A/N: Weee! I've finished, yes finished, writing vol 2...and started on vol 3. Funfunhappyhappyjoyjoy
( Volume: 2 Arc: "Omega" 9 Issue: 2/2 )
Chapter 65: undercover
"Hi, girls," Julian said, leaning over the Cuckoo's table. Five identical blond heads jerked upwards, the burning white-blue eyes focusing on him.
"Jjjjjulian," they murmured, at the same time. Only Sophie looked happy to see him.
"How's it going? You as bored with telepathy as I am?"
The girls exchanged smiles. "Not having much success..." Mindee said. "...are we?" Esme. It had always creeped him out how they shared thoughts
like that, each letting another sister finish the sentence they had started.
"Not really, no." Julian frowned. "I need a favor."
"Aaaaa favor?" the girls droned together.
"How rude," Esme said.
"It's not good manners to come up to people..." Mindee.
"...and ask them favors, just like that." Celeste.
"I don't mind," Sophie said, frowning.
"Of course you don't," Celeste.
"You make me sick." Phoebe.
Julian shrugged. "It's a mutual interest. I'm going to get rid of Quentin Quire, and thought you girls might want to help."
All five Cuckoos tilted their heads at the same time.
"Qqqqquentin...yes, we hate Quentin. Every one of us."
"He smells!" Celeste. "Like too much sweat." Celeste again.
"He eats those candy bars all the time." Phoebe.
"His mind is so see-through." Sophie.
"And filled with strange thoughts." Mindee. The girls shuddered at the same time.
"Yeah, all that. Plus he's into Kick."
"Kkkkkick?" the girls asked, their eyes wide.
"That's the one," Julian said, nodding. "I'm gonna catch him in the act. But I need help. I need someone to shield my mind while I'm around him, so he
can't read me. I'm trying to follow him to his dealer...but if I find out who it is, it'll expose Quire, too. I thought you might be interested."
"Wwwwe have to--" the sisters fell silent for a moment.
Then...
"Yes," Sophie said, her eyes burning brightly in her pale face. "When?"
...
"Quire."
Quentin turned his head; the boy who sat beside him in telepathy had his hand on his arm. "I'd take that off before I make you," he said.
Keller-that was the boy's name, right?-shifted and removed his grip. "People are always telling me that. Anyways...I'm looking for some...uh..."
"Yeah, right," Quentin snorted, not believing Keller. He irritated Quentin-he was so arrogant, he acted like he was so special and powerful...he
remembered, being thirteen, and watching the older boy in silent admiration as he yelled around the cafeteria, defending the poison-skin boy.
Thoughts swam in his head, he was thinking too much at once. It irritated him further.
Keller held up his hand. "Oh, alright, fine...je-eez, thought you were all with it now... by the way, purple is not your color, you look gay."
"..." Quentin pushed Julian towards a less-crowded corner of the hallway. "I know you don't do it," he hissed. "Quit trying to pass off."
Keller grinned. "Guess you haven't heard about how powerful I am, lately. Have you met my fine little creation in the Cafeteria? Two guesses
to what happened there. They can't even get rid of it."
Quentin stopped. He had heard about Keller's little power jumps...he'd seen the damage. It was quite extraordinary...he'd ripped an enormous
section of roof right off the school...and that other time...he'd flown at Mach speed through six floors...or something...he shook his head.
It was hard, trying to focus on just one thought long enough to complete it, with a brain that was stamping them out as fast as his
accelerated neurons could connect.
"You're not cool. I tried to hint to you already...but you turned it down."
"We were in a roomful of telepaths, you idiot," Keller said. "Of course I wasn't going to let on there."
"..." Quentin focused on the other boy with bloodshot eyes. "Alright. Come to me room...nine tonight...we're going out. We're getting
what we deserve."
"Good," Keller said, turning away.
...
"Nine tonight," Julian said, stretched out again on the bed. "He looked about ready to burst. Shouldn't be hard to catch him...I bet he takes
me straight to the guy."
"Don't be stupid, Keller. You're going to have to get him to trust you before he shows you his dealer." Laura wrinkled her nose.
Julian sat up. "Laura...I'm not actually doing any shit with him. Absolutely not. I refuse to take a neuro-toxin."
"You have to make it look like you did, then."
"How?"
"I don't know," Laura said, exasperated. "Turn your back to them. Pretend to inhale. Close your mouth at the last second, or something. Or
maybe--just maybe--you're not a dumbass, and you remember you can control molecules with your brain."
Julian looked worried.
"Oh, for god's sakes, Keller. I'm going to have to help you, aren't I?"
"..." he rubbed his neck. "Laura...I don't want you involved in this shit..."
"You don't trust me not to sample it. Is that it?" Laura's gaze suddenly burned him with its intensity. "All the trouble we've been having...that
we've ever had...is that we don't trust each other, Keller. I think you should be the man here...pretend you have balls and trust me for once."
