Chapter 25 - Clues and answers
It had been a week and a half since the day in the Danger Room. Almika had changed, and she knew it. As a precautionary measure, Xavier had suggested someone stay with her all the time, just to make sure that she was alright. Everything had seemed normal since. Almika had lost the voice inside her head and hadn't shown any more new abilities, but she was more cautious about what she did.
She sat in Xavier's office, with Scott, Kurt and Logan, talking...
"How did it happen?" Scott asked her.
"I don't know... one minute I'm standing infront of her, and then before I know it, she's dead and I'm bashing the crap out of her." Almika shrugged.
"Iz zere anyvay vee can find out Charles?" Kurt asked.
"Cerebro... maybe... but it would be a long shot." Xavier said.
"The Elf's right Xavier, we have to find out how it happened... and if it'll ever happen again." Logan agreed, nodding slightly.
"I'll go down there now... wish me luck guys." Almika said, standing, "Give me about an hour... If I'm not back by then, come and get me."
Almika strode out and down to Cerebro, where she stood by the door, waiting for permission to enter. She watched the doors open slowly and walked down the long walkway, standing at the podium and placing the helmet over her head. A tingling sensation flowed through her, as if it were probing each piece of her for information and it wasn't long before the tingling stopped. Almika lifted the helmet from her head and walked out, taking a piece of paper from the Computer Room nearby almost as long as she was tall. Most of the writing was in long undecipherable words, so Almika couldn't understand it. She returned to Xavier's office, only Xavier and Logan still sitting there. Handing the paper to Xavier she looked hopefully to him.
"I can't understand it..." Almika shrugged.
"Well, most of it is just things we already knew about you... but there are some very interesting things that are here." Xavier smiled.
"Like?" Almika asked, unsure of what he meant.
"The crystal has somehow formed with your body. That's why we couldn't find it after you woke. It is part of you now, although, the Phoenix itself isn't. From what I can tell here, Jean Grey's thoughts are now yours as well. That other voice you were hearing was her thoughts, they just hadn't moulded to yours yet." Xavier said to her, continuing to read the paper, occasionally looking up to speak, "The fireball you released... that was one of two powers you've inherited... the other is Jean's mental bolts. It seems that you've changed very little really, but you will have to learn how to control those new powers of yours because they are at the same strength as Jean's were."
"Do ya think Magneto will come back soon?" Logan asked.
"More than likely... now that I've killed off one of his henchmen, he'll be really, really pissed off." Almika smiled.
"Child, you will have to be ready for him." Xavier warned, "I'd advise you to stay at the mansion if not inside at all times if possible, but I can't order you around like that."
Almika nodded, "I don't have much time to go out as it is anymore, so it will be rare for me to leave the mansion."
"C'mon kiddo, we've got the Danger Room waiting for us..." Logan smiled.
Almika looked to him sadly, "Sorry Logan, I can't. I have classes to attend soon."
"Ah, that's ok, I'll get Bouncer or Darion ta come with me." Logan shrugged.
Almika turned from the office, her disposition changing to upset very quickly, but for no apparent reason. *Eh, it's probably just my body getting used to the new abilities...* she thought to herself, slowly smiling. She walked through the hallway and into the kitchen where Scott sat eating quickly.
"Hey Scott." Almika mumbled.
"Oh, hi. So, how'd it go?" Scott asked.
"Not bad... I've gained two of Jean's abilities and her thoughts have finally moulded with mine, so we shouldn't have anymore problems." Almika said, grabbing a packet of potato chips from the cupboard.
"Is something wrong Al?" Scott asked, looking curiously at the bag of chips.
"No, why do you ask?" Almika replied, confused.
"Oh, I've just never seen you eat anything unhealthy before... except those lollies on Christmas Day." Scott said.
"Must be just one of those things... anyway, I've got class to teach, so I'll see ya later." Almika smiled, leaving the kitchen before Scott could say another word.
