Chapter Two: All in a Days Work
The club was packed; filled to the brim with laughing smiling men and women who were out on the town to have a good time. Music blaring, lights flashing, dance floor swaying, people drinking, the flow of people in and out had been steady since The Hurricane had opened that night. Its three owners were at their stations, one at the sound station, one on the floor, and one in the offices watching over the club in security.
Behind the bar Eve mixed drinks for the cash customers, keeping track of who'd had too much. Though it had only been a month since she had joined Pete, Jackie and Mixy in working at The Hurricane she had caught on quickly and fit in like the ring on her finger. Eve wasn't sure what the story behind the ring was; all she knew was that it was important to her, that it meant something to her. The golden glint caught her eye as she handed a glass to the waiting customer and for just a moment she allowed her mind to wander. Who had given it to her? Was it one of the people she kept dreaming about? The faces she could never see?
Who were they?
Who was she?
"Two beers."
Snapping her attention away from her ring Eve pulled two bottles from the cooler and handed them to the two men standing at the bar. One was taller, handsome with his dark hair and even darker eyes. The other, on the shorter side, was fair-haired but his eyes danced with laughter. The both of them were scanning the floor with their eyes and Eve smiled at the sight of two young men on the hunt. Turning to collect their beers the one, the taller one, did a double take before giving himself a shake and walking off onto the floor with his friend. Just before he disappeared into the crowd Eve saw him glance back one more time before disappearing into the crowd.
Wondering what had caught his attention like that Eve tried to shake it off and keep doing her job but she found it impossible to keep her eyes from scanning the crowd. Laughing at herself she shook her head and grinned. She was acting like a lunatic. He was probably just checking her out; it wouldn't be the first time. Ever since she'd let Mixy color her hair purple and tattoo the little heart just under her jaw the guys had been coming from the woodwork. Like they had never seen someone with odd colored hair before; the club was filled with people of similar styles.
"Hey, how's it going, girl?"
Eve smiled at Mixy as she slung herself over the edge of the bar. "So far so good."
"Good," she smiled. "Listen we're expecting someone to bring us a shipment. If he gets here tell him the back door's unlocked, kay?"
"Got it," Eve smiled at her.
Grinning Mixy slipped off and wandered back into the crowd. Watching her go Eve wondered what these shipments were that they kept getting. She hadn't noticed any new merchandise or stock coming into the club but they kept getting shipments. Her mind was torn in two, trying to do her job and trying to figure out what these shipments were. Eve trusted her friends, they'd never given her reason not to, but she just had to know. When the man came to the bar she gave him the message and watched as he disappeared from her view. Waiting for an excruciating amount of time she called one of the other girls over and said she was going on break.
Slipping out of the dance floor and down the hallway Eve stopped at a door she'd never been through before and her mind was split; should she, shouldn't she? In the blink of an eye her decision was made. Hand on the knob she opened the door and slipped inside. The door led to a set of stairs and descending them she saw a room that seemed to span the entire basement of the building. To her left was what looked like a large living room and to the right was a computer console that spanned ten feet of the wall. Before her were several large chairs and benches.
Turning to look behind her she saw a large open area with mats, it looked like a training area. It was there that she saw the people, three of them, one man and two women huddled together, and scared. She could feel their fear as if it were her own. Taking a step towards them Eve held up her hands in a display of friendship and peace. "My name is Eve," she told them in a soft voice.
"Where's Mixy?" the man asked with a wary voice.
"She's still upstairs. Who are you?"
"They're friends of ours Eve." Turning around she saw Pete standing at the base of the stairs. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find your way down here." Raising his eyes to the three people Pete smiled at them. "Mixy will be down in a minute to get you all set to travel. Eve, why don't you and I go for a little walk?"
With one last confused look to the three people she didn't know Eve followed Pete up the stairs to the offices on the third floor. Taking a seat on the couch Pete looked up at her with a smile. Motioning for her to sit with him he faced her when she sat on the opposite end of the long couch. "You found our basement."
"Yeah." Unsure of what was going on Eve's defenses were on high. "What's going on here, Pete? Where those people the shipment? Why are they...?"
"Hold it," Pete held up his hand to stem her flow of questions. "Let me tell you what's been going on around here. After that I'll answer your questions, deal?"
Eve nodded.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
He'd never heard of this place but Jesse had said it was a pretty popular club so he'd agreed to come. Brennan wasn't really in the mood to party but he knew that he needed to get back out into the world. It was just hard. Everywhere he looked he saw things, people even, that reminded him of Emma. Especially that bartender.
Raising his eyes Brennan looked to the bar but she was gone. Without the purple hair and tattoo on her neck the woman could have been Emma's twin. What he wouldn't give to see her again, alive, smiling, laughing. The Sanctuary wasn't the same without her presence. Without Emma they'd lost a vital part of the team and it seemed as though no one was able to bounce back.
