "HEY!" The boy that had spoken up glares at her, and threads of green light waft up into the air, from his eyes. He makes a fist with one hand. "Someone needs to teach you a lesson."
"Easy man… she's not worth it," the dark-skinned boy says, laying his hand on his friend's shoulder.
"Actually, I am," Laura says, after summing the three boys up. The rock guy might suck a bit, but her claws can cut through anything if it comes to that. Nothing she'd like better than a fight at the moment; it might even get her sent home right away. "Too bad you'renot worth my time."
"Hear that, Brian? She wants a piece." Her potential opponent stares steadily at her. "She's just begging for it."
"That makes it totally okay to beat up a girl," the large boy made of rocks standing beside him says, with a slight grin.
The mouthy boy steps toward Laura, and taps her on the shoulder. "So just what you packing?" he asked. "I can hand you your scrawny little butt without lifting a finger, so you'd better watch who you talk to in this school."
Laura thinks, then pops her claws, satisfying the itch in her knuckles.
SNIKT!
Everyone steps back a foot involuntarily, including her opponent; although he tries to hide it with false bravado
"Wow, claws…haven't seen that before," he sneers.
"Probably the reason you're still alive."
SNAKT!
She retracts the claws, and leans closer to his face. "So go ahead…makemyday."
For a moment, the air is very tense between them; then the boy raises his eyebrows. "I like your attitude. Did you pick a squad yet?"
"She just got here, Julian," the dark-skinned boy named Brian says. "I doubt she even knows what a squad is."
"It's a—" her opponent begins, but Laura holds up her hand in his face. "I'm not going to be on any stupid squad-thing. I don't do sports."
"Fine," the boy says. He pauses, eyes her with less animosity. "What's your name, spitfire?"
"None of your concern," Laura says. She continues stomping off, hearing her mother parking the car in the Guest lot. She doesn't want to see her again anytime soon.
"Jeez, what crawled up herbutt and died?" the rock boy asks.
"Don't know," Julian says, watching her go. "She does have a nice one though."