A/N: An eventful chapter!

Chapter 7 : state of emergency


" Did you think a trip to school would be complete without you?" Kimura asked, dragging the knife upwards. Laura's head snapped back as the woman grabbed
her chin. "Oh, honey, and you brought your friends for me too! How sweet! Let me reward you. GOOD CLONE!"

"AAAH!" Cessily had shot a knife-arm at Kimura, but it bounced off her back like it wasn't there—and the woman had flicked a cattle prong out of her belt and
made contact with the metallic appendage.

"Here X. I'm gonna deal with your little troop. You have a rest meanwhile." Kimura wrapped an arm around Laura's torso—an arm around her neck—

Snap.

Laura fell to the ground, her eyes wide, her body paralyzed. "Urrkh…" the air left her lungs softly.

" LAURA!" A big green wave rushed over the floor and knocked Kimura into the wall; Julian followed it, his face contorted. "You fucking bitch! I'll…"

"Josh! Heal her!" Cessily shouted from the floor. She was still jerking from the energy Kimura had charged her body with—even Nimrod's blast hadn't equaled its force.

" You don't have the balls, kiddo," Kimura grinned, hanging upside down. " You just stand there and shake your finger while your girlfriend sits on the floor like an amoeba.
Once I finish with you I'm gonna go back for her—and I'm gonna enjoy it, every finger I break."

POW! She smacked the heel of her palm into Julian's face; he reeled backwards and she fell to the floor. She dusted herself off, then pulled a device out of her
pocket—and removed a pin.

EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE—

An incredibly loud siren went off, and all four held their ears in agony; Laura's spine had just knitted itself together.

"I love telekinetics," Kimura said. "They're so overconfident! It's a useless power when you can't form a thought, isn't it?"

Laura rolled over and lunged at Kimura again, her ears and nose bleeding from the sound. "Clone—you're so dumb—you can't hurt me—"

Clink. The metal key ring on the device hooked around Laura's claws, and she jerked it backwards, so the dull side pulled it away; the device followed. She stabbed her claw into it.

"Julian! You have to kill her! You're the only one who can hurt her! Form a bubble in her heart—or her brain—"

"I'm not killing!" Julian shouted, slamming Kimura against the wall again.

Laura parted her lips to tell him how sick this woman was—how she deserved to die—snff. She inhaled through her nose, and suddenly her eyes went red.

Kimura grinned. "Stupid kids—think I have to be free to hurt you."

Julian's eyes widened—Laura had just popped her claws, and was charging at him, her face wild, her teeth bared. "Holy—" he stretched out his left hand and Laura was swept
upside down in a green net. Now he was restraining Kimura with one thought, and Laura with the other. His hands shook slightly at the split control.

"Oh man, oh man—" Josh looked at the two struggling women in midair in panic.

"What the hell are we going to do?! Kimura's invulnerable and Laura won't stop till she cuts someone!"

"Or everyone's dead," Kimura pointed out.

"Well…do something soon…it's hard to think about two things at once…" Julian shifted, his leg cramping. He tended to get muscle cramps in odd areas if he overtaxed his powers in
certain ways. "I see what Santo meant about his nose itching."

"Stop TALKING!" Cessily gasped. "CONCENTRATE!" She looked at Josh. "You have to use your powers! It's the only thing we can do!"

Josh made a face, then he grinned suddenly. "I have an idea. Hold Kimura tightly, now."

"You gave her Alzheimer's?" Julian asked, watching the madwoman limp down the hall, pretending to be a duck.

" I'm not really sure," Josh said. "Could have been MS. Or Parkinson's. Or some weird combination of the three. Anyways, it did the trick…I can't guarantee it'll last, so we better
figure out what to do with her." He nodded at Laura, who was still struggling in the green field, her eyes bloodshot red.

"…" Julian stared at her. "This sucks. I can't keep doing this all day. I have to sleep at some point."

"Just stop talking, Julian!" Cessily said fearfully.

"Relax, Cess, I've—" Laura lurched forward an inch and he tightened his hold, his eyes wide. "Okay, okay…nothing happened, don't panic…"

"You could put her to sleep," Cessily said to Josh.

"I don't think so…I've never tried my powers on someone with a healing factor. Besides…Laura's our ticket out of here. She can fly the X-wing, remember?"

"Oh look, it's Good News Foley," Julian grumbled, sitting on the floor to rest his legs as he watched Laura (who was glaring at him quite viciously).

Josh grinned. "You know, now that I really have a chance to look at her without her knowing…she is pretty hot. You sure you don't want her?"

"…" Julian rubbed his face with his free hand. "She's trying to fucking kill me. Right now."

"She's still hot," Josh protested.

"CONCENTRATE!" Cessily whapped him on the back of the head, her expression furious.

"Ow! Alright already." Josh made a face, rubbing the fresh injury.

