UNINVITED, YET AT HAND
With a great echoing crash, the double doors flew inwards, shards of wood soaring through the air. The lock completely came away, and clattered to the floor, broken from the frame, useless.
Five figures entered, proud in their entrance, and intent on their minds. Men rushed up to them to halt their entrance, but where only knocked casually aside, kicked and punched away by people of greater strength.
Shalimar flashed her eyes briefly at the fallen men, and then, with a half-smile, carried on with the others.
Emma stepped over one of the still forms, looking down at them only momentarily to see whether or not they were important. Just lackeys, she decided.
With a straight face, Natasha followed the other two women, her mind clearly set on the rescue mission at hand. She cared not for the people lying face down on the floor. They were not her concern.
Adam checked each of the people for any familiarities, and decided that he knew none of them. He carried on with the rest of his team, looking around hurriedly for any doorways besides the one clearly set before them. It seemed too obvious that that was the entrance.
And finally, bringing up the rear, towering over the others, came Brennan, recovered enough to be on such a mission. He wanted to help, and having apologised for all he was worth, had been accepted. His face was as if set in stone, serious and determined.
They burst through the second door, which hadn't in truth actually been locked at all. But still, Shalimar found some satisfaction in smashing it from its frame.
They strode through confidently, knocking anyone who dared to cross their path aside like a rag doll, though they were careful not to harm any of them too much. They did not know whether or not these people had been altered as Brennan had.
Shalimar, Natasha and Brennan opened all the doors they came to, peering inside.
Finding nothing of importance inside of them, they closed the doors once more, moving swiftly on to the next door.
Adam located a locked door, but halted Shalimar before the feral shattered it as she had the others. She stopped, her leg in the air, ready to kick, as Adam held up a hand, and gestured for them to carry on without him.
"You sure, Adam?" Brennan queried, narrowing his eyes.
Adam merely nodded, drawing an electronic device from his jacket pocket. He quickly held it up to the card-key lock at the side of the door, even as the others shuffled off.
Within no time at all, the small blinking light switched from a dull red, to a bright, and welcome shade of green. The door clicked.
Adam opened the door, ducking immediately as a gunshot filled the air.
"Adam!" he heard Shalimar cry, and just as he heard her come running back down the hallway, he also heard that same gun click on empty.
"It's alright! Keep going!" he called back, standing, and meeting the cold gaze of Eric Sampson.
"I should have guessed you had something to do with this, Eric," Adam grumbled, closing the door again, and hearing it click as it locked once more. He raised an eyebrow at Eric, and shook his head.
Eric Sampson laughed. He sounded a little nervous if anything. What had happened here? The door was almost blown to pieces from bullet holes. That explained why the gun ran on empty so fast, however.
Adam moved across to face Sampson more closely, and his voice was quiet, yet full of disgust, "Why, Eric? What made you do it?"
Again, Sampson laughed. "They're not like us, Adam. You know that as well as I do."
"Yes, I do. But I also know that some of them are better than we can ever hope to be," Adam retorted, watching Eric place the empty gun on the desktop.
The office was generously furnished with expensive antique furniture, made from the finest oak and leather. Colourful paintings filled the walls. Eric certainly had been busy since leaving Genomex, that was for certain.
Sampson's laugh was more heartfelt this time, and much more confident. He shook his head vigorously. "Still so noble. Even after all you've done." He paused, staring boldly into Adam's eyes. "They're freaks, Adam, accidents. They were never meant to be. 'Children of Genomex'." He scoffed loudly, narrowing his eyes. "They're not doing anyone any good, so I thought I would just take them, and use them for myself."
Adam punched Eric; even from his side of the desk the distance was reachable. Eric stumbled backwards, and looked back to Adam with a slightly surprised expression.
"I'm impressed, Adam," he said, voice low. "But what right have you got to come in here and destroy what I have created?"
"What you have created is harming more people than you even care about, Eric," Adam retorted angrily, "and it's time someone with some sense put a stop to that, and set these poor people free."
"People?" He laughed again. "You're so deluded."
