DISCLAIMER: Just having fun. I don't own any of the Mutant X characters,
just Jennifer and Natalia, and I want to thank the producers and writers
of this wonderful show for sharing their creativity and genius with us and
inspiring our little attempts at fanfiction.
In an abandoned building in Sector 510, a dust covered figure crawled painfully from a pile of rubble. Smoke and dust still hung in the air as if from an explosion. The abandoned building teetered precariously. The woman appeared to be badly injured, dazed, and exhausted. She pulled herself a couple more feet along the ground with her arms, her feet useless. Gasping for breath, she looked around wildly, as if expecting pursuers then overcome with exhaustion, her head dropped and she lay senseless on the ground.
At Sanctuary, Adam and Jesse monitored the unusual activity from a remote distance. "There's a bizarre energy reading in Sector 510: It appears to be geomagnetic disturbance, but the signals are pretty distorted." Jesse said.
Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Close up on it. Some aspects of that signal's pattern are too concentrated to be geomagnetic." he stared at the screen, adjusted some parameters. He frowned and shook his head. "It's more than a simple geomagnetic disturbance, Jesse. I'm not absolutely certain, but it seems to have a teleportation signature." He frowned again.
Emma approached from around the corner. "The GSA just picked up on this event as well, Adam. We intercepted a message and they are sending out a team."
"OK." Adam replied. "Jesse, Brennan, take the Double-Helix out to the location. There may be a New Mutant involved. Watch your backs".
AT SECTOR 510....
A metal girder creaked ominously above the prone figure. A moment later it started to fall. A bolt of electricity deflected it neatly to the side as Brennan arrived on the scene. Jesse slung the woman over his shoulder and the two men hurried out of the doomed building.
Moments later, GSA agents arrived on the scene, in time to witness the stone and steel building collapse.
At Sanctuary, the stranger was carefully laid out in the laboratory. Shalimar gently wiped the dust and grit from the woman's eyes and face. "She seems to be in pretty good shape, for all that she seems to have gone through" she said. The stranger appeared to be early 30's, female, long black hair. She was still pale, with facial features typical of a mid- Pacific islander, tall and built like a warrior princess. Jesse queried, "How's that gash on her arm?"
"What gash?" Shal responded. "Well, my jacket is stained with blood from her arm when I picked her up. I bandaged it." Jesse replied.
"Hmm. I was wondering why her arm was bandaged. There's no damage there." Shal returned. Adam eyebrows rose thoughtfully. He studied the unconscious figure silently.
Without warning, the woman's eyes opened. She gazed silently at the ceiling. "Ha gwaei bwana aeh?" She asked. Adam's eyes lit up in surprised comprehension.
Stepping forward to their guest he replied "Bwaiena ay- ee ta" he replied cordially. Emma, Shal, Brennan and Jessie looked at their leader in surprise. "An Old world dialect," he said with a bemused smile. "I just told her that she is among friends".
The woman, catlike, pulled herself up to a sitting position. Her eyes were dark, steel gray with green highlights that seemed to randomly change to brown. "I can speak your language too," she replied. "Where did you learn the language of the Elders?" she demanded of Adam.
"Where did you learn English?" Adam countered with a smile. The woman relaxed and allowed herself a smile. "Maybe I have escaped," she said so quietly that only Adam and Shalimar heard. "What's your name?" Adam asked.
"I am Natalia," She answered, pausing because she couldn't remember her last name.
"You said you escaped. Are you in trouble?" Adam asked. The woman looked at him intently without answering. Something was so familiar about him. It bothered her immensely because she wasn't sure if he was friend or foe. Adam studied the dark haired woman wondering why she seemed so familiar. Emma unobtrusively opened her telempathic ability to see if their guest was trying to influence Adam. There was nothing except a vague sense of recognition. Emma shrugged. The foursome moved off while their leader conversed with their guest.
A few days later found Natalia quite at home with the Mutant X group. Her recovery had been remarkably fast. Adam had assessed her talents so far to be Molecular with advanced Regenerative powers, possibly Feral, possibly Psionic. But there were too many other clues hinting at other powers she might have that he could not ignore. The newcomer permitted Adam to draw a blood sample for analysis. "Hey, knock yourself out," she had said jovially.
"How did you get here, Tal?" He had asked again. She had shrugged him off, but not before Adam caught that haunted look in her eyes.
"I'm trying to help you, Natalia. I can't do that if you won't provide me the information I need."
" Why don't you have your telepath pull it out of my brain?" Natalia replied frustrated. "If I could remember, I would tell you, Adam."
