Shifting Sands
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "And since I am dead I can take of my head to recite Shakespearean quotations"
*****
Do i love my reviewers? You BET i do!
****
Chapter 4 - Into the gloom
***
The Brotherhood of Mutants stared the the note left pinned to the the TV. It was short and to the point. ~I have packed my bags and left. I'm sorry. Don't try and find me, Sidney~. No explaination, no sign of where she was going...she had just...gone. The boys were too numbed to speak, but Wanda, on the other hand, was a different story.
"I can't believe her", she snapped, "as soon as something goes past her liking, she up and leaves!".
"That's not true!", said Todd, "she....she musta had a good reason fer leavin'".
"Oh STOP defending her", said Wanda, the lights of the room crackling, "she was just USING us as a place to squat and keep her off the streets until she finds her next meal ticket!".
"Sidney's not like that!", said Todd, "i KNOW her, better than any of ya. She would only leave if she HAD to".
"Oh please, how many times has she left before?", said Wanda, shaking her head, "she left the X-Men to come here, she left here for Avalon, she left Avalon for here, and now she's leaving here again!".
"The question is", said Lance, stepping inbetween the two's argument, "where's she goin' now?".
"Not Xaviers, that's for sure", said Pietro, returning with the phone, "or the Acolytes, just contatced both father and Xavier...they haven't seen her".
Todd gave a small whimper.
"Awwww man, i hope she's okay", he said, shaking his head, "what if she's been attacked..or. is sleepin' on the streets...or..or".
"Oh why don't you just date her again?!", snapped Wanda, "if you care so much!".
With that, she stormed upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom shut.
"But...Wanda..i'm just worried", shouted Todd upstairs in the vain hope she would hear...or rather listen, "i still love you".
He sighed sadly when he got no answer. He turned to look desperately at Fred, Pietro and Lance.
"We gotta find her"
***
Meanwhile, the cat-girl in question shifted her shoulder bag on her arm, her beloved guitar tied firmly on her back. She looked down forlornly at the manhole cover. When mutants had nowhere to turn...there was only one place FOR them to go. She took a deep breath and reached down to pull the cover off.
"I wouldn't do that if i were you".
Sidney gave a growl, spinning around to see Ray walk silently out of the darkness.
"What are YOU doing here?", she asked with a hiss, "how did you find me?".
"I overheard the Professor talking to the Brotherhood on the phone", replied Ray with a shrug, "i know the score...figured this is where you would go".
Sidney gave a sarcastic clap.
"Well good for you", she said, "now if you excuse me..."
She headed back to the manhole, only to have Ray walk in front of it.
"Wait!", he said, "if you go down there, it'll be hard to come back, to be out in public again"
"You survived well enough", said Sidney, crossing her arms.
"But.."
"Look, Kitty, who i THOUGHT was my friend stole Piotr from me, before there even WAS a 'me and Piotr'. I just realised i don't believe Magnutso's ideas, i tried the X-Men, it didn't work. There's no way i'm going back to Avalon...i'm running out of options here, so just stand aside or be MOVED aside".
Ray narrowed his eyes, before giving a defeated sigh and moving away.
"Don't say i didn't warn you", he said.
Sidney gave a nod shifting the manhole aside and jumping down inside.
"Do me a favour and don't tell them where i am", she said, looking up.
"Never saw you", replied Ray.
*****
Back at the Institute, 'Tabby' was sitting in the Danger Room control room, looking at all the buttons. Oh the fun and destruction these puppies could cause!!! She gave a heavy sigh as a small cominucator, recently added to her wardrobe, disguised as a belt-buckle, started to blip. She pressed it.
"Yeah?".
"New plan, get out of there, go down to the tunnels".
Tabby blinked.
"The..but, sir...", she said, "i'm RIGHT in here....the information i could gather..."
"Now", he said, "the ...other mission can wait, we have a nice window of oportunity here. Meet me in the usual place in an hour, you have a brand new mission".
With that, the comincator went dead, Tabby gave a sigh and walked out of the Danger Room...but not before stealing a plotted plant from the table.
