The Next Morning:
Brennen, Shalimar, and Emma were eating breakfast. Adam had grabbed something to eat then headed to the lab. Jesse and Shalandra didn't appear to be awake yet.
In Shalandra's room Jesse woke up first. He watched as Shalandra slept. She seemed much more relaxed than she was after her dream last night. He eased himself up hoping not to wake her up. It didn't work. She woke up and smiled.
"Trying to get away from me already?" She joked.
"No, I was getting up for some breakfast before the others eat it all." He answered smiling back.
"I'll beat you there!" She said getting up. She quickly put on her jeans then headed for the kitchen. She smiled when she got there and didn't see Jesse.
"Morning." She said getting a cup of coffee.
"Hey sleep well?" Shalimar asked.
"Yup!" Shalandra said grinning and getting something to eat. A minute later Jesse showed up. He had taken a shower first.
"Hey sleepyhead." Brennen said joking.
"What time is it?" Shalandra asked.
"9:30." Emma said.
"Ugh, it's still early. I'm usually in bed until 11am." Shalandra said smiling at Jesse.
"Are you up to a shopping trip?" Emma asked.
"I'm up for shopping any day!" Shalandra said grinning.
"Ok, we'll go in an hour." Emma said.
After eating Shalandra went to the lab and found Adam reading info on the computer.
"Morning." She said walking up to him.
"Sleep well?" Adam asked.
"I had a bit of a bad dream and practically tackled Jesse, but after I slept well." Shalandra said.
"Want to talk about it?" Adam asked.
"I dreamt the redhead and guys in black suits had me." Shalandra said.
"She really got you stirred up back there at the club." Adam said.
"Yeah she did. It was weird. She was just trying to be friendly." Shalandra said.
"Maybe she had other intentions, you never know." Adam said.
"Ok, who is the GSA?" She asked since Adam thought of them the second she talked about her dream.
"The GSA is security agents who work for Genomex. Genomex was at one point an honest agency working on gene research. By accident the experiments turned into mutations. Since then Genomex hunts down new mutants and either uses them for their purpose, kills them, or puts them in stasis." Adam said.
"Do you think the redhead was one of them?" She asked.
"Maybe." Adam answered.
Shalandra left a few minutes later and met up with Shalimar and Emma. They took the Mustang and headed for the mall.
"So, what kind of clothes do you like?" Emma asked.
"Well, where I was raised I was expected to dress and act a certain way. There I usually wore jeans and a shirt. However, I've always wanted to be a little daring and wear leather and low riding jeans and stuff like that." Shalandra said.
"Cool. You'll love our favorite shops then." Shalimar said as the girls headed to Hot Topic.
At that store Shalandra picked a leather pair of pants, a red shirt, boots, and a black suede jacket with frills. Then the girls went to Victoria Secret. Shalandra grinned. "This is my favorite shop!" She said picking out a several more outfits and some lingerie.
Once the girls were done they went to the mall's promenade for something to eat. "What do you like to eat?" Shalimar asked.
"Chicken, hamburgers, pasta dishes, and pizza." She said. They got a pizza to share along with Cokes. Everyone was having a good time.
At the end of the promenade the redhead from the club sat down with 6 men in black suits.
"For now we wait and let them eat. Mr. Ekhart wants the dark haired blond unharmed. The others are brownie points if we can get them too, but he doesn't care what shape there in." The woman said.
"Yes, ma'am." The men said watching and waiting for the right moment.
The woman grinned. Earlier that morning she had been nothing more than a secretary who knew how to fight. When she brought information to Mr. Ekhart about the new girl who was hanging out with Mutant X, she was promoted to field agent. Now all she had to do was capture at least the girl.
Shalandra was in the middle of a bite of pizza when she froze.
"What's wrong?" Emma asked.
"She's here." Shalandra said.
"Who?" Emma asked.
"The redhead from the club." Shalandra said.
Shalimar's eyes glowed yellow as she looked around. At a far table in the promenade there was a redheaded woman with 6 GSA agents. Shalimar turned back to the others.
"We've got company." She said.
"Adam, the redhead is here with 6 GSA agents." Shalimar said into her COMM ring. Shalandra was still frozen in her spot, but had put the pizza down.
