By Orkoad
Based on characters and situations created and/or owned by Marvel Comics, Sunbow
Entertainment, Kids WB and John Proft.
Special thanks to Red Witch for the use of her character, Spyder.
Chapter 12: Relocation
XxXxX
DaNoseKnows: I'm glad I could throw in a surprise for you, I love shocking people in a good way, but to be honest I thought Howard was somewhat obvious.
Red witch: there's nothing scary about that movie, except for maybe the dark overlord, LOL, who may show up later, wink wink, in the mean time, your creation, Spyder, will have a much bigger role in the coming chapters in a way you may not expect.
Jaq-le-confondu: I'm glad I could keep you entertained, keep reading, I hope you like what's coming.
XxXxX
Jack sat in the back of Howard... The duck man's... Taxi, X'es barely breathing and blood covered body laying in his arms. Her six blades laying in the passenger seat next to Howard. Jack had his helmet, gloves and other gear in his backpack next to him as he stared into x'es bruised and beaten face. Jack felt his hands trembling as he held her.
"Please don't die... X.. Please come on, wake up." He pleaded, stroking the hair out of her eyes and he held her closer.
"So you must be jack." Howard asked as he drove back to the apartment. Jack didn't hear Howard at first. He looked up, a little lost in thought.
"Huh, what?" Jack asked, still trembling, not even feeling the weight of x'es body on his arms.
"You're jack right, the one that's not a mutant, bev told me about you guys."
"You're bev's room mate?" Jack asked, trying to think about something besides x, if he was a nervous wreck, he wouldn't be any help to her.
"Yeah, she's a great girl, its kinda weird at times but... That's gonna happen when you live with a duck." He said as if this were a normal thing.
"Where did you get the rocket launcher?" Jack asked.
"Friend of mine in the army hooked me up, you wouldn't believe the weird things that I run into in my life, but I'll tell you what, you keep the rocket launcher a secret, ill keep your nightly excursion's a secret." Jack's eyes went wide. Howard had seen him in his gear forge had made him. That would have been hard to explain if Howard didn't offer to keep it quiet.
"Thanks Howard... For everything." Jack said with a breath of relief as he heard his cell phone go off. He pulled it out of the slot on his helmet and answered it. "hello?"
"Jack, it's Ororo, have you found x?" She asked. Jack gasped in shock, he realized he hadn't called the others.
"Ms. Munroe... Call the mansion, x has been hurt bad, Howard found us and is driving us to the apartment now, but... I'm scared." Jack said, a stuttered in his voice as he spoke, looking down at x.
XxXxX
Kimura stood up shaking her head, and the small pile of rubble off of herself. She looked around and found nothing but the puddles of blood made by X. She stumbled as she walked out of the rubble of broken rock, and kneeled down at the puddle, scooping a bit of x'es blood off the ground and licked it. She gave a sigh of pleasure at the taste and sniffed the wind.
"I'm coming for you little 23, and I can't end with just a taste."
XxXxX
Jack burst into the apartment, X hanging lifelessly in his arms, Howard trailing behind him. Bev, Ororo and the other students all gasped, first to see Howard, then to see X'es condition. Jack ran to the couch and lay X'es body down, and ran his hand over her pail forehead. Ororo walked over and rested a hand on jack's shoulder as Howard handed X'es removed blades to Rogue.
"Jack, the x-jet is on it's way. We'll have her in the mansion's medical center within the hour." she promised. Jack didn't hear her at first, all he could do was worry and pray that X would come out of it. After a moment he felt something on his arm, and turned to see Spyder hugging jack's arm, looking up at him with tears in her eyes.
"She'll be alright, right jack?" She asked with a tremble. Howard walked up to the both of them, scratching the back of his feathered head.
"She'll be fine kiddo, this guy here almost got himself killed protecting her." Howard said, somehow smiling with his thick beak. Jack struggled with himself as he looked back at X. Then a thought popped into his head.
"Ms. Munroe, can you make sure the professor in on that jet?"
XxXxX
an hour had passed, but that was more than enough time for Kimura to follow the scent of X'es blood to the apartment building she now stood before. She smiled as she looked up.