******
Sidney was greatfull for her feline vision as she wandered through the tunnels in silence. Where the heck WAS it? Surely she should have run into SOMEONE by now?
"Hold it right there".
And here we go. Out of the shadows stepped Calisto, the long staff she carried with her held ahead of her, her one eye staying firmly on Sidney.
"I...i've come to join the Morlocks", said Sidney, with more bravado than she felt, "i know Evan...he's down here, right?"
Calisto waited for a second.
"Spyke", she called into the darkness, "can you speak for her?".
Suddenly, a small flash of light made the tunnel ever so slightly brighter. Sidney gave a squeak of shock as a figure walked out of the shadows. She KNEW it was Evan...but only because Calisto had called out his codename...otherwise, she would have never recognised him. He was now covered in armor plating and spikes. One of his spikes slightly jutted from his arm, and it was the tip of this which was lighting the tunnel. He blinked when he saw her.
"Sid?".
"Evan?", said Sidney in a small voice, her ears flat on her head.
Evan cleared his throat.
"Yeah, i know i look like something from a good B horror movie right now...but yeah, it's me", he said, "what are you doing here?".
Sidney gave a sad sigh, lowering her gaze to the ground.
"I left the Brotherhood", she said quietly, "...i have nowhere else to go".
"Sssssshe can go to Xavierssss", said Caliban leaning on a wall behind Calisto.
"Stop being inhospitable Caliban", said Calisto, rolling her..errr..eye, "i swear, if it was up to you, we'd have no Morlocks in here at all!".
She turned her attention to Evan.
"I take it you will speak for her, then?", she asked, "she won't bring us any danger?".
"Yeah, Sidney's okay", said Evan, "in fact, she'd probably be a great help down here".
Calisto gave a nod, then offered Sidney a smile.
"Welcome to the Morlocks", she said, before walking back into the darkness, "Evan, show her to the Alley. I still need to check out the other signature Caliban found".
"I ssstill don't think we can trussst her", said Caliban pointedly, "not that anyone lissstensss to me anyway".
"Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine?", said Sidney, shouldering her bags again.
"Oh don't mind Caliban", said Evan, "he just has no 'people skills'".
Caliban muttered under his breath before heading after Calisto. Sidney chuckled to herself before following after Evan.
"Hey, gotta say, love your new look", she said, "all...err...spikey".
"That's an understatement", said Evan with a chuckle as they entered a lit up tunnelway.
"Well, well, well, wonders never cease down here, do they?"
Sidney stopped in her tracks as she heard a familiar voice. Standing at the mouth of the entrance to the Alley was Doppleganger, Scaleface sat a little way off, cocking her head to the side in slight interest at this newcommer.
"What's SHE doing down here?", said Sidney with a growl, dropping her bags and advancing on Dop, Evan quickly putting himself between them.
"Whoah ladies", he said, "we're supposed to be civil down here".
"Screw that", said Scaleface, "i wanna see them rip each other apart! Whoooo!".
"I took a good review of my life, Sidney", said Dop, "and like you, i found that i didn't belong anywhere and i needed time to think. It's amazing what clarity one gets down here".
"I don't believe you", snarled Sidney, "all the destruction you caused..."
"I walked AWAY, remember?", said Dop, "and y'know, what, i'm GLAD i did. I was TIRED of fighting as much as YOU are!".
"So just calm down, huh?", said Evan with a nervous laugh, "Calisto doesn't like fighting down here".
"Fine", snapped Sidney, "but i'm keeping my eye on you, Doppleganger".
Doppeleganger gave a nod of her head, before walking into the Alley.
"Awwww poo!", said Scaleface, walking after her,"i wanted to see some blood!!!!".
".....Well, that was interesting", said Sidney, blinking.
"Don't mind them", said Evan, "Dop came to us a while ago now....she really has reformed Sid. This place is about forget the past, burrying it, and not digging it up".
"Oh and you're not BURSTING to ask me how everyone up top are doing?", asked Sidney, a sly smirk on her face.