"Try to keep a close eye on Shalandra. She dreamt that the redhead captured her last night. I'm sending Brennen and Jesse over now." Adam said.
"We will." Shalimar said closing communications.
"Usually this is where we'd kick but, but I don't think they know we know their here yet." Emma said.
"They don't seem to. I say we try to go the other way and disappear." Shalimar suggested.
"I like the idea of running better." Shalandra said.
"If we run then they'll know we've spotted them." Emma said.
Shalandra finished her slice of pizza for show even though she had lost her appetite. Then the three picked up their bags and headed in the opposite direction.
"They're on the move." One of the guys said.
"Have they spotted us yet?" The redhead asked.
"I don't think so." The guy said as everyone got up.
"You better hope they haven't or our boss is going to have all of our heads." The redhead threatened.
"There's an elevator ahead. How good are you at climbing?" Shalimar asked.
"I'll manage if I have to." Shalandra said.
Walking by Emma hit the down button to the elevator. When the door opened the three rushed in. The doors closed before the agents and the redhead got there, but barely.
"I want three of you on each floor!" The woman hollered. There was no way those girls were going to get away from her.
Between floors Shalimar hit the elevators stop button. She lifted up a panel revealing the elevator shaft. Helping her friends up she hit the start button again when they were on the access ladder. With a flip she joined them.
Shalandra was scared. That redhead wanted her. "I guess now is a really a bad time to mention a fear of heights?" She said.
"I'll climb above you and Shalimar will be below you. Don't look down." Emma said as they started climbing up to the roof. About halfway up Brennen's voice came through Shalimar's ring.
"Do you guys need some help?" He asked.
"We're in the elevator shaft climbing up to the roof." Shalimar said into her ring.
Brennen and Jesse went to where the elevator shaft was and opened an emergency panel. They saw Emma, Shalandra, and Shalimar headed up in that order.
The redheaded agent knew it was a trick. The girls weren't going to be on the elevator. The only way they could go would be up, by foot. "Change of plans boys, they're headed to the roof." She said as all 7 of them ran up the stairwell.
"She's coming." Shalandra said. The redhead was pissed off and had figured out that they had attempted to trick her. Her ankle was starting to throb from the climb but she pushed it.
"We're almost there." Emma puffed. A few minutes later Emma had climbed through the shaft onto the roof. Just then Shalandra's ankle gave out.
The redhead entered the roof and looked around. Mutant X was helping their teammates and the girl out of the shaft and their backs were turned. She singled the guys who were with her to surround them. This was going to be an interesting, but probably quick fight.
"Shit!" Shalandra cursed wincing at the pain in her ankle.
"Are you ok?" Jesse asked giving her a hand.
"My ankle just gave out." She said.
Jesse pulled her the rest of the way out of the shaft and felt her tense up.
"What's wrong?" He asked as Shalimar came out next.
Shalandra had frozen looking at the redhead and the 6 GSA agents.
"Looks like we get to kick butt after all." Shalimar said her eyes glowing yellow.
"Adam, we've got company up here." Brennen said round housing the nearest agent.
Emma had used a psionic blast knocking another out. Shalimar and Jesse were fighting two. Shalandra froze watching the redhead that she had dreamt about the night before.
As the fight continued the Double Helix landed on the roof. Brennen finished knocking the agent he was fighting out and shot a bolt of electricity at the two remaining agents.
All of her life Shalandra had been scared of lightning. She paled a few more shades when Brennen let off bolts of what looked like lightning towards the two remaining agents. Taking advantage of this the redhead used an ability no one knew she had and projected an image of a wall of fire at Shalandra.
It didn't take long for the redhead to realize her hunch had been right. Seeing the fire Shalandra curled up in a ball and started shaking, her eyes wide. Emma feeling Shalandra's fear go up ten notches turned around. Realizing what was going on she shot a psionic pulse at the redhead knocking her out.
Adam came out of the Helix and ran over to Shalandra as did the others. "What happened?" He asked.
"While we were kicking the guys butts the redhead sent a wall of flames at Shalandra. She's apparently scared to death of fire." Emma said.
Adam picked Shalandra who was still curled up in a fetal position with her eyes closed. "Lets get out of here." He said.
