TIPPING THE SCALES
"Shalimar, any word yet?" Emma asked with a flourish of concern edging her gentle voice. She stopped to stand behind the feral, who sat in the computer chair, staring at the screen.
"No. It's been a whole half hour since their rings were deactivated," Shalimar replied, looking at the younger woman with a clear frown. "We need to do something."
"You're right," came the voice of Adam as he strode up the steps behind them, "and I'm sorry I didn't let you go sooner."
Shalimar stood, immediately ready to go. "It's not your fault, Adam."
"We don't know for sure that anything has happened to them," Emma pointed out, even as Natasha appeared.
"But we have to be realistic," Adam countered seriously, leading the way back down the stairs.
Natty looked glum. This was the first time anything of this magnitude had happened whilst she had been on the scene. They could easily tell she was deeply worried for her cousin, and for Jesse. She probably worried for Claire's safety too, although not on the same level.
"When I find that little weasel." Shalimar grumbled fiercely, trailing off into static silence that made them all yearn to go find their friends.
* * *
Emma followed Shalimar down the narrow street, feeling the presence of Natasha bringing up the rear. They had embarked from Sanctuary as soon as Adam had given them the go-ahead. He had looked understandably concerned about the remaining three members of Mutant X.
Emma looked around the area after seeing a cat flee out of the edge of her vision. The animal attracted Shalimar's attention too, but after realising the source of the disturbance, she soon turned back to her inspection of the area.
"Over there," she said suddenly, indicating with a nod, and moving over to the area.
The ground at their feet -stretched in front of a blackened doorway- was scorched. Several garbage sacks had been melted, and a beam from above the door had collapsed, covering the opening.
"I think it's safe to say this is the right place," Natty mumbled.
Emma looked through the blocked opening, and saw. well, not very much at all.
She saw Shalimar's eyes glow a golden yellow to help the woman see inside.
"It's a mess in there," she told them, allowing her eyes to return to normal. She shook her head then. "I can't tell what happened without getting in there," she continued, "but I think the beam is still warm."
Natty allowed herself a small smile, and stared behind Shalimar at the doorway.
The beam shook, and slowly, lifted off the ground, unblocking the doorway. The opening became clear, and Shalimar smiled wanly. The feral walked in, followed by Emma.
"I'll stay out here, and keep an eye out," Natty said, allowing the beam to settle off to the side.
Emma and Shalimar trod carefully over the ground, where mud was splattered, and plaster broken from the walls had fallen.
Taking a closer look, Emma noticed that a large impact against the wall had caused the plaster to come away.
"Shalimar, take a look at this," she called softly, knowing that other people lived close by. She didn't want to attract unnecessary attention to their presence.
The older woman moved over, and inspected the wall.
"Looks like someone got thrown against the wall," Emma pointed out, indicating the broken plaster on the floor at their feet.
Shalimar crouched down to inspect the floor, and rummaged with her hands through the plaster pieces. Soon, with a frown, she picked out a solid silver ring, holding it up.
"It's Jesse's," she said sadly.
Emma had guessed that Shalimar had smelt Jesse's scent on the ring.
"So, we know something happened to Jesse, but what about Claire and Brennan?" Emma pointed out.
Shalimar stood, pocketing the discarded ring. She began searching around for signs of the others.
"What's going on?" Natty called from the doorway.
Emma looked over, giving Natasha the reply with her blue eyes. Natty bowed her head.
"I've found another one," Shalimar called from across the hall. "It's Brennan's," she added, looking up, and placing the second ring in her pocket.
"Okay," Emma muttered, "so, just one more to find."
"Yeah, but where is it?" Shalimar asked, looking around again, her face glum.
* * *
With a groan, he slowly opened his eyes, rolling from his side onto his back, squinting against the light from the ceiling, bright and harsh.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he glanced to the right.
He sat up immediately, instantly regretting the action. Pain shot up and down his spine. He groaned again, rubbing the back of his neck, looking over again across the stark, plain room. That was when he realised he was soaked through, from head to toe. He frowned, confused.
