Chapter Five
It was morning before Dreamer finally woke up. The first thing he was saw Jubilee, fast asleep in the chair next to the bed. Jean was on the other side of the room but almost as soon as he woke up she came over. Jubilee woke up when Jean stopped beside Dreamer's bed.
"Don't ever scare me like that again!" she exclaimed.
Dreamer sat up in bed, trying to avoid Jean's gaze. "Sorry, Jubes, but Ah didn't know it'd have that effect on me. Normally Ah cain't get hurt in dreams. Somethin' there interfered with mah subconscious ties. Ah don' know who they're usin', but there's a dreamseeker there."
"A dreamseeker?" Jean repeated.
Dreamer nodded. "Yah, a mutant with powers lahke mahne. We c'n do a lot of damage if we have th' raht motivation. Ah'd hate ta see what this one could do if he was really aimin' ta kill me. As it was, he jus' wanted me outta there."
He winced. "Sure got me good though. Ah've nevah seen anyone with so much power."
Jean quickly checked him over and said, "well, you're not injured, thank god. I want you to take it easy for a few days though."
"Whatever ya say, Doctor," Dreamer said, grinning.
Jubilee punched his shoulder. "Don't tease Jean," she scolded.
Dreamer laughed. "But it's so easy."
Jean left the infirmary after telling Dreamer he didn't have to stay in the infirmary but he'd better take it easy for a few days. She went up to the students' rooms and knocked on Solitaire's door. The teenager didn't answer but she felt a welcoming thought in her head. She shrugged and opened the door.
Solitaire glanced up as she entered, rubbing his temples. "Morning, Mrs. Summers-Grey," he said softly. "Nice to finally meet you."
"Are you feeling any better?" Jean asked. Solitaire nodded. "It's just about over now. The headaches never last more than a few days."
"Well, the Professor would like to see you as soon as possible," Jean said.
"All right."
"Do you need someone to show you where his office is?"
"No, I know where it is," Solitaire replied. Jean frowned. "How?"
"I… I don't know. Ever since I was young, I've never gotten lost, not even hiking in the mountains. I just know where things are, where I have to go," Solitaire said.
He stood up and pulled on a black jacket. "I better get going. There's some stuff I have to do after I see the Professor," he said, walking out of the room. Jean shrugged and went outside to find Scott.
@ @ @
Adam watched as Discordia silently moved ahead of him, her body shifting into a brown-haired guy wearing a pair of red-lensed sunglasses. She looked her over her shoulder and said, "you ready? If anyone asks, I'm Scott Summers, codenamed Cyclops, only you're not supposed to know my codename cause you're a new student. Kay?"
Adam nodded and kept walking. Discordia freaked him out sometimes, but even she wasn't as bad as Dusk could be.
They were in the grounds of Professor Xavier's School for the Gifted. Damien had told them to check out Adam's brother's room and see if there was anything useful. Any other places that they could get to, they were to search, but they had to be careful, especially in the middle of the day. Most of the students would be in classes but they still had to stay out of sight as much as possible.
They walked right through the front door. Adam was unconsciously holding his breath; he'd heard about this place but never dreamed he'd be breaking in. Okay, so it wasn't technically "breaking" but it was the same thing.
Discordia wriggled her shoulders and shook her head. "Damned male bodies," she muttered. "How can you be comfortable in this? It's… never mind."
She glanced at the piece of paper with directions to certain rooms written on it. Sabrina had told them about the Danger Room and all the other places that might have useful information.
"Your brother's room is on the second level," Discordia said. "You want to check it out?"
"Why not? There maht be somethin' we c'n use," Adam replied. "We bettah not be too long though. Th' longah we're here, th' more chances of someone findin' out we're not who we say."
Discordia nodded. "You're right. Let's go to that Danger Room Sabs told us about, then we'll check out your brother's room, maybe the Professor's office if he's not there, and then we'll scoot."
They headed up the stairs, following the carefully written directions Sabrina had given them. The blonde Australian girl had wanted to come on this mission, but Professor Xavier knew what her mind felt like and the risk of someone recognising her was too big.
Adam rubbed his temples. Discordia glanced back and asked, "you okay?"
"Ah'll live. Someone tried ta get inta th' facility through th' vortal nexus last naht. Gave me a li'l headache, that's all."