Brennan could still remember the service they'd had for her. It had just been the four of them, standing in the water garden, a candle floating in the water to say goodbye to their dear friend and teammate. Shalimar had turned away, overcome by her emotions, and Jesse had gone after her to comfort the woman while they both grieved for Emma. Brennan had stood by Adam, watching Shalimar and Jesse walk away. When he'd turned back to his older friend Brennan had sworn he'd seen a tear in the mans eyes but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Adam had stared at the candle until it was extinguished several hours later; refusing to leave until the light was gone.
'Adam,' he'd asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be all right?'
With a nod he'd turned away, disappearing down the hallway. Hours later Brennan and Jesse had found Adam in the training room, hitting the heavy bag, his hands encased in old boxing gloves. His hair matted to his head, drenched in sweat, Adam was beating the large boxing bag with a fury. The two friends looked at each other and without a word they turned and walked away, leaving Adam to beat out his frustration and grief. He was hurting, that much was obvious, but it wasn't until they spoke with Shalimar that the two men understood the full extent of his pain.
'He loved her,' she told them with tears in her eyes. Hugging her arms around herself she had walked with them through the empty hallways. 'I could see it every time they were near each other. They were in love but neither one of them realized it. And now it's too late...' she'd sobbed while Jesse wrapped his arms around her once more.
Shaking his head Brennan tried to blink away his memories of that day. It didn't do anyone any good to dwell on it, but his mind wouldn't focus on anything else. It was his fault. He had screwed up and Emma was dead because of it. Pain gripped his heart as he relived that day, the sight off Emma lying on the ground so many storied below him, a pool of blood growing around her. The sight was burned into his mind, replaying over and over each time he blinked. It was his fault.
"Hey, Jesse," Brennan grabbed his friends attention. "I'm gonna get going, okay? I'll catch you later."
"Hang on, I'll come with you."
"Naw, man, I'm good. You stay, I'll catch you back at the Sanctuary."
Jesse nodded. "All right. Take it easy."
Making his way through the crowd Brennan escaped into the cool night air and began walking down the streets, wandering aimlessly until he stopped suddenly and looked around. He was back at the parking ramp; it stood tall and dark next to him. Looking at the sidewalk he could still make out the dark patch of cement, it's grayish color permanently stained by the blood of a woman who'd been ripped from his life much too early. Sitting on the bench a few feet away he stared at the dark patch of concrete, his minds eyes still seeing her prone figure lying before him, dead.
"I'm sorry, Emma!" he cried, his voice choking. "I'm so sorry!"
Hanging his head Brennan cried for the first time since he'd woken up in the lab and finally, after almost a month, he was able to grieve for his lost friend.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Eve stared at Pete, trying to absorb everything he'd just laid out for her. It seemed like a story, some big cover up to hide what was really happening but she knew he wasn't lying to her. This was real.
"Holy shit..." she breathed.
"Yeah," he grinned at her. "It's all true though Eve, I'm not lying to you."
"I know," she replied. "It's just... I mean... holy shit. How many people have you 'shipped'?"
"Almost twenty I think. There were supposed to be more but we lost a few to the GSA."
Eve shook her head and stood from her seat to pace the office. "You've been transporting New Mutants to other countries to keep the safe from the GSA? That's why those people are downstairs?" Pete nodded. "How do they reach you?"
"Through a contact. He meets with them and brings them to us."
"The guy from tonight, the one I told to use the backdoor?"
"Yep. He brings them to us and then we get them out of the country. Sometimes they're sick, so Eric will look them over to make sure they'll be okay and then we get them the hell out of town. I know you've noticed that Mixy and Jackie will disappear every now and then for a few days. They're taking the people to safety and then they come back here. We can't do too many but we do what we can."
"Why? I mean how did you get started on this kind of thing?"
"Mixy's brother. He was captured by the GSA and killed a year ago. Ever since then she's been bound and determined to keep other people like him safe. People who aren't fighter's, who can't defend themselves. Most of the New Mutants we transfer have very passive powers, they can't use them to defend themselves."
Staring out the main window at the dance floor below them Eve thought for a few moments. In her heart she knew what she wanted, what they were doing seemed only natural to her. Turning around she faced Pete with a bright smile.
"I want in."
Grinning Pete stood up from his seat. Leading her back downstairs he told Jackie and Mixy what was gong on. Both women smiled and Eve knew she had been fully accepted. She was now a part of their team. Listening as Jackie led her around the large room she memorized the details, drinking them in like a thirsty man would water. When Jackie left with the three New Mutants, taking them over the northern border, and both Mixy and Pete went back upstairs to watch over the club Eve stayed behind.
