Authors Note : UNANON this is for you
DISCLAIMER: Everything you recognise belongs to Marvel, lucky them, Anyone you don't know which includes Sarah are mine, I made them up in my mad little head, any reference to people real or fictional is a terrible mistake or new psychic powers.
THANKS: Vicchic
FEEDBACK: *deep breath* feedback will be worshiped adored looked over and poured with melted chocolate covered in whipped cream eaten and cherished nourished and thanked for later, everyone who feeds the feedback machine gets the X Man/Woman of choice covered in the feedback chocolate combo and hand delivered via my mail @ the following address.
Silk and Steel
Part Six
Walking On Broken Glass
Clarice was fast asleep across from her, face as relaxed as it got when they were sleeping in the field, and it seemed that she regarded the Blackbird as the field. Sometimes it hurt to see what her trusting little girl had grown up to be, but as the screaming row with Victor had proved just after the girls fifteenth birthday and the appearance of the first set of knives, there were times when she wasn't a little girl at all, and never had been.
' "You can't Creed, over my dead body, she's just a kid, no matter what she did wherever she came from. You gave her to me to look after, and now you're going to turn her into one of us, a worse version because she'll think its normal!" The bass growl that rumbled out of Creed's chest would have stopped her dead, it wasn't his warning growl it was his 'you're going to die' growl but she was too angry to care. "You can't make a fifteen year old into a merc, might as well have sent her to the X freaks and let them turn her into a 'superhero' He had moved then, so fast she'd barely picked it up and wrapped his hand around her throat picking her off of the floor "Don't ever let me even catch ya even thinkin' that idea frail, or I'll gut ya" the easy familiarity was gone from his eyes, they were cold and hard, his killers eyes. "Stop it! or so help me god I'll hurt you both" Creed's eyes had moved from hers to Clarice's the girl had been in bed, she was in a long blue flannel night gown still small, and defenceless. But one of those spears was clasped in her hand and glowing with energy, and her eyes were set with purpose. Creed had put her down gently and turned to the girl "Clarry, pup…"
She smiled to herself it was the only time she'd seen Victor Creed look so actively upset, he tried to keep their home life fairly harmonious they had tried not to fight or scream at each other within Clarice's hearing, but as she got older she had finally told them that sneaking out onto the balcony didn't work, not when she was sure half of New York State could hear them. And Clarice had been angry enough that night to leave, she'd threatened it, said she could pick up a contract with Tyger Ty, which was true enough the girl had been good then when only Vic was training her on the sly, now. Looking over that the sleeping girl, now she was truly her daughter, and a fair partner to her and Creed.
Jean Grey Summers wandered down from the cockpit and looked first at Clarice and then at her "Logan tells me that he knows you from the mercenary circuit, as Shadow Tiger" Sarah nodded "That's right, but I've been off the circuit for years now" The redhead nodded "I know, but I thought you might need to know, we're making a stop at Westchester, to pick up some other members of our team"
Great, just what she needed more X dweebs, but she nodded, before catching the flicker of uncertainty in the other woman's eyes "And what else?" Yep there it was, irritation and embarrassment rolled all into one, good thing Clarice hadn't been awake or all hell would have broken loose. "We want Clarice to see the school" she shook her head "Don't call her that, it'll only piss her off, she's Blink to business acquaintances, and that's all you people are, she was serious when she told you that"
How do you explain to the self righteous that what they want isn't necessarily what everyone else does? "She won't go to your school, you can't force her to and she won't" For a moment the woman looked put out, and then her eyes firmed "Why not, we've been training young mutants here and at the Massachusetts academy successfully for years, like Jubilee" One wave of a graceful hand indicated the girl in ripped jeans "And countless others, Cl…Blink would be safe enough with us, if you're worried about handing her over"
She shook her head, how was it people were so patently bad at understanding things, and yet managed to stay alive for so long? This woman was a doctor for gods sake. "I don't think you understand, Blink is her own woman" another shake of that perfect fiery head "She is eighteen, that means she's still under the offices of her legal guardian" She smiled "But Blink doesn't exist on the legal records, just like I don't, or Creed" The woman paused for a moment and then continued equally determined "You must understand that she would be better of with us? With her own kind"
That finally caught at her simmering temper and the room suddenly got brighter as the pupils of her eyes became lengthways slits. "Blink is with her own kind, she is with me, and Creed" The woman's shock would have been amusing at any other time, but her voice was rising "You would consider Victor Creed to be part of the girls life, for gods sake the mans an animal, he doesn't even deserve the label of human being" She winced at the last, Blink wouldn't have been able to sleep through that display, and she heard the sharp noise of metal on metal as that huge knife of Clarice's slid free.
