"1-800-CALL-ATT"
Okieday, all the usual drek, disclaimers and whatnot. Many thanx to all you wonderful peoples who reviewed my stuph! And many thanx to Charmega, who for some reason that is completely Beyond me, the name stuck in me poor head like super glue. Hope ya like the twins. Hope I dinna make ya mad when I used yer name.
"Chapter Two: A Little to the Left"
Menga pulled back, looking at her reflection in Skimmer's hull. The glossy black metal was run through with streaks of dark gray, occasionally with a flash of light traveling down its length. It gave the sleek birdlike ship a sparkling sense of motion.
Donnye had taken her and her brother on a tour of Traddess, from the cavernous landing bay to the maze of corridors. She had met doglike Mintakken Itex, and the very tall catlike Plainsrunner Itex.
Menga knew that life existed on other planets; it didn't make sense to think otherwise. She just never thought that they would set up a huge secret base on Earth. She passed her hands over Skimmer's hull, wiping away more of the special cleaner. Foggy gray gave way to glossy black.
Her mind drifted. She smiled, it was obvious that Kitty liked Char, but Menga could not see what her brother saw in the girl. She was shallow. But, she had to admit, she was loyal. She had yet to see her cast her eyes at anyone, though Rogue had told her that Kitty had a fling with Kurt.
Menga snorted, she didn't blame the blue elf for just wanting to be friends, even though he said it was mutual. They did share a special friendship, a special kind of closeness. Menga envied that above all. To have a friend who expected nothing but trust. Oh, what she would give for such a rare creature.
"A little to the left," Skimmer's disembodied voice echoed through the service bay. Menga looked up at her, the ship easily three stories tall and just as wide from wingtip to wingtip. Fortunately, the cleaner sprayed on and was easy to wipe off. Now, if there was only a little less ship.
"I will never get used to that," she muttered, wiping off the last of the cleaner.
Donnye cleared his throat, leaning against the doorframe which was shaded yellow. He spoke, unnerving her even more with his unplaceable accent. "Skimmer contacted me a little while ago, when you were almost done."
Menga placed her hands on her hips, scowling at her reflection. "Am I done?"
Skimmer's voice was full of humor. "Yes, and in record time."
"Good," Menga picked up the assorted rags and brushes, dropping them into a bin marked with angular writing. Donnye nodded his approval.
He waved her ahead of him, smiling, "Then I guess I'll be taking you home, then?"
"I hope so, I'd hate to walk."
"How'd it go?" Char reclined on the couch, Kitty at his side and a bowl of popcorn in his lap.
Menga sighed, plopping heavily into a chair. "I never thought that little ship would be so big."
Kitty giggled behind a hand. Menga rolled her eyes, prying herself from the chair. "I will be in my room, oozing on the floor if you need me."
Kurt walked into the room, his eyes following Menga as she drug herself from the room. He shrugged, snagging a handful of popcorn. "Vat are you vatching?" He plopped down on Char's other side, within easy reach of the bowl.
Chat motioned to the screen. "Titanic."
"Oh," Kurt stood up, snatching another handful. "See ya later!" With a bamf and a whiff of brimstone, he was gone.
It was a good morning to exercise. Ce'it jogged along the side of the road, clad in a hooded gray sweatshirt and matching pants. It still felt odd, jogging along while not using his tail as a counterbalance. Unlike Kurt's tail, which was thin and extremely flexible, Ce'it's was thick and catlike. It took training to be able to walk normally without its counterbalance.
He approached an intersection, moving his legs in place to keep the rhythm of his jogging. Something was wrong. He stopped moving, looking around him. The people walked by, the cars drove through the green light. Birds twittered in the trees.
And then the world stood still. Engines died, cars swerved out of control. His holographic projector stopped working, and he quickly pulled the hood over his pointed ears and blue hair. He had to get to Xavier's mansion.
A car screamed down the hill, and Ce'it's Jedi reflexes saved his life, barely. His thigh glanced off the hood, flipping him over to impact with the corner of the roof and windshield with his side. He rolled over the car, landing in a dazed pile on the road behind it. Three people ran over to him, but the last thing he needed was to go to a hospital and a doctor finding out that he is far from Human.