"Oh...well that's different", said Evan, "you're gonna have to tell me how everyone is".
"She can do it tomorrow, Evan", said Calisto, walking up to them, "she needs to get some sleep. We've already found our other newcommer. Two in one day...funny, huh?".
"Where's the other one?", asked Evan.
"Resting, he was pretty tired", replied Calisto, "Caliban, would you be so kind to show Sidney here to her quarters?".
Caliban looked like he'd been asked to walk across a volcano barefooted, he muttered a little under his breath before heading into the Alley, motioning Sidney to follow.
"Sooooooo", said Sidney chattily, "you're the guy who sense other mutants. That's a pretty nifty power, i mean, you're never lonely!".
"I like to be alone", asnwered Caliban, "alone isssss ssssafe".
"...Okey dokey", said Sidney, ""So, where do i sleep?"
Caliban pointed to one of the holes in the wall. Sidney blinked at it, then looked back at Caliban.
"No, seriously, where do i sleep?".
"I'm sssorry", said Caliban snidely, "there'sss no mint on your pillow...oh wait, you don't HAVE a pillow".
"You know....you're mean", said Sidney, "and you have poor people skills".
"Oh no", said Caliban flatly, "how bad do I feel? Welcome to the Morlock way of life. Got a problem? Go back topssside, where you belong".
"You saying i can't hack it down here?", said Sidney with a growl, "well, you are mistaken, you mishapen freak of nature. I'll prove you all wrong! Hah!".
With that, she hopped onto her bed, wincing. Okay it was a hole in the wall, but she could do this......DAMN it was cold. She gave Caliban a glare, before closing her eyes. Caliban raised an eyebrow.
"Three, two one", he said.
Sidney started to fidget. Caliban rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving her try and find a comfortable spot that just didn't exist.
****
YEAH BABY! Sidney's with the Morlocks! I tend to neglect these guys a little in my fics, but they will be in this one big time! Whoot, dance with me now!...Ahem...i'll stop that now. Do Review. Until Next time.....
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "And since I am dead I can take of my head to recite Shakespearean quotations"
*****
Do i love my reviewers? You BET i do!
****
Chapter 4 - Into the gloom
***
The Brotherhood of Mutants stared the the note left pinned to the the TV. It was short and to the point. ~I have packed my bags and left. I'm sorry. Don't try and find me, Sidney~. No explaination, no sign of where she was going...she had just...gone. The boys were too numbed to speak, but Wanda, on the other hand, was a different story.
"I can't believe her", she snapped, "as soon as something goes past her liking, she up and leaves!".
"That's not true!", said Todd, "she....she musta had a good reason fer leavin'".
"Oh STOP defending her", said Wanda, the lights of the room crackling, "she was just USING us as a place to squat and keep her off the streets until she finds her next meal ticket!".
"Sidney's not like that!", said Todd, "i KNOW her, better than any of ya. She would only leave if she HAD to".
"Oh please, how many times has she left before?", said Wanda, shaking her head, "she left the X-Men to come here, she left here for Avalon, she left Avalon for here, and now she's leaving here again!".
"The question is", said Lance, stepping inbetween the two's argument, "where's she goin' now?".
"Not Xaviers, that's for sure", said Pietro, returning with the phone, "or the Acolytes, just contatced both father and Xavier...they haven't seen her".
Todd gave a small whimper.
"Awwww man, i hope she's okay", he said, shaking his head, "what if she's been attacked..or. is sleepin' on the streets...or..or".
"Oh why don't you just date her again?!", snapped Wanda, "if you care so much!".
With that, she stormed upstairs and slammed the door to her bedroom shut.
"But...Wanda..i'm just worried", shouted Todd upstairs in the vain hope she would hear...or rather listen, "i still love you".
He sighed sadly when he got no answer. He turned to look desperately at Fred, Pietro and Lance.
"We gotta find her"
***
Meanwhile, the cat-girl in question shifted her shoulder bag on her arm, her beloved guitar tied firmly on her back. She looked down forlornly at the manhole cover. When mutants had nowhere to turn...there was only one place FOR them to go. She took a deep breath and reached down to pull the cover off.