Back in the Helix Adam handed Shalandra over to Jesse while he piloted them back to Sanctuary. In the back of the plane Emma and Jesse were trying to calm Shalandra back down.
Flashback:
[A 12-year-old Shalandra had just gotten off the school bus when she suddenly felt something was terribly wrong. Running up the street she ran into the house the second she had gotten there, failing to see the smoke coming out of the basement.
She then felt an emotion she never felt, as her mother who was in the basement died a very painful, but quick death. Shalandra froze even when she knew she should've run. She heard the sirens of fire trucks, but was still unable to move. When the firemen had finally put out the fire, which had moved up to the first floor, they found a young girl with severe second degree burns crying for her mother.]
Shalandra was still curled up in a ball whimpering when the Helix arrived back at Sanctuary. Emma was exhausted and a bit emotional having had felt Shalandra's flashback. Brennen and Shalimar helped Emma get to the couch in the common room while she calmed back down.
Jesse brought Shalandra to the loveseat, still trying to get her to calm down. Adam was close behind.
"She's more afraid of fire than Shalimar." Brennen said watching the other two trying to calm Shalandra down.
"She nearly died in a fire that killed her mother when she was still young." Emma said.
"Sounds like she had a wonderful life so far." Adam said heading for the lab and feeling guilty that he had left the twins in their playpen, even though it was brief.
Shalandra though still curled up in a tight ball had opened her eyes. She was in someone's lap and she began struggling. The redhead must've gotten her like in her dream.
"Hey take it easy." Jesse and Emma both said.
"Babbitt the redhead.... fire...." Shalandra stuttered out.
"Your ok now. We're back at Sanctuary." Emma said.
Shalandra uncurled, still tense in Jesse's lap. She was safe. Trying to calm back down she started breathing in and out. Before long she was hyperventilating into a brown paper bag tears streaming down her face at reliving that long forgotten part of her life.
"Adam, we could use some help in here." Shalimar said into her ring.
"What's up?" Adam asked.
"Shalandra's still freaked out and hyperventilating now." Shalimar said.
"Try to get her to calm down. She's got asthma. I'll be right in." Adam said grabbing the inhaler he had picked up earlier.
Several moments later Shalandra's breathing had calmed down. She was exhausted and dizzy. Luckily this time her asthma didn't act up. Her ankle was killing her and nothing made much sense.
Jesse was rubbing her back, as she started calming down.
"Feeling better?" Adam asked.
Shalandra shook her head tiredly.
"Get her something sweet to drink." Adam said.
Shalimar headed towards the kitchen and grabbed a Coke. She got back a few minutes later, but Shalandra had curled up on Jesse and was asleep still shaking a little.
"What happened back there?" Adam asked.
"We were eating pizza and she froze saying the redhead from the club was there. Shal looked around and spotted her and the agents she was with. We figured instead of fighting it would be better to run this time. We hopped in an elevator hoping to trick her but it didn't work." Emma said
"She was just about on the roof when her ankle gave out. I helped her up and she froze spotting our guests. You know pretty much happened after that." Jesse said.
"I think the redhead is also a psionic. Shalandra got really scared when Brennen hit those guys with electricity. The redhead took advantage of this and shot an image of a wall of fire at her." Emma finished.
"I think she needs to rest for now. The afternoon has exhausted her." Adam suggested.
Shalandra had stopped shaking and was now mumbling on and off incoherently in her sleep. "I'll carry her in this time." Adam said, putting the Coke in his pocket. He picked Shalandra up and brought her into her room. He tucked her in bed, put the Coke on the nightstand, and then sat in a chair nearby to make sure she'd be all right.
A little while later Shalimar walked in with Shalandra's bag of purchases.
"She might want to change when she wakes up." Shalimar said smiling.
"Did you guys have fun at the mall, until all hell broke loose?" Adam asked quietly.
"Yeah we did. She likes the same stores we do." Shal answered.
"Cool." Adam said looking over at Shalandra who started mumbling in her sleep again.
"She'll be ok. This is all new to her." Shal said.
"I know. She's gone through a lot in two days." Adam said with a sigh.
"Mind filling me in?" Shal asked.
