Then He Left - Part 4
Part 4: Pieces
The City:
The unending stares of the man and woman stuck in the wall watched as Jesse was dragged away by a figure cloaked in black. Against the darkness in the warehouse, the only knowledge the person was there was the faint outline and the hands gripping the young man's shoulders as it dragged him further into the warehouse.
Moments earlier, outside:
The crippled man attempted to drag himself away from the dead bodies littering the ground, blood from the bodies had left the ground sticky, his clothes and skin slowly becoming covered in the substance. His fears were only overridden by the pain each movement caused, his hands outstretched attempting to gain purchase on the ground, his legs useless behind him.
Footsteps, he heard footsteps now. He panicked, the man, the freak was coming back. The footsteps came closer, as he listened his fear growing, he realised it was not male footsteps, the sound was not that of a man's step but of a woman's. However this did nothing to calm him, he was still helpless. 'I always thought karma got you in the next life' the man thought to himself.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, the man tried to calm himself but it did not work, the footsteps slowed and stopped. The man became aware of someone standing in front of him. He slowly opened his eyes, black boots greeted his eyes, a woman's boots, as he had already thought, a slight heel to them but not an impractical one, these boots were not fashion accessories by the looks of them. A dark coat surrounded the person he saw as he looked up, going from their neck down to their ankles, hiding the figure completely. A hood was drawn over the figures head, masking any features that should have been visible otherwise.
The man prayed to whatever gods were listening for protection, his mouth moving silently. The figure tipped its head slightly, a small pistol appearing in its right hand. The man's eyes briefly widened, then closed, resigned to his fate. He heard the pistol safety click off, he waited, nothing. He still waited, lying there looking up with eyes closed in front of the dark person, waiting for the final moment.
The figure waited patiently, the man lying there was a pathetic figure, broken in body and spirit. It watched as the man resigned himself to his fate, closing his eyes waiting for that final moment. The figure waited.
The man was worried, why wasn't he dead? Why had that shot not come? Was the figure still there? He reasoned it was, he had not heard the footsteps leaving, hadn't felt the air move as the person left, but then he had not seen that demon appear earlier. His lower back shifted slightly, pain lighting up his mind like a firework. Why not just kill him?
The man opened his eyes, to see if the person was still there. His vision was filled with the black coat of the person, the dull metal of the gun, and then a flash blinded him. Pain filled his body one last time as the bullet entered his forehead leaving a small hole, the back of his head joined the blood on the ground. The man fell to the ground, his eyes open staring into the world, sightless and terrified.
"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you", the figure said as it walked into the warehouse.
Sanctuary:
"What happened?" Brennan asked for the fourth time in three minutes, worry and fear tangible in his voice.
Again, Adam shook his head, as he read the displays of the medical devices. "I don't know, psionics like other mutants work differently from normal humans, we don't understand enough about the differences to say for sure at this time."
"Is it something to do with Jesse?"
Both men jumped at the sound of Shalimar, her voice low, almost growling at them. In their hurry to get Emma to the medical bay, they had forgotten where Shalimar was. They looked at the feral mutant, her appearance a marked difference from the usual air of confidence, the usually beautiful woman lost in a mass of cuts, scrapes and bruises, her hair flew around her disorganised, her clothing ripped slightly.
"You didn't find him then?"
"Obviously, no wonder everyone calls you a genius, Adam." She growled back, "I lost his trail at the highway, he must have gotten a lift somewhere. Is this something to do with Jesse?"
Adam flinched visibly at her tone, unused to this reaction for her, even accounting for her feral side. "We, I don't know, she just started screaming, then said, 'Its gone' before passing out."
"What is gone?" Shalimar asked, her voice still threatening, she started to pace the room.
"I don't know", Adam answered, "We will have to wait till she wakes up"
"What about Jesse?" Brennan asked, "We can't do anything for Emma right now, how can we try and find him now?"
"Its not as simple as finding him, we have to know why he ran off?"
"Again with the reasoning, Adam, sometimes people can't be explained by reason. Sometimes things can only be dealt with after you confront them. I want him back, back here safe, he should not be out there himself, what if something happens to him?" Shalimar said, her pacing becoming frantic as worry for Jesse grew, her frustration at not finding him breaking through.
