Sorry about the delay. Been busy with school, work, and life in general.
----- -----
Jordan decided to pay an unscheduled visit to Eckhart, and he found the man headed for his office. "Sir, a word?"
Motioning for him to follow, Eckhart entered the office. "What can I do for you, Mr. Mehler?"
"It's regarding Mulwray." Jordan took a seat across from the man as Eckhart moved into the chair behind his desk. "I think it would be prudent to schedule a psych evaluation. The experiment is already showing signs of having serious long-term effects."
Folding his hands, Eckhart rested them on his desk. "I'm not overly concerned with his emotional wellbeing."
"Sir?" Jordan furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Need I remind you that Mulwray is still a criminal?" Eckhart asked. "His record goes way back. He made a career of being a thief before being hired by Adam and the rest of his outlaw gang, possibly as an assassin. He's responsible for the deaths of several GS agents."
Jordan nodded. "I am aware of that." He paused. "After the experiment is concluded, you won't exactly be able to sentence him to life in prison, so might I inquire as to what your plan is for him?"
"Since rehabilitation is impossible," Eckhart said, standing to signal an end to their conversation, "he'll be executed."
-----
A slight stirring alerted Adam, and he moved to Jesse's bedside. The young man was awake. "You're in Sanctuary," Adam informed him before he could ask. "Everything went smoothly, so you'll be good as new in a few days. How are you feeling?"
"Not sure yet," Jesse replied groggily. "How long was I asleep?"
"Not long. Maybe two hours," answered Adam. He was relieved that Jesse was going to be fine, but he still felt the need to lecture him. "If Shalimar and I hadn't found you when we did, the situation could have been far worse."
"I know, Adam," Jesse answered apologetically.
"I don't think you do," Adam responded almost hastily, upset with the situation they'd nearly been placed in. "Your actions earlier bordered on stupidity. I expect a certain amount of impulsive behavior, but I would have thought you knew better. You could have single-handedly destroyed Mutant X. Do you even realize what you did?"
"Yeah, Adam, I get it, okay!" Jesse shot back, defensive from the mounting harshness of Adam's tone. "I screwed up. I'm sorry... But it was my decision to make. You treat me like a child."
"You are a child! If you want me to treat you differently, start acting like an adult." He regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth, but he felt he had a right to be angry. His team was all that mattered to him, and the thought of losing Jesse was unbearable. "Your actions affect more than just you."
"I wasn't going to sit on my ass while you did nothing," he spat back in frustration, shoving himself into an upright position and then wincing at the sharp pain in his back. "There's a difference between loyalty and blind obedience. From now on, you only have the first. Although I don't know why. You don't even see me."
Adam frowned but dropped the subject since Jesse's back was clearly hurting him. "I'll get you something more for the pain," he said stiffly.
Jesse eased himself back down and then let Adam administer the drugs. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"I'll let you speak with Shalimar for five minutes since she's worried about you, but then you should try to get some rest." Adam turned to leave in order to fetch her. He knew she'd be waiting right outside.
"I am sorry, Adam," Jesse said softly. He wasn't completely sorry for his actions, but he truly did regret their outcome. Something had needed to be done, and he hadn't seen any other options, yet he'd unknowingly risked everything.
"I know. We'll discuss this more later," Adam replied, giving himself a chance to calm down.
-----
After lying in the lab for what seemed like several hours, Brennan decided it had been quiet long enough and everybody was finally gone. He partially opened his eyes and glanced around. Time to make his move. He only needed to get one hand free.
The restraints weren't overly tight, but he couldn't quite pull himself free. He carefully adjusted the position of his hand, then he gritted his teeth and braced himself. He gave himself a small count, and then jerked his hand hard, dislocating his thumb.
He hissed slightly at the pain, but he knew it would heal. Next, he aimed his now free hand at the camera and sent an electrical charge at it. They wouldn't take long to figure that stunt out, so Brennan needed to act quickly.
After releasing his other binds, he hopped down from the table, keeping the sheet wrapped around him until he could locate his clothes. He almost fell due to his leg still feeling numb, but he forced himself to walk. Upon discovering his clothing, he yanked his pants back on, ignoring the stab of pain in his hip. Then he needed to sit down and catch his breath.
