Title: Lingering Shadows
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the Mutant X characters, and may occasionally
include a few of my own as the work progresses.
Feedback: Feedback and reviews are greatly appreciated.
Chapter 3: Chance Encounters
Walking down the stairs, Emma mindlessly stared at the snug fit of Jesse's workout shorts. Normally she'd never notice him that way, but for some reason the shorts were a little tighter today, fitting his dairy aire beautifully. Smiling, she caught herself as she tripped on the last stair, turning bright red when Jesse quickly turned to help her up while Shalimar laughed behind him. Grimacing, Emma shot Shal a dirty look as the blonde just smiled knowingly. She had seen the interest in Emma's eyes as she stared down at Jesse as she spoke with him. Never before noticing the chemistry her colleagues seemed to send out on low frequencies, Shal just grinned again as Emma blushed realizing that Shal had caught her fair and square. Making a mental note to not be so obvious in the future, Emma just shrugged off Jesse's concern stating emphatically that No, she did not need help walking to the couch to sit down. Unable to restrain the laughter bubbling in her throat, Shalimar beat a hasty retreat and left Mutant X's two youngest members alone.
After a short meeting when Adam briefed the team on murders of several well known politicians, Emma and Shalimar left to put on more comfortable clothes while the guys prepped the double helix. Moving to follow Brennan, Jesse turned and glanced at Emma one more time. She seemed off her game lately, and had him slightly worried. As Brennan moved out of eyesight, Jesse shrugged off his concerns and jogged to join the older man.
"Listen Shal, we're just friends; Nothing more, nothing less. So drop it." Emma wanted to scream in frustration, making her response to Shalimar's lighthearted teasing come out harsher than she intended.
"Sure, if you say so Em." Shal grinned, unable to hide her skepticism. Glaring one more time at her blonde friend, noting the gorgeous natural curls and the slender, muscular body, Emma thought for the fifth time that day how unfair life was. Jesse found Shalimar sexy and attractive, something she sensed every time the two were in the same room together. Letting out a frustrated sigh, Emma refused to allow herself to be dragged back into this line of thinking. She couldn't help it if her friend rarely thought of her that way, its not like she ever did anything to encourage him, unlike Shalimar who was a natural flirt.
Watching the brunette grab a sweater from her closet, Shalimar watched the different emotions play across Emma's face. Her young friend rarely let her feelings show so candidly, the genuine frustration coming across shocking Shalimar. Emma knew she was just teasing, at least she should after being there for over a year. Seeing the mood changes again, Shal sensed she hit closer to home than she had realized. As Emma lightly stomped across her room to quickly change into the sweater she had grabbed, Shal marked her reaction and put it in the back of her mind. Focusing on the mission at hand, both women left the room five minutes later to join the guys in the double helix.
"Hey ladies! Nice of you to join us." Brennan said, ignoring the glares being directed at him. Focusing on the controls, the double helix lifted off under Brennan's steady guidance after everyone was buckled in. The trip to the park where they were going to protect Senator Kliner was quiet, with both women lost in their own thoughts and the guys not sure of what had them so engrossed. As Brennan moved to land the double helix, he almost hesitated to state the obvious. Noticing that no one had moved, Brennan sucked in a deep breath and found some guts. "We're here."
Still not commenting on it, the rest of the group prepped to land and once on the ground both women shot forward. Racing towards the group starting to form in front of the five-foot platform where the Senator would be speaking, Shalimar focused on keeping up with her agitated friend without beating her to the goal. Trying their best to keep up, Brennan and Jesse looked at each other after joining the girls. Something was going on, but neither would be the first one to comment on it.
"I don't see the Senator." Shalimar said, getting only nods from the others in agreement.
"Wait! There he is, in the dark blue suit over by the water cooler." Looking where Emma pointed, the small team began walking forward. Less than a foot a way from the Senator, Shalimar began reaching out her hand when Emma gasped. Anger and sadness came in waves, pinning Emma down in the spot where she currently stood. Not noticing their friend's pain, Shalimar and Brennan began speaking to the aged politician about his safety. Unable to concentrate on the conversation at hand and desperately needing to pinpoint the origin of her discomfort, Emma began looking around frantically. As she looked from one face in the crowd to another, Emma turned slightly and caught sight of an attractive Asian man. As they locked eyes, images began flooding Emma's mind. A deformed old woman clutching a picture to her breast… A younger woman crying herself to sleep… A man in his thirties proudly bowing before someone… A lifeless old man wearing bright clothes lying on the floor… With each image came an overwhelming sense of sadness until finally, Emma became encased with sadness and rage.