It felt right.
Doing what she was doing, helping the New Mutants to escape from the GSA, or whoever else wanted to hurt them, it just felt right, natural. Since she'd woken, strapped to a chair at the GSA, her life had been one big ball of confusion to Eve. Who was she? Who were the people in her dreams, the ones that seemed to know her? While she still didn't have the answers to those questions Eve knew that she had made the right choice to join up with Mixy's fight in her brother's name. Sitting at the computer she familiarized herself with the systems for a little while before heading back upstairs to her place at the bar.
Life was just a little better tonight.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Just in case.
That was what he kept telling himself. Sitting at the console Adam scanned the database one more time. It didn't make any sense. She was dead. They didn't have her body, the GSA didn't have her body, and the city morgue hadn't recovered her body either. Where was Emma's body? After Brennan had told him what had happened Adam had gone out to the parking ramp himself, needing to be sure. He'd seen the puddle of blood left on the cement; he'd seen the fifteen stories up to the roof of the parking ramp. There was no way Emma could have survived a fall like that one.
Then where was her body?
"Adam?"
Looking up Adam watched Shalimar approach. Smiling at her he cancelled the search, shutting down the system before she could reach his side. She had caught him at his search once and it had been hard on her, Emma was still a touchy subject for Shalimar to deal with. The two young women had bonded quickly, both of them sticking together against the men when the fight called for it. They were as close as sisters could get. Shalimar missed Emma a great deal.
"Jesse was just scanning the airwaves. The GSA is on the move."
Forcing Emma to the back of his mind, though she never left his mind completely, Adam stood from his seat and followed the feral out to the main computer where Jesse sat. "Where are they heading?"
"Looks like they're going out toward Marten Park. Should we go?"
"Yeah, let's go."
The four members of Mutant X headed out to the Double Helix and were in the air in no time. By the time they landed in Marten Park the GSA was already there. Running towards the woman, a young elemental, the foursome stopped still when the rain began. Her fear triggering her power the young woman was unable to control the rain as it turned into a torrential downpour. Getting wetter by the second Brennan could feel himself growing weaker and weaker with ever drop of water.
"Stay back, Brennan," Adam ordered the dark haired man as he moved forward. "Let her go, Eckhart," he yelled to the pale man standing under an umbrella one of the agents had pulled from the car.
"You're too late, Adam," Mason replied.
Motioning for the agents holding her to bring the young woman with them he turned to leave only to stop in his tracks at the sight of the woman standing behind him. With a solid punch to his head Eve knocked the pale man out cold, his body slumping to the ground even as she did the same to the agent standing next to him. With a yell she pulled the frightened elemental from the arms of the two agents, pushing her towards Jackie. Together the two women stumbled away from the crowds, Jackie leaning on the girl as much as she did on Jackie.
Too shocked to move, to surprised to make a sound Adam watched as a woman he'd spent the last month and a half grieving for kicked the agents ass, she and the man and woman who fought by her side. Even with the wild purple hair and the tattoo on her neck Adam knew those eyes as well as he knew his own. Her fighting skills had improved, her speed, her accuracy; she'd obviously spent quite some time training. But those were only side notes to the one thought that played over and over in his mind like a skipping c.d.
Emma was alive.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Riding in the back of the car Eve stared out the window as they drove to the park to meet their latest 'shipment'. This was actually her second time out with the others but the skills she had needed, the acute awareness of what was going on, the skills needed to defend herself, the ability to spot an agent in a crowd; they had all seemed to come to her as if they were second nature. She didn't understand why this felt so right. Yes, of course she liked to help people, but she wasn't a fighter. At least she didn't think she was a fighter.
It was frustrating for Eve, living every day blindly trying to find her way in a world she couldn't remember. She'd asked them about her life from before but no one had known. They all had the same story. 'You just showed up on the ramp with some guy.' It wasn't any help at all; they couldn't describe him except to say that he had been tall, dark haired, and handsome. There were too many men who fit that description.
And practically every night Eve woke up from her dream, the same dream every night, frustrated and upset that she couldn't recall the people who seemed to care about her. Were they even real? Or were they just a figment of her imagination? It was maddening to her to not know her past, to not remember anything beyond the moment she had come to strapped to a metal chair. The only link, the only tangible thing she had from her past, was the ring on her finger. Twisting it on her hand Eve stared at the intricate design. She thought back to the time when she had taken it off to see if there was an inscription or something. The design had disappeared from the gold band, only to reappear when she put it back on. Eve wasn't sure why it happened only that it did.
Pulled from her thoughts when they arrived at the park Eve climbed out of the car with Mixy and stopped when the feral tensed. "What is it?"