It wasn't good that he was this tired. He could not stay here another minute. Shoving himself back into action, he began tossing open all the cabinets and drawers. He was in a medical lab, so there had to be something he'd recognize as a stimulant, or steroids, or a painkiller, or... anything to give himself a temporary boost.
He stopped when he found several adrenaline shots. He grabbed one before hesitating. Was he honestly considering this? He'd seen it on TV once. Of course that had been a doctor trying way too dramatically to revive a patient who'd just crashed, but what the hell. All he needed to do was stab himself in the chest with it and aim for his heart. Easy.
Yeah right. He took several deep breaths and tried to steady himself. He'd just take an educated guess at exactly where he'd need to stick the huge needle into his chest. What was the worst that could happen? He'd kill himself?
Brennan actually laughed at that thought before realizing it shouldn't have been funny. He suddenly felt an overwhelming need to get out of this place now before it was too late for him. All the experiments were altering his mind and he couldn't even think straight. He didn't want Eckhart to change him... To turn him into someone he wasn't supposed to be.
And then there was Emma.
"One, two, three..." he whispered quietly before plunging the needle swiftly into his chest. He gasped sharply as he let himself collapse to the floor. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before yanking the needle out with a shaking hand.
Oh god, what a rush. "Now get up," he ordered himself. He shoved himself off the floor, took a second assure himself that he hadn't accidentally killed himself, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head as he rushed out the lab door.
-----
A few minutes after Adam exited, Shalimar entered. Jesse gave her a small smile. "Are you mad at me too?" he asked.
"Only a little bit," she half-teased, moving to stand near him. "You okay?"
"I guess," he replied. "Kinda expected to be sleeping on my stomach for a while, though." Instead, he was propped on his side with pillows.
Shalimar grinned. "You get all fussy when you have to lie on your stomach." She tousled his hair.
"Cut it out," he complained, batting her hand away.
"You're not okay, are you?" she asked with concern. Adam had seemed somewhat upset when he'd left, and she wondered what they'd talked about.
He shook his head. "I'm fine. I just want to know how much I'll need to apologize for almost allowing Eckhart to find Sanctuary."
"That's what you think the problem is?" She was a bit surprised.
"Yeah, what else would it be?" He stared at her.
She gently took his hand. "Jess... Adam's only angry because you could have been killed. You really frazzled him."
Leaning his head back, Jesse closed his eyes. "Sometimes I don't think he cares what I do. I'm just always around. In his eyes, I know I'm still the same kid he took pity on when he first brought me here. Now... I dunno. I feel like I should be paying rent or something."
She was tempted to hug him but didn't want to hurt his back. "You know that's not true. We all need you, Jess. And Adam loves you." She gave him a quirky grin. "He just loves me more."
That actually got Jesse to smile. "Does not," he replied with a small laugh.
After tucking his blanket around him, she brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll curl up in a chair or something and stay nearby."
"Yes, mother," Jesse replied.
She glanced back over at him. "You are okay now, right?"
"Yeah," he answered. "I will be."
-----
After quickly forming a burst of power between his hands, Brennan blew out yet another camera. He was leaving an obvious trail. They could follow his position by merely noting locations of the blacked out systems. He needed to find a better way of moving through the complex.
He heard footfalls around the corner, coming in his direction. It sounded like a single person. He pressed himself against the wall and held perfectly still, a small spark of electricity in his hand.
As soon as the man turned into the hall, Brennan had him unconscious on the floor. It was the older doctor from earlier, probably headed back to the lab for him. Brennan looked around the corner, but his fast check showed no signs of Jordan.
He dragged the lone man to the side of the hall, then stripped him of his lab coat. As Brennan slipped it on, he noticed the small stain of blood at his hip. He ignored it and resumed walking. He forced his stride to stay even. If he walked with his face tilted down, the angle of the cameras would make it impossible to distinguish him from one of the doctors.
Yet as soon as the pieces fell into place, every guard in the entire building would know he was headed for Emma.
-----
TBC...
To everybody who left the lovely death threats for the last chapter, thank you, it's nice to know so many of you still care enough to want to kill me. *grin*
If you're comment was only a "write more," while I do appreciate those, you'll have better success if you leave a constructive review. Say something that gets me thinking, and next thing you know, you've gotten me writing.
----- -----
Jordan decided to pay an unscheduled visit to Eckhart, and he found the man headed for his office. "Sir, a word?"