Julian watched her carefully. "All right. I trust you, Laura. Because I love you. But don't forget that for a damn minute."
"I won't," she said, sitting beside him. She wrapped her arms around his neck and kissed him; he pulled her down. "I love you too," she said
between kisses. "And...thank you."
"My pleasure...I can think of how...you can pay me back," Julian teased.
...
9 o'clock. They hurried along the corridors, pausing to inform the Cuckoos to start shielding Julian (they didn't look pleased to see Laura, but did not comment).
After a brief argument about which direction Quire's room was in (with Laura winning as per usual), they headed up to the third floor. She honed in on
Quire's voice and led Julian to the door.
He held her hand tightly, stepped forward and knocked. For about a minute, no one answered; then it opened, and Quire glared out with one bloodshot eye.
"Did I say she could come?" he hissed.
"No. Wasn't aware I needed your permission," Julian said. Laura glanced at him; he was quite convincing. He knew how to be arrogant (although she'd already
known that; he'd been nothing but ego when she'd met him).
Quire opened the door a bit more. "Well, it's my stuff, and my permission you need to use it, you hear?"
"I'll do as I please. You're lucky if my interests coincide with yours, Quire, trust me. I've got the cash-which you don't."
Laura kept her face set, even though she was surprised to hear this. What if Quire called him on it, to show him money?
"I heard you went and got yourself disowned," Quire sneered. "Over that." He nodded to Laura; her grip on Julian's hand tightened. She hated when
guys referred to her as an object.
"Lies and slander, my friend," Julian said, copying what Quire had said to him yesterday. Quire grinned; he opened the door all the way. "Fine. But you
keep her quiet. I hear yapping, she's out."
Laura closed her eyes as Julian pulled her in, but not in anger. Quire's room smelled-of teenage sweat, dirty socks, burning ashes, disgusting things in the bed,
food crumbs in the carpet, and over it all, a heavy layer of Kick. It was overpowering. The Professor should fumigate.
"Who's this?" There were four other kids in the room, the blond boy spoke; Laura had seen them all before. Tattoo-the girl from Julian's telepathy class-Radian,
Glob Herman, and Redneck. They were all second class mutants, far removed from Quire, Julian, and herself, and she could see why they were drawn to Quire,
and to Kick. They were envious, they longed to be powerful. They didn't see that power meant nothing, and that everyone else was just as lost as them,
regardless of ability.
"Friends," Quire grinned. "This is Hellion...and...what's your name?"
"X-23," Laura said shortly.
"X-23," Quire repeated, like she hadn't just spoken it aloud. "They're here to share some of our special air, and to sever the umbilical-like connection with
Xavier and his disgusting ideals." He reached into his pocket and produced an inhaler-the inhaler. Laura grabbed it from him, inserted it into her mouth,
and glanced at Julian, who nodded slightly, his hands shifting in his pockets like he was playing with his car keys. He closed his eyes as she depressed
the inhaler, thinking about the molecules; he felt them leave her mouth with her next breath out, and relaxed slightly, directing them to settle under
the bed. The control was so tiny that the glow did not show more than a patch of glistening air, like a mist; they had practiced this in their room,
with a spray bottle of water. Fear for Laura and the Shrimps made his control all the tighter.
Now it was his turn. The tricky part. Laura handed it to him; he took it with his right hand. He was a lefty, and he hadn't done too well with this earlier,
with the water. He closed his eyes, his fingers ready in his pocket; he depressed the trigger and tried to force the molecules out as fast as they flew in.
He suddenly felt different-a few, not much, had escaped his control. He opened his eyes and they were still glowing. "Thanks," he said, coughing slightly
and tossing the inhaler back to Quire.
"CAREFUL! Don't waste a drop," Quire said, struggling to catch it. Julian shrugged.
Laura watched him, noting his scent had changed slightly. He'd partially inhaled.
"Feeling pretty fine, aren't we?" Quire grinned.
"Not bad," Julian played more with his car keys. "So, what, I'm ten times more powerful now?"
"...five," Quire said, annoyed.
"You got ripped off, then," Julian said, grinning. "You should talk to your peddler."
Laura raised her eyebrow, surprised that he'd known the proper word. Julian looked at her and mouthed the word 'google'.
"Pfft." Quire took a whiff from the inhaler. "This is good enough for me."
"Mhmm." Julian looked at the wall. "Lot of shit you have there...what's that you were saying about ideals?"
"We're the New X-men," Quire declared boldly. "We're just about to suit up, too. You want in? I have extras."
Nerd, Laura thought vehemently.