He waved his hand at the people, the Force behind his words. "I am fine." He stood, bracing himself on a lightpost. He waved at the driver of the car, limping off towards the mansion.
Kitty pouted at the TV flickered and shut off. "What happened?"
Char shrugged, "Power outage probably."
"Then why have the generators, like, not started working. They're, like, supposed to turn on when the power's out."
Char looked around, the mansion was silent save for their breathing. Usually, this would not bother him, but something was very wrong. Kurt bamfed into the room, pouting. "And I just beat ze bad guy, and the power turns off."
Kitty stood, wrapping her arms around herself. "Yeah, it's like, weird. No generator or anything."
Everybody to the main room. Xavier's voice echoed through their heads.
"Already here," Kurt quipped, grabbing the bowl of popcorn and digging in.
Scott and Jean trotted into the room, followed by Jean and Rogue. Evan stumbled in, a very tired Menga staggering after him.
Ororo waited just behind and to the left of Xavier's wheelchair. Logan stalked in, scowling, dressed in his uniform. The sharp scent of sweat clung to him. "What happened, Charles?" he growled. "I was just getting to the good part."
"All power generating systems have shut down. Kurt, is your watch functional?"
Kurt thumbed his watch. His eyes widened when nothing happened.
"This is like, not good," Kitty whispered, wrapping her arms around herself tighter. Char placed his hands on her shoulders.
Xavier looked over his students. "We need to investigate this. Everyone, return here in uniform," he glanced at Char and Menga, "Except you two. You stay here and wait for the others to return."
Ce'it leaned against a tree, breathing heavily. Low in his abdomen, where a Human's intestines would be, was his species equivalent of a liver. It ached with every beat of his heart. He called on the Force, trying to ease the pain.
The mansion was only a short hike away, through some trees, over a road, and up a hill. He placed his left leg forward, only to stifle a yell as it refused to support his weight. He groaned, wrapping his hands around his thigh. Somehow, the bone wasn't broken, but it hurt enough to be. Ce'it pushed the pain as far from his mind as he could, pulling himself to his feet.
He had to get to the mansion. Ce'it could sense the danger on the horizon, a tugging from the Force.
K'Tayr was coming.
Char wrapped Kitty in his arms, as if protecting her from some unseen danger. Evan rolled his eyes at the display, but otherwise remained silent.
"So, wha do we do now?" Rogue was impatient, her mood reflecting off of Logan. The dour man scowled at the floor, growling softly.
"We start with Traddess. Perhaps they have some answers for us." Xavier steepled his hands, touching his chin with his forefingers. "Kurt," he turned to face the teen, "Teleport as fast as you can to Traddess and try to find Donnye. Something tells me that task won't be too difficult." Kurt nodded.
"And what if they don't know?" Logan growled.
"We prepare for the worse. Team, it is time to suit up."
Ce'it limped past the dormant security system, wincing as his leg refused to support his weight. A still laser mount provided a place to lean as he fought against waves of pain. Something warm and sticky oozed from his side, a small concern to the Jedi.
He was now close enough to the Professor to get his attention. While the Force was not limited by distance, Xavier's mutant powers were. Add to the equation the difference between the Professor's powers and the Force. He gripped the laser mount harder, concentrating on the Force.
"What is it, Professor?" Jean sat up straight, her green and black uniform contrasting with her vivid red hair.
"A call, a faint whisper." He placed the fingers of his hands on his temples. "Someone nearby, in pain."
"Anyone we know?" Logan looked up from his scowling at the floor. The Professor had asked him to stay in the mansion until Kurt arrived with Donnye.
Xavier shook his head. "I am uncertain. I can't understand what the voice is saying."
Evan perked up, speaking something fluid in Ce'it's native tongue. "Is that it?"
Xavier looked up, surprised. "Why yes, it is. Where did you learn that?"
"Kurt and I visit Ce'it enough to learn some of his language." Evan beamed with pride.
"Then what did you say?" Ororo crossed her arms, an amused smile on her face.
Evan's face fell.