Her classes went all day, right up until dusk; the last class scheduled was a bore. She watched the other students, all having fun, running around in the Danger Room like it was a playground, while she floated along, taking it easy.
"Greetin's dearie... wha's wiv da sad lookin' face?" Bouncer asked her.
"Oh, nothing, just a little off the planet today." Almika smiled.
"Ain't it always dat way?" Bouncer asked her, as Almika used her fireball on Bouncer so she could relay it.
"Nah, I'm not usually this way... something strange is going on... I can feel it in my bones." Almika said, realising as she said it, what had been bothering her all day.
"Ah know da feelin' doll, it's almost like ya waitin' fer it ta happen?" Bouncer smiled.
Almika nodded.
The class ended soon afterwards, Almika sighing a breath of relief as she went to see what Kurt was doing. Almika found him with Toad in the rec room, watching the news, so she sat nearby, still floating above the seat.
"What's wiv the static?" Toad asked the television rhetorically as it changed.
The picture came back quickly, although it wasn't the news. It was Magneto, talking from somewhere.
"To the lady, you know who you are... I have one of your dear friends, if you do not give me what I want in two days time, then they will die and it will go on like that, one by one, all your friends will die until you give me what I desire..." Magneto said, "I will find you tomorrow and discuss this further."
Then the news came back... like nothing had happened.
Toad looked to Almika, who looked to Kurt, who looked straight back at her.
"What does he want from you Al?" Toad asked.
"Don't worry, he's not going to get it." Almika sighed as Xavier wheeled in.
"Almika, did you see..." Xavier started.
"Yes, yes, I saw... no I'm not giving it to him." Almika said firmly.
They stood there, very quiet for some time... Kurt and Toad wondering what she had that Magneto wanted, Xavier and Almika, wondering what to do about the upcoming problem.
It was a very deathly quiet night, no one stirred, except Almika, she couldn't sleep and rightly so, Magneto, her enemy, had one of her friends, although she couldn't tell which one. Almika tossed and turned all night, trying to sleep, trying to get the thoughts out of her head...
It had been a week and a half since the day in the Danger Room. Almika had changed, and she knew it. As a precautionary measure, Xavier had suggested someone stay with her all the time, just to make sure that she was alright. Everything had seemed normal since. Almika had lost the voice inside her head and hadn't shown any more new abilities, but she was more cautious about what she did.
She sat in Xavier's office, with Scott, Kurt and Logan, talking...
"How did it happen?" Scott asked her.
"I don't know... one minute I'm standing infront of her, and then before I know it, she's dead and I'm bashing the crap out of her." Almika shrugged.
"Iz zere anyvay vee can find out Charles?" Kurt asked.
"Cerebro... maybe... but it would be a long shot." Xavier said.
"The Elf's right Xavier, we have to find out how it happened... and if it'll ever happen again." Logan agreed, nodding slightly.
"I'll go down there now... wish me luck guys." Almika said, standing, "Give me about an hour... If I'm not back by then, come and get me."
Almika strode out and down to Cerebro, where she stood by the door, waiting for permission to enter. She watched the doors open slowly and walked down the long walkway, standing at the podium and placing the helmet over her head. A tingling sensation flowed through her, as if it were probing each piece of her for information and it wasn't long before the tingling stopped. Almika lifted the helmet from her head and walked out, taking a piece of paper from the Computer Room nearby almost as long as she was tall. Most of the writing was in long undecipherable words, so Almika couldn't understand it. She returned to Xavier's office, only Xavier and Logan still sitting there. Handing the paper to Xavier she looked hopefully to him.
"I can't understand it..." Almika shrugged.
"Well, most of it is just things we already knew about you... but there are some very interesting things that are here." Xavier smiled.
"Like?" Almika asked, unsure of what he meant.