"I'm coming for you little 23, and i'm coming hungry." She said aloud, before the wind picked up. She sheilded her eyes, and looked up as the wind caused her hair to whip about. She saw the massive jet landing on the building's roof. She couldn't help but crack a smile. "Ohhhh, an interesting twist, good, I was hoping this wouldn't be too easy."
XxXxX
Jack stood on the roof, X'es body draped in his arms again as Xavier came out from the jet's ramp, looking up at jack.
"What happened son?" He asked in horror.
"Professor there's no time, we have to go now!" Jack replied. Xavier nodded in understanding.
"Of course, get on the jet, Beast and Scott are waiting for you, everyone on the jet." Xavier ordered. Already the student's and ororo followed jack up the ramp as Xavier turned to face bev and Howard. "ms. Switzler, Howard, i'm afraid I must ask you both to come with us, it is your own decision, but I fear whoever has done this to X will come after you to get to her, we can protect you if you join us." He said calmly. Bev and Howard looked at eachother, as if silently asking the other.
"If I get afew free cigar's out of it we're in." Howard said with a smirk. The professor couldn't help but smile and nod. The three of them raced up onto the jet as it started to rev for take off.
Jack immediately helped beaststrap x to the medical table, and buckled up in seat nearest to her, stroking the sweat off her forehead. Howard, bev and the professor came in as the back door closed behind them. Jack looked up to the professor, as beast looked X over.
"Professor, you can get me inside her head, I have to know what's going on in there, try to lead her back, please." Jack begged as Xavier stopped in front of Jack.
" Jack, if I do, and she dies, you may die with her, and even if she lives threw this, there may be no way of cutting off the link, the two of you could be permanently connected." Jack looked at x, her normally tan skin slowly paling, slpoches of blood all over her ripped and torn cloths.
"I have to professor... Charles, I'm begging you." Xavier gave a nervous sigh, then turned to beast.
"Hank, what do you think?" Beast lifted his high tech goggles, looking up from X'es battered body.
"Charles, If she dose not awaken from her comatose state soon, her healing factor will continuously be slowed, she will not survive in her current state." Xavier looked back to Jack, a look of concern in his eyes.
"Are you absolutely sure you wish to go threw with this, everything in her mind will appear to be very real, if you are killed there, your mind will make your death very real." Jack looked from Xavier to x, fighting back tears, before looking back to The professor, a look of determination in his eyes.
"Professor... I love her..."
XxXxX
An hour later, the jet was starting its final preparation, but jack wasn't there to see it, or atleast his mind wasn't. He found himself standing in what seemed to be an endless bright white hallway. It felt very sterile, like and empty hospital hall, with countless doors on either side, seeming to span into infinity. Jack nervously walked down the hallway, hearing his footsteps echoing down the hall as he walked.
"X?" Jack called out, hearing his voice echo just like his footsteps had. But other than that there was no reply. As he walked, he read the labels on each doorway. One said "day at the park." Jack tried the doorknob and pushed the door open slowly. There was a huge park there. Making sure to leave the door, he walked out into the park. He looked around the doorfraim. If he hadn't just walked threw it he could have sworn it was just a doorway in the middle of the park. He walked further into the park, watching countless children playing happily. He looked around, wondering what this all meant, when he saw X, sitting there on a park bench, very quiet. JAck raced up to her, reaching to take her by the shoulders, but his hands passed right threw her.
"You can't touch her here." A voice said behind him. Jack jumped, turned to see Xavier, standing behind him, the man bound to a wheelchair, standing. "This is a memory in her mind jack, you can not change one's memories." He said sadly.
"Subject x-23, submit current assignment." A voice boomed out. Jack and Xavier looked around, to see a window in the sky. Jack wondered if this was just like the danger room back home.
"Observe and report." X replied. Jack suddenly realized that the X here was much younger than the x he knew. But when she glanced over to a mother and child chattering happily, he saw an anger in her eyes. It worried him. Just then Jack and Xavier felt the ground beneath them shake, but the people in the memory didn't seem to notice.
"Professor, what's going on?" Jack asked. Xavier motioned for jack to join him, as he raced for the open doorfraim. Jack followed, and closed the door behind him. Back in the long corridor, the ground shook again.
"Something's happening in the material world, jack, I must leave you for a moment, use this door to leave her mind if I can't get back to you." Xavier said, as a door appeared in the middle of the hall, behind them, then, an instant later, Xavier faded away.