Motioning for him to follow, Eckhart entered the office. "What can I do for you, Mr. Mehler?"
"It's regarding Mulwray." Jordan took a seat across from the man as Eckhart moved into the chair behind his desk. "I think it would be prudent to schedule a psych evaluation. The experiment is already showing signs of having serious long-term effects."
Folding his hands, Eckhart rested them on his desk. "I'm not overly concerned with his emotional wellbeing."
"Sir?" Jordan furrowed his brow in confusion.
"Need I remind you that Mulwray is still a criminal?" Eckhart asked. "His record goes way back. He made a career of being a thief before being hired by Adam and the rest of his outlaw gang, possibly as an assassin. He's responsible for the deaths of several GS agents."
Jordan nodded. "I am aware of that." He paused. "After the experiment is concluded, you won't exactly be able to sentence him to life in prison, so might I inquire as to what your plan is for him?"
"Since rehabilitation is impossible," Eckhart said, standing to signal an end to their conversation, "he'll be executed."
-----
A slight stirring alerted Adam, and he moved to Jesse's bedside. The young man was awake. "You're in Sanctuary," Adam informed him before he could ask. "Everything went smoothly, so you'll be good as new in a few days. How are you feeling?"
"Not sure yet," Jesse replied groggily. "How long was I asleep?"
"Not long. Maybe two hours," answered Adam. He was relieved that Jesse was going to be fine, but he still felt the need to lecture him. "If Shalimar and I hadn't found you when we did, the situation could have been far worse."
"I know, Adam," Jesse answered apologetically.
"I don't think you do," Adam responded almost hastily, upset with the situation they'd nearly been placed in. "Your actions earlier bordered on stupidity. I expect a certain amount of impulsive behavior, but I would have thought you knew better. You could have single-handedly destroyed Mutant X. Do you even realize what you did?"
"Yeah, Adam, I get it, okay!" Jesse shot back, defensive from the mounting harshness of Adam's tone. "I screwed up. I'm sorry... But it was my decision to make. You treat me like a child."
"You are a child! If you want me to treat you differently, start acting like an adult." He regretted the words as soon as they'd left his mouth, but he felt he had a right to be angry. His team was all that mattered to him, and the thought of losing Jesse was unbearable. "Your actions affect more than just you."
"I wasn't going to sit on my ass while you did nothing," he spat back in frustration, shoving himself into an upright position and then wincing at the sharp pain in his back. "There's a difference between loyalty and blind obedience. From now on, you only have the first. Although I don't know why. You don't even see me."
Adam frowned but dropped the subject since Jesse's back was clearly hurting him. "I'll get you something more for the pain," he said stiffly.
Jesse eased himself back down and then let Adam administer the drugs. "Thanks," he mumbled.
"I'll let you speak with Shalimar for five minutes since she's worried about you, but then you should try to get some rest." Adam turned to leave in order to fetch her. He knew she'd be waiting right outside.
"I am sorry, Adam," Jesse said softly. He wasn't completely sorry for his actions, but he truly did regret their outcome. Something had needed to be done, and he hadn't seen any other options, yet he'd unknowingly risked everything.
"I know. We'll discuss this more later," Adam replied, giving himself a chance to calm down.
-----
After lying in the lab for what seemed like several hours, Brennan decided it had been quiet long enough and everybody was finally gone. He partially opened his eyes and glanced around. Time to make his move. He only needed to get one hand free.
The restraints weren't overly tight, but he couldn't quite pull himself free. He carefully adjusted the position of his hand, then he gritted his teeth and braced himself. He gave himself a small count, and then jerked his hand hard, dislocating his thumb.
He hissed slightly at the pain, but he knew it would heal. Next, he aimed his now free hand at the camera and sent an electrical charge at it. They wouldn't take long to figure that stunt out, so Brennan needed to act quickly.
After releasing his other binds, he hopped down from the table, keeping the sheet wrapped around him until he could locate his clothes. He almost fell due to his leg still feeling numb, but he forced himself to walk. Upon discovering his clothing, he yanked his pants back on, ignoring the stab of pain in his hip. Then he needed to sit down and catch his breath.