"There's someone here," she said. "A lot of someone's."
"GSA?"
"I think so. Pete you and Jackie look for Jinni. Eve, you come with me; we'll find the agents and make sure they don't have her already. Everyone be careful."
Splitting up they spread out as the four friends entered Marten Park. As Mixy and Eve inched their way toward the group of people they was that Jinni was right in the middle of the group. It seemed to be some sort of face off between the GSA and a small trio of people she'd never seen before. Glancing a little closer Eve realized that she did know one of them, the man, the one with the fair hair. He'd been with the tall one at the bar, the one who kept staring at her. Looking around she didn't see his friend and wondered if he was here to. With a mental slap she brought her mind back onto the task at hand. Using the prearranged hand signals Mixy and Eve worked out a plan.
Nodding Eve stopped behind the man with the pale hair just as the rain began. Jinni was scared; her powers were going off on their own. Realizing that Jackie would be weakened Eve slipped back for a moment and signaled to Pete for Jackie to leave as soon as Jinni was away from the agents. Silently nodding he turned to relay the message to Jackie and Eve moved back toward the pale man. She heard someone calling to him, using the mans name, Eckhart. Eve realized that this man was the head of the GSA and her anger boiled. When he turned around after calling motioning to his people Eve glared at him even as he stared in surprise and confusion at her.
Laying him out cold with one punch she turned her attention to the guard by his side, knocking him out as well. With lighting fast moves Eve pulled jinni away from the two agents that held her. "Jackie! Get her outta here," she yelled to the woman.
Weakened by the rain Jinni had induced Jackie stumbled off with the scared young woman, she leaning on her as much as Jinni leaned on Jackie. Making sure they would be able to get away safely Pete, Mixy and Eve squared of with the remaining agents, seven total. Though they were outnumbered, working together, they made quick work of the agents and soon all seven were out cold on the ground. Scanning the grounds to make sure there weren't any in hiding to make a surprise attack Eve pulled herself up straight and looked to the three strangers standing in the rain, staring at her.
"Are they agents?" Mixy asked, eyeing the people who hadn't made a move.
"If they are they're too scared to do anything about it. Look at them, they're just standing there watching us," Pete replied
Irked by their stares Eve turned and left, Pete and Mixy in tow, returning to the car and the scared young woman. They had to get her to safety before the GSA struck again. Jackie already in the back Eve got behind the wheel and pulled away, racing to the safety of their club. Even as she navigated the streets she couldn't get the image of those three sets of eyes staring at her. They looked as though they had seen a ghost. She couldn't help but wonder why.
Who were they? Were they GSA? They hadn't been dressed like the rest of the agents. And why had the older one told Eckhart to let Jinni go? Were they friends of hers? She didn't seem to know them. So what were they doing in the park?
Her head full of questions Eve pulled their car into the garage and shut off the engine. Jinni had calmed down during the drive and the rain had stopped. Turning in her seat Eve smiled at the young woman. "Come on, Jinni," she said softly. "I'll take you down to The Haven, we'll get you cleaned up and then you and I will get on our way across the border."
Exiting the car Eve took Jinni's hand in her own and led her through the club to the basement level. It hadn't taken long for Eve to feel at home in the place she had lovingly named The Haven, the lower level of the club. While the name itself wasn't right, the feel was the same, a place of comfort, of security. It had felt right to her, like going to a place that was as close to home as she would ever get.
When they had first granted her full access to The Haven Eve had done a little redecorating, adding her own personal touch to the lower level. In one corner, moving the boxes to another section, Eve had added a small garden of plant life surrounding an even smaller man made water pond with a slight rock fall leading into it.
Pete had complained that it was going to make him go to the bathroom every second but in the end everyone had to agree; they liked Eve's little Garden of Eden. It added a bit of serenity to the large room. With everything else in the large room focusing on the work, the battle they were fighting, it was a nice change to have a quiet corner where they could go to feel some peace in their hectic lives.
Nearly every morning Eve would sit by the small pond, legs crossed under her, meditating. She would focus on the feeling that being in the garden gave her, not only the peace and serenity, but also the security, the sense of love that washed over her. They were the same feelings that washed over her in her dreams. The senses of belonging, safety, love, and joy all flowing through her as she dreamed of a place, and of the people she couldn't remember.
But when she woke Eve found it impossible to hold onto those same feelings. When she was awake she couldn't help but be overcome by her feelings of confusion, frustration at not being able to remember anything beyond two months ago. The curiosity of who she really was, what her life had been like, and what kind of woman she really was. Was the woman she knew herself to be now, the peaceable, soft hearted, willing woman, the same kind of woman she had been?
Would she ever know?