"You have no idea," Jean teased, grinning broadly.
A wind picked up from outside, slapping tree branches against a window. All eyes where on Ororo. "It is not natural," she whispered.
A gust of wind snaked into the room as Logan slammed the door behind him.
Ce'it sagged against the laser mount, the rising wind blowing through his hair. The Force faltered in him, twisting in ways it was never meant to.
An Imbalance. He gasped as a strong gust threw him to the ground. He lay still, the Force not rising to ease the pain. His heart thudded against his chest in its triple-rhythmed beat.
A voice flitted on the winds, carried by energy unleashed by the Imbalance. "Elf….are you….Elf…"
Elf? An odd corner of his mind wondered. Wasn't that what Logan called Kurt? Ce'it hoped the youth hadn't tried to teleport, there was no telling where he would end up.
Hadn't Logan called him Elf a time or two as well?
"Elf…."
Ce'it tried to call out, but his chest hurt too much to let even a small gasp escape. There was no way he would be heard over the rising howl of the storm. Fat drops of rain added themselves to his misery, splatting into his battered body. At least they were washing away some of the blood.
Logan hadn't ever called him Elf, a corner of his mind argued. Kurt had to be in trouble. Ce'it rolled up slowly on one elbow, peering through the rain. Visibility was lessening as the rain came down harder and faster. Lighting flashed, illuminating the scene for a second. Thunder roared, deafening him.
The wind wrapped itself around him, snatching away his faint voice. "I'm here…"
"I'm here…" The voice was a slight whisper, dancing on the violent winds. Logan perked his head up, testing the air. The scent of blood and pain greeting him. Logan smiled grimly, chasing down the teasing scent.
The laser mount, on of the ones closest to the gate, stood silent vigil over the rain-battered road. Logan stalked closer, the scent of pain and blood stronger. He was close. "Elf!" he yelled out, "Where are you!"
The form shifted slightly, then lay still.
Logan dashed from the trees, crouching next to the very battered and still form of Ce'it. "Elf, wake up, can you hear me?"
Dark blue eyes cracked open. Ce'it gasped, "Is Kurt okay?"
"He's 'ported to Traddess to find Donnye."
"Oh no," Ce'it grimaced. "There's an Imbalance." He gasped his words out slowly. Logan lowered his head closer to Ce'it's face to better hear him over the howling winds. "He could be anywhere."
Logan scowled, "Can you walk?" Ce'it looked up at him blankly. "Oh, no you don't!" Logan lightly slapped his cheeks in an attempt to keep him awake. "Stay with me, bub!"
Ce'it moaned softly. "S-sorry…"
Logan cursed something vile as Ce'it succumbed to his wounds as passed out.
Kurt was amazed. Never before had a teleport gone so horribly completely wrong.
The teleport itself was odd. Usually it was so fast that he hardly felt it happening, but this time he felt it. This time he was aware of the twisting of energies, the pull of the power that was his abilities. He had felt what he had heard Donnye call Qua'Xia. The essence of power.
He wrapped his arms around himself, curling against the boll of a very large tree. Limbs dripping in moss reached down to him, embracing him in a cathedral of green.
Kurt had fought against Qua'Xia. He had fought to keep his very soul intact. He couldn't risk another teleport, and he couldn't risk gong to any of the locals for help, if there was any. And he ached. Every nerve and every cell in his blue-furred body, including the fur, ached.
He was lost, and very alone.
Logan kicked the door open, several pairs of startled eyes staring at him. Jean gasped, rising to her feet as he carried the too limp form of Ce'it into the mansion.
Jean rushed to her feet, a look of horror crossing her face. With a tightening of her jaws, she spun and headed out of the room. Logan followed her, several of the X-men trailing after. He explained as he walked, talking to Ororo. Scott and Kitty were immediately behind them, the latter with a slim hand held over her mouth. Char was with her, a pale hand on her shoulder.
"I found him like this, next to the number one laser turret." He couldn't help the note of worry that leaked into his voice. All of the X-men had specialized medical care, but at least they were Human. Ce'it had proven how ineffective Human medicine was when he discovered his allergy to aspirin. Logan wondered if by helping save his life, they would kill him.