"Shalimar, to drag him back without knowing why he left would be foolish and could cause even more of a.." Adam tried to say before Shalimar growled at him, her eyes flashing yellow.
"Shal" Brennan gently touch her shoulder and said softly, "Lets go get you cleaned up before these cuts get infected, come on, we are not helping anyone here"
Shalimar looked as though she was about to argue, but she knew she wouldn't be able to help Jesse or Emma if she became sick, so she acquiesced. She stalked out towards her room, grabbing a first aid kit from the shelf as she left. Brennan moved to follow, but Adam stopped him and said, "Thank you"
"It wasn't for you" Brennan replied, his voice ice cold, "I did not want her to do something she would regret later."
With that he left to help Shalimar. Adam turned round and sat in the seat next to Emma's bed. He leant back, his eyes closed, "I hope to God, Emma, I hope that you will be able to help us figure out what is going on. Help us figure it out before everything falls apart."
Sanctuary Computer:
News Scan Results:
Item 1:
Summary: Possible Mutant Activity
'Two hours ago, eight bodies were found in the warehouse district. The scene appears to be a gang-related car-jacking incident. A woman, estimated to be in her 70's was shot twice, and several gang members were left for dead. One gang member was crushed between a lamp post and an unknown mass, the gun used to shoot the woman crushed into his body. Other gang members had unusual injuries as well as two members being lodged in a nearby wall, their bodies halfway through the wall. One gang member appears to have been executed after the attack by a small calibre handgun. The police believe there may be a series of revenge attacks in the near future in response.'
Item 2:
Summary: Multiple Suicides
'Today, three soldiers involved in pacifying operations against the rebel army in Kovakhstan have committed suicide. Each soldier left a letter to family, the contents of which are as yet unknown, and proceeded to commit suicide in the exact same manner. The soldiers served in the same unit for a number of years and were known to be stable individuals, confirmed by army medical reports on each soldier. Details of their deaths are being withheld until the investigation has been concluded.'
The computer filed these reports into the appropriate categories, marking them for the Mutant X team to read and decide if action was necessary. The computer returned to its usual operation, the news messages blinking on and off for attention. None was forthcoming as yet, the team fractured and collapsing on itself.
Part 4: Pieces
The City:
The unending stares of the man and woman stuck in the wall watched as Jesse was dragged away by a figure cloaked in black. Against the darkness in the warehouse, the only knowledge the person was there was the faint outline and the hands gripping the young man's shoulders as it dragged him further into the warehouse.
Moments earlier, outside:
The crippled man attempted to drag himself away from the dead bodies littering the ground, blood from the bodies had left the ground sticky, his clothes and skin slowly becoming covered in the substance. His fears were only overridden by the pain each movement caused, his hands outstretched attempting to gain purchase on the ground, his legs useless behind him.
Footsteps, he heard footsteps now. He panicked, the man, the freak was coming back. The footsteps came closer, as he listened his fear growing, he realised it was not male footsteps, the sound was not that of a man's step but of a woman's. However this did nothing to calm him, he was still helpless. 'I always thought karma got you in the next life' the man thought to himself.
The footsteps grew closer and closer, the man tried to calm himself but it did not work, the footsteps slowed and stopped. The man became aware of someone standing in front of him. He slowly opened his eyes, black boots greeted his eyes, a woman's boots, as he had already thought, a slight heel to them but not an impractical one, these boots were not fashion accessories by the looks of them. A dark coat surrounded the person he saw as he looked up, going from their neck down to their ankles, hiding the figure completely. A hood was drawn over the figures head, masking any features that should have been visible otherwise.
The man prayed to whatever gods were listening for protection, his mouth moving silently. The figure tipped its head slightly, a small pistol appearing in its right hand. The man's eyes briefly widened, then closed, resigned to his fate. He heard the pistol safety click off, he waited, nothing. He still waited, lying there looking up with eyes closed in front of the dark person, waiting for the final moment.
The figure waited patiently, the man lying there was a pathetic figure, broken in body and spirit. It watched as the man resigned himself to his fate, closing his eyes waiting for that final moment. The figure waited.
The man was worried, why wasn't he dead? Why had that shot not come? Was the figure still there? He reasoned it was, he had not heard the footsteps leaving, hadn't felt the air move as the person left, but then he had not seen that demon appear earlier. His lower back shifted slightly, pain lighting up his mind like a firework. Why not just kill him?