As Kage looked into the beautiful blue eyes of the brunette less than ten feet in front of him, thoughts began entering his head. Breaking contact, Kage turned to look at the woman again. She knew. Somehow she knew he was here to kill the Senator. Noticing a tall blonde placing her hand on the brunette's shoulder, the two women leaned in to talk to each other in quiet whispers. Before Shalimar had a chance to see the man who had affected Emma so strongly, the handsome stranger had disappeared.
"I don't see him Emma." Shal said, surprising Emma into looking up and over to where she had last seen the man. Trying to shake off the emotions still lingering, Emma shook her head slightly to try and clear it. Getting concerned, Jesse reached out and touched Emma gently.
"Are you okay?" Hearing Jesse's voice, Emma looked up into his eyes and smiled. She was indeed okay, and always would be, with him there. As long as you are here, Jesse, always. Noticing the shift of the brunette's attention, Kage focused on the man now touching her. Tempted to read his thoughts, Kage changed his mind when one of the Senator's cronies began speaking at the podium. As everyone focused their attention on the wiry middle-aged man, Kage took advantage of his opportunity. Moving at break neck speed, Kage was about to go impervious when thoughts unbid came to him. Why?… Can he ever…? … A love as pure as… Distracted, Kage barely avoided the blonde feral who now blocked his path to the Senator. Put off but needing to finish this, Kage slowly smiled. An unnatural state, the corners of his lips turned up menacingly.
Turning her head as the stranger's emotions became stronger with his closeness, Emma had just enough time to squeak as a barely visible man released a psionic pulse at the Senator. The next second found the Senator on the ground, in tears, screaming to let him die. Shocked, the crowd moved back as Shalimar, Brennan and Jesse ran to help the cowering man. Moving to follow the man responsible instead, Emma quickly separated from the team in search of him.
Sensing the brunette's presence, Kage slowed down just enough where she could follow him. Moving out of the park and towards the streets, the mercenary was pleased at the woman's abilities to keep up. Noticing an empty alley directly to his right, Kage slowed down to a normal walk and was last seen by Emma entering the alley.
"Emma, where are you? The Senator is freaking out. Where are you?" Brennan bellowed, not at all pleased with the events of the afternoon.
"I'm following the man responsible. He's left the park and is walking down a side alley from the street now. I'm going to corner him. I think he's a Molecular Psionic. Get here as fast as you can." Emma said, looking around as she entered the alley. Not liking the looks of things, Emma turned back around when she thought she heard her friends only to come face to face with the enemy. Oh great! Come on guys, hurry!
Smiling, Kage leaned forward and gently picked up Emma's hand. Placing a light kiss on the top of it, Emma stood in shock as the others rushed into the alley from behind. Seeing the man's lips on Emma's soft skin, Jesse tried but failed to squelch a surge of jealousy. Running forward and going impervious, Jesse moved to punch Kage when he dropped Emma's hand and ran quickly out of the way. Stunned, Jesse was barely able to slow down enough to not hit Emma by mistake. Wide eyed, Jesse looked at his friend with sorrow and concern in his eyes. He'd have never forgiven himself if he'd hurt her. Getting angry, Jesse turned to his opponent and watched as Shalimar and Brennan struggled to land any blows as the man continued to move out of the way with incredible speed.
No longer in a state of shock, Emma began sensing Jesse's emotions. Fear, concern, and something else she wasn't quite able to pinpoint. Noticing the exhausting fight that Jesse had joined a few minutes ago, Emma decided it was time to try and slow the man down. Sending a psionic pulse at the figure, Kage turned in time to receive the blast full force. Knocked back, Kage failed to dodge a blow from Shalimar as he tried to regain his senses. Now on the ground, the members of Mutant X closed in on Kage. Looking at the four New Mutants, Kage began reading their thoughts.
SHALIMAR
If we're going to catch this guy, we've got to do it now.