Adam sighed. "Take your time, Tal. You've been through a lot and hopefully your memory will return. The building that Jesse pulled you out of was structurally compromised as the result of some incredible force. You were in that building, possibly in the middle of the blast. It's a miracle that you lived though it-probably thanks to your regenerative powers."
Natalia's eyes were thoughtful. "Or could I have caused the blast?" She wondered.
Later that day, Natalia observed Adam at work in the lab. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. "What are you doing?"
"Well," Adam replied with an amused twinkle in his eye," let's see if there is anything here that you recognize."
The woman strolled serenely through the lab, perusing each area. Pleased, she began naming off the work areas and their purposes. "I'm not exactly sure how you've configured the settings and controls, but I believe I understand the functions." Adam gave her an amazed but delighted look.
Tal turned to him suddenly, serious. "I've taken the liberty to study the current technology on the Internet these past few days. Who are you, Adam? Why do you use such advanced technology in this world?" Adam returned an evasive look, but then gazed at her intently, wondering. And she, meeting that gaze had an even stronger sense of deja-vu. "You.are so familiar-I.I feel as if I've always known you," Natalia said almost reverently. Not many people know my native language. Where did you learn it?"
Adam replied puzzled, "Natalia, I feel as if we've been friends before too, and I don't know how I just suddenly picked up your language." He shook his head, still wondering, and wandered away.
Later, Adam asked his guest, "How is it that you recognized most of the lab instrumentation?"
"Lucky guesses," she tossed back teasingly. "How about my blood test results or do you need more blood?"
"Well, now that you mention it, the results were largely inconclusive leading me to want to question you further." Adam stated matter of fact. "Do you have any knowledge or memory of your powers, or where you came from?"
Natalia buried her head in her hands. "I remember running from someone, who, I don't know. I dived. I remember falling, falling forever, then impact and great pain. But it was quiet and I was alone." She looked up, agonized, at Adam. "I wish I could remember who I was running from and where I was before, and why you seem so familiar. Was I running from you? Why do I feel so much like I'm home? Are there any records we could check, fingerprints, retinal scans?" She laughed ruefully; "So many questions. I don't even remember my last name."
Adam took Natalia's hand compassionately. "We know that you have advanced Regenerative abilities, which would put you in the Molecular category. Shalimar senses Feral about you; perhaps, if you feel up to it, you could spar with Shalimar and test that theory further. I feel as if there is much more potential locked up here, but right now, I couldn't even try to guess." Adam shook his head thoughtfully. "Or what if we were to subject you to holographic simulated situations that would challenge your abilities, ones that you might have, but have not yet surfaced? It's possible that some of these might surface. The only danger is," said Adam with a grin, "that if you don't have the abilities to deal with the hologram, you'll get your @$$ kicked."
For a fleeting moment, Natalia seemed to remember something. Her eyes became animated, but then the look passed. "Let's do it, then," she replied.
At Genomex, a very subdued GSA officer faced his white haired superior. "Mr. Hall, you did not recover a body?" Eckhart questioned sternly. "We had clear indications of a life force involved in this anomaly. All you brought back was blood stained piece of clothing." "There was no body at the site, sir." The officer replied fearfully respectful.
Eckhart was apparently having one of his 'better' days. He replied, "Hmm. It was not a total loss, however. We were able to run tests on the blood on the clothing and found evidence that its owner was, is a New Mutant, female with at least regenerative powers. We must find out who she is, capture her and study her valuable DNA." Eckhart dismissed Mr. Hall with a curt nod.
Natalia had been with Mutant X for nearly 2 weeks. She and Shalimar had finally set up a contest on the Dojo. They were now sparring, Adam, Emma and Brennan watching nearby. Shalimar opened with a drop kick to Tal's midriff, which she easily deflected. Tal crouched catlike, watching for the opening. Lunging across the room, Shal bounded up the wall and dropped down on Tal at incredible speed. Just as quickly, Tal rolled out of the way and was back on her feet instantly, eyes flashing. Tal immediately lunged, knocking Shalimar back off her feet, but the golden haired Feral used the backward momentum to back flip into the air and recover. Swinging fist first, then foot at the dark haired one, Shalimar advanced while Tal retreated, parrying the blows to her body.
