Trail of Secrets

Chapter 14

The blue eyes of Ororo Munro snapped open, an unease in her gut driving her back to consciousness. Wrapping a slender hand around her comforter, she threw it back, revealing the lavender almost see-through nightgown stopping just above her thighs.

Throwing her feet out of bed, she stood to her 5'11" height, letting her long white hair trailed down her back. She moved towards the bay window looking out over the Xavier grounds, grabbing a lavender bathrobe as she walked by her bedpost.

Knotting the rope, she leaned on the windowsill, staring at the sliver of moon high in the sky. Sometimes she wondered if they should've gone with the mutants that lived in the wizarding world to Avalon.

However, it wasn't those thoughts that were keeping her awake tonight. She raised a slender hand, her perfect nails reflecting the light, something wasn't right with the grounds, someone was here and they didn't have good intentions.

–XX –

Meruda knelt on the grounds of the Xavier Institute, his white hair framing his angular face, his red eyes scanning for threats. He raised a large hand, black energy wafting around his thick fingers.

Women made of grey energy floated out of the ground, the features they had in life, now partially obscured by death. "Go, secure the objective, I have a score to settle."

The women floated there, as if fighting against his orders.

Black energy flared around his hand.

"I said go!"

Slower than he would've liked, the two women turned flying off towards the brick mansion in the center of the grounds.

Meruda shook his head, even in death the women infuriated him, but it was a fitting punishment, a smile curled his lips, one that Ororo would soon share.

Partially rising from his crouching position, he moved forward to find his prey.

–XX –

Ororo moved through the mansion, a small disc with a raised circle in its center clutched in her hand, her thumb ran over the raised circle. Head of Potter industries, Mitchell Evans had given the X-Men nano weave armor that his grandson had developed, so they can be protected quicker in case of an emergency.

She had never met the grandson, he was always traveling, but every once in a while, a new device from the company would come on the market.

She was hoping tonight she wouldn't have to use it, hoping that the nerves she felt were just in her mind, but years of combat had told her different.

Reaching the staircase that led to the front door of the mansion, she turned, freezing in place as a feminine grey form phased through the walls. It turned its head to look at her, and for a moment Ororo felt a connection, she felt the sorrow of the specter, the resignation.

'Jean, Logan, we have a situation.' She called out with her mind, knowing Jean would relay her message to Logan.

'What is it?' Jean called back a hint of worry in her mental voice.

'We have a ghost in the mansion.'

'A ghost?'

'Yes, and from the feeling I'm getting from it, it's not alone or here by its own will.'

'Where are you right now?' Logan asked.

'At the top of the staircase, near the front door, but don't worry about me, secure the children.'

Ororo press down on the circle with her thumb.

Threads shot out from the disc, weaving into a skintight black mesh that stopped halfway up her neck. She flexed her fingers, eyeing the metal glimmering on her knuckles.

–XX –

Logan moved forward, his 5'3" frame slightly hunched as he busted indoors. His blue eyes constantly moved searching for threats, his nose flared, trying to pick up the scent of the intruders. His strong jaw tensed, his elongated canines grinding against his teeth as he failed.

"Move it," he commanded to the room occupant with enough force to get the job done, but quiet enough to hopefully not alert the intruder.

A female shark human hybrid emerged from the room, a grey skinned webbed hand rubbing at one of her dark eyes, "Professor Logan, what's going on?"

"I'll explain once we get everyone to the subbasement, now move," he gestured forward, the three claws extending from his knuckles flashing in the light.

–XX –

Jean Grey moved through the hall of the Xavier Institute with almost unnatural grace. Windows lining the hall bathed her 5'9" frame in moonlight.

Her dark green eyes glowed pink and a pink outline blossomed around her slender hand as doors along the hallway burst open. 'Children,' she called out with her mind, 'wake up, we need to move.'

Children began to move into the hallway, muttering and rubbing the sleep from their eyes.

"Professor Grey," a six-foot-tall student made completely of rock stopped before her, his white eyes glancing around him, "what's going on?"

"Nothing Rockslide, there may be someone in the mansion, so were taking precautions."

The teen straightened, puffing out his broad chest, causing the overlapping rocks that covered his torso to become more pronounced. "We can help fight Miss Grey."

Jean shook her head, causing her crimson hair to sway back and forth against her light blue pajamas, "No Rockslide, we have no idea what's going on. Besides, someone needs to protect the students. Now, protect your classmates."

Without waiting for a response, Jean brushed past him moving on down the hallway, and peering into each room to make sure there were no students left behind.

Coming to the final room, her eyes widened at what she saw, Glob Herman, a student with wax like translucent pink flesh lay against the far wall, his body have melted. A feminine spirit had their arms wrapped around Martha Johansson, a poor unfortunate girl who lived life as a brain in a jar.