XxXxX
Xavier looked up, to feel the jet shake about.
"Cyclops, what's going on?" He called out. Scott leapt to his feet, and opened the side window. The jet's engines were on full blast, but the woman that had a firm grip on one of the jet's wings seemed to hold the plane in place. Scott looked back at Xavier, and then tapped his visor, sending an optic blast at the woman. Weather the beam was a weakness of hers, or it she was simply surprised, either way, it was enough to knock her back, loosing her grip on the wing, and sending the jet soaring into the sky. After a moment, in which everyone was knocked about by the sudden movement, Scott closed the window and looked back at Xavier.
"We had a hitch hiker sir, but I took care of it."
XxXxX
Jack had started running, passing door after door, looking for something, anything that would lead him to X Just then he heard the sound of someone crying. Jack followed the cry's downt he hall, until he found a little girl curled up into a ball, crying as if she had just learned her parents had died. Jack kneeled down to be at eye level with her, and gently rested a hand on her shoulder. She looked up and whimpered in horror, trying to squirm away.
"Hey hey, take it easy little one, I wont hurt you, your safe, I promise." Jack said, trying to give her a smile. She stopped, looked up at jack threw reddened tear filled eyes, and after a moment, she leapt to him, hugging him tightly, still crying as she clung to him. Jack ran his fingers threw her hair, trying to calm her. "What are you doing out here kiddo, what's your name?" The girl shook her head, as if she didn't know how to reply, or maybe she just didn't understand. "okay, you remind me of a good friend of mine, so ill call you ollie, alright?" The little girl smiled brightly at this, and nodded. Jack smiled.
"I'm glad you approve ollie, now look, ill make a deal with you, ill stay with you as long as I can, but i'm looking for a friend of mine. I care about her a lot and I'm afraid she may be in danger, can you help me find her?" The little girl leapt up, and pulled on jack's hand, leading him eagerly. Jack held her hand, running after her as fast as they could manage.
XxXxX
A half hour later, The Jet had made it to the mansion without further incident, and JAck and X were both being wheeled into the medical center, beast guiding one medical table, Scott leading the other,The professor, Kitty, rogue, Kurt, Ororo, spyder, Howard, and bev all racing after. They reached the medical center quickly enough and hooked both X and Jack to the medical equipment.
"Hank, how dose it look?" Xavier asked.
"Charles, it's up to them now... If they do not wake soon... They won't ever wake up."
XxXxX
The little girl was running fast, jack hot on her heals, panting heavily but, for some reason he wasn't winded. He was panting like he was, sweating like he was but he felt fresh, fresher than when he had his run in with that lunatic woman who had attacked X.
"Jack, what's going on?" Jack turned to see Xavier running beside him. Jack didn't let himself get suprized, he couldn't to much was at stake.
"This kid here seems to know where X's conchous may be." Jack said as they ran side by side after ollie.
"That makes sense, in a way she is X." Jack looked at Xavier in shock, but kept pace.
"Come on dad, spill it." Jack said in a pant.
"This is X'es mind, with the exception of you and I, everything here is a product of her thoughts, her memories, her pains and joy's even this child here." Jack nodded, understanding. After a few moments, they reached a huge room, jack followed, but some sort of shield seemed to block Xavier from going farther. Jack stopped and looked at Xavier, unsure if he had the strength to keep going alone.
"It seems that only people X trust's the most are allowed any farther, I can still communicate with you and see threw your eyes, but I can no longer aid you in any other way." Jack looked down for a moment, then looked up, a determined and stern look in the eyes that met with Xavier.
"I'll do you proud sir." Jack said as he turned to catch up with ollie. Xavier watched him go, smiling.
"You already have... Son."
XxXxX
JAck ran a little ways farther. He hadn't caught up with ollie yet, but there were no alternate routes so she couldn't have gone any other way. He came to another wide room of white, when he saw ollie fly backward into one of the white walls. Jack gasped in horror, racing up to her, scooping her small body into his arms, shaking her lightly.
"Lie, come on kid, wake up." Lie shifted, and looked up at jack and smiled, stroking his cheek.