Adam motioned at Brennan to enter the combat exercise. Jesse started to protest, but thought better of it. As he entered the platform, Brennan nodded at Shalimar and crept behind Natalia. Shalimar climbed the wall while Brennan quickly formed a small electrical arc in his hand and delivered the small bolt to Natalia. The dark haired woman turned on him and roared with surprise, her eyes going momentarily Catlike. Shalimar smiled, dropped down on Natalia and cuffed her lightly as a "tag, you're it" and sprang away. Natalia still breathing heavily recovered her composure and placed both her adversaries in her sight. As Shalimar and Brennan advanced kicking, Natalia sprang partially up the wall and dropped down on her quarry, which predictably, had separated just before she was able to hit them. Natalia was facing Shalimar on one side, Brennan on the other. Brennan was preparing another bolt. Natalia was keenly aware of everything going on around her. Shal lunged at her from one side, Brennan threw the bolt. Tal ducked. The bolt missed Shalimar, who promptly delivered a successful midriff blow to the dark haired woman. Brennan set up and threw another low voltage bolt.
Tal hissed in pain and reflexively threw a countering force field between her and Brennan, holding it in place with a motion of her hand. Puzzled, Brennan threw a bolt at the nearly invisible barrier and howled when his bolt came back at him. Shalimar paused and stared incredulously, then sprang forward at her opponent. Talia motioned with her other hand at Shal, who suddenly bounced off a similar near invisible force field. Shal rolled on the floor and was up on her feet in a flash. She gingerly approached the wall that Natalia had created. "It's solid" she said.
"Reflects my electrical bolts too" Brennan added.
"Hold that thought a moment longer," a smiling Adam asked Natalia. He and the rest of the group tried to gain access to the entrapped Shalimar and Brennan through the force fields. "I can phase through it, but wouldn't be able to get anyone on the other side out" Jesse said. Emma hugged Natalia encouragingly. Adam nodded at Tal, who promptly turned off the retaining fields by withdrawing her hands. Giving her a hug around the shoulders, Adam said "I knew we'd be able to uncover more of your mysterious past in combat situation."
Natalia reproached him, "You said that I'd be subjected to holographic situations, not with live people!" Adam nodded in agreement smiling. "Yes, but you must always be ready to deal with surprises. It could bring out the best in you." He slapped her on the back affectionately and pleased, strolled back to his lab.
A week later, Jesse found a request on MutantX's anonymous website to meet with a New Mutant who claimed to have Psionic abilities. He also found a corresponding GSA report regarding a New Mutant with highly developed Psionic abilities. There was an urgent mandate to capture him. Adam assessed the situation. "Shalimar, Tal, Emma," he said, "I expect Emma to make the contact with 'Fitzpatrick', but with Eckhart's people nosing around, we'll need enough backup to get him away quickly."..........
In an abandoned building in Sector 510, a dust covered figure crawled painfully from a pile of rubble. Smoke and dust still hung in the air as if from an explosion. The abandoned building teetered precariously. The woman appeared to be badly injured, dazed, and exhausted. She pulled herself a couple more feet along the ground with her arms, her feet useless. Gasping for breath, she looked around wildly, as if expecting pursuers then overcome with exhaustion, her head dropped and she lay senseless on the ground.
At Sanctuary, Adam and Jesse monitored the unusual activity from a remote distance. "There's a bizarre energy reading in Sector 510: It appears to be geomagnetic disturbance, but the signals are pretty distorted." Jesse said.
Adam nodded thoughtfully. "Close up on it. Some aspects of that signal's pattern are too concentrated to be geomagnetic." he stared at the screen, adjusted some parameters. He frowned and shook his head. "It's more than a simple geomagnetic disturbance, Jesse. I'm not absolutely certain, but it seems to have a teleportation signature." He frowned again.
Emma approached from around the corner. "The GSA just picked up on this event as well, Adam. We intercepted a message and they are sending out a team."
"OK." Adam replied. "Jesse, Brennan, take the Double-Helix out to the location. There may be a New Mutant involved. Watch your backs".
AT SECTOR 510....
A metal girder creaked ominously above the prone figure. A moment later it started to fall. A bolt of electricity deflected it neatly to the side as Brennan arrived on the scene. Jesse slung the woman over his shoulder and the two men hurried out of the doomed building.
Moments later, GSA agents arrived on the scene, in time to witness the stone and steel building collapse.
At Sanctuary, the stranger was carefully laid out in the laboratory. Shalimar gently wiped the dust and grit from the woman's eyes and face. "She seems to be in pretty good shape, for all that she seems to have gone through" she said. The stranger appeared to be early 30's, female, long black hair. She was still pale, with facial features typical of a mid- Pacific islander, tall and built like a warrior princess. Jesse queried, "How's that gash on her arm?"
"What gash?" Shal responded. "Well, my jacket is stained with blood from her arm when I picked her up. I bandaged it." Jesse replied.
"Hmm. I was wondering why her arm was bandaged. There's no damage there." Shal returned. Adam eyebrows rose thoughtfully. He studied the unconscious figure silently.