Adam spotted a small object on the table, and retrieved it from the wooden surface, inspecting it cautiously, keeping a discreet eye on Eric.
He shook his head. He knew very well what it was.
Long ago, whilst under employment in Genomex, Eric Sampson had devised an internal Sub-dermal Governor, with a pain-inducing device, the one that Adam held now. Adam himself had devised a similar device, one that Mason Eckhart now had in his clutches. He hated himself for it, almost as much as he hated Eric Sampson.
"How can you justify using this?" Adam asked, holding up the device.
Eric shrugged. "Hey, it works. What do you expect me to do with it?" He smiled. "I think it messed up Kilmartin though."
Without warning, or hesitation, Adam threw the device against the wall, watching with satisfaction as it shattered. Eric glared back at him after staring for a while at the broken pieces.
Adam pushed the desk hard, slamming it against Sampson, who in turn, collided with the wall, partially trapped.
He managed to wriggle out from behind the desk like the serpent that he really was, and lunged for Adam.
Adam evaded the lunge, and followed it up with a kick to the back of Eric's legs, knocking the other man down.
Shouting angrily, Eric stood, and punched at Adam clumsily.
Eric Sampson never had been very good in this area. Adam supposed it could explain why he employed New Mutants.
Adam punched Sampson hard in the face, causing the man to fall backwards.
Shaking his head, Adam moved in for another attack.
* * *
"In here," Shalimar said quietly, pausing at a door, "I think I hear something."
Sure enough, as the four team members concentrated on listening, they could clearly hear something that sounded like whimpering and pleading.
"That sounds like Claire," Brennan noted, and moved to try the door. It was locked.
"Stand back," he said, and pointed a finger towards the handle, allowing a strand of electricity to spark from his hand to the handle. They heard the lock click open, and Brennan swung the door from its frame.
They saw Claire shoot into an upright position immediately, taking on a fighting stance. She was stood over an unconscious figure.
"Jesse," Natty mumbled, and looked to Claire, as though she thought the woman was the one responsible.
Brennan could see Claire had been crying. She was frightened, despite the procedure that had been carried out on them, almost erasing all fear.
He moved towards her, holding out his hand.
Claire stepped over Jesse protectively, one foot on either side of the fallen man. "Stay away from him," she growled.
"We don't wanna hurt him," Brennan told her, "or you." His voice was soft, full of compassion.
Claire shook her head. "You're lying. They've brainwashed you."
Emma looked to Shalimar, who stood poised, ready to fight if need be. "Her mind is a mess. I can't tell one emotion from the other."
Shalimar made momentary eye contact with Emma, giving her a response with her expression.
As Brennan moved closer to Claire, the woman swung for him, and that was the moment when they realised just how weak she was. Her swing was slow, misguided, and Brennan had plenty of time to duck below it, and step aside from the next.
He managed to grab her wrist gently on the next swing, and Claire resorted to pounding her other fist weakly against Brennan's chest.
"No," she whimpered, and her knees buckled. Brennan wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her from collapsing completely onto Jesse, who looked none too healthy.
Claire cried out in pain then, and the others rushed forward to help Brennan lower her gently to the floor.
Within no time at all, Claire, like Jesse, was completely unconscious.
At that moment, Adam ran in, panting, as though he had run a long distance. He immediately came over to Brennan, who had his hand held to Claire's forehead.
"She's burning up, Adam," Brennan said hurriedly, his concern clear.
Adam quickly checked Jesse and Claire's pulses, and with a frown, he said, "We don't have much time. If we don't help them now, and get them back to Sanctuary immediately, we'll lose them."
On that note, Brennan scooped Claire from the floor, holding her securely in his arms.
Adam managed to heft Jesse over his shoulder, Shalimar walking behind him should he be unable to manage the weight.
Emma and Natasha brought up the rear, looking back when they heard a pathetic male voice yell from the end of the corridor, "No, you have no right! Come back! Adam!"
They raised an eyebrow each, and turned their heads back to the others, and their exit.