"I'm OK jack... Help her." the little girl said, pointing past them both. Jack looked up, to see the woman from before closing in on X, this time she was awake, but trembling in the corner, looking more weak and terrified than Jack had ever seen her before. Jack turned back to ollie, only to find that she had disappeared in her arms.
"Dad, what is this?" Jack called out.
"It is a representation on X'es will to live versus the pain she is suffering due to her injuries, it's not to late but..." Xavier stopped when jack started running towards the sight. "Jack no, wait!" But it was to late, jack had run up to stand in front of X, standing tall, determined, an anger in his eyes he hadn't felt since the his real dad and brother had died.
"touch her and you die!" Jack said threw gritted teeth, there was so much anger in his mind that it took him a moment to remember how strong and ruthless this woman was. It occurred to him when she raised her hand, and it seemed to change shape into that of a three foot long steel blade. Jack took a deep breath, raised his arms to block her attack, in a desperate attempt to protect himself, and closed his eyes.
Suddenly there was a loud clang as he felt the blade connect with his arms and... Was knocked back. Jack opened his eyes, to see a set of blades coming out from out of his fore arms, from his wrists reaching out in a curve, that reached down to his elbows.
"JAck," Xavier's voice boomed in his mind, "its your own mental will power taking physical form, if your will is stronger than X'es fear of this woman, you can defeat her." Jack looked up at the woman, and smiled at this.
"Hear that bitch, time for round two!" Jack said with a grin as he kicked the woman back, sending her sailing into the white rooms wall, causing it to crack. Jack gulped. It was his first time isnide someone's mind and he wasn't sure what kind of damage he would do to X by messing up the walls. Jack just stood there, glancing back to check on X, who was still curled up in a ball, when he heard Kimura whailing in rage as she charged for jack. This time, jack was ready for her, reaching to his side, to find a pistol that his mind had created a second before, he raised it to aim at kimura as she swiftly bridged the gap between them, and pulled the trigger.
A deafening blast erupted from he pistol, as if it was wielding the power of a cannon, sending Kimura flying back into the wall, shattering it and floating off into some sort of purple void. But the crack was growing, spreading all around the room, the hole kimura had made was spreading too, crumbling, the hole itself growing larger and larger. In moments it would engulf the entire room. Jack raced up to X and held her in his arms, shaking her, forcing to look up at jack.
"j... Jack... I... Is she gone?" X asked in the most timid tone jack had ever heard X use. Jack felt tears well up in his cheeks, never had he ever wanted to see X in this state. But he had to remember why he was there.
"C'mon X, your safe now, but you have to wake up, i'm begging you x, please." Jack pleaded threw trembling hands.
"Why... What dose it matter, no one would miss me if I disappeared." She said, looking away coldly. Jack turned her by her cheek gently but firmly.
"That's not true X, spyder would miss you, Logan would to and... I would miss you... I..." X just turned away.
"Why would you care for me, after everything I've done to you."
"Cause X I... I love you... And as that old corny song goes, I don't care who you are, where your from, or what you did, as long as you love me" X said nothing, but weakly clinging to jack, a small smile showing in the corners of her mouth. Suddenly, Jack was sent falling, deep into the abyss.
XxXxX
Jack sat up a momen later, laying in a hospital bed, the blankets were sweaty and wadded around him, and he found himself gasping for air, shaking, as if he had awoken from some kind of nightmare. He looked around. There were no lights on in the room but the light from the neboring hall cascaded into the room, giving off enough light to show jack his surroundings. X lay in the bed next to him. He reached out with a timid finger to feel her pulse on her neck. It beat wildly, as if she were ready to kill anyone who dared to disturb her. Jack pulled away, not wanting to be that person. And sat up. He shifted, something heavy was on him. Spyder had fallen asleep on his leg, her constant vigal interrupted by phatige. Jack looked around to see Howard sitting in the arm chair in the corner. Jack smiled. It was flattering to know so many people cared. He gently slipped out of bed, and tucked spyder into the bed tenderly. He kissed her forehead before slipping on the bed robe and walked over to X'es bed. She seemed well, but slept. Jack gently took one of her hands and looked it over timidly. It was very wounded, but it was obvious to see they has surgical returned the blades to her hands. Jack sighed, wondering if that was the best thing to do. He stretched and set her hand down, heading for the hall way.
