What lies behind us and what lies before us are tiny matters
compared to what lies with in us.
Ralph Waldo Emerson
As the Audi headed down a small side street, Emma pulled over and the pair got out. Emma looked around but couldn't find any house or apartment.
"So were is this place?" Orion just smiled and walked down a nearby alley indicating for her to follow. The pair came apon a dead end. Emma was now lost, 'were could this place be?' She thought to herself.
"Easy." Came the audible reply.
"Hey don't do that!" She was none to happy that someone was reading her.
"Now you know how other people feel." Before she could reply he walked over to an electrical box. Inside was a small keypad. After entering the appropriate code, the dead end wall shimmered then vanished to be replaced by a solid metal door.
"Cool." Orion walked over to the manhole cover and removed it. Reaching down, he removed a loose brick and pressed a little button. With that the door opened. He replaced the brick, manhole and closed the electrical box and the two entered the formally hidden building.
"Welcome to my humble abode." Emma was taken back. It was similar to Sanctuary but did had a far more militaristic set-up and feel." Directly in front of her was a jet black Humvee and a navy blue BMW. Nearby were a bedroom, kitchen and bathroom. A large wide-screen TV was on the far wall.
"Whoa." Was all Emma could say. Regaining her senses she turned to Orion who was rummaging through a small cupboard. "How can you afford this? Last I heard army pay wasn't that great." Orion looked up and smiled,
"It doesn't. This is one of the perks." She could tell he was holding back,
"Does the government know about this place." Orion shook his head,
"Nope." Was all he said but Emma wasn't going to leave this alone.
"Come on tell me." Without looking up he said,
"If I tell you, I'll have to.."
"Kill me?" Finished Emma. He gave her a thumbs up. "Come on I won't tell."
"Bingo!" Yelled Orion as he stood up with a small black bag. Seeing the look on her face he realised she wasn't going to let the topic drop. So he explained while he got some clothes together.
"Several of my missions involved the extraction or removal of less than reputable individuals ranging from drug lords to dictators. Now, as most people realise these.... 'people' aren't to keen on facing justice. Most of them are also scarily rich. Via my unique abilities I can usually get close enough to them and after some polite persuasion, I was able to gain access to their accounts. Total to date that has been acquired is approximately seven point five billion off which the government has seven billion. The rest is held in secure accounts throughout the world, under a handful of aliases, just in case." Emma mulled this over.
"So this extra you put way. Why?" He smiled and gestured to their surroundings.
"It helps to be prepared." The grin disappeared as his voice became more removed, "I had a feeling that one day 'they' would turn on me due to my gifts." Emma realised a lot now. While his background was far removed from any other new mutant she had encountered, he still faced the same prejudices as the rest off them.
"How were they, 'persuaded'?" Images flashed through her head over people in pain and suffering. The colour drained from her face. "You tortured them didn't you?" An uneasy silence fall as he mulled over how to answer.
"Yes." Before she could say anymore he stood up and offered his hand. "Time to go unless you want your friends to think I've abducted you." She smiled, realising he was changing the subject but glad he was. Taking the his hand she whispered to him,
"That could be fun." And kept on walking. Orion was bowled over. 'Was that a Pass?' It had been so long since he'd been involved not since..... Maria. Her image flashed through his mind.
"Maria?" Asked Emma. Obviously she had picked up the name and image. Orion didn't answer. He just kept walking towards the Audi. Emma dropped the subject and the pair entered the car. As they left the city an olive green flatbed truck pulled out behind them. Spotting the truck Orion told Emma to drive faster. As the car rounded the next corner Emma spotted a road block and swerved onto a dirt track to avoid it. The car tyres blew.
"Stringers." Said Orion. When the car stopped, Orions' side was closest to the road. Both got out.
"Run." Orion told Emma, "It's me they're after." Before she could reply he ran back up the dirt track. Emma turned and ran deeper into the forest hoping to hide before returning to Sanctuary. She activated her comring and began to talk.
Orion ran up the track and spotted two soldiers heading towards him. Before they spotted him, he took cover in the bushes and waited for them to pass. Once they had he sneaked up behind them and the pair had a meeting of the minds. He dragged their bodies off the road and began to move cautiously up the road. His eyes flashed as he heard a noise. Just then a squad of seven troops came out of the undergrowth and surrounded him with their weapons raised.
"Freeze! Put your hands on your head now!" Yelled the squad leader. Orion just smiled raising his hands,
"Don't you know it's not nice to point guns at people." Before the squad leader could reply all their rifles went flying and Orion punched the nearest soldier knocking him out. With a swift kick another was sent flying. Having cleared an opening, Orion dove out of the circle and turned to face the remaining soldiers.
"Get him!" Yelled the leader. The two nearest men charged him. Orion blocked a blow from the first and kicked the second down south. As that one collapsed Orion countered a move from the other and snapped the mans neck. He then knocked out the first. The remaining soldiers tried to circle round him, but he kept backing of. From behind him out sprang a giant of a man. Seven feet tall and built like a brick outhouse, he locked Orion in a bear hug. Orion countered by entering the mans mind and making him think he was on fire. The giant dropped him and ran away screaming. Orion quickly despatched four more men leaving just the squad leader, who was looking very worried, left. As Orion closed on him another group of soldiers approached from the direction of the Audi.
"Major surrender now." Orion acknowledged the voice,
"Nice to see you again Colonel." Orion knocked out the squad leader with out looking. He turned to face the Colonel and prepared to pounce.
"Not so fast Major."
"What's stopping me? Your little men with guns." With a gesture he sent two men flying backwards knocking one out off a tree. The colonel grinned.
"Nope." He gestured to someone Orion couldn't see. Out came Emma surrounded by two men. "Unless you want her to die like that Brazilian chick, now what was her name? Ah yes, Maria. Unless you want another Maria I suggest you surrender now!" Orion looked from Redwood to Emma and back. Realising he was screwed he dropped to his knees and placed his hands. Redwood smiled and signalled for his men to take Orion. He was handcuffed and implanted with a governor. Redwood approached, as Orion was lifted up, and stopped mere inches from him.
"This is what we get for using you things instead of a real man." Orion smirked,
"Like you?" Redwood stood up tall thinking he was being complimented,
"Yes like me." Before anyone could move, Orion head butted Redwood smashing the Colonels' nose for a second time. "If your the best real man god help us." Remarked Orion as Emma laughed. The soldiers quickly grabbed him as Redwood cursed and cussed while grabbing his nose. Turning back to Orion, he punched him in the stomach, forcing Orion to his knees.
"Get then in the truck now!" The two new mutants were thrown in and it drove off with another truck right behind.
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The Double-helix landed and Brennan and Shalimar exited. They spotted the car and walked over. Shalimar spotted Emmas comring on the ground.
"Not good." She remarked.
"Adam." Brennan spoke into his, "We've found Emmas ring but no sign of her or Orion." Back at sanctuary Adam was worried.
"OK get the car back here." Shutting the link he turned to looked up. "Jesse, hack into an available spy satellite and back track to the last time set when Emmas' ring was active." Jesse flew over the keyboard. Like the rest they had heard the conversation between Orion and Redwood and were worried for their team-mate and friend and him.
"All ready going Adam." He yelled back. The work was slow and soon both Shalimar and Brennan were back.
"Got them!" Yelled Jesse. Everyone ran to see what he'd found. Looking up at his friends he continued, "about a minute after Emmas comlink went dead I've found two army style trucks driving away from the dirt road and back into town." Adam patted him on the shoulder,
"Good work. Now fast forward to the current time frame, following the trucks." Soon they had the location and Jesse, Brennan and Shalimar were off.
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