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
The club was packed; filled to the brim with laughing smiling men and women who were out on the town to have a good time. Music blaring, lights flashing, dance floor swaying, people drinking, the flow of people in and out had been steady since The Hurricane had opened that night. Its three owners were at their stations, one at the sound station, one on the floor, and one in the offices watching over the club in security.
Behind the bar Eve mixed drinks for the cash customers, keeping track of who'd had too much. Though it had only been a month since she had joined Pete, Jackie and Mixy in working at The Hurricane she had caught on quickly and fit in like the ring on her finger. Eve wasn't sure what the story behind the ring was; all she knew was that it was important to her, that it meant something to her. The golden glint caught her eye as she handed a glass to the waiting customer and for just a moment she allowed her mind to wander. Who had given it to her? Was it one of the people she kept dreaming about? The faces she could never see?
Who were they?
Who was she?
"Two beers."
Snapping her attention away from her ring Eve pulled two bottles from the cooler and handed them to the two men standing at the bar. One was taller, handsome with his dark hair and even darker eyes. The other, on the shorter side, was fair-haired but his eyes danced with laughter. The both of them were scanning the floor with their eyes and Eve smiled at the sight of two young men on the hunt. Turning to collect their beers the one, the taller one, did a double take before giving himself a shake and walking off onto the floor with his friend. Just before he disappeared into the crowd Eve saw him glance back one more time before disappearing into the crowd.
Wondering what had caught his attention like that Eve tried to shake it off and keep doing her job but she found it impossible to keep her eyes from scanning the crowd. Laughing at herself she shook her head and grinned. She was acting like a lunatic. He was probably just checking her out; it wouldn't be the first time. Ever since she'd let Mixy color her hair purple and tattoo the little heart just under her jaw the guys had been coming from the woodwork. Like they had never seen someone with odd colored hair before; the club was filled with people of similar styles.
"Hey, how's it going, girl?"
Eve smiled at Mixy as she slung herself over the edge of the bar. "So far so good."
"Good," she smiled. "Listen we're expecting someone to bring us a shipment. If he gets here tell him the back door's unlocked, kay?"
"Got it," Eve smiled at her.
Grinning Mixy slipped off and wandered back into the crowd. Watching her go Eve wondered what these shipments were that they kept getting. She hadn't noticed any new merchandise or stock coming into the club but they kept getting shipments. Her mind was torn in two, trying to do her job and trying to figure out what these shipments were. Eve trusted her friends, they'd never given her reason not to, but she just had to know. When the man came to the bar she gave him the message and watched as he disappeared from her view. Waiting for an excruciating amount of time she called one of the other girls over and said she was going on break.
Slipping out of the dance floor and down the hallway Eve stopped at a door she'd never been through before and her mind was split; should she, shouldn't she? In the blink of an eye her decision was made. Hand on the knob she opened the door and slipped inside. The door led to a set of stairs and descending them she saw a room that seemed to span the entire basement of the building. To her left was what looked like a large living room and to the right was a computer console that spanned ten feet of the wall. Before her were several large chairs and benches.
Turning to look behind her she saw a large open area with mats, it looked like a training area. It was there that she saw the people, three of them, one man and two women huddled together, and scared. She could feel their fear as if it were her own. Taking a step towards them Eve held up her hands in a display of friendship and peace. "My name is Eve," she told them in a soft voice.
"Where's Mixy?" the man asked with a wary voice.
"She's still upstairs. Who are you?"
"They're friends of ours Eve." Turning around she saw Pete standing at the base of the stairs. "I was wondering how long it would take you to find your way down here." Raising his eyes to the three people Pete smiled at them. "Mixy will be down in a minute to get you all set to travel. Eve, why don't you and I go for a little walk?"
With one last confused look to the three people she didn't know Eve followed Pete up the stairs to the offices on the third floor. Taking a seat on the couch Pete looked up at her with a smile. Motioning for her to sit with him he faced her when she sat on the opposite end of the long couch. "You found our basement."
"Yeah." Unsure of what was going on Eve's defenses were on high. "What's going on here, Pete? Where those people the shipment? Why are they...?"
"Hold it," Pete held up his hand to stem her flow of questions. "Let me tell you what's been going on around here. After that I'll answer your questions, deal?"
Eve nodded.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
He'd never heard of this place but Jesse had said it was a pretty popular club so he'd agreed to come. Brennan wasn't really in the mood to party but he knew that he needed to get back out into the world. It was just hard. Everywhere he looked he saw things, people even, that reminded him of Emma. Especially that bartender.
Raising his eyes Brennan looked to the bar but she was gone. Without the purple hair and tattoo on her neck the woman could have been Emma's twin. What he wouldn't give to see her again, alive, smiling, laughing. The Sanctuary wasn't the same without her presence. Without Emma they'd lost a vital part of the team and it seemed as though no one was able to bounce back.