"Put her down!" Jean thrust her hand forward, intent on wrapping the specter in her power but before she could get a hold of it, it withdrew into the wall, taking Martha with her.

'Guys, there's more than one spirit, and one of them has Martha.'

–XX –

Ororo turned and began climbing the stairs.

'What would a ghost be interested in Martha for?'

The front door of the Institute exploded.

Ororo spun around just in time to catch a lightning bolt to the chest.

The bolt through her backwards, tiny discharges danced along her body setting her nerves aflame.

She hit the ground hard, smashing a table in the center of the landing.

Meruda stepped over the remains of the door, splinters crunching under his feet, his red eyes surveyed the room, taking in the plum colored carpet, the polished wood, and the chandelier hanging in the center of the ceiling just before the beginning of the staircase.

"Such a nice place you have here goddess," he said the last word like he was spitting out a curse.

Ororo rose to her feet, her white hair falling on either side of her face to hide it in shadow.

"Meruda! What are you doing here?"

"Don't you remember? You and I have a score to settle. The blood of my people drips from your hands!"

Ororo straightened, the suit sending healing waves through her body, repairing the minor damage done by Meruda's attacks, "I told you before, I never attacked your people."

"Lies," Meruda exclaimed, sending a shudder through the house.

Ororo's eyes glowed white, "For too long you and I have fought this battle, first you attacked my village, killing hundreds, now you attack children, you have gone too far." She lifted into the air, wind swirling around her, "our battle ends today."

Ororo thrust her hand forward, a tornado of wind shot from her palm, catching Meruda in the chest and sending him sprawling on the Institute grounds.

–XX –

Jay Garrick and Luna Lovegood appeared outside the Institute grounds in a flash of lightning just in time to see Meruda getting blasted out of the building's front doors.

"Looks like we're late to the party," Jay commented.

"Better late than never."

"So, how do you want to handle this?"

Luna raised an eyebrow, "You're asking me? You're the one with decades of superhero experience."

"And you're the one with magic sight."

Luna glanced at the building, "You help with the evacuation, I'll help Ororo."

"You know these people?"

"Magic sight remember."

"Right, be careful." In a blur of blue electricity Jay was gone.

"You as well," Luna muttered before launching herself into the air.

–XX –

Logan growled as the mansion shook, his knuckles tightened, his fingers digging into the palms of his hands. He stared at the kids slowly making their way down one of the mansions hidden ramps, he cared for each one of them, the whole reason he fought was so future generations wouldn't have to, but it's times like these he resented having to be a guardian.

He was a fighter, he was meant to be holding back the threat, not hiding in the shadows shepherding people away.

A blur of blue electricity caught his attention, he tensed, a snarl brushing passed his lips to reveal one of his elongated fangs.

A man in red spandex with a blue circle in the center of his chest appeared. The inside of the circle was white, and a stylized lightning bolt pierced its center.

The man raised his hands, "I'm not here to fight, I'm here to help."

Logan raised a clawed fist, the three blades extending from his knuckles catching the light, "And how did you know we needed help?"

"Would you believe my girlfriend is a seer?"

It still felt a little odd to Jay to use the word girlfriend, part of his chest tightened in a slight betrayal to his wife, but he shook it off.

Logan stared at him for a long minute, "Alright then, but I've got the kids here, one of our students, Martha has gone missing," he shook his head, "a ghost nabbed her see if you can catch up to it and get her back."

"A ghost, seriously."

"It's been a strange night."

"What does your student look like?"

Logan gave him a deadpanned look, "You can't miss her she's a brain in a jar."

"Okay," Jay said drawing out the word.

In a flash of blue electricity, he was gone.

'Jean,' Logan called out mentally, 'we've got a speedster in the mansion, he seems on the up and up, I sent him after Martha, but read his mind just in case.'

–XX –

Ororo weaved to the side, dodging a twister of air sent her way. Her eyes shone, dark clouds moved in above them, thunder roiled and lightning flashed.

A lightning bolt arced down from the sky, slamming into Meruda and driving him into the earth.

Earth exploded on impact, sending bits of dirt and dust shooting into the sky.

Meruda pushed himself to his feet, earth now turned to glass cracking under his hand, "I will not be defeated here, the blood of my people cries out for justice." He swept his hand around, black energy spilled out from his hands swirling around the churned-up earth to form crude golems.

They leapt into the air, Meruda providing the wind for their flight.

Ororo tensed, preparing herself for battle.

"Enough of this," a feminine voice said.

Spheres of air captured each one of the earth golems and then compressed, crushing them to powder.

Meruda screamed, clutching his head in pain while rocking back and forth.

Ororo turned, a blonde floated in the air before her, her braided ponytail draped over one shoulder, her silver moon like eyes locked on Meruda.

She floated forward, her white gown flapping in the wind.

"Who are you?"

"I am Luna Lovegood, and I am here to help," she glanced at her, and Ororo jerked, her eyes were glowing with a bright light, "but I'm afraid, we arrived too late to stop what we really needed to."