It wasn't good that he was this tired. He could not stay here another minute. Shoving himself back into action, he began tossing open all the cabinets and drawers. He was in a medical lab, so there had to be something he'd recognize as a stimulant, or steroids, or a painkiller, or... anything to give himself a temporary boost.
He stopped when he found several adrenaline shots. He grabbed one before hesitating. Was he honestly considering this? He'd seen it on TV once. Of course that had been a doctor trying way too dramatically to revive a patient who'd just crashed, but what the hell. All he needed to do was stab himself in the chest with it and aim for his heart. Easy.
Yeah right. He took several deep breaths and tried to steady himself. He'd just take an educated guess at exactly where he'd need to stick the huge needle into his chest. What was the worst that could happen? He'd kill himself?
Brennan actually laughed at that thought before realizing it shouldn't have been funny. He suddenly felt an overwhelming need to get out of this place now before it was too late for him. All the experiments were altering his mind and he couldn't even think straight. He didn't want Eckhart to change him... To turn him into someone he wasn't supposed to be.
And then there was Emma.
"One, two, three..." he whispered quietly before plunging the needle swiftly into his chest. He gasped sharply as he let himself collapse to the floor. He stared at the ceiling for a moment before yanking the needle out with a shaking hand.
Oh god, what a rush. "Now get up," he ordered himself. He shoved himself off the floor, took a second assure himself that he hadn't accidentally killed himself, then grabbed his shirt and pulled it over his head as he rushed out the lab door.
-----
A few minutes after Adam exited, Shalimar entered. Jesse gave her a small smile. "Are you mad at me too?" he asked.
"Only a little bit," she half-teased, moving to stand near him. "You okay?"
"I guess," he replied. "Kinda expected to be sleeping on my stomach for a while, though." Instead, he was propped on his side with pillows.
Shalimar grinned. "You get all fussy when you have to lie on your stomach." She tousled his hair.
"Cut it out," he complained, batting her hand away.
"You're not okay, are you?" she asked with concern. Adam had seemed somewhat upset when he'd left, and she wondered what they'd talked about.
He shook his head. "I'm fine. I just want to know how much I'll need to apologize for almost allowing Eckhart to find Sanctuary."
"That's what you think the problem is?" She was a bit surprised.
"Yeah, what else would it be?" He stared at her.
She gently took his hand. "Jess... Adam's only angry because you could have been killed. You really frazzled him."
Leaning his head back, Jesse closed his eyes. "Sometimes I don't think he cares what I do. I'm just always around. In his eyes, I know I'm still the same kid he took pity on when he first brought me here. Now... I dunno. I feel like I should be paying rent or something."
She was tempted to hug him but didn't want to hurt his back. "You know that's not true. We all need you, Jess. And Adam loves you." She gave him a quirky grin. "He just loves me more."
That actually got Jesse to smile. "Does not," he replied with a small laugh.
After tucking his blanket around him, she brushed the hair back from his forehead. "Get some sleep. I'll curl up in a chair or something and stay nearby."
"Yes, mother," Jesse replied.
She glanced back over at him. "You are okay now, right?"
"Yeah," he answered. "I will be."
-----
After quickly forming a burst of power between his hands, Brennan blew out yet another camera. He was leaving an obvious trail. They could follow his position by merely noting locations of the blacked out systems. He needed to find a better way of moving through the complex.
He heard footfalls around the corner, coming in his direction. It sounded like a single person. He pressed himself against the wall and held perfectly still, a small spark of electricity in his hand.
As soon as the man turned into the hall, Brennan had him unconscious on the floor. It was the older doctor from earlier, probably headed back to the lab for him. Brennan looked around the corner, but his fast check showed no signs of Jordan.
He dragged the lone man to the side of the hall, then stripped him of his lab coat. As Brennan slipped it on, he noticed the small stain of blood at his hip. He ignored it and resumed walking. He forced his stride to stay even. If he walked with his face tilted down, the angle of the cameras would make it impossible to distinguish him from one of the doctors.
Yet as soon as the pieces fell into place, every guard in the entire building would know he was headed for Emma.
-----
TBC...
To everybody who left the lovely death threats for the last chapter, thank you, it's nice to know so many of you still care enough to want to kill me. *grin*
If you're comment was only a "write more," while I do appreciate those, you'll have better success if you leave a constructive review. Say something that gets me thinking, and next thing you know, you've gotten me writing.