Brennan could still remember the service they'd had for her. It had just been the four of them, standing in the water garden, a candle floating in the water to say goodbye to their dear friend and teammate. Shalimar had turned away, overcome by her emotions, and Jesse had gone after her to comfort the woman while they both grieved for Emma. Brennan had stood by Adam, watching Shalimar and Jesse walk away. When he'd turned back to his older friend Brennan had sworn he'd seen a tear in the mans eyes but it was gone in the blink of an eye. Adam had stared at the candle until it was extinguished several hours later; refusing to leave until the light was gone.
'Adam,' he'd asked, putting a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You gonna be all right?'
With a nod he'd turned away, disappearing down the hallway. Hours later Brennan and Jesse had found Adam in the training room, hitting the heavy bag, his hands encased in old boxing gloves. His hair matted to his head, drenched in sweat, Adam was beating the large boxing bag with a fury. The two friends looked at each other and without a word they turned and walked away, leaving Adam to beat out his frustration and grief. He was hurting, that much was obvious, but it wasn't until they spoke with Shalimar that the two men understood the full extent of his pain.
'He loved her,' she told them with tears in her eyes. Hugging her arms around herself she had walked with them through the empty hallways. 'I could see it every time they were near each other. They were in love but neither one of them realized it. And now it's too late...' she'd sobbed while Jesse wrapped his arms around her once more.
Shaking his head Brennan tried to blink away his memories of that day. It didn't do anyone any good to dwell on it, but his mind wouldn't focus on anything else. It was his fault. He had screwed up and Emma was dead because of it. Pain gripped his heart as he relived that day, the sight off Emma lying on the ground so many storied below him, a pool of blood growing around her. The sight was burned into his mind, replaying over and over each time he blinked. It was his fault.
"Hey, Jesse," Brennan grabbed his friends attention. "I'm gonna get going, okay? I'll catch you later."
"Hang on, I'll come with you."
"Naw, man, I'm good. You stay, I'll catch you back at the Sanctuary."
Jesse nodded. "All right. Take it easy."
Making his way through the crowd Brennan escaped into the cool night air and began walking down the streets, wandering aimlessly until he stopped suddenly and looked around. He was back at the parking ramp; it stood tall and dark next to him. Looking at the sidewalk he could still make out the dark patch of cement, it's grayish color permanently stained by the blood of a woman who'd been ripped from his life much too early. Sitting on the bench a few feet away he stared at the dark patch of concrete, his minds eyes still seeing her prone figure lying before him, dead.
"I'm sorry, Emma!" he cried, his voice choking. "I'm so sorry!"
Hanging his head Brennan cried for the first time since he'd woken up in the lab and finally, after almost a month, he was able to grieve for his lost friend.
X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X*X
Eve stared at Pete, trying to absorb everything he'd just laid out for her. It seemed like a story, some big cover up to hide what was really happening but she knew he wasn't lying to her. This was real.
"Holy shit..." she breathed.
"Yeah," he grinned at her. "It's all true though Eve, I'm not lying to you."
"I know," she replied. "It's just... I mean... holy shit. How many people have you 'shipped'?"
"Almost twenty I think. There were supposed to be more but we lost a few to the GSA."
Eve shook her head and stood from her seat to pace the office. "You've been transporting New Mutants to other countries to keep the safe from the GSA? That's why those people are downstairs?" Pete nodded. "How do they reach you?"
"Through a contact. He meets with them and brings them to us."
"The guy from tonight, the one I told to use the backdoor?"
"Yep. He brings them to us and then we get them out of the country. Sometimes they're sick, so Eric will look them over to make sure they'll be okay and then we get them the hell out of town. I know you've noticed that Mixy and Jackie will disappear every now and then for a few days. They're taking the people to safety and then they come back here. We can't do too many but we do what we can."
"Why? I mean how did you get started on this kind of thing?"
"Mixy's brother. He was captured by the GSA and killed a year ago. Ever since then she's been bound and determined to keep other people like him safe. People who aren't fighter's, who can't defend themselves. Most of the New Mutants we transfer have very passive powers, they can't use them to defend themselves."
Staring out the main window at the dance floor below them Eve thought for a few moments. In her heart she knew what she wanted, what they were doing seemed only natural to her. Turning around she faced Pete with a bright smile.
"I want in."
Grinning Pete stood up from his seat. Leading her back downstairs he told Jackie and Mixy what was gong on. Both women smiled and Eve knew she had been fully accepted. She was now a part of their team. Listening as Jackie led her around the large room she memorized the details, drinking them in like a thirsty man would water. When Jackie left with the three New Mutants, taking them over the northern border, and both Mixy and Pete went back upstairs to watch over the club Eve stayed behind.
