Chapter 24: The ways of new abilities
Almika wandered the streets of town, Kurt on one side, Rogue on the other. She didn't have much money to spend, but she was happy anyway. The sun had begun to set over the horizon nearby, causing the sky to look pink and orange.
*A new dress sounds good...* Almika heard. She knew the thought wasn't anyone nearby's because it didn't sound like it came from somewhere else.
"Al, vould you like to buy somezing or are you jus' going to vindow shop?" Kurt asked as she stared into a shop window.
"I'm looking for something special..." Almika replied, moving on to the next shop.
Kurt shrugged to Rogue and Gambit who looked at him strangely. Almika was already rounding the next corner by the time they realised she'd moved onwards, and they ran to keep up.
*There it is Almika, your new dress.* Almika heard in her head as she looked to a dress in one of the windows. It was short and fiery red with orange and yellow tie-dyed marks on it.
*Yes, I like that...* Almika thought, smiling to herself as she walked into the shop and talked to the shopkeeper.
Rogue walked in slowly behind her and watched as Almika not only bought the dress, but also convinced the shopkeeper to take 25% off it. With a surprised look on her face, Rogue opened the door for Almika and walked out after her.
"I've got my dress..." Almika smiled, "I'm done shopping..."
"How did ya do it sugah?" Rogue asked, curious.
"Do what?" Almika asked.
"Ya convinced tha' shopkeeper to take tha' price down... Ah've tried that on 'im before an' it's never worked." Rogue said.
"I'm not quite sure... maybe I'm just lucky..." Almika shrugged.
They returned to the mansion shortly afterwards, Gambit driving crazily along the driveway.
"Now, da's da way ta drive!" Gambit smiled, hopping from the car.
"Zat is definitely zee last time I go driving viz you..." Kurt said, a sly smile upon his face.
Almika ran from the car, and straight to Xavier's office, her face not exactly one of excitement.
"Xavier... I... I need your help..." Almika said, running to the office and finding him with Bouncer, talking.
"What is it child? Is something wrong?" Xavier asked.
"I don't know what's going on, but it's like there's someone else thinking inside my head, and whoever it is... they're pretty powerful..." Almika explained.
"Ok, well, Logan is in the Danger Room, if you want, go down and train with him, I'll be down soon." Xavier said, hoping she'd be alright.
Almika nodded, running down to the Danger Room. She recognised the program and instantly jumped in, her bag still in hand. As she ran through the trees, she gasped, almost bumping into the adamantium claw of one short, hairy Logan.
"Hey darlin'... watch we're ya goin' next time?" Logan said, turning off the program.
"Sorry Logan... I just had to find you and show you my new dress... and Xavier is going to be down here soon. I think he wants you and me to train together." Almika shrugged.
"That's ok... I jus' don't know what I'd do if ya accidentally became attached ta one o' me claws." Logan said.
"You'd probably run, because Xavier wouldn't exactly be happy with you..." Almika smiled.
"Ok kiddo, ya wanna train?" Logan asked.
"Sure, I'll just put this somewhere safe..." Almika said, slipping the bag away under the control panel.
The program loaded and started, Almika unsure if she could handle it with the voice in her head telling her what she'd hear next. Maybe the voice was just way too intelligent. As she turned around one of the trees, she saw a glimmer of metal in the corner of her eyes.
*Sentinel?* she thought.
*Could very much be so...* said the other voice.
As Almika turned to it, to see what it was, something hit her in the back of the head. Unfazed by it, she spun back around and stopped as Bouncer smiled at her.
"What was that for?!" Almika screamed.
"Ya weren't listening..." Bouncer smiled.
"I can't hear... I'm deaf remember?" Almika snarled.
"Oh, sorry... LOOK OUT!" Bouncer cried.
Almika spun around and came face to face with a mirror image of herself, maybe 5-10 years older.
"Who the hell are you?" Almika asked the image.
"You, about 7 years from now... oh... you mean really?" the image asked, smiling evilly.
The image started to change, slowly becoming someone else. The skin of this person was blue, with yellow eyes and red-orange hair.