–XX –

Jay Garrick sped across the city, his blue eyes locked on the specter that stayed just a few feet before him, a glass jar clutched under her luminescent translucent arm.

Jay glanced around him, his eyes skimming over the buildings on either side of him as he tried to think of a way to stop or slow down his prey. Thousands of ideas went through his mind and were discarded in a moment.

Finally, he began rotating his arm, blue bolts of electricity dancing along it as it became a blur of motion. When a continuous stream of electricity danced around the outside of the circle his arm created. He stopped and thrust it forward with a yell, a bright bolt of electricity slammed into the specter.

The specter wavered, hunching forward as its energies were disrupted, the brain filled glass slipped from its arms.

Time seemed to slow down as Jay watched the glass descend towards the street, he stepped forward just as a presence entered his mind. He ignored it, arriving just in time to scoop the glass up inches away from hitting the street.

Cradling the jar against his chest, he glanced up, using his own mental powers granted to him by the forever force to establish a connection, 'I've got your student, I'm on my way back to the mansion,'

'I will let the others know. My name is Jean by the way.'

'Jay Garrick, I suppose that fellow with the claws asked you to keep an eye on me?'

'Yes, he did, I'm sure you can understand. With children being involved.'

'Of course, are the rest of the students okay?'

'There fine.'

'Where am I?' A younger voice asked entering the conversation.

'Martha, sweetie, you were kidnapped, the man who has you now is Jay Garrick, he saved you and he's going to bring you back to the Institute.'

Jay waved, saying out loud, "Hello Martha."

'Hello, Mr. Garrick,' a mental voice responded in his mind.

Jay laughed, "Call me Jay, Mr. Garrick makes me feel old."

'Okay, Jay.'

Tightening his grip on Martha Jay disappeared in a burst of lightning.

–XX –

Luna thrust her hand forward, lightning danced around Meruda binding him in place.

Ororo raised an eyebrow, 'Such control.'

Luna floated towards the ground, "It's time you learned the truth." Landing less than a foot away from Meruda, she leaned forward placing both hands on the sides of his head.

Her eyes glowed white, Meruda's body tensed as white light shone from his eyes.

–XX –

Meruda sat in a chair in his village, half shaded by the straw hut at his back. He looked out over the African plains as wind swept a cloud of dust across the barren landscape.

A frown slid onto his features. Children rolled a ball back and forth, sweat glistening on the dark skin of their bodies. It wasn't fair, a neighboring tribe had water and prosperity while they suffered.

A child ran up to him, "What is that?" He pointed his little pointer finger off into the distance where a green cloud moved towards them at incredible speed.

Meruda rose to his feet, "Everyone," he called, "get inside." He ran towards the children, shepherding them all inside. Just as the last child entered the hut, the fog swept through the village. Holding his breath, he slammed the door shut.

He staggered backwards, blindly searching for a safe spot. When he could no longer hold his breath, he gasped inhaling the fog. He fell to his knees as a burning swept through his body. Liquid ran down his face, he touched it with thick fingers, finding it to be blood.

He coughed again, a sharp pain wracked his body as bones spikes burst from his shoulders sending bits of flesh and blood splattering onto the ground. He screamed, wind and lightning swirling around him.

The ground beneath him gave way exploding out into a crater that grew bigger with each second. More pain wracked his body as bones burst from his elbows.

Finally, mercifully he fell forward, the tips of his white hair stained in blood as he hit the ground.

–XX –

Luna withdrew her hands, letting Meruda's head sag against his chest, "Now you know the truth. The one that destroyed your village was you when you awakened your powers."

"No," Meruda mumbled, "no," he repeated.

His head snapped up, his red eyes bulging from his skull, "No, I refuse to believe it, this is all a trick to protect her," he spat towards Ororo.

"Whether you want to believe it or not, you now know the truth," Luna placed her hand on his head, "now sleep."

His body sagged and the lightning faded. He fell to the ground with a thump.

Luna turned away, "There, he knows the truth, hopefully one day he will accept it."

Ororo moved forward, "I don't know who you are, but thank you for your help."

Luna shook her head, "I only wish we could have done more."

–XX –

Jay Garrick was about a mile from the estate when a voice caught his ear, "Stop."

He slowed, but shook his head and continued running.

"I said stop," the voice repeated.

He slowed even more, but kept moving towards his destination.

Suddenly, another feminine spirit swept in from out of nowhere, jamming her hands into his chest, Jay's body seized a strangled scream exploding from his throat as he dropped the jar.

The spirit withdrew its hands, snatching the jar up before it hit the ground.

Jay collapsed forward, his chest heaving. He tried to move, but his entire body was full of a cold numbness.

A pair of black boots came into his vision, "You should have listened."

A black boot filled his vision, and darkness claimed him.