Without warning, the woman's eyes opened. She gazed silently at the ceiling. "Ha gwaei bwana aeh?" She asked. Adam's eyes lit up in surprised comprehension.
Stepping forward to their guest he replied "Bwaiena ay- ee ta" he replied cordially. Emma, Shal, Brennan and Jessie looked at their leader in surprise. "An Old world dialect," he said with a bemused smile. "I just told her that she is among friends".
The woman, catlike, pulled herself up to a sitting position. Her eyes were dark, steel gray with green highlights that seemed to randomly change to brown. "I can speak your language too," she replied. "Where did you learn the language of the Elders?" she demanded of Adam.
"Where did you learn English?" Adam countered with a smile. The woman relaxed and allowed herself a smile. "Maybe I have escaped," she said so quietly that only Adam and Shalimar heard. "What's your name?" Adam asked.
"I am Natalia," She answered, pausing because she couldn't remember her last name.
"You said you escaped. Are you in trouble?" Adam asked. The woman looked at him intently without answering. Something was so familiar about him. It bothered her immensely because she wasn't sure if he was friend or foe. Adam studied the dark haired woman wondering why she seemed so familiar. Emma unobtrusively opened her telempathic ability to see if their guest was trying to influence Adam. There was nothing except a vague sense of recognition. Emma shrugged. The foursome moved off while their leader conversed with their guest.
A few days later found Natalia quite at home with the Mutant X group. Her recovery had been remarkably fast. Adam had assessed her talents so far to be Molecular with advanced Regenerative powers, possibly Feral, possibly Psionic. But there were too many other clues hinting at other powers she might have that he could not ignore. The newcomer permitted Adam to draw a blood sample for analysis. "Hey, knock yourself out," she had said jovially.
"How did you get here, Tal?" He had asked again. She had shrugged him off, but not before Adam caught that haunted look in her eyes.
"I'm trying to help you, Natalia. I can't do that if you won't provide me the information I need."
" Why don't you have your telepath pull it out of my brain?" Natalia replied frustrated. "If I could remember, I would tell you, Adam."
Adam sighed. "Take your time, Tal. You've been through a lot and hopefully your memory will return. The building that Jesse pulled you out of was structurally compromised as the result of some incredible force. You were in that building, possibly in the middle of the blast. It's a miracle that you lived though it-probably thanks to your regenerative powers."
Natalia's eyes were thoughtful. "Or could I have caused the blast?" She wondered.
Later that day, Natalia observed Adam at work in the lab. "Is there anything I can do to help?" she asked. "What are you doing?"
"Well," Adam replied with an amused twinkle in his eye," let's see if there is anything here that you recognize."
The woman strolled serenely through the lab, perusing each area. Pleased, she began naming off the work areas and their purposes. "I'm not exactly sure how you've configured the settings and controls, but I believe I understand the functions." Adam gave her an amazed but delighted look.
Tal turned to him suddenly, serious. "I've taken the liberty to study the current technology on the Internet these past few days. Who are you, Adam? Why do you use such advanced technology in this world?" Adam returned an evasive look, but then gazed at her intently, wondering. And she, meeting that gaze had an even stronger sense of deja-vu. "You.are so familiar-I.I feel as if I've always known you," Natalia said almost reverently. Not many people know my native language. Where did you learn it?"
Adam replied puzzled, "Natalia, I feel as if we've been friends before too, and I don't know how I just suddenly picked up your language." He shook his head, still wondering, and wandered away.
Later, Adam asked his guest, "How is it that you recognized most of the lab instrumentation?"
"Lucky guesses," she tossed back teasingly. "How about my blood test results or do you need more blood?"
"Well, now that you mention it, the results were largely inconclusive leading me to want to question you further." Adam stated matter of fact. "Do you have any knowledge or memory of your powers, or where you came from?"
Natalia buried her head in her hands. "I remember running from someone, who, I don't know. I dived. I remember falling, falling forever, then impact and great pain. But it was quiet and I was alone." She looked up, agonized, at Adam. "I wish I could remember who I was running from and where I was before, and why you seem so familiar. Was I running from you? Why do I feel so much like I'm home? Are there any records we could check, fingerprints, retinal scans?" She laughed ruefully; "So many questions. I don't even remember my last name."