Just then he felt a tug on his hand. It was X'es hand, she hadn't let go and was now pulling jack back to her.
"You... You really love me... don't you?" She asked weakly, her eyes barely open threw the bruises that were scattered over her face. Jack blushed as he looked down at her, brushing the fingers of his free hand cross her cheek.
"I do X, with all my heart and soul..." He said nervously. She held his hand closer to her, cuddling it as if it were a teddy bear.
"We will talk about it but... For now... Stay with me... Okay..." She pleaded. Jack blushed redder.
"You bet, let me just get something from my room, and ill be right down okay?" Jack asked softly. X nodded and weakly let jack's hand go. Jack headed for the hallway when he saw that Howard was now awake, and standing just outside the hallway.
"You mind if we walk and talk?" The man sized water foul asked. Jack nodded as they walked down the hall towards the elevators. "You love the kid don't yah?" Howard asked, not looking up to jack as they walked.
"Yeah, I do." Jack said, as if coming to a realization. "Howard... About how we met.. My gear I um.. Could you..." Howard waved his hand, as if waving away the question.
"I already talked to that forge kid, your secret's safe with me and he's already playing with your gear, said something about prepping it for next time." Jack smiled at the sound of that, it must mean forge was either preparing or upgrading his gear, hell, maybe next time jack may be able to stand up to that woman, but somehow he doughted it. "So kid, let me ask you something," Howard said, breaking threw his thoughts, "That Professor X of yours, seems like a nice guy, but he things that terminator broad we ran into would come after me and bev, and offered for the two of us to stay here, I was wondering how you felt about that." Jack's smile widened as they slipped into the elevator, heading for the upper levels.
"That would be the best option available to you Howard, honestly if this woman would come after you or bev, your not safe, and the mansion is the safist place for you." Jack said, looking down at his short friend. "and by the way Howard, thanks, for saving me and X." Howard just shrugged it off.
"Help me get my cab back here, and we'll call it even."
XxXxX
Kimura stood in the center of a sterile, empty room, the only sign of any exits were the single door in the far end of the room, so closely colored to the rest of the room you would never find it if you didn't already know it was there, and the sky office a good 20 feet above her, five shadowed men looking down at her.
"I have failed." She said weakly.
"That is acceptable, we did not foresee the interference of allies to X 23." A voice said over an intercom.
"Shall I continue the hunt, completely destroy them all?" Kimura asked evenly, eager for another chance at X.
"Negative, for now you are ordered to debrief, and then train, your exercises will be... Altered, to account for any allies X23 may have in the future, no go." And with that the room became pitch black. But if another person were there, they may almost be able to see the red in Kimura's eyes.
XxXxX
Professor Xavier sat at his desk, the phone ringing in his ear as he awaited for the person he was calling to answer. After a moment a recording was finally blared into his ear.
"thank you for calling the Supreme Headquarters, International Espionage, Law-Enforcement Division, for emergency reports press one, for the homeland security division press two, for..." But Xavier was already pressing a code into the key pad, one only a select few knew, it led him past all the irritating recordings and political blocks and took him straight to who he wished to talk to.
"Fury." a voice said, defiantly not a recording.
"director fury, this is professor Xavier."
"I know, this is shield you know." Fury replied with a grizzled tone.
"Yes, of course, well, did you know that some one has produced a mutant genetically superior to X23, for the explicit ppurpos of eliminating her?" Xavier asked evenly. Fury's voice was silent at this.
"what do you know about this new weapon X?"
"Very little I'm afraid, she goes by the name of Kimura, she seems to be 23's superior in terms of strength, speed, training, as well as some sort of impervious skin, not even animantiam can cut threw it."
"I see," fury said, obviously not liking this news. "this new weapon X will be a shield priority, and Xavier... We've been watching your work with 23, your doing a better job than we could have, but this guy she's been with, this Carson... There's something you should know about him."
"If your speaking of his time with the Friend of humanity we are all fully aware of it."
"No, something else, something bigger, what do you know about Carson's great grandfather?" Xavier thought for a moment.
"Very little I'm afraid, to be honest I dought he even knows about his family tree."
"Well his great grandfather was the last one in their family tree to carry a different last name, Rogers."
End of chapter
Next chapter: time after time