When they got to the Danger Room Discordia shifted back into her own body, went up to the computers and pressed her hands against the screen. She closed her eyes and information whirred over the screen, too fast to be seen. Adam knew she was absorbing the information in condensed form and that she'd sort through it later.
After a few minutes she removed her hands and turned into the guy with sunglasses again. "Got all we need from the computers. Let's check out the room now."
Outside Adam's brother's room, Discordia leaned against the wall and shifted into the mutant Sabrina had ID'd as Logan. She grinned and said, "I'll look out. You search. Don't take too long."
Adam slipped inside the room, which was surprisingly neat, especially since two teenaged boys lived there. He picked up a torn photo and looked at the same image he saw every day when he opened his wallet: two dark-haired, solemn-faced little boys, one with dark purple eyes, the other with dark gold eyes.
He replaced the photo and continued searching the room. There wasn't a lot of personal stuff for either of the occupants, but he did come across a thick leather-bound book. A diary.
He scooped up the book and left the room. Discordia was still leaning against the wall, absent-mindedly morphing her hand into several of its aspects; serpent, blade, metallic hand and back. She glanced up as Adam left the room.
"Find anything?"
"Nothin' that'll help us 'gainst these folks. But Ah found somethin' that maht help me understand mah brothah bettah."
"Whatever. Let's get out of here. Being in guy bodies is giving me the creeps."
They left the mansion undetected. Discordia shifted back into her own body and got into the car they'd left parked a little way down the road. She tossed Adam the keys and said, "you drive. I'm going to sort out the information I got from their computers."
She closed her eyes and let her body turn to metal. Adam started the car and they drove away from the mansion.
@ @ @
Later that day, Jubilee, Aura and Chantelle cornered Dreamer and begged him to drive them to the mall. Aura said, "you're the only student who can drive, and the teachers are all freaking about Kitty, Kurt, Rogue and Remy. We figure there's not much we can do. I mean, we're just teenagers. What are we supposed to do against someone like Damien? And anyway, shopping's no fun with teachers."
Dreamer ran his fingers through his hair and sighed. "Ah know Ah'll end up regrettin' this," he muttered. "Ya got th' okay ta leave th' mansion?"
Jubilee nodded. "The Professor was talking to Solitaire, but Jean said we could go as long as there were more than three of us. If you drive us then it'll be safer and there'll be four of us."
Dreamer sighed again. "All raht. Ah'll go find th' keys f' one of th' Jeeps. Meet me in th' garage in ten minutes."
"Arretez, we need longer than that to get ready," Chantelle protested. Dreamer raised his eyebrows. "Ya got ten minutes, Channy. Mah offer ends after that." {Stop/wait}
The three girls were standing next to the Jeep ten minutes later, each with assorted tiny bags, purses and sunglasses. Dreamer shook his head. "Ah'll nevah understand why girls need so many accessories," he muttered. "C'mon, let's get goin'."
Jubilee rode in the passenger seat while Chantelle and Aura sat in the back. The three girls chattered all the way to the mall, mostly about guys, movies, clothes and which guy at the mansion was hottest.
"C'mon, you can't tell me Bobby doesn't have a hot butt," Aura said. Chantelle shrugged. "Nyet, I haven't seen him, so I can't tell. Personally, I think Kurt's pretty yummy."
"He's Kitty's," Jubilee piped up from the front. "Besides, you both know who I think is hottest."
"Kurt's cute, but he's not my type," Aura said thoughtfully. "Scott's kinda cute for a teacher. And Logan has that rough-tough gorgeous-ness."
"Mmm, I love his eyes," Chantelle added. "So dark and tortured… I love the tortured-soul type. Kinda like you, Dreamer."
"Hey, stay away from my guy," Jubilee said, fake-menacing. Chantelle laughed. "D'accord, verzeihen sie. Don't worry, I'm not about to encroach on your territory." {I agree, I'm sorry}
By the time they arrived at the mall, Jubilee, Aura and Chantelle had analysed every guy at the mansion. Dreamer pulled the Jeep into a parking space near the entrance and said, "how long d'ya figure y'all gonna be?"
"No idea," Jubilee said cheerfully. "Come with us."
"Do Ah look lahke an idiot, Jubes? Ah know what y'all lahke when ya go shoppin'. Ah'm not gonna get inta that."