It felt right.
Doing what she was doing, helping the New Mutants to escape from the GSA, or whoever else wanted to hurt them, it just felt right, natural. Since she'd woken, strapped to a chair at the GSA, her life had been one big ball of confusion to Eve. Who was she? Who were the people in her dreams, the ones that seemed to know her? While she still didn't have the answers to those questions Eve knew that she had made the right choice to join up with Mixy's fight in her brother's name. Sitting at the computer she familiarized herself with the systems for a little while before heading back upstairs to her place at the bar.
Life was just a little better tonight.
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Just in case.
That was what he kept telling himself. Sitting at the console Adam scanned the database one more time. It didn't make any sense. She was dead. They didn't have her body, the GSA didn't have her body, and the city morgue hadn't recovered her body either. Where was Emma's body? After Brennan had told him what had happened Adam had gone out to the parking ramp himself, needing to be sure. He'd seen the puddle of blood left on the cement; he'd seen the fifteen stories up to the roof of the parking ramp. There was no way Emma could have survived a fall like that one.
Then where was her body?
"Adam?"
Looking up Adam watched Shalimar approach. Smiling at her he cancelled the search, shutting down the system before she could reach his side. She had caught him at his search once and it had been hard on her, Emma was still a touchy subject for Shalimar to deal with. The two young women had bonded quickly, both of them sticking together against the men when the fight called for it. They were as close as sisters could get. Shalimar missed Emma a great deal.
"Jesse was just scanning the airwaves. The GSA is on the move."
Forcing Emma to the back of his mind, though she never left his mind completely, Adam stood from his seat and followed the feral out to the main computer where Jesse sat. "Where are they heading?"
"Looks like they're going out toward Marten Park. Should we go?"
"Yeah, let's go."
The four members of Mutant X headed out to the Double Helix and were in the air in no time. By the time they landed in Marten Park the GSA was already there. Running towards the woman, a young elemental, the foursome stopped still when the rain began. Her fear triggering her power the young woman was unable to control the rain as it turned into a torrential downpour. Getting wetter by the second Brennan could feel himself growing weaker and weaker with ever drop of water.
"Stay back, Brennan," Adam ordered the dark haired man as he moved forward. "Let her go, Eckhart," he yelled to the pale man standing under an umbrella one of the agents had pulled from the car.
"You're too late, Adam," Mason replied.
Motioning for the agents holding her to bring the young woman with them he turned to leave only to stop in his tracks at the sight of the woman standing behind him. With a solid punch to his head Eve knocked the pale man out cold, his body slumping to the ground even as she did the same to the agent standing next to him. With a yell she pulled the frightened elemental from the arms of the two agents, pushing her towards Jackie. Together the two women stumbled away from the crowds, Jackie leaning on the girl as much as she did on Jackie.
Too shocked to move, to surprised to make a sound Adam watched as a woman he'd spent the last month and a half grieving for kicked the agents ass, she and the man and woman who fought by her side. Even with the wild purple hair and the tattoo on her neck Adam knew those eyes as well as he knew his own. Her fighting skills had improved, her speed, her accuracy; she'd obviously spent quite some time training. But those were only side notes to the one thought that played over and over in his mind like a skipping c.d.
Emma was alive.
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Riding in the back of the car Eve stared out the window as they drove to the park to meet their latest 'shipment'. This was actually her second time out with the others but the skills she had needed, the acute awareness of what was going on, the skills needed to defend herself, the ability to spot an agent in a crowd; they had all seemed to come to her as if they were second nature. She didn't understand why this felt so right. Yes, of course she liked to help people, but she wasn't a fighter. At least she didn't think she was a fighter.
It was frustrating for Eve, living every day blindly trying to find her way in a world she couldn't remember. She'd asked them about her life from before but no one had known. They all had the same story. 'You just showed up on the ramp with some guy.' It wasn't any help at all; they couldn't describe him except to say that he had been tall, dark haired, and handsome. There were too many men who fit that description.
And practically every night Eve woke up from her dream, the same dream every night, frustrated and upset that she couldn't recall the people who seemed to care about her. Were they even real? Or were they just a figment of her imagination? It was maddening to her to not know her past, to not remember anything beyond the moment she had come to strapped to a metal chair. The only link, the only tangible thing she had from her past, was the ring on her finger. Twisting it on her hand Eve stared at the intricate design. She thought back to the time when she had taken it off to see if there was an inscription or something. The design had disappeared from the gold band, only to reappear when she put it back on. Eve wasn't sure why it happened only that it did.
Pulled from her thoughts when they arrived at the park Eve climbed out of the car with Mixy and stopped when the feral tensed. "What is it?"