Lying on her side was Claire, out cold. And behind her, lying on his front unconscious, was Jesse.
Brennan crawled over, wincing as the pain flowed up and down his back with each movement. Whatever they had hit him with had been big and heavy.
"Claire?" he said gently, touching her head gently. She did not stir, and Brennan frowned again, watching as her hair fell in front of her face.
He stroked it out of the way, and shook her shoulder gently.
"Claire?" he repeated, and shook her again.
This time, she stirred, slowly at first, and then her eyes fluttered open, and she grimaced, sitting up, holding her hand to her mouth and nose, as if in disgust.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice unusually soft and full of concern. He stroked the side of her face.
She shook her head for a moment, moaned softly, and looked him in the eye, lowering her hand.
"I may not have been good at chemistry, but I know chloroform when I smell it." She grimaced again, and coughed twice.
He rubbed her back gently. "You okay?"
"I will be," she replied groggily. Then she looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Brennan, you're soaked."
Brennan sighed, and looked down at the still form of Jesse. "Yeah, I noticed. Means I can't use my power."
Claire followed his gaze with a nod, and immediately awoke fully. "Oh my god, Jesse."
She placed a hand on his head, and looked to Brennan. "How long have you been awake?" she asked Brennan, feeling for Jesse's pulse. From the look on her face, it was clear there wasn't too much to worry about. Jesse was simply unconscious, although his breathing was a little ragged.
"About five minutes ago," he replied. He groaned again, bowing his head suddenly, and wincing, holding a hand to his neck.
Claire's attention moved from Jesse to Brennan, and her brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"
He nodded slowly, trying not to cause himself any further harm.
That was when they head the click of the door unlocking, and then opening.
Four large, leather-clad figures strode in, looking straight at them.
Brennan stood in the tall clear cell. He realised then that the cell was lit more brightly than the rest of the blank room. The pain shot through his back again, but this time he ignored it.
One of the men he recognised as Gerald, and Brennan moved forward with intent, only to be thrown back by a charge shot out of the wall.
Claire was the next to stand, but she decided against Brennan's course of action. She simply glared, her stance alone most intimidating.
"Ah, Miss Marlow, I'm guessing you're angry," another of the men said. He was tall and menacing, his hair and eyes dark.
In the background behind Claire, Brennan knelt up.
"Good guess," Claire retorted, words filled with venom, eyes narrowed.
The man laughed. "That's good." He paused, dismissing everyone but Gerald. "My name is Eric Sampson."
"I don't care," Claire said, her voice low.
Sampson laughed again. "I see."
"What do you want?" Claire demanded, seeming short as Brennan came up behind her.
Sampson seemed to avoid the question, and launched into an explanation of his own, "Mr. Mulwray, as I'm sure you've noticed, you have been soaked with water. This is because we wanted you to avoid using your powers long enough for me to tell you that throwing electricity against the cell wall would most certainly kill all of you. One of you definitely."
He smiled wickedly down at Jesse.
"It's not hard for you to realise Mr. Kilmartin is unconscious. We're keeping him sedated so that he -like you Mr. Mulwray- doesn't harm himself. Attempting to pass through these walls would send a ten-thousand volt jolt through his body. intangible or not."
Claire frowned. Apparently, they had thought of everything.
"And as far you, Miss Marlow, if you look around, you'll see that there are no windows, not even a skylight. I understand your powers enough to know that you have to have direct access to the weather and its elements, either through a window or when you're out in the open. Your powers won't work in here." He paused, grinning. "Apart from your fog generation that is. Although, I don't see any use in that." With a laugh, he turned to leave, looking back only to say, "We'll be back for Mr. Kilmartin within the hour."
"What for? Brennan asked, even as Sampson and Gerald exited. "Hey!"
"Brennan," Claire warned as the other elemental moved for the cell wall, "you heard what he said."
Brennan looked back. "I know."
With a glance to Jesse, Claire moved to sit beside Brennan.