"Sure, why not?" Tinkle tinkle, Julian's keys in his pocket. He held out his left hand again to her; she took it, and her eyes shot down. His hand was
hot, on fire; his pulse was way too fast. His eyes were bright, neon green, almost white in the centers. A beautiful but alarming color. She felt uneasy.
"Here." Quire shoved an armful of stripes into Julian's free hand. "Hope you can figure out which one is for her."
Laura took the striped, strapless top from Julian and raised her eyebrows. No way it would fit. She made a fist and popped her claws.
"What're you doing?" Quire said, alarmed. "Don't fuckin' cut it! It's a Jumbo Carnation original! It's priceless!"
Laura paused, her claws against the middle of the garment.
"Here." Julian arched his fingers over the striped fabric; a trail of black and red lifted off the top and followed his guidance. He touched Laura's own
shirt--a sort of rugby shirt that fit her swell nicely--and it morphed.
"There you go," he grinned. "Everyone wins."
"Not bad," Quire said thoughtfully. "That's some fine control. I think you can leave the pants..."
Laura coiled the whip around her waist silently, trying not to think 'idiot' too loudly. Objects like large belts were a no-no; Laura had known this
even before her first fight.
Julian snapped his fingers, and suddenly he was wearing the outfit.
"Wohhh," Glob Herman said, in awe. "That was awesome."
"The hair," Quire said.
"You can forget it," Julian said. "I don't know about you guys, but I don't need a comb over."
"You want in this gang or not?" Quire asked.
"I don't want in, Quire. You want me. 'Coz I'm better than all of you put together, and you know it. X, too. You ask us to do something I don't want to do,
it's not happening. Understand?" Julian's eyes burned. Laura was impressed; where was this side of him in the bedroom?
"..." Quentin glared at him. "Fine. Have it your way." He turned to the rest. "Say hello to your new brother and sister."
Laura bit her lip, feeling the overwhelming desire to laugh. Julian folded his arms.
"Let's go," Quire grinned. "We have some avenging to do!"
...
"Keller," Laura murmured, pulling Julian aside as the others ran ahead, giddy with whatever-the-hell was going on in their brains.
"Just how much Kick did you inhale?"
"Not much," Julian said. She found she couldn't really gauge his expression when his eyes were illuminating half his face, and it made her uncomfortable.
"I'll be fine, don't worry. I'm not made of porcelain."
"Still-it's a neurotoxin-"
"I'll be fine," he repeated firmly. "Look, I know what I'm doing, alright? I know what we're doing. Let's just focus." He turned his back on her and
flew after Quire's gang. Laura covered her mouth with her hand, then touched her throat, something she did when she was worried. She ran
after him-and stopped as she rounded the corner. This wasn't right...she'd known it would happen but she didn't think it would be this graphic...
Quire's gang was hurting people. Humans. There were people screaming, and bones snapping, and...she watched Herman shove a melted wax
hand into a guy's face, and saw him writhe in agony.
She ran over, took aim, and-wham-she kicked the man in the side of the head, hard, in precisely the right area. He was out like a light. As
Quire's head riveted to watch her, possibly alerted by her actions, she popped her claws, trying to calculate how she could fake an attack,
but Julian saved her the effort. Suddenly everything in the alley lifted-including herself, Quire's gang, the humans, some freight trucks
parked on the side, and the dumpster bins. She looked up, afraid.
He looked very arrogant, floating about thirty feet in the air. Then he dropped the humans and the rest of the rubbish to the ground, lifting the
Omegas up beside him. He looked down and pointed.
Laura watched as the area rippled, then a green wave washed over it; when it was finished, there was a smoking crater left, and all the humans
were lying face-down. "Yesss!" Quire shouted, clenching his fists and waving them. "Put us down, we need to leave our mark."
Julian guided them down.
"What the hell was that?!" Laura asked, grabbing his wrist. He hadn't put her down yet.
"Relax, jeez. It was all flash, no bang."
Laura studied him suspiciously.
"And wasn't it you who wanted to trust each other earlier?" he added. He curled his arm around her waist. "Come on. Like I would kill anyone."
Laura tried to flatten her hackles as he took them down.
...
"You got it out of your system now?" Laura asked him the next morning, her hair wrapped in a towel. She leaned on the door frame, studying Julian,
who was still in bed (as it was Saturday morning).
"Mmmm." He buried his head in his pillow; he felt like shit.
"Good. I don't like it when you inhale."
"...only when I swallow?" He rolled over and grinned at her. She tilted her head; he seemed to be back to normal now. Snff. Scent analysis
proved the Hypercortisone D had evaporated from his system.
"You know it," she answered. "Don't do that again. Or..."
"Or what?"
Laura pursed her lips. "I'll take your car for a joyride."
Julian sat up in horror. "You wouldn't."
"I would, to teach you a lesson about what happens to junkie's cars. I've devoted my time to directing you on the path of life."
"I should be so lucky," Julian grumbled.