"In here!" Jean called out. The room was not in the medical bay, it was a first aid station for the cleanup of minor wounds on the first floor. But, it had a window.
She had pushed the bed closer to the window, and then looked up at Kitty. "I want you to phase to the medical ward and bring up anything you can grab."
Kitty nodded, swallowing once and vanishing into the floor.
Logan lowered Ce'it onto the bed, careful not to disturb his already battered frame. Blood had soaked into the side of his jogging outfit, and a smaller spot decorated his left thigh. With a wave, Jean had a pair of scissors and began to remove his clothes. Logan helped her, his sharp claws making quick work of the stained garments.
Ce'it groaned softly, reaching a hand up to grab Jean's. "K'Tayr," he whispered hoarsely.
"I don't understand," the battered man had her full attention.
"K'Tayr," was followed by a short explanation in his native tongue. He sighed, closing his eyes. When he opened them, he had found the word he was looking for. "Coming. He's coming."
Kurt looked up, a distant roaring filling his ears. Ugh, now mein head is all messed up.
He stood on shaky legs, one hand on the tree for balance. His tail whipped out behind him, spading the air with its tip. He looked around, the emerald wonders of Nature all around him. He should've appeared halfway between the mansion and Traddess, in New York state.
Trees like this, covered in shaggy blankets of moss, do not grow in New York.
He decided to first discover just where he was. His only clues so far where the huge trees, layers of moss, and that roar.
That roar was familiar.
He swallowed in fear, hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was. Kurt stumbled forward, parting the dense undergrowth. The trees changed, their twisted forms leaning inland, reaching for the rest of the continent.
The ground sloped away, crumbling into a cliff.
Silver-gray sand stretched out on either side, sea stacks just visible in the distance. Azure water reached for the horizon.
The Pacific Ocean. Kurt had teleported all of the way across the country. And he had no idea how to get back.
"Who's K'Tayr?" Logan asked as he removed a strip of cloth, fully revealing the wound in the Jedi's side. Jean's face hardened when she saw the bruised expanse of his abdomen. The bleeding was sluggish, only a feeble attempt surging slightly with his heartbeat.
"Bad guy," Ce'it whispered. Logan wrapped his hand in his own, squeezing it. Ce'it squeezed back, his tight grip displaying his pain. The mutant barely registered Jean waving Char over, motioned that he was to use his powers to clean the wound. Logan demanded the Jedi's full attention.
"Did he do this?"
Ce'it nodded weakly, wincing as Char washed away the blood. Char's brow was furrowed deeply. "My power's harder to use," he gasped.
"Qua'Xia," Ce'it whispered softly before his grip on Logan's hand relaxed.
"Qua'Xia?" Logan placed the unconscious man's hand on the bed, backing out of the room. Kitty came running down the corridor, her arms full of various medical paraphernalia. She panted, pushing past Logan. The other X-men filtered into the hall, a couple members absent. She skidded to a stop just before entering the room. "Powers not working quite right."
Logan glanced at her back, the girl handing her store of supplies to Jean. The redhead did not even look up to offer her thanks, he attention was focused solely on Ce'it.
Qua'Xia. Logan rolled the unfamiliar work around his mouth. The Professor rolled up to him, speaking softly. "How is he?"
"Not good," Logan turned to look fully at Xavier. "Did he ever tell you what Qua'Xia meant?"
"Kurt told me. Ce'it and Donnye think that Qua'Xia is what powers our abilities. Another facet of it is called the Force, the energies that Ce'it has access to. I believe it translates as 'essence of power'."
Logan grunted. "He also said something about K'Tayr coming."
The Professor considered the word. "Sounds Itexian."
"I knew Traddess had something to do with this."
Xavier looked up at Logan. "Has Kurt returned yet?"
Logan's eyes narrowed. "If this Qua'Xia thing is true, then the elf could be anywhere."
Kurt had climbed down to the beach, thankful that he at least had his natural agility intact. The last thing he want to do was to try to port again, and end up on Mars. He hiked up the beach, finding it easier to walk on the harder sand closer to the waves. He wrapped his arms around himself, trying to keep the cold, misty wind from biting into him any deeper. The beach far ahead of him was covered in the fine white mist, shrouding the coast in mystery. He looked closer at one misty sea stack.