"Did I hear what I thought I just heard Shadow?" she looked over the redheads shoulder to see that wicked blade paused not an inch from the woman's spine "Hear what Blink?" best to play it cool, Clarice didn't have Vic's explosive temper but you could learn quite a lot just from osmosis, and Blink would be on edge just from the thought of being separated from Creed the bond between the pair was watertight. "This person saying that Mr Creed was an animal and shouldn't be part of my life?" ah damn, if she'd only heard the last part it might have been manageable, but the part about her not being part of his life… If lying was possible she'd be doing it now, but the woman seemed determined to dig her own hole.
"I did say that and its true" who did the woman think she was, Mrs Invulnerable? She'd seen what that blade could do, but then the woman could move things with her brain, but could she move them faster than Clarice could manage a lunge with that blade, she doubted it, not when Blink was on a hair trigger. "But she can't Blink, she can't make you go anywhere, that's why your off the records, that's why Creed did it" She watched Blink ease down with a silent sigh, the blade eased backwards into that sheath with a confusing display of double jointedness that she wished she could copy and Blink shifted back into her seat fingers moving. ~I don't trust them, they want to take me away from you~ she shook her head ~Not from me kiddo, from Vic~
Delicate features hardened into a resolved mask ~Over my cold unbreathing body~ the similarity to her memory almost made her smile until she looked at the set mask of her friend, she meant it, premonition wasn't one of her varied talents but the chill that proclamation sent down her spine was all too real. She looked at the redhead who was still poised on the edge of her seat and sighed "You can move now, I thought you would have been able to tell that she's back in place"
The telepath moved and looked at Clarice "Whatever hold they've got over you, you can always come to us" and then she shifted back towards the cockpit stepping out of sight in an instant. Blink shook her head, lines of tiredness and disbelief etched into the purple skin "Stupid woman why would I want to go anywhere, your not going to throw me out" She half laughed "I couldn't, Vic'd gut me" that brought a laugh from Clarice as well before they settled back in accordance with the landing warning lights.
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Charles Xavier watched from the window of his study as the blackbird settled down, Jean was beyond unsettled about the two women they had found at Sabertooth's home. He continued to watch as they emerged, the first out of the shadows after his student's was the purple skinned girl, no, woman that Jean had identified as Blink. She moved with a stalking confidence that reminded his of Jubilee after a little two much exposure to Wolverine, but more so, as if that was the only was she had walked in her entire life, that long hunters stride.
The woman slightly behind her was less of a mystery, apparently she was known to several of his X men as the Shadow Tiger, a mercenary with few convictions except the one that told her to stay alive. Seeing her with a younger woman, in Victor Creed's home, both of them obviously protective of each other and of Sabertooth was startling. Jean had offered the girl a place with them and had been turned down. Violently.
Over the course of his musings the people had made their way into the house and he could feel them making their way to his study. Both of the women were shielded, the shields locked down tight, which for a pair who apparently had no telepathic powers was a feat of extreme mental discipline. Another thing that was bothering him was that Jubilee had known the girl, after delving into Emma Frosts records at Massachusetts he had found the records of one Clarice Ferguson deceased almost six years ago. The girls couldn't be one and the same, not if she had been with Shadow Tiger for five years, and in that Jean had sensed no lie.
A knock sounded at the door and he turned the chair he was sitting in so that he was behind the desk and facing the door, for first impressions he preferred to hide his crippled status. Scott was first through the door followed by the others of his students, and then the women, wary as hunted cats at the last. He watched a glance go between them and then the flicker of fingers, nods and shakes of the head before Blink stepped forward.
Whoever had chosen her clothing had chosen well, the blacks and deep purples took the edge off of her alien skin tone, making it look like she was simply flushed, and that the triangles over her eyes which were obviously birthmarks could be tattoos. The only thing not hidden were those pure white eyes, and that would give her an advantage if people believed that she was blind. He inclined his head to her, she was obviously their elected leader. "Blink I believe" a slight smile tugged at the corner of her mouth before she spoke with an oddly inflected yet cultured voice "Professor Xavier, a pleasure, if the circumstances were different I would of course be more delighted to be here"
The look on Jeans face was almost picturesque, it was obvious that the young woman hadn't treated them with this display of manners, but he wondered if they had treated her with the manners she would have expected "Of course, will you be seated?" there were several chairs scattered around the room, the other woman took one near the door and Blink seated herself in a chair next to his desk "You choose to sit with your back to the door?" Another one of those slight half smiles, it seemed she was completely unfazed by his ignoring the X men and had decided to do the same "Of course, Shadow is watching the door, and if something was coming through the window or from behind me either she'd get it or I would"
Self confidence was rife in her tones, she knew that she could either escape or kill her enemies, military training or mercenary. He was having a hard time thinking it, but from the way she lounged in the chair he would have said that the marks of her training were Sabertooth's he wanted to shake the idea away but Jeannies mental conversation came back to him.