The man opened his eyes, to see if the person was still there. His vision was filled with the black coat of the person, the dull metal of the gun, and then a flash blinded him. Pain filled his body one last time as the bullet entered his forehead leaving a small hole, the back of his head joined the blood on the ground. The man fell to the ground, his eyes open staring into the world, sightless and terrified.
"Do unto others as you would have others do unto you", the figure said as it walked into the warehouse.
Sanctuary:
"What happened?" Brennan asked for the fourth time in three minutes, worry and fear tangible in his voice.
Again, Adam shook his head, as he read the displays of the medical devices. "I don't know, psionics like other mutants work differently from normal humans, we don't understand enough about the differences to say for sure at this time."
"Is it something to do with Jesse?"
Both men jumped at the sound of Shalimar, her voice low, almost growling at them. In their hurry to get Emma to the medical bay, they had forgotten where Shalimar was. They looked at the feral mutant, her appearance a marked difference from the usual air of confidence, the usually beautiful woman lost in a mass of cuts, scrapes and bruises, her hair flew around her disorganised, her clothing ripped slightly.
"You didn't find him then?"
"Obviously, no wonder everyone calls you a genius, Adam." She growled back, "I lost his trail at the highway, he must have gotten a lift somewhere. Is this something to do with Jesse?"
Adam flinched visibly at her tone, unused to this reaction for her, even accounting for her feral side. "We, I don't know, she just started screaming, then said, 'Its gone' before passing out."
"What is gone?" Shalimar asked, her voice still threatening, she started to pace the room.
"I don't know", Adam answered, "We will have to wait till she wakes up"
"What about Jesse?" Brennan asked, "We can't do anything for Emma right now, how can we try and find him now?"
"Its not as simple as finding him, we have to know why he ran off?"
"Again with the reasoning, Adam, sometimes people can't be explained by reason. Sometimes things can only be dealt with after you confront them. I want him back, back here safe, he should not be out there himself, what if something happens to him?" Shalimar said, her pacing becoming frantic as worry for Jesse grew, her frustration at not finding him breaking through.
"Shalimar, to drag him back without knowing why he left would be foolish and could cause even more of a.." Adam tried to say before Shalimar growled at him, her eyes flashing yellow.
"Shal" Brennan gently touch her shoulder and said softly, "Lets go get you cleaned up before these cuts get infected, come on, we are not helping anyone here"
Shalimar looked as though she was about to argue, but she knew she wouldn't be able to help Jesse or Emma if she became sick, so she acquiesced. She stalked out towards her room, grabbing a first aid kit from the shelf as she left. Brennan moved to follow, but Adam stopped him and said, "Thank you"
"It wasn't for you" Brennan replied, his voice ice cold, "I did not want her to do something she would regret later."
With that he left to help Shalimar. Adam turned round and sat in the seat next to Emma's bed. He leant back, his eyes closed, "I hope to God, Emma, I hope that you will be able to help us figure out what is going on. Help us figure it out before everything falls apart."
Sanctuary Computer:
News Scan Results:
Item 1:
Summary: Possible Mutant Activity
'Two hours ago, eight bodies were found in the warehouse district. The scene appears to be a gang-related car-jacking incident. A woman, estimated to be in her 70's was shot twice, and several gang members were left for dead. One gang member was crushed between a lamp post and an unknown mass, the gun used to shoot the woman crushed into his body. Other gang members had unusual injuries as well as two members being lodged in a nearby wall, their bodies halfway through the wall. One gang member appears to have been executed after the attack by a small calibre handgun. The police believe there may be a series of revenge attacks in the near future in response.'
Item 2:
Summary: Multiple Suicides
'Today, three soldiers involved in pacifying operations against the rebel army in Kovakhstan have committed suicide. Each soldier left a letter to family, the contents of which are as yet unknown, and proceeded to commit suicide in the exact same manner. The soldiers served in the same unit for a number of years and were known to be stable individuals, confirmed by army medical reports on each soldier. Details of their deaths are being withheld until the investigation has been concluded.'
The computer filed these reports into the appropriate categories, marking them for the Mutant X team to read and decide if action was necessary. The computer returned to its usual operation, the news messages blinking on and off for attention. None was forthcoming as yet, the team fractured and collapsing on itself.