It was familiar.
A laugh exploded from him, and he ran towards the stack. People dotted the beach, some yelling as they saw the blue-furred demon rush by. Kurt angled towards the driftwood, hiding himself. What had Char and Menga called this beach again?
Kalaloch. He was on Kalaloch beach just a short hop from Highway 101. There was a gas station just south of the campground that sold huge cookies. And it had a payphone. Kurt just hoped it still worked.
Something was wrong. Ce'it couldn't quite place what it was, but the ache that filled him was fading away. The room was full of strange lights, the people around him rushing around.
What are you doing? He asked, looking up at Jean.
She gasped, staring back at him before screaming.
Ce'it looked around, confused. Their frantic motions stopped, and all eyes stared at him. He looked down at himself.
At his transparent blue hands.
At his still, blood covered body. Something was not right. The Force swirled around him, urgent and worried. The varied tastes of all the levels of Qua'Xia floated to him.
He reached down, and hand barely brushing his corporeal chest. It rose slowly. He looked up, surprise. I am still alive!
Jean looked down at his body in shock. She steeled her jaw. Ce'it reached a hand out to her, a glowing orb of knowledge perched in his palm. Use this, and quickly.
She nodded, touching it with her fingertips. Her eyes opened wide as Ce'it's medical information filled her mind. "I understand," she whispered. In a second, she commanded everyone's attention, and for once they did not mind being ordered around. Jean had a life to save.
Dead. The payphone, the cars on the side of the road, the gas pumps, everything was dead. Kurt slammed the phone back on the receiver. Here he was, trapped on the wrong coast, with no reliable way home but to walk. He snorted, oh, there was a good idea. Walk across the country, blue fuzzy and all.
He ignored the stares from the people around him, stalking over to the wooden railing overlooked a small canyon. The dark stream wound its way through the soft rock, angling towards the ocean at the last minute.
A small tug on his tail woke him from his dark thoughts.
Kurt turned, looking down at a small child. "What are you, mister?" the child's voice held no hint of fear or hatred. Only curiosity.
He smiled, trying not to show too much of his fangs. "Just a fuzzy blue elf."
The child smiled, giggling. "Samantha!" a voice scolded. "Get back here!" Fear, however, filled that voice quite well. Kurt sighed, pushing away from the railing and heading inland. He stopped at the highway, the people staying clear of him. At least none were trying to kill him, that was a good thing.
He looked up at the bulk of the Olympic Mountains. There was no way he would be able to cross those. With a sigh, he headed north, away from the cities farther south.
Ce'it hovered above his body, confused. Why would this have happened? Did the Imbalance interfere with his death, not that he wanted to die. But his body was stable now. Jean was able to barely stop the bleeding inside, and now he lay bandaged and still. Qua'Xia shuddered, trying to right itself, and for the most part, succeeding. Ce'it wondered if Donnye was able to repair the damage. A quick look outside told a different story.
The storm, purple and blue lightening flashing against the dark sky. Show and rain falling with hail, winds that whipped the leaves off of trees. And then a calm stillness. The Imbalance was alive and well, but perhaps it had stabilized.
His body had been moved to a larger room, and the teens were laying out sleeping bags as night approached. Everyone decided it would be for the best to stay together. Ce'it considered his options. There was a reason he was like this, some sort of odd purpose to his unwilling ghost state.
He had to find Donnye.
Ce'it floated next to the Professor, speaking softly. I am going to find Donnye. I will try to be back shortly.
Xavier nodded, his eyes scanning the X-men. They huddled in small groups, talking among themselves.
Ce'it floated through the walls, and out into the storm filled-twilight.
Donnye flopped down on a chair. This Imbalance was unnatural, an extension of the meddling of one man. This man had been exiled from Itexian space several centuries ago, when he should have been killed.
K'Tayr, whose very name meant the act of death.