They were silent for a few minutes. Then…

"Wait—when me and Laura were in the hallway, this same woman—Kimura—threw a bottle of liquid at us—and then Laura went nuts," Cessily said.

Josh snapped his fingers. "Trigger scents! I've heard of this kind of shit…I used to be way into conspiracies and military stuff…they torture-train the operatives to respond
to an olfactory stimulus." He looked at Cessily, and she nodded, thinking the same thing.

"Didn't—didn't Kimura touch you before Laura went nuts, Julian?" she asked.

"Yeah…she did." Julian's eyes widened. "Ohhhh I get it. Got any water, or anything?"

"I do," Cessily pulled out a water bottle from her Hello Kitty backpack.

Julian took the bottle and poured it over his head, dousing his hair and forehead and anywhere Kimura might have touched. A moment later, Laura's eyes cleared,
and her claws retracted.

"…" She stared at Julian, her lower lip trembling.

"Are you done trying to kill me, now?" Julian hissed at her. "I mean, are you sure? Do you want to take a swipe or something before I put you down?"

She shook her head, and he dropped her roughly, in a bad mood now. This event had trudged up the bad dream quite vividly, the only difference being that Laura
hadn't smiled—she'd looked different.

"We…we have to go," Laura said, regaining her composure.

"I wasn't the one taking five minutes to try to kill my friends," Julian snapped.

"It was…"

"Trigger scent, we know," Josh said. "Come on, let's get into that jet. It's only a matter of time before the basement gets searched."

" Yes," Laura answered curtly. They would be safer away from here. They made their way to the jet, and Julian, with Laura's guidance, got
them in (rearranging circuits for the door systems).

They settled in the X-wing, strapping themselves into the bucket seats as Laura began to interface with the control panel; Julian had sat beside her, without
being asked. They were going for the tunnel again.

" So—whoa whoa—what's the plan—we leave, and go where?" Cessily asked, her eyes wide.

"We can contact the X-men in the air," Josh said.

"There's always Forge, in Texas. We know how to get there, at least," Julian said. His voice sharp and irritated.

Everyone was scared—even Laura. Especially Laura. Three lives in her hands…she had nearly ended them. And if they were captured she would be responsible…Julian
would go to the horrible place that had made her…

She would rather kill him herself.

"He's not coming in," Cessily said, her eyes wide as she dialed the radio. "Forge isn't coming in. Guys, this is so wrong. What the hell is going on here?!"

"Maybe he's sleeping?" Josh suggested.

"At seven at night?" Julian, irritated.

"Hey, he's one of them old folks. I wouldn't be surprised. Or maybe Nimrod went back for more. He sounds like that type of guy."

"Josh, Nimrod is a robot," Julian said. "You're such an airhead."

"And you're turning into Alleyne," Josh shot back. "Relax. When you act uptight, you lose all your redeeming qualities."

" Hard to relax when I'm sitting beside someone who tried to kill me—oh, I don't know—JUST AN HOUR AGO!"

" Julian, I am not going to kill you now," Laura said calmly.

" Now, like it was okay to try then," Julian grumbled.

" That is not what I meant."

" CONCENTRATE!" Cessily said. "You guys are flying this plane! Please put aside your petty arguments until we're on the ground!"

"…what she said," Josh nodded in agreement.

"Petty," Julian sneered, but he didn't say anything more.

" Guys…let's just stay somewhere for the night, and figure this out in the morning," Josh said. " I'm tired…I still have a concussion…my head's killing me…and I've
seen a bit more violence today than I can handle."

Laura glanced at Julian. "He is right. Josh needs to rest, or he could suffer permanent neurological damage. He should not have walked after his injury."

" Didn't have a choice," Josh said. He was holding his head; and Julian sighed. He'd been hit—hard—and he'd seen it; Lady Deathstrike had lobbed him in the head with
Professor Xavier's antique Bible—made with wooden covers—so hard that he'd just toppled over, instantly unconscious.

" Julian…" Cessily.

" Alright, alright."

"We need to pool our money," Julian said. "It's one hundred and sixty three dollars for two beds." They had parked the X-wing in a field four blocks from the hotel,
and Julian (looking and acting the most normal of the four) had gone to get the keys from the desk. "And we're going to have to sneak you two in, somehow."

Julian had learned the hard way, at an airport, that Cessily wasn't welcome at many establishments. He was willing to bet that Josh wasn't, either. It made him
angry—but he didn't exactly have lawyers to back him up now.

They finally settled for Laura opening the room and the balcony door, while Julian flew them up outside, using Laura as a marker so he didn't accidentally pick the
wrong room (and cause a really awkward situation).