* She was adamant about not being removed from the woman, but leaving her in one of Sabertooth's lairs Charles, it really can't be done, for gods sake she's younger than Jubilee…*
At the time it had been her youth that had worried him, but now he realised that it wasn't necessarily the woman she wanted to be left with, but Creed himself. "My X men will help you find Victor Creed" her indolent slouch snapped to attention, she'd been taught to listen and observe, he felt a slight pang for the fact that she wouldn't bring this training to them and show the others, but then Logan could teach that if he ever gained the patience.
"I trust you to bring them back safely" there was no irony in his tone, he had an idea that the girl would have no problems keeping them together, that or the Shadow Tiger would. But the look on Scotts face now, ah, well for all the trouble he would have later the internal laughs he was getting were enough. The girl nodded, there were lines of seriousness on that face now, she had understood what he was asking "Later this evening you may choose who you want with you" she cocked her head on one side "I will of course take any advice you have to offer"
Sound practice that, Creed had taught her very well indeed, whatever bound them must be strong. "Of course" he slid a list of people across the table to her, she looked at them before crossing off one name with the fountain pen on his desk. He glanced at the list, Jeans name had been firmly scored through he raised his eyebrows at her and she answered them in a perfectly reasonable perfectly logical fashion "One, I don't know if I could handle the sexual tension that that body suit of hers creates, and two there would be a definite conflict of interest, I have no interest in heroism I need the people that go to listen to me because I know what I'm doing, only one person gets to mother me and it isn't her"
The final words were given with a burst of very dark sarcasm and he nodded "you will of course be able to provide a demonstration to the others showing that you're capable of leadership" to his surprise she shook her head "I can give them a demonstration of combat skill but leadership is something else all together. If they don't think they can follow me then they aren't coming" Wise words from such a young speaker, but then the expression on her face was anything but young. "Scott will show you the way to the briefing room and then to the danger room after" she stood up and crooked a finger, the older woman got up and walked to her side. Scott lead them from his office closing the door quietly behind them before the room exploded into protest.
"Professor!" "Listen here Chuck…" The only one who was quiet was Jubilee, he looked over to her and spoke "What do you think Jubilee?" The young girl looked up from her in-depth study of the carpet, she would be twenty one this year, but like the girl who had just left her eyes showed many years of experience that she shouldn't have had. With Jubilation Lee he had felt like a cradle robber, but at least with them she had had a chance to grow up in other things at her own pace, she had kept her bubble for years. Blink it seemed had never been a child at all.
"I think I'd like ta go with her" he could see the protest building but raised his hand for silence "Why?" Jubilee smiled, that full blown smile that he'd only ever seen from her "Because she can do it, what she's said she can, 'cos she's desperate" valley girl attitude and the sort of insight that he would have expected from Jean if she had looked beyond the purple girls youth "Oh?" Jubilee nodded "She's gotta find him, dunno why but its there in every move she made, and when I thought she was gonna stab Red on the Blackbird just for what she said" The little Asian firecracker shook her head, and he felt the same, that was why she didn't want Jean with her, not only had she been babied her mentor had also probably been insulted.
"So you think she's capable of leading a mission Jubilation?" another smile this one set around the edges "Yes sir" he nodded again "Then I suggest you report to the briefing room and put your name on her list" Jubilee slipped from her chair and he was left alone with a fuming Wolverine and a silent Jean.
"Jean I have been requested to keep you at home" it took a moment but then it sunk in and her eyes widened "She was saying those things about me!?" He tilted a shoulder upwards "I would suspect so, you've made her quite irate, whatever you said to cause a near stabbing is probably the cause of it" For a moment she continued to look insulted and then sank back into her chair, lower lip slightly pouty like a child "Very well then" it wasn't often that Jean didn't go with the team on a mission, but then, he'd never expected to be putting together a mission to rescue Sabertooth.
Then he looked at Wolverine, the mans eyes were slightly distanced, dark thoughtful blue. Before he nodded "Kids right, the girl can do it, 'cos she's got ta, not 'cos she wants ta, I'll keep an eye on em" blunt and straight to the point, Logan had never changed, he nodded and watched the small man slip out of the room before returning his gaze to Jean. "I'll be relying on you to monitor the team via Cerebro and your link to Scott. Jean lifted out of her self absorption and nodded before she also left the room, Charles Xavier moved himself towards the door with a thought, he intended to see the team this Blink put together and then this demonstration of skill, both he thought with a rare chuckle would be interesting to see.