*Logan... is Mystique meant to be in this program??* Almika called to his mind.
*No kiddo, why do ya ask?* came the reply.
*She's standing before me...* Almika said quickly, staring at Mystique as she stared back.
"Now, are you going to come silently?" Mystique asked.
"Ah, no..." Almika smiled to her, jumping into a fly and looking down at her.
"C'mon Almika... come down..." Mystique said, pulling out what looked like a very large gun.
*Now, Almika... do it...* the voice said to her.
Almika screamed in frustration, her feet coming down in a point and her arms pointing out level to her shoulders, her hands clenched. In one swift movement, she moved her hands together and when she opened them, a fireball escaped, flying straight for Mystique. It hit its target hard, making her fall on her back. Almika breathed heavily, looking down at her, her eyes twitching with anger.
"Leave me alone!" Almika screamed, flying down at Mystique and punching her as she sat on her.
Mystique was definitely gone by the time Logan found them, Almika still punching her again and again as Mystique's head bounced loosely around on the ground. The program stopped, but Almika didn't.
"Kiddo, she's gone..." Logan said, unsure what Almika was doing.
"Leave me alone... stupid bitch... if Magneto wants me... I'll fight him... I don't care... I'm sick of it all..." Almika growled.
"Al..." Logan said, trying to get her attention as he touched her shoulder.
Almika glared at him, there was something very wrong with her, "She has to die..." she said, going back to punching her.
"What's going on here Logan?" Xavier asked, coming in.
"I don't know. Mystique got in here an' came up ta Almika while the program was runnin' and Almika must've had somethin' snap inside her..." Logan shrugged.
*Child... what is wrong?* Xavier asked her.
*She must die...* Almika replied.
*Yes Almika, she must die...* the other voice said, obviously smiling.
*Who is that Almika?* Xavier asked.
*I... I don't know...* Almika thought.
"Almika... she's dead..." Xavier said.
Almika looked to him, her eyes calming as she started to cry. Her whole body shook as she did...
Almika wandered the streets of town, Kurt on one side, Rogue on the other. She didn't have much money to spend, but she was happy anyway. The sun had begun to set over the horizon nearby, causing the sky to look pink and orange.
*A new dress sounds good...* Almika heard. She knew the thought wasn't anyone nearby's because it didn't sound like it came from somewhere else.
"Al, vould you like to buy somezing or are you jus' going to vindow shop?" Kurt asked as she stared into a shop window.
"I'm looking for something special..." Almika replied, moving on to the next shop.
Kurt shrugged to Rogue and Gambit who looked at him strangely. Almika was already rounding the next corner by the time they realised she'd moved onwards, and they ran to keep up.
*There it is Almika, your new dress.* Almika heard in her head as she looked to a dress in one of the windows. It was short and fiery red with orange and yellow tie-dyed marks on it.
*Yes, I like that...* Almika thought, smiling to herself as she walked into the shop and talked to the shopkeeper.
Rogue walked in slowly behind her and watched as Almika not only bought the dress, but also convinced the shopkeeper to take 25% off it. With a surprised look on her face, Rogue opened the door for Almika and walked out after her.
"I've got my dress..." Almika smiled, "I'm done shopping..."
"How did ya do it sugah?" Rogue asked, curious.
"Do what?" Almika asked.
"Ya convinced tha' shopkeeper to take tha' price down... Ah've tried that on 'im before an' it's never worked." Rogue said.
"I'm not quite sure... maybe I'm just lucky..." Almika shrugged.
They returned to the mansion shortly afterwards, Gambit driving crazily along the driveway.
"Now, da's da way ta drive!" Gambit smiled, hopping from the car.
"Zat is definitely zee last time I go driving viz you..." Kurt said, a sly smile upon his face.
Almika ran from the car, and straight to Xavier's office, her face not exactly one of excitement.
"Xavier... I... I need your help..." Almika said, running to the office and finding him with Bouncer, talking.
"What is it child? Is something wrong?" Xavier asked.