"Laura?" Julian poked his head out of the room, around one o' clock. Josh and Cessily were bickering about the sleeping arrangements—there were two beds; Josh
didn't want to sleep with Julian, and Cessily didn't want to sleep with Josh or Julian, leaving Laura as her only choice. Josh had tried to suggest that she would be
fine sleeping on the floor—being made of metal—but Cessily had taken much offense to this, and Julian had jumped into the argument to complain about how no one
had wanted to sleep with him. Laura had left at that point, stepping out onto the balcony, and had not returned since. It had been an hour, and the other two
were already settled.

She didn't answer. He stepped out onto the balcony and folded his arms against the cold breeze. He didn't have a jacket.

" Look…I…" he frowned. "I know you didn't mean what you did, earlier. Josh said something about a trigger scent."

Laura didn't answer. He reached out, then laid his hand on her shoulder, wondering how she could stand out here—in a tank top—and not be freezing cold. At least
he had a t-shirt and an undershirt—and he was still shivering.

"You are not safe with me," she said, her voice low and strained.

"I think I handled it just fine, thanks," Julian said, a little annoyed. It was odd—she'd just admitted to what he'd been afraid of all the long—and he was now taking
the opposite view. "Despite what everyone seems to think, I can take care of myself. And my friends."

Laura turned to him, and he was surprised to see she was crying. He could see the wet streaks quite clearly in the dim moonlight.

"You do not understand!" Laura said fiercely, her hair flying up as the breeze changed direction. "All it takes is a scent, and I lose control! I have killed hundreds of
people because of this scent!" She wrapped her fingers around his wrist and pushed it off her shoulder. "You have no idea what kind of brutalities the facility
is capable of."

Julian scowled. "And what's that? What's more horrible than what I've seen already? Laura—forty-three of my friends are dead. I watched them all die, and I nearly
died several times myself. I don't think your facility can do anything worse."

Laura stared. She did not have words to express the facility anymore. She did not know how to tell him.

"Why are you speaking to me?" she asked instead. "You are still afraid, more so than before. You may go inside—I will be fine."

Julian looked down. "Laura—there's something I really, really want to do…that I was thinking about when the crazy finger lady made a shish kabob out of me. But…"
he found her eyes again. Laura understood this look—confusion. She was only too well acquainted with this state of mind. "…if I do it, can you…not look into it too
deep? Not expect anything? I…I don't know what I want."

Laura watched him, one eyebrow raised. His heart rate had increased—he seemed nervous, suddenly. "What do you mean, Julian?" she asked.

"Just don't expect me to do it again. Or try to make me. Or go all crazy on me, or anything, 'coz I won't commit. Promise?"

"Okay." Laura said the word, but she didn't really understand what he meant.

"Okay." He shifted uncomfortably; his face turned red, then he turned away. "I can't fucking do it! Now there's too much pressure." He walked to the railing and
leaned over it, his expression brooding. "Hrumpf."

Laura stood in place, trying to understand. A breeze wafted her hair away from her face; she closed her eyes. Snff.

Julian turned his head to look at her. "Do it again," he said, his voice hoarse.

Snff. Laura was happy to comply; his scent was particularly attractive at this moment, after his heart rate had increased. It was like flower in bloom to a bee
(although it seemed odd to compare Julian to a flower); almost against her will, she stepped closer and inhaled again. Snff.

He leaned back on the rail, on his elbows, watching her. His eyes were glassy, she noted with her excellent night vision. Pupils dilated by one millimeter, heart rate
increased by twelve beats per minute. Thirteen. She tilted her head, beginning to understand. He wanted…she moved closer and smelled him, right at the hollow
where his throat met his chest.

"Laura…" one of his hands, his left, departed from the railing, touched her jaw. She pressed her fingers against his stomach, hesitantly. She wasn't sure it was
really okay to touch him—that he wouldn't snap at her, tell her mean things and physically remove her hands from his person. He let them stay, though,
watching her—she realized he was just as curious as she was. He leaned forwards hesitantly—she wasn't quite sure what he was doing; he had to guide her
jaw to meet him. Oh. That. She closed her eyes—it felt very good. Soft. Warm. He brushed the side of her face gently, like he was petting her.

Laura hadn't ever kissed anyone before—at least, not like this. Two men in her "job" had forced her before, and it had hurt. And repulsed her. She had always
tried to avoid it—everything else she had done—the cutting—the—rest—had been more tolerable than letting someone else apply their mouth to her. She was
a mutant with extremely enhanced senses, which meant she could feel everything threefold—taste everything, smell everything.

And her clients had not been clean.

This—this was different—she was almost tranced, relaxed; her senses didn't matter. Or they made it better—she could feel every pressure acutely. There was more
now—and he was moving. She moved back to meet him.

Julian pulled away, breathing hard. "Wow," he said. His hands had slipped down to her shoulders, and he considered her carefully. "That was…that was hot."

Laura tilted her head. Hot—yes, heat was one of the feelings she felt in this interaction.

"We should…we should go back in," Julian said. His voice was hoarse. He backed up, and his fingers found the door handle.