"Shalimar, any word yet?" Emma asked with a flourish of concern edging her gentle voice. She stopped to stand behind the feral, who sat in the computer chair, staring at the screen.
"No. It's been a whole half hour since their rings were deactivated," Shalimar replied, looking at the younger woman with a clear frown. "We need to do something."
"You're right," came the voice of Adam as he strode up the steps behind them, "and I'm sorry I didn't let you go sooner."
Shalimar stood, immediately ready to go. "It's not your fault, Adam."
"We don't know for sure that anything has happened to them," Emma pointed out, even as Natasha appeared.
"But we have to be realistic," Adam countered seriously, leading the way back down the stairs.
Natty looked glum. This was the first time anything of this magnitude had happened whilst she had been on the scene. They could easily tell she was deeply worried for her cousin, and for Jesse. She probably worried for Claire's safety too, although not on the same level.
"When I find that little weasel." Shalimar grumbled fiercely, trailing off into static silence that made them all yearn to go find their friends.
* * *
Emma followed Shalimar down the narrow street, feeling the presence of Natasha bringing up the rear. They had embarked from Sanctuary as soon as Adam had given them the go-ahead. He had looked understandably concerned about the remaining three members of Mutant X.
Emma looked around the area after seeing a cat flee out of the edge of her vision. The animal attracted Shalimar's attention too, but after realising the source of the disturbance, she soon turned back to her inspection of the area.
"Over there," she said suddenly, indicating with a nod, and moving over to the area.
The ground at their feet -stretched in front of a blackened doorway- was scorched. Several garbage sacks had been melted, and a beam from above the door had collapsed, covering the opening.
"I think it's safe to say this is the right place," Natty mumbled.
Emma looked through the blocked opening, and saw. well, not very much at all.
She saw Shalimar's eyes glow a golden yellow to help the woman see inside.
"It's a mess in there," she told them, allowing her eyes to return to normal. She shook her head then. "I can't tell what happened without getting in there," she continued, "but I think the beam is still warm."
Natty allowed herself a small smile, and stared behind Shalimar at the doorway.
The beam shook, and slowly, lifted off the ground, unblocking the doorway. The opening became clear, and Shalimar smiled wanly. The feral walked in, followed by Emma.
"I'll stay out here, and keep an eye out," Natty said, allowing the beam to settle off to the side.
Emma and Shalimar trod carefully over the ground, where mud was splattered, and plaster broken from the walls had fallen.
Taking a closer look, Emma noticed that a large impact against the wall had caused the plaster to come away.
"Shalimar, take a look at this," she called softly, knowing that other people lived close by. She didn't want to attract unnecessary attention to their presence.
The older woman moved over, and inspected the wall.
"Looks like someone got thrown against the wall," Emma pointed out, indicating the broken plaster on the floor at their feet.
Shalimar crouched down to inspect the floor, and rummaged with her hands through the plaster pieces. Soon, with a frown, she picked out a solid silver ring, holding it up.
"It's Jesse's," she said sadly.
Emma had guessed that Shalimar had smelt Jesse's scent on the ring.
"So, we know something happened to Jesse, but what about Claire and Brennan?" Emma pointed out.
Shalimar stood, pocketing the discarded ring. She began searching around for signs of the others.
"What's going on?" Natty called from the doorway.
Emma looked over, giving Natasha the reply with her blue eyes. Natty bowed her head.
"I've found another one," Shalimar called from across the hall. "It's Brennan's," she added, looking up, and placing the second ring in her pocket.
"Okay," Emma muttered, "so, just one more to find."
"Yeah, but where is it?" Shalimar asked, looking around again, her face glum.
* * *
With a groan, he slowly opened his eyes, rolling from his side onto his back, squinting against the light from the ceiling, bright and harsh.
He closed his eyes for a moment, and when he opened them again, he glanced to the right.
He sat up immediately, instantly regretting the action. Pain shot up and down his spine. He groaned again, rubbing the back of his neck, looking over again across the stark, plain room. That was when he realised he was soaked through, from head to toe. He frowned, confused.