Adam took Natalia's hand compassionately. "We know that you have advanced Regenerative abilities, which would put you in the Molecular category. Shalimar senses Feral about you; perhaps, if you feel up to it, you could spar with Shalimar and test that theory further. I feel as if there is much more potential locked up here, but right now, I couldn't even try to guess." Adam shook his head thoughtfully. "Or what if we were to subject you to holographic simulated situations that would challenge your abilities, ones that you might have, but have not yet surfaced? It's possible that some of these might surface. The only danger is," said Adam with a grin, "that if you don't have the abilities to deal with the hologram, you'll get your @$$ kicked."
For a fleeting moment, Natalia seemed to remember something. Her eyes became animated, but then the look passed. "Let's do it, then," she replied.
At Genomex, a very subdued GSA officer faced his white haired superior. "Mr. Hall, you did not recover a body?" Eckhart questioned sternly. "We had clear indications of a life force involved in this anomaly. All you brought back was blood stained piece of clothing." "There was no body at the site, sir." The officer replied fearfully respectful.
Eckhart was apparently having one of his 'better' days. He replied, "Hmm. It was not a total loss, however. We were able to run tests on the blood on the clothing and found evidence that its owner was, is a New Mutant, female with at least regenerative powers. We must find out who she is, capture her and study her valuable DNA." Eckhart dismissed Mr. Hall with a curt nod.
Natalia had been with Mutant X for nearly 2 weeks. She and Shalimar had finally set up a contest on the Dojo. They were now sparring, Adam, Emma and Brennan watching nearby. Shalimar opened with a drop kick to Tal's midriff, which she easily deflected. Tal crouched catlike, watching for the opening. Lunging across the room, Shal bounded up the wall and dropped down on Tal at incredible speed. Just as quickly, Tal rolled out of the way and was back on her feet instantly, eyes flashing. Tal immediately lunged, knocking Shalimar back off her feet, but the golden haired Feral used the backward momentum to back flip into the air and recover. Swinging fist first, then foot at the dark haired one, Shalimar advanced while Tal retreated, parrying the blows to her body.
Adam motioned at Brennan to enter the combat exercise. Jesse started to protest, but thought better of it. As he entered the platform, Brennan nodded at Shalimar and crept behind Natalia. Shalimar climbed the wall while Brennan quickly formed a small electrical arc in his hand and delivered the small bolt to Natalia. The dark haired woman turned on him and roared with surprise, her eyes going momentarily Catlike. Shalimar smiled, dropped down on Natalia and cuffed her lightly as a "tag, you're it" and sprang away. Natalia still breathing heavily recovered her composure and placed both her adversaries in her sight. As Shalimar and Brennan advanced kicking, Natalia sprang partially up the wall and dropped down on her quarry, which predictably, had separated just before she was able to hit them. Natalia was facing Shalimar on one side, Brennan on the other. Brennan was preparing another bolt. Natalia was keenly aware of everything going on around her. Shal lunged at her from one side, Brennan threw the bolt. Tal ducked. The bolt missed Shalimar, who promptly delivered a successful midriff blow to the dark haired woman. Brennan set up and threw another low voltage bolt.
Tal hissed in pain and reflexively threw a countering force field between her and Brennan, holding it in place with a motion of her hand. Puzzled, Brennan threw a bolt at the nearly invisible barrier and howled when his bolt came back at him. Shalimar paused and stared incredulously, then sprang forward at her opponent. Talia motioned with her other hand at Shal, who suddenly bounced off a similar near invisible force field. Shal rolled on the floor and was up on her feet in a flash. She gingerly approached the wall that Natalia had created. "It's solid" she said.
"Reflects my electrical bolts too" Brennan added.
"Hold that thought a moment longer," a smiling Adam asked Natalia. He and the rest of the group tried to gain access to the entrapped Shalimar and Brennan through the force fields. "I can phase through it, but wouldn't be able to get anyone on the other side out" Jesse said. Emma hugged Natalia encouragingly. Adam nodded at Tal, who promptly turned off the retaining fields by withdrawing her hands. Giving her a hug around the shoulders, Adam said "I knew we'd be able to uncover more of your mysterious past in combat situation."
Natalia reproached him, "You said that I'd be subjected to holographic situations, not with live people!" Adam nodded in agreement smiling. "Yes, but you must always be ready to deal with surprises. It could bring out the best in you." He slapped her on the back affectionately and pleased, strolled back to his lab.
A week later, Jesse found a request on MutantX's anonymous website to meet with a New Mutant who claimed to have Psionic abilities. He also found a corresponding GSA report regarding a New Mutant with highly developed Psionic abilities. There was an urgent mandate to capture him. Adam assessed the situation. "Shalimar, Tal, Emma," he said, "I expect Emma to make the contact with 'Fitzpatrick', but with Eckhart's people nosing around, we'll need enough backup to get him away quickly."..........