With a great echoing crash, the double doors flew inwards, shards of wood soaring through the air. The lock completely came away, and clattered to the floor, broken from the frame, useless.
Five figures entered, proud in their entrance, and intent on their minds. Men rushed up to them to halt their entrance, but where only knocked casually aside, kicked and punched away by people of greater strength.
Shalimar flashed her eyes briefly at the fallen men, and then, with a half-smile, carried on with the others.
Emma stepped over one of the still forms, looking down at them only momentarily to see whether or not they were important. Just lackeys, she decided.
With a straight face, Natasha followed the other two women, her mind clearly set on the rescue mission at hand. She cared not for the people lying face down on the floor. They were not her concern.
Adam checked each of the people for any familiarities, and decided that he knew none of them. He carried on with the rest of his team, looking around hurriedly for any doorways besides the one clearly set before them. It seemed too obvious that that was the entrance.
And finally, bringing up the rear, towering over the others, came Brennan, recovered enough to be on such a mission. He wanted to help, and having apologised for all he was worth, had been accepted. His face was as if set in stone, serious and determined.
They burst through the second door, which hadn't in truth actually been locked at all. But still, Shalimar found some satisfaction in smashing it from its frame.
They strode through confidently, knocking anyone who dared to cross their path aside like a rag doll, though they were careful not to harm any of them too much. They did not know whether or not these people had been altered as Brennan had.
Shalimar, Natasha and Brennan opened all the doors they came to, peering inside.
Finding nothing of importance inside of them, they closed the doors once more, moving swiftly on to the next door.
Adam located a locked door, but halted Shalimar before the feral shattered it as she had the others. She stopped, her leg in the air, ready to kick, as Adam held up a hand, and gestured for them to carry on without him.
"You sure, Adam?" Brennan queried, narrowing his eyes.
Adam merely nodded, drawing an electronic device from his jacket pocket. He quickly held it up to the card-key lock at the side of the door, even as the others shuffled off.
Within no time at all, the small blinking light switched from a dull red, to a bright, and welcome shade of green. The door clicked.
Adam opened the door, ducking immediately as a gunshot filled the air.
"Adam!" he heard Shalimar cry, and just as he heard her come running back down the hallway, he also heard that same gun click on empty.
"It's alright! Keep going!" he called back, standing, and meeting the cold gaze of Eric Sampson.
"I should have guessed you had something to do with this, Eric," Adam grumbled, closing the door again, and hearing it click as it locked once more. He raised an eyebrow at Eric, and shook his head.
Eric Sampson laughed. He sounded a little nervous if anything. What had happened here? The door was almost blown to pieces from bullet holes. That explained why the gun ran on empty so fast, however.
Adam moved across to face Sampson more closely, and his voice was quiet, yet full of disgust, "Why, Eric? What made you do it?"
Again, Sampson laughed. "They're not like us, Adam. You know that as well as I do."
"Yes, I do. But I also know that some of them are better than we can ever hope to be," Adam retorted, watching Eric place the empty gun on the desktop.
The office was generously furnished with expensive antique furniture, made from the finest oak and leather. Colourful paintings filled the walls. Eric certainly had been busy since leaving Genomex, that was for certain.
Sampson's laugh was more heartfelt this time, and much more confident. He shook his head vigorously. "Still so noble. Even after all you've done." He paused, staring boldly into Adam's eyes. "They're freaks, Adam, accidents. They were never meant to be. 'Children of Genomex'." He scoffed loudly, narrowing his eyes. "They're not doing anyone any good, so I thought I would just take them, and use them for myself."
Adam punched Eric; even from his side of the desk the distance was reachable. Eric stumbled backwards, and looked back to Adam with a slightly surprised expression.
"I'm impressed, Adam," he said, voice low. "But what right have you got to come in here and destroy what I have created?"
"What you have created is harming more people than you even care about, Eric," Adam retorted angrily, "and it's time someone with some sense put a stop to that, and set these poor people free."
"People?" He laughed again. "You're so deluded."