"I wouldn't do that if i were you".
Sidney gave a growl, spinning around to see Ray walk silently out of the darkness.
"What are YOU doing here?", she asked with a hiss, "how did you find me?".
"I overheard the Professor talking to the Brotherhood on the phone", replied Ray with a shrug, "i know the score...figured this is where you would go".
Sidney gave a sarcastic clap.
"Well good for you", she said, "now if you excuse me..."
She headed back to the manhole, only to have Ray walk in front of it.
"Wait!", he said, "if you go down there, it'll be hard to come back, to be out in public again"
"You survived well enough", said Sidney, crossing her arms.
"But.."
"Look, Kitty, who i THOUGHT was my friend stole Piotr from me, before there even WAS a 'me and Piotr'. I just realised i don't believe Magnutso's ideas, i tried the X-Men, it didn't work. There's no way i'm going back to Avalon...i'm running out of options here, so just stand aside or be MOVED aside".
Ray narrowed his eyes, before giving a defeated sigh and moving away.
"Don't say i didn't warn you", he said.
Sidney gave a nod shifting the manhole aside and jumping down inside.
"Do me a favour and don't tell them where i am", she said, looking up.
"Never saw you", replied Ray.
*****
Back at the Institute, 'Tabby' was sitting in the Danger Room control room, looking at all the buttons. Oh the fun and destruction these puppies could cause!!! She gave a heavy sigh as a small cominucator, recently added to her wardrobe, disguised as a belt-buckle, started to blip. She pressed it.
"Yeah?".
"New plan, get out of there, go down to the tunnels".
Tabby blinked.
"The..but, sir...", she said, "i'm RIGHT in here....the information i could gather..."
"Now", he said, "the ...other mission can wait, we have a nice window of oportunity here. Meet me in the usual place in an hour, you have a brand new mission".
With that, the comincator went dead, Tabby gave a sigh and walked out of the Danger Room...but not before stealing a plotted plant from the table.
******
Sidney was greatfull for her feline vision as she wandered through the tunnels in silence. Where the heck WAS it? Surely she should have run into SOMEONE by now?
"Hold it right there".
And here we go. Out of the shadows stepped Calisto, the long staff she carried with her held ahead of her, her one eye staying firmly on Sidney.
"I...i've come to join the Morlocks", said Sidney, with more bravado than she felt, "i know Evan...he's down here, right?"
Calisto waited for a second.
"Spyke", she called into the darkness, "can you speak for her?".
Suddenly, a small flash of light made the tunnel ever so slightly brighter. Sidney gave a squeak of shock as a figure walked out of the shadows. She KNEW it was Evan...but only because Calisto had called out his codename...otherwise, she would have never recognised him. He was now covered in armor plating and spikes. One of his spikes slightly jutted from his arm, and it was the tip of this which was lighting the tunnel. He blinked when he saw her.
"Sid?".
"Evan?", said Sidney in a small voice, her ears flat on her head.
Evan cleared his throat.
"Yeah, i know i look like something from a good B horror movie right now...but yeah, it's me", he said, "what are you doing here?".
Sidney gave a sad sigh, lowering her gaze to the ground.
"I left the Brotherhood", she said quietly, "...i have nowhere else to go".
"Sssssshe can go to Xavierssss", said Caliban leaning on a wall behind Calisto.
"Stop being inhospitable Caliban", said Calisto, rolling her..errr..eye, "i swear, if it was up to you, we'd have no Morlocks in here at all!".
She turned her attention to Evan.
"I take it you will speak for her, then?", she asked, "she won't bring us any danger?".
"Yeah, Sidney's okay", said Evan, "in fact, she'd probably be a great help down here".
Calisto gave a nod, then offered Sidney a smile.
"Welcome to the Morlocks", she said, before walking back into the darkness, "Evan, show her to the Alley. I still need to check out the other signature Caliban found".
"I ssstill don't think we can trussst her", said Caliban pointedly, "not that anyone lissstensss to me anyway".