"I don't know what's going on, but it's like there's someone else thinking inside my head, and whoever it is... they're pretty powerful..." Almika explained.
"Ok, well, Logan is in the Danger Room, if you want, go down and train with him, I'll be down soon." Xavier said, hoping she'd be alright.
Almika nodded, running down to the Danger Room. She recognised the program and instantly jumped in, her bag still in hand. As she ran through the trees, she gasped, almost bumping into the adamantium claw of one short, hairy Logan.
"Hey darlin'... watch we're ya goin' next time?" Logan said, turning off the program.
"Sorry Logan... I just had to find you and show you my new dress... and Xavier is going to be down here soon. I think he wants you and me to train together." Almika shrugged.
"That's ok... I jus' don't know what I'd do if ya accidentally became attached ta one o' me claws." Logan said.
"You'd probably run, because Xavier wouldn't exactly be happy with you..." Almika smiled.
"Ok kiddo, ya wanna train?" Logan asked.
"Sure, I'll just put this somewhere safe..." Almika said, slipping the bag away under the control panel.
The program loaded and started, Almika unsure if she could handle it with the voice in her head telling her what she'd hear next. Maybe the voice was just way too intelligent. As she turned around one of the trees, she saw a glimmer of metal in the corner of her eyes.
*Sentinel?* she thought.
*Could very much be so...* said the other voice.
As Almika turned to it, to see what it was, something hit her in the back of the head. Unfazed by it, she spun back around and stopped as Bouncer smiled at her.
"What was that for?!" Almika screamed.
"Ya weren't listening..." Bouncer smiled.
"I can't hear... I'm deaf remember?" Almika snarled.
"Oh, sorry... LOOK OUT!" Bouncer cried.
Almika spun around and came face to face with a mirror image of herself, maybe 5-10 years older.
"Who the hell are you?" Almika asked the image.
"You, about 7 years from now... oh... you mean really?" the image asked, smiling evilly.
The image started to change, slowly becoming someone else. The skin of this person was blue, with yellow eyes and red-orange hair.
*Logan... is Mystique meant to be in this program??* Almika called to his mind.
*No kiddo, why do ya ask?* came the reply.
*She's standing before me...* Almika said quickly, staring at Mystique as she stared back.
"Now, are you going to come silently?" Mystique asked.
"Ah, no..." Almika smiled to her, jumping into a fly and looking down at her.
"C'mon Almika... come down..." Mystique said, pulling out what looked like a very large gun.
*Now, Almika... do it...* the voice said to her.
Almika screamed in frustration, her feet coming down in a point and her arms pointing out level to her shoulders, her hands clenched. In one swift movement, she moved her hands together and when she opened them, a fireball escaped, flying straight for Mystique. It hit its target hard, making her fall on her back. Almika breathed heavily, looking down at her, her eyes twitching with anger.
"Leave me alone!" Almika screamed, flying down at Mystique and punching her as she sat on her.
Mystique was definitely gone by the time Logan found them, Almika still punching her again and again as Mystique's head bounced loosely around on the ground. The program stopped, but Almika didn't.
"Kiddo, she's gone..." Logan said, unsure what Almika was doing.
"Leave me alone... stupid bitch... if Magneto wants me... I'll fight him... I don't care... I'm sick of it all..." Almika growled.
"Al..." Logan said, trying to get her attention as he touched her shoulder.
Almika glared at him, there was something very wrong with her, "She has to die..." she said, going back to punching her.
"What's going on here Logan?" Xavier asked, coming in.
"I don't know. Mystique got in here an' came up ta Almika while the program was runnin' and Almika must've had somethin' snap inside her..." Logan shrugged.
*Child... what is wrong?* Xavier asked her.
*She must die...* Almika replied.
*Yes Almika, she must die...* the other voice said, obviously smiling.
*Who is that Almika?* Xavier asked.
*I... I don't know...* Almika thought.
"Almika... she's dead..." Xavier said.
Almika looked to him, her eyes calming as she started to cry. Her whole body shook as she did...