"The crystal has somehow formed with your body. That's why we couldn't find it after you woke. It is part of you now, although, the Phoenix itself isn't. From what I can tell here, Jean Grey's thoughts are now yours as well. That other voice you were hearing was her thoughts, they just hadn't moulded to yours yet." Xavier said to her, continuing to read the paper, occasionally looking up to speak, "The fireball you released... that was one of two powers you've inherited... the other is Jean's mental bolts. It seems that you've changed very little really, but you will have to learn how to control those new powers of yours because they are at the same strength as Jean's were."
"Do ya think Magneto will come back soon?" Logan asked.
"More than likely... now that I've killed off one of his henchmen, he'll be really, really pissed off." Almika smiled.
"Child, you will have to be ready for him." Xavier warned, "I'd advise you to stay at the mansion if not inside at all times if possible, but I can't order you around like that."
Almika nodded, "I don't have much time to go out as it is anymore, so it will be rare for me to leave the mansion."
"C'mon kiddo, we've got the Danger Room waiting for us..." Logan smiled.
Almika looked to him sadly, "Sorry Logan, I can't. I have classes to attend soon."
"Ah, that's ok, I'll get Bouncer or Darion ta come with me." Logan shrugged.
Almika turned from the office, her disposition changing to upset very quickly, but for no apparent reason. *Eh, it's probably just my body getting used to the new abilities...* she thought to herself, slowly smiling. She walked through the hallway and into the kitchen where Scott sat eating quickly.
"Hey Scott." Almika mumbled.
"Oh, hi. So, how'd it go?" Scott asked.
"Not bad... I've gained two of Jean's abilities and her thoughts have finally moulded with mine, so we shouldn't have anymore problems." Almika said, grabbing a packet of potato chips from the cupboard.
"Is something wrong Al?" Scott asked, looking curiously at the bag of chips.
"No, why do you ask?" Almika replied, confused.
"Oh, I've just never seen you eat anything unhealthy before... except those lollies on Christmas Day." Scott said.
"Must be just one of those things... anyway, I've got class to teach, so I'll see ya later." Almika smiled, leaving the kitchen before Scott could say another word.
Her classes went all day, right up until dusk; the last class scheduled was a bore. She watched the other students, all having fun, running around in the Danger Room like it was a playground, while she floated along, taking it easy.
"Greetin's dearie... wha's wiv da sad lookin' face?" Bouncer asked her.
"Oh, nothing, just a little off the planet today." Almika smiled.
"Ain't it always dat way?" Bouncer asked her, as Almika used her fireball on Bouncer so she could relay it.
"Nah, I'm not usually this way... something strange is going on... I can feel it in my bones." Almika said, realising as she said it, what had been bothering her all day.
"Ah know da feelin' doll, it's almost like ya waitin' fer it ta happen?" Bouncer smiled.
Almika nodded.
The class ended soon afterwards, Almika sighing a breath of relief as she went to see what Kurt was doing. Almika found him with Toad in the rec room, watching the news, so she sat nearby, still floating above the seat.
"What's wiv the static?" Toad asked the television rhetorically as it changed.
The picture came back quickly, although it wasn't the news. It was Magneto, talking from somewhere.
"To the lady, you know who you are... I have one of your dear friends, if you do not give me what I want in two days time, then they will die and it will go on like that, one by one, all your friends will die until you give me what I desire..." Magneto said, "I will find you tomorrow and discuss this further."
Then the news came back... like nothing had happened.
Toad looked to Almika, who looked to Kurt, who looked straight back at her.
"What does he want from you Al?" Toad asked.
"Don't worry, he's not going to get it." Almika sighed as Xavier wheeled in.
"Almika, did you see..." Xavier started.
"Yes, yes, I saw... no I'm not giving it to him." Almika said firmly.
They stood there, very quiet for some time... Kurt and Toad wondering what she had that Magneto wanted, Xavier and Almika, wondering what to do about the upcoming problem.
It was a very deathly quiet night, no one stirred, except Almika, she couldn't sleep and rightly so, Magneto, her enemy, had one of her friends, although she couldn't tell which one. Almika tossed and turned all night, trying to sleep, trying to get the thoughts out of her head...