BRENNAN
Almost got him.
EMMA
Please don't fight. Please.
JESSE
Stay still. We're not through yet.
As varied as everyone's thoughts were, Kage smiled at Jesse. Standing up, Kage nodded h is head in the direction of the blonde ready to face off with him before running out of the alley before anyone could blink. Looking around, Mutant X ran out of the alley but slowed down when it became apparent they had lost him.
"Brennan, Emma, what's going on?" Adam yelled, his displeasure evident. Quick to speak up, Brennan and Shalimar explained what happened while Emma and Jesse just looked at each other. Refusing to convey any of his feelings, Jesse looked down slowly and walked back to the double helix, leaving Emma to walk back with the others. Grabbing Emma's arm, Shalimar pulled her friend away from the guys and moved towards the podium where the Senator was still huddled in a fetal position.
"Emma, do you know what's wrong with him? Is there anything you can do?" Shalimar asked, looking back and forth between the psionic and the pathetic soul on the ground. Looking at the man who seemed to have aged twenty years since just a few minutes ago, Emma began sending feelings of calm and serenity to the politician. Unable to calm him, Emma stepped forward and placed a hand on him. Stepping back with a slight scream, Emma looked down at the man before her. It can't be. Not sure how it was possible, but utterly afraid of trying to help the man anymore, Emma continued to step back. As Shal inquired as to what was wrong, Emma just whispered "I can't help him." before walking to join the guys at the double helix. Unhappy with the way things were going, Shalimar released the politician into the hands of the EMT workers and went to join her team members.
As silent as the trip to the park had been, the trip home was worse. Everyone had something on their mind with the exception of Brennan, who instead of asking questions of the others chose to concentrate on flying. Waiting on his team to get back to Sanctuary, Adam monitored reports on the Senator and was unhappy to hear that they finally had to take the terrified and grief stricken man to the mental hospital.
As the others returned, Adam entered the common room to talk to them about the day's events when both Emma and Jesse broke off from the group and headed to their rooms. Shocked at the brush off, Adam stared at the backs of Mutant X's two youngest team members. Noticing the curt dismissal, Brennan moved forward to grab Jesse and Emma by the arm. With Jesse already out of reach, Brennan ended up with a hand full of Emma's sweater. Hearing a tiny shriek, Jesse turned around to see Brennan's angry face inches from Emma.
"Hey! We're not through yet." Obviously upset, Brennan considered reining his temper but as the thought entered his mind images of the Senator helpless on the ground followed. "You could have helped that man! Why didn't you?" The venom in Brennan's voice made Emma step back. Seeing Brennan's fist curl up tighter to maintain his hold on the brunette, Jesse's frustration and anger from the previous events of the day slowly began building as he stepped forward.
"Let her go. It wasn't her fault." Jesse said, doing his best to not lose his temper. Looking up, Brennan smirked at the barely held in check Molecular. Ignoring Adam's insistence to drop it, Brennan gripped Emma's arm tightly and stepped towards Jesse, just to throw the unsuspecting psionic at Jesse full force. Beyond the point of shock, Emma numbly landed into Jesse and slowly regained her balance as he helped her up. Looking deeply into Emma's eyes, Jesse saw the helplessness there. Beyond that he saw a sparkle of affection, affection Emma unconsciously allowed Jesse to feel. Normally Emma maintained too tight of control over her emotions to ever let any of her feelings slip. After the upsetting events of today, Emma was too tired to maintain such control. Feeling the affection and concern Emma projected towards Jesse, the built up emotions Jesse kept bottled up exploded.
"Why you!" Lunging for Brennan, Jesse and Brennan began an all out fight that shocked everyone present. Moving forward to separate the two, Shalimar wasn't able to gain enough advantage over the two to pull them apart. Looking over and seeing a pale Emma, Shal left the boys to their own devices as she moved to help her friend. Overcome with the images she was rushed with earlier, Emma suddenly found herself unable to stand when she felt Shalimar's comforting grip. Escorting Emma to her room to lie down, Shal left Adam to handle the guys.
Forty minutes later both guys were locked in their rooms, under house arrest. Adam continued to monitor reports on the Senator's health as Shalimar began searching the database for the New Mutant they encountered today. Emma was asleep, left to face her nightmares alone.