Disclaimer: I don't own them, but I wish I did. Any resemblance to any other plots is unintentional. If you want to use any part of this fic, please contact me.
AN: Thanks to all who have reviewed. Sorry this one took so long, but I had to decide if I wanted to end it quick or slow. (I decided on quick) Just one more chapter, and maybe an epilogue. Please read and review ;)
Emma's heart pounded loudly in her ears as the car pulled up in front of an official looking building. She scanned frantically for something that could help her make an escape, but there was nothing. She could only hope that her message had gotten through to her teammates and that they had been listening. Derrick's hand on her shoulder intruded on her thoughts and she flinched slightly.
He frowned at her but said only, "We've arrived. Mr. Eckhart said that this facility is the home of a new advanced lab. He said that his doctors could find a way to reverse your genetic abnormality so that we can be together."
Emma looked at him in disbelief. How could he be that naive? She had no chance to comment though as the car was pulling to a stop. Quickly she wriggled her comlink off her finger. She knew the trace on it would be broadcasting her location, and she couldn't risk it being confiscated by Eckhart or one of his lab rats. As soon as her guard pulled her out of the car, she stumbled to her knees cast the ring into the grass. The gleam of the silver was painfully obvious to her, but the agents appeared not to notice it as they roughly jerked her to her feet and led her into the building.
* * *
"Adam, they've stopped," Jesse informed the team, his voice tense with worry. Adam nodded and nudged up the speed of the Double Helix. If Eckhart managed to get Emma into a pod, they might not be able to get her free of him this time.
Shalimar looked up from her console. "Adam, according to the city records, that building was recently converted into some type of lab. Surprise, surprise, it's leased out to Genomex."
"See if you can find some blueprints. Maybe that'll give us some idea what to expect," Adam suggested as he activated the stealth program. Shalimar nodded and focused on her screen. Brennan fidgeted in his seat unconsciously calling up little flashes of electricity in his impatience. None of them could ignore the tension building as they neared the lab.
* * *
Derrick and Emma were herded into an office that reeked of Genomex. It was identical to the office Eckhart used at the original facility, down to the sickly grey light that filled the room. Emma stood in front of a familiar black desk and waited for Eckhart to lift his head from his work. She was fully aware that he used this technique to subdue his lackeys and prisoners alike. She was not impressed.
"Geeze, Eckhart, with all the money you've been throwing around, you'd think you would have found a better interior decorator," she sneered, goading him for a response. Eckhart, never one to allow impertinence did not disappoint her.
"As disrespectful as ever I see, Ms. DeLauro," he drawled as he looked up at them. Derrick shifted nervously beside Emma. She could feel the uncertainty coming off him in waves. Evidently this wasn't how he had envisioned this meeting. "We'll have to see if we can't do something about that." Mason Eckhart looked at her coldly for a moment, steepling his black clad fingers. "I suspect you have some questions about how you came to be here today, Ms. DeLauro. Perhaps you'd like an explanation?" He didn't wait for her response. "You see, the night you thwarted my agents at that club, we started researching Mr. Johansen here. On the surface, we might have concluded that he was of little use to us. After all, he was not one of the New Mutants, and at that time, your relationship was murky to say the least. However, upon closer inspection I found that Mr. Johansen did possess one very interesting characteristic."
Derrick was unable to contain himself any longer. "Hey wait a minute. I thought you were going to help us. Now, you're saying you used me?"
Eckhart looked at him disdainfully, "Give the man a prize. I think he finally understands the situation. Mr. Colter, please escort Mr. Johansen out and see that he is suitably rewarded for his assistance. I'll see to getting Ms. DeLauro settled in." The leader of the team of agents nodded and managed to herd Derrick out of the room. "As I was saying, Mr. Johansen does possess one characteristic that we felt could benefit our cause. A psychological report filed on him indicated his extreme aversion to differences. You might even say he's a bigot.