He groaned softly. And then there was this electrical interference. The sparkplugs in cars stopped firing, even though the batteries were fully charged and the alternator in perfect working order. The Machine Intelligence had fled at the first sign of power drain. The last day had been hectic, fighting his way to the machine.
It was a crude, vile looking thing. A common energy converter modified to act as a huge battery. It then used that stored energy to warp the energy patterns around it. After a few years, the Imbalance was large enough to affect the Dimension. The strange storms was just the first step. If he hadn't found the machine and destroyed it, bits of random matter would have started to vanish as the Dimension attempted to right itself.
And then larger bits of matter, noticeable chunks of things and people, gone as if it had never existed. Limbonic Storms would rage Beyond, making the Gateway impassable.
Then the Dimension itself would disappear in a oddly anticlimactic end. Just a rush of energy and a lull in the Storms. The lull would not last long, and the newer, stronger Storms would vent their rage at anyone who dare cross their paths. Donnye had made that mistake once, and learned that it took roughly 175 years to grow a leg back.
That was not something he wanted to repeat.
What was left behind was Nothing. Not just any Nothing, but a void of Nothing, the very essence of Nothing. Faint wisps of power, ghosts of the Dimension, linger at the edge of a void, an area so empty of anything that even the energy-absorbent Machine Intelligence need to take extra power with them.
Beacons set along the way guide the ships to the other side, for without them they will be lost.
Donnye was glad that he was able to stop this Dimension from suffering that fate.
But the scent was fresh, and the sensors installed on the Traddess complex had not registered any new departures aside from the Machine Intelligence. K'Tayr was still here, somewhere.
He furrowed his brows, scowling at air. Why here, what is it about this Dimension that would interest the rogue K'Tayr? There were thousands of relay stations exactly like this one. And on a few, the inhabitants were mutating, just like this one. It was an average distance from the space lanes. The surrounding Dimensions were stable, so destroying this one won't cause a chain reaction, destroying those as well.
But, it was on the border of Rylaxian and Itexian space. Only three stations has that privilege. One was this one, now defenseless at the sudden loss of anything electrical. The other two were safely encased in hardened asteroids. The recent battle proved that this Dimension was vulnerable, but they had defended it at the cost of hundreds of Rylaxian lives. After centuries of wars war, Rylax had lost far too many of its people. Any battle had a cost, and that last one had proved to be too costly. He doubted the Rylax would try to attack again, even with the station as exposed as it was.
It was something else, something that he could accomplish by the destruction of the Dimension.
But the converter was old, not placed there by any of the current Itex. K'Tayr was opportunistic, but it was unlike him not to update the technology. The converter was a decoy.
Donnye chewed absently at his bottom lip. Something tickled the corners of his senses. He sat up, scanning the room.
A soft blue glow emanated from the wall, slowly forming into the translucent form of Ce'it. Donnye looked him over, but Ce'it spoke first. I'm not dead. You need to come to the mansion.
The Shapechanger stood, "And tell them what? Odds are, I know as much as they do."
Ce'it looked to the side. I told them I would get you, to help explain what's going on.
"A converter sucked the energy out of everything, I have since shut it down," he sighed. "Sorry I growled."
I have two reasons you should come, besides promising I would. One, he counted the points off on spectral fingers, perhaps minds of differing views can help find some angle on this you haven't looked at. And two, I would really like to go back to my body now.
Donnye smiled, walking to the door. "Far beit from me to refuse the request of a Jedi."
To be continued….DUH DUH DUH
Hmmm…what new threat will Traddess and the X-Men have to save the Earth from? K'Tayr (whose name means "the act of death" K'(verb) and Tayr (death))? The Rylax, an Imbalance? Or something else…something far less obvious?
And will Char remember to buy Kitty flowers and when will Menga beg him to go home?
Oh…and if you courious, K'Payr's name means "Wind"…and not the noun wind. The very breeze that blows through the forests and tears trees from the ground, the very gust that ruffles the fur of a kitten. The Action, the verb Payr….Wind.
Shorra'Rei, another word I used, literally means "Distance not pertaining to me" Shorra'Rill, means "distance pertaining to me". Or, There and Here. Itexian is a very contextual language, and fun to play with!