Lying on her side was Claire, out cold. And behind her, lying on his front unconscious, was Jesse.
Brennan crawled over, wincing as the pain flowed up and down his back with each movement. Whatever they had hit him with had been big and heavy.
"Claire?" he said gently, touching her head gently. She did not stir, and Brennan frowned again, watching as her hair fell in front of her face.
He stroked it out of the way, and shook her shoulder gently.
"Claire?" he repeated, and shook her again.
This time, she stirred, slowly at first, and then her eyes fluttered open, and she grimaced, sitting up, holding her hand to her mouth and nose, as if in disgust.
"What's wrong? Are you alright?" he asked, his voice unusually soft and full of concern. He stroked the side of her face.
She shook her head for a moment, moaned softly, and looked him in the eye, lowering her hand.
"I may not have been good at chemistry, but I know chloroform when I smell it." She grimaced again, and coughed twice.
He rubbed her back gently. "You okay?"
"I will be," she replied groggily. Then she looked him up and down, raising an eyebrow. "Brennan, you're soaked."
Brennan sighed, and looked down at the still form of Jesse. "Yeah, I noticed. Means I can't use my power."
Claire followed his gaze with a nod, and immediately awoke fully. "Oh my god, Jesse."
She placed a hand on his head, and looked to Brennan. "How long have you been awake?" she asked Brennan, feeling for Jesse's pulse. From the look on her face, it was clear there wasn't too much to worry about. Jesse was simply unconscious, although his breathing was a little ragged.
"About five minutes ago," he replied. He groaned again, bowing his head suddenly, and wincing, holding a hand to his neck.
Claire's attention moved from Jesse to Brennan, and her brow furrowed. "Are you alright?"
He nodded slowly, trying not to cause himself any further harm.
That was when they head the click of the door unlocking, and then opening.
Four large, leather-clad figures strode in, looking straight at them.
Brennan stood in the tall clear cell. He realised then that the cell was lit more brightly than the rest of the blank room. The pain shot through his back again, but this time he ignored it.
One of the men he recognised as Gerald, and Brennan moved forward with intent, only to be thrown back by a charge shot out of the wall.
Claire was the next to stand, but she decided against Brennan's course of action. She simply glared, her stance alone most intimidating.
"Ah, Miss Marlow, I'm guessing you're angry," another of the men said. He was tall and menacing, his hair and eyes dark.
In the background behind Claire, Brennan knelt up.
"Good guess," Claire retorted, words filled with venom, eyes narrowed.
The man laughed. "That's good." He paused, dismissing everyone but Gerald. "My name is Eric Sampson."
"I don't care," Claire said, her voice low.
Sampson laughed again. "I see."
"What do you want?" Claire demanded, seeming short as Brennan came up behind her.
Sampson seemed to avoid the question, and launched into an explanation of his own, "Mr. Mulwray, as I'm sure you've noticed, you have been soaked with water. This is because we wanted you to avoid using your powers long enough for me to tell you that throwing electricity against the cell wall would most certainly kill all of you. One of you definitely."
He smiled wickedly down at Jesse.
"It's not hard for you to realise Mr. Kilmartin is unconscious. We're keeping him sedated so that he -like you Mr. Mulwray- doesn't harm himself. Attempting to pass through these walls would send a ten-thousand volt jolt through his body. intangible or not."
Claire frowned. Apparently, they had thought of everything.
"And as far you, Miss Marlow, if you look around, you'll see that there are no windows, not even a skylight. I understand your powers enough to know that you have to have direct access to the weather and its elements, either through a window or when you're out in the open. Your powers won't work in here." He paused, grinning. "Apart from your fog generation that is. Although, I don't see any use in that." With a laugh, he turned to leave, looking back only to say, "We'll be back for Mr. Kilmartin within the hour."
"What for? Brennan asked, even as Sampson and Gerald exited. "Hey!"
"Brennan," Claire warned as the other elemental moved for the cell wall, "you heard what he said."
Brennan looked back. "I know."
With a glance to Jesse, Claire moved to sit beside Brennan.