"Well, aren't you just a little ray of sunshine?", said Sidney, shouldering her bags again.
"Oh don't mind Caliban", said Evan, "he just has no 'people skills'".
Caliban muttered under his breath before heading after Calisto. Sidney chuckled to herself before following after Evan.
"Hey, gotta say, love your new look", she said, "all...err...spikey".
"That's an understatement", said Evan with a chuckle as they entered a lit up tunnelway.
"Well, well, well, wonders never cease down here, do they?"
Sidney stopped in her tracks as she heard a familiar voice. Standing at the mouth of the entrance to the Alley was Doppleganger, Scaleface sat a little way off, cocking her head to the side in slight interest at this newcommer.
"What's SHE doing down here?", said Sidney with a growl, dropping her bags and advancing on Dop, Evan quickly putting himself between them.
"Whoah ladies", he said, "we're supposed to be civil down here".
"Screw that", said Scaleface, "i wanna see them rip each other apart! Whoooo!".
"I took a good review of my life, Sidney", said Dop, "and like you, i found that i didn't belong anywhere and i needed time to think. It's amazing what clarity one gets down here".
"I don't believe you", snarled Sidney, "all the destruction you caused..."
"I walked AWAY, remember?", said Dop, "and y'know, what, i'm GLAD i did. I was TIRED of fighting as much as YOU are!".
"So just calm down, huh?", said Evan with a nervous laugh, "Calisto doesn't like fighting down here".
"Fine", snapped Sidney, "but i'm keeping my eye on you, Doppleganger".
Doppeleganger gave a nod of her head, before walking into the Alley.
"Awwww poo!", said Scaleface, walking after her,"i wanted to see some blood!!!!".
".....Well, that was interesting", said Sidney, blinking.
"Don't mind them", said Evan, "Dop came to us a while ago now....she really has reformed Sid. This place is about forget the past, burrying it, and not digging it up".
"Oh and you're not BURSTING to ask me how everyone up top are doing?", asked Sidney, a sly smirk on her face.
"Oh...well that's different", said Evan, "you're gonna have to tell me how everyone is".
"She can do it tomorrow, Evan", said Calisto, walking up to them, "she needs to get some sleep. We've already found our other newcommer. Two in one day...funny, huh?".
"Where's the other one?", asked Evan.
"Resting, he was pretty tired", replied Calisto, "Caliban, would you be so kind to show Sidney here to her quarters?".
Caliban looked like he'd been asked to walk across a volcano barefooted, he muttered a little under his breath before heading into the Alley, motioning Sidney to follow.
"Sooooooo", said Sidney chattily, "you're the guy who sense other mutants. That's a pretty nifty power, i mean, you're never lonely!".
"I like to be alone", asnwered Caliban, "alone isssss ssssafe".
"...Okey dokey", said Sidney, ""So, where do i sleep?"
Caliban pointed to one of the holes in the wall. Sidney blinked at it, then looked back at Caliban.
"No, seriously, where do i sleep?".
"I'm sssorry", said Caliban snidely, "there'sss no mint on your pillow...oh wait, you don't HAVE a pillow".
"You know....you're mean", said Sidney, "and you have poor people skills".
"Oh no", said Caliban flatly, "how bad do I feel? Welcome to the Morlock way of life. Got a problem? Go back topssside, where you belong".
"You saying i can't hack it down here?", said Sidney with a growl, "well, you are mistaken, you mishapen freak of nature. I'll prove you all wrong! Hah!".
With that, she hopped onto her bed, wincing. Okay it was a hole in the wall, but she could do this......DAMN it was cold. She gave Caliban a glare, before closing her eyes. Caliban raised an eyebrow.
"Three, two one", he said.
Sidney started to fidget. Caliban rolled his eyes and walked off, leaving her try and find a comfortable spot that just didn't exist.
****
YEAH BABY! Sidney's with the Morlocks! I tend to neglect these guys a little in my fics, but they will be in this one big time! Whoot, dance with me now!...Ahem...i'll stop that now. Do Review. Until Next time.....