"Im gegenteil, you have to protect us," Chantelle said, putting on a fake little-girl voice. "On account of how we're so fragile and defenseless. Besides, whoever took Kitty, Kurt, Rogue and Remy might be after us. We shouldn't separate." {On the contrary}
"Fahne, Ah'll come. Just don' expect me ta start talkin' girly f'ya," Dreamer said. Jubilee gave him a mournful look. "Not even for me?"
"There's some things even Ah won't do, Jubes."
The girls power-shopped for several hours, visiting each store at least once. Finally, at about four o'clock, they stopped at an ice-cream bar before heading back to the mansion.
Jubilee had five bags at her feet. Aura carried three and Chantelle had six. Jubilee grinned at Dreamer. "You have fun?"
"Remind me nevah ta agree ta take y'all ta th' mall again, Jubes."
When they finished their snacks Dreamer drove them back to the mansion. On the way, Jubilee snuggled up to him and said, "I love having a boyfriend who can drive. You're the greatest. I can't see Bobby taking us shopping."
"No, Ah think Bobby's sane," Dreamer said, grinning. "Nobody in their raht mahnd would take three teenaged girls shoppin'. Ah musta had a momentary lapse o' sanity."
They pulled up in the mansion's driveway half an hour later. Jean was waiting, a concerned expression on her face. As soon as Dreamer got out of the Jeep, she said, "Dreamer, would you be willing to try to find the others again?"
"Of course. But Ah cain't get past their dreamseeker," Dreamer protested. Jean replied, "Solitaire says he might be able to help with that. Come on, I'll explain in the infirmary."
@ @ @
Kitty paced the length of the room impatiently, hitting the wall each time she reached it. Remy watched her as he laid out a game of solitaire with his ever-present cards.
"Y' ever gonna sit down, chere?" he asked. Kitty shot a glare at him and snapped, "I'm bored. I can't spend all day playing card games."
"We could play a more interestin' card game," Remy suggested. Kitty raised her eyebrows. "Like what?"
"Strip poker?"
"Remy LeBeau, don't even think about it! I am so telling Rogue you were hitting on me," Kitty shrieked. Remy held up his hands in a gesture of surrender. "I was kiddin', chere."
Kitty sighed and resumed her pacing. "I am so bored. I want to get out of here."
"So maybe we should try," Remy said. Kitty stopped pacing and looked at him. "How?"
"I don' know. Y' haven' got a hairpin so I c'n try t' unlock dese cuffs?"
Kitty fumbled in her hair and pulled out a pin. "Here. You can really pick the locks on these things?" she asked. Remy took the hairpin and shrugged. "Maybe. I've never tried t' do somet'in' like dese b'fore, but I got int' plenty of ot'er places. More complex locks dan de ones at de mansion."
"You're kidding."
"Non, chere, I'm not. How do you t'ink we survived on de streets before Jean brought us to de mansion? Dreamer an' me, we were thieves f' the most part. Aura made diversions wit' her illusions, me an' Dreamer'd get int' places an' clean 'em out," Remy said. Kitty looked surprised. "Weren't you ever caught?"
"Wit' Dreamer's senses? He c'n sense humans a mile away, chere. Sometimes dere'd be witnesses, but Aura always changed de way we looked jus' b'fore de job. Non, nobody ever got close t' catchin' us."
"This is the most any of you three has ever said about your past," Kitty said thoughtfully. "You never talk to us about your life before the mansion."
"Not much t' tell, chere. But now ain't de time. I t'ink Aura an' Dreamer might not want everyt'in' t' come out jus' yet."
"But you can trust us," Kitty said. "Don't you know that?"
"Oui, chere, we know. But it's harder f' us t' trust dan y' might t'ink. Dere's a lot y' don' know about our past," Remy said, his red-on-black eyes darkening with memories he'd rather forget.
Kitty frowned. "Well, okay, but you know keeping things cooped up inside you isn't going to help, don't you?"
"Don' worry about us, chere. We been alone longer dan I c'n remember. We'll deal wit' it."
"But you're not alone anymore," Kitty protested. Remy smiled wearily. "Maybe not in some ways, petite, but in de ot'er ways we are. Old habits, dey die hard. We can' jus' forget everyt'in' livin' on de streets taught us."
TBC. In Chapter Six, Solitaire and Dreamer "look" for the missing mutants. Dreamer goes inside Raptor's subconscious, where she has to fight some demons…