Adam spotted a small object on the table, and retrieved it from the wooden surface, inspecting it cautiously, keeping a discreet eye on Eric.
He shook his head. He knew very well what it was.
Long ago, whilst under employment in Genomex, Eric Sampson had devised an internal Sub-dermal Governor, with a pain-inducing device, the one that Adam held now. Adam himself had devised a similar device, one that Mason Eckhart now had in his clutches. He hated himself for it, almost as much as he hated Eric Sampson.
"How can you justify using this?" Adam asked, holding up the device.
Eric shrugged. "Hey, it works. What do you expect me to do with it?" He smiled. "I think it messed up Kilmartin though."
Without warning, or hesitation, Adam threw the device against the wall, watching with satisfaction as it shattered. Eric glared back at him after staring for a while at the broken pieces.
Adam pushed the desk hard, slamming it against Sampson, who in turn, collided with the wall, partially trapped.
He managed to wriggle out from behind the desk like the serpent that he really was, and lunged for Adam.
Adam evaded the lunge, and followed it up with a kick to the back of Eric's legs, knocking the other man down.
Shouting angrily, Eric stood, and punched at Adam clumsily.
Eric Sampson never had been very good in this area. Adam supposed it could explain why he employed New Mutants.
Adam punched Sampson hard in the face, causing the man to fall backwards.
Shaking his head, Adam moved in for another attack.
* * *
"In here," Shalimar said quietly, pausing at a door, "I think I hear something."
Sure enough, as the four team members concentrated on listening, they could clearly hear something that sounded like whimpering and pleading.
"That sounds like Claire," Brennan noted, and moved to try the door. It was locked.
"Stand back," he said, and pointed a finger towards the handle, allowing a strand of electricity to spark from his hand to the handle. They heard the lock click open, and Brennan swung the door from its frame.
They saw Claire shoot into an upright position immediately, taking on a fighting stance. She was stood over an unconscious figure.
"Jesse," Natty mumbled, and looked to Claire, as though she thought the woman was the one responsible.
Brennan could see Claire had been crying. She was frightened, despite the procedure that had been carried out on them, almost erasing all fear.
He moved towards her, holding out his hand.
Claire stepped over Jesse protectively, one foot on either side of the fallen man. "Stay away from him," she growled.
"We don't wanna hurt him," Brennan told her, "or you." His voice was soft, full of compassion.
Claire shook her head. "You're lying. They've brainwashed you."
Emma looked to Shalimar, who stood poised, ready to fight if need be. "Her mind is a mess. I can't tell one emotion from the other."
Shalimar made momentary eye contact with Emma, giving her a response with her expression.
As Brennan moved closer to Claire, the woman swung for him, and that was the moment when they realised just how weak she was. Her swing was slow, misguided, and Brennan had plenty of time to duck below it, and step aside from the next.
He managed to grab her wrist gently on the next swing, and Claire resorted to pounding her other fist weakly against Brennan's chest.
"No," she whimpered, and her knees buckled. Brennan wrapped his arms around her waist, keeping her from collapsing completely onto Jesse, who looked none too healthy.
Claire cried out in pain then, and the others rushed forward to help Brennan lower her gently to the floor.
Within no time at all, Claire, like Jesse, was completely unconscious.
At that moment, Adam ran in, panting, as though he had run a long distance. He immediately came over to Brennan, who had his hand held to Claire's forehead.
"She's burning up, Adam," Brennan said hurriedly, his concern clear.
Adam quickly checked Jesse and Claire's pulses, and with a frown, he said, "We don't have much time. If we don't help them now, and get them back to Sanctuary immediately, we'll lose them."
On that note, Brennan scooped Claire from the floor, holding her securely in his arms.
Adam managed to heft Jesse over his shoulder, Shalimar walking behind him should he be unable to manage the weight.
Emma and Natasha brought up the rear, looking back when they heard a pathetic male voice yell from the end of the corridor, "No, you have no right! Come back! Adam!"
They raised an eyebrow each, and turned their heads back to the others, and their exit.