"To give the man credit, he didn't believe me when I informed him of your…abnormality. That was when we decided to arrange a little demonstration for him. I'm happy to say that you played your role splendidly. "
"You set up the bar fight," Emma said. She hadn't thought it would be possible to loathe the man more that she already did. He proved her wrong.
"Yes. Well, to make a long story short, we convinced him that our scientists would be able to correct your condition and he brought you here. Touching story wouldn't you say?"
"It has all the makings of a Hallmark movie. But Eckhart, you're forgetting one thing. There is no happy ending here. I will not become a GSA lackey and you will gain nothing from keeping me here."
"I thought you might say that. Although I am disappointed that you once again choose to decline my offer of employment, I did take the liberty of finding a few other means of making this a profitable situation, for Genomex. Even if you can not be convinced to help us, we can use you to help us with some psionic studies we are starting. Oh, and there's always the added benefit of how your loss will lame Mutant X."
"I don't think Adam will let that happen," Emma retorted, unable to come up with another answer.
"You underestimate yourself. However, that is a discussion for a later time." Eckhart pressed a button on his phone. "Lab one, she's ready now." Then he turned back to his computer screen in obvious dismissal. In moments, the remaining GSA team had bundled Emma out the door and down a long hallway.
* * *
Adam turned in his chair as he brought the Double Helix to a stand still above the new Genomex facility. Its stealth device should keep it hidden while they hovered and made their plans. The others were gathered around the blueprints of the building, searching for a way in, a way to liberate their teammate. Adam left them to it as he turned to one of the computer consoles. With any luck, he might be able to hack into the Genomex database and find out the guards' rotation schedule.
Minutes passed, each involved in the task. Brennan sighed in frustration and sat back in his seat. "This is impossible. Eckhart seems to have plugged up every leak in the place. The only way in appears to be…" Brennan's voice trailed off as the green light tracing Emma's comlink began to move. "Is anyone else seeing that?"
Shalimar quickly pulled up a screen that gave them a view of the ground below. Her eyes glowed with feral anger as she contemplated the figure making his way across the otherwise deserted parking lot in front of the building. "I got first dibs," she growled as she rose out of the seat.
Adam stopped her. "You're not going anywhere. The minute you touch foot on that lot, the GSA will be on their way out that door. We'll have to follow him away from here. Hopefully he'll be able to give us some insight on how to get Emma out of Eckhart's clutches." The team reluctantly agreed, but it was very hard to fly away from their friend.
* * *
Emma paced nervously around her small holding cell. There was no furniture, save the light fixture that hung well out of reach. The single bulb glared down at her and emphasized the smallness of the space. Her mind kept bringing up horrible pictures of what Eckhart's lab rats had devised as the latest psionic study. Her fingers crept gingerly to the nape of her neck. The cool metal of the subdermal governor taunted her even as the wound itched. What she wouldn't give for a little of Brennan's electricity now. Emma stalked over to the door and kicked it a few times. Unsurprisingly, it stayed closed. It crossed her mind that sometimes anticipation became its own form of torture as she caught herself almost hoping that someone would come for her soon. Almost anything was better than waiting for some unknown horror.
Her thoughts turned to her friends. Surely they were working on a way to get her out. She grinned a little in spite of herself. They were going to rake her over the coals when they got their hands on her. She'd gladly take that abuse, as long as it got her out of this shop of horrors. Realizing that she had found the key to stemming her anxiety, Emma focused her thoughts on her friends. She began to visualize what they would do and say when they found her, and also what she might be able to do to help them get her out of this mess. Then, when she got back to Sanctuary, she'd relax in the meditation and ponder on what she could do to keep from being so easily misled. There was no way she'd give Eckhart a third chance at her if she could help it.
As time continued to drag on, her thoughts of home faltered. They were unable to keep her mind clear of the fear that began to grow again as she heard hollow footsteps echoing on the floor outside her door. As she heard keys fumbling at the lock, Emma turned to face her enemy.