"There's someone here," she said. "A lot of someone's."
"GSA?"
"I think so. Pete you and Jackie look for Jinni. Eve, you come with me; we'll find the agents and make sure they don't have her already. Everyone be careful."
Splitting up they spread out as the four friends entered Marten Park. As Mixy and Eve inched their way toward the group of people they was that Jinni was right in the middle of the group. It seemed to be some sort of face off between the GSA and a small trio of people she'd never seen before. Glancing a little closer Eve realized that she did know one of them, the man, the one with the fair hair. He'd been with the tall one at the bar, the one who kept staring at her. Looking around she didn't see his friend and wondered if he was here to. With a mental slap she brought her mind back onto the task at hand. Using the prearranged hand signals Mixy and Eve worked out a plan.
Nodding Eve stopped behind the man with the pale hair just as the rain began. Jinni was scared; her powers were going off on their own. Realizing that Jackie would be weakened Eve slipped back for a moment and signaled to Pete for Jackie to leave as soon as Jinni was away from the agents. Silently nodding he turned to relay the message to Jackie and Eve moved back toward the pale man. She heard someone calling to him, using the mans name, Eckhart. Eve realized that this man was the head of the GSA and her anger boiled. When he turned around after calling motioning to his people Eve glared at him even as he stared in surprise and confusion at her.
Laying him out cold with one punch she turned her attention to the guard by his side, knocking him out as well. With lighting fast moves Eve pulled jinni away from the two agents that held her. "Jackie! Get her outta here," she yelled to the woman.
Weakened by the rain Jinni had induced Jackie stumbled off with the scared young woman, she leaning on her as much as Jinni leaned on Jackie. Making sure they would be able to get away safely Pete, Mixy and Eve squared of with the remaining agents, seven total. Though they were outnumbered, working together, they made quick work of the agents and soon all seven were out cold on the ground. Scanning the grounds to make sure there weren't any in hiding to make a surprise attack Eve pulled herself up straight and looked to the three strangers standing in the rain, staring at her.
"Are they agents?" Mixy asked, eyeing the people who hadn't made a move.
"If they are they're too scared to do anything about it. Look at them, they're just standing there watching us," Pete replied
Irked by their stares Eve turned and left, Pete and Mixy in tow, returning to the car and the scared young woman. They had to get her to safety before the GSA struck again. Jackie already in the back Eve got behind the wheel and pulled away, racing to the safety of their club. Even as she navigated the streets she couldn't get the image of those three sets of eyes staring at her. They looked as though they had seen a ghost. She couldn't help but wonder why.
Who were they? Were they GSA? They hadn't been dressed like the rest of the agents. And why had the older one told Eckhart to let Jinni go? Were they friends of hers? She didn't seem to know them. So what were they doing in the park?
Her head full of questions Eve pulled their car into the garage and shut off the engine. Jinni had calmed down during the drive and the rain had stopped. Turning in her seat Eve smiled at the young woman. "Come on, Jinni," she said softly. "I'll take you down to The Haven, we'll get you cleaned up and then you and I will get on our way across the border."
Exiting the car Eve took Jinni's hand in her own and led her through the club to the basement level. It hadn't taken long for Eve to feel at home in the place she had lovingly named The Haven, the lower level of the club. While the name itself wasn't right, the feel was the same, a place of comfort, of security. It had felt right to her, like going to a place that was as close to home as she would ever get.
When they had first granted her full access to The Haven Eve had done a little redecorating, adding her own personal touch to the lower level. In one corner, moving the boxes to another section, Eve had added a small garden of plant life surrounding an even smaller man made water pond with a slight rock fall leading into it.
Pete had complained that it was going to make him go to the bathroom every second but in the end everyone had to agree; they liked Eve's little Garden of Eden. It added a bit of serenity to the large room. With everything else in the large room focusing on the work, the battle they were fighting, it was a nice change to have a quiet corner where they could go to feel some peace in their hectic lives.
Nearly every morning Eve would sit by the small pond, legs crossed under her, meditating. She would focus on the feeling that being in the garden gave her, not only the peace and serenity, but also the security, the sense of love that washed over her. They were the same feelings that washed over her in her dreams. The senses of belonging, safety, love, and joy all flowing through her as she dreamed of a place, and of the people she couldn't remember.
But when she woke Eve found it impossible to hold onto those same feelings. When she was awake she couldn't help but be overcome by her feelings of confusion, frustration at not being able to remember anything beyond two months ago. The curiosity of who she really was, what her life had been like, and what kind of woman she really was. Was the woman she knew herself to be now, the peaceable, soft hearted, willing woman, the same kind of woman she had been?
Would she ever know?
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