"Ask Emma to fill all of you guys in." Adam said.
"Ok." Shalimar said heading back to the common room.
"Hey, Emma, what's up with Adam and Shalandra?" Shalimar asked.
"Ask them." Emma said.
"I did. Adam told me to have you fill the rest of us in." Shalimar said.
For the next several minutes Emma told the others what Adam had told her. They sat there in stunned silence.
"Adam's daughter?!" Shalimar said.
"That's who she is." Emma said.
"Wow." Jesse said thinking of the night before.
"Why didn't he ever tell us he had a daughter?" Shalimar asked.
"She disappeared as a baby with her twin sister. I think it was easier for him not to talk about it. When she showed up he didn't really get a chance to say anything." Emma said.
"It must've been one hell of a surprise for both of them." Brennen said.
"Yeah I know. Especially after 26 years." Shalimar said agreeing.
At Genomex that evening:
The redhead just wasn't having a good day. Three of the agents who had been with her had been eliminated. She had now been called to Mr. Ekhart's office. This couldn't be good. She just hoped that she walked back out.
"Yes?" She said looking at Mr. Ekhart.
"Agent Edmonton, what happened back there?" Mason Ekhart asked showing no emotions.
"I underestimated Mutant X and acted too soon." She answered.
"The only reason you are still standing here is because you discovered the girls weakness. The next time do not fail bringing her in, or we won't be having this conversation again. Is that understood?" He asked.
"Yes, sir." She answered.
"Now leave." Mason ordered.
The redhead didn't hesitate to leave and was thankful that she had been given another chance. She was determined to succeed the next time an opportunity came up.
Sanctuary Later that evening:
Several hours after the mall incident, Shalandra woke up still exhausted.
"Feeling better?" Adam asked.
"I think so. What happened back there?" Shalandra asked.
"Emma said you started freaking out when Brennen used his abilities. Then our redheaded friend, who's a psionic, shot a wall of flames at you." Adam said.
"I've always been terribly scared of electrical storms ever since I was really young. I'm even more afraid of fire." Shalandra said.
"Are you hungry?" Adam asked.
"Not really. I'm thirsty though." She answered.
Adam handed her the now warm Coke. "You'll be ok. It's just going to take a little while to adjust." He said.
"This universe makes mine look peaceful, however this one is much more interesting." Shalandra said drinking the Coke.
"Sounds like it." Adam said getting up from the chair he was sitting in.
"What time is it?" Shalandra asked.
"Almost 11. Everyone but Shalimar is probably sleeping. She has a tendency to be up at unusual hours." Adam answered.
Shalandra giggled. "Sounds like me. I usually sleep half of the day then stay up most of the night goofing off on my computer." She said.
"Are you good with computers?" Adam asked, not surprised.
"Show me any computer, with exception of Mackintosh, and I can usually find my way around quite well." Shalandra bragged.
"I'll show you where ours is later." Adam offered.
"Cool. I've also been told that I have a tendency to growl and hiss at people when I get mad.
"Sounds like your feral side takes after a wildcat." Adam said on his way out of the room.
"Night." Shalandra said headed for the bathroom and picking up the shopping bag. After she changed, she walked around for a little bit until she found Shalimar fighting virtual GSA.
"That looks like fun." Shalandra said watching.
"It's a good workout." Shalimar said ending the program.
"Are you always up this late?" Shalandra asked.
"Usually. It's quiet this time of night." Shal answered.
"I like staying up late too. It's quiet and peaceful when it's dark. I also like it because no one bugs me at these hours." Shalandra said.
"Hungry?" Shal asked.
"Nope; I'm never hungry when I first wake up. Would you show me how to kick their butts?" Shalandra asked.
"Do you know how to fight at all?" Shal asked.
"Nope, but I learn quickly." Shalandra said.
"Is your ankle up to it?" Shal asked.
"Probably, either way I'll ignore it. I usually do. Plus I'd love to be able to kick that redhead's but the next time she tries capturing me." Shalandra said with a grin.
The two women moved up to the platform and Shalimar showed Shalandra a few kicks, punches, and blocks. Shalandra picked them up quickly and before long was mimicking some of the moves that she had seen Shalimar use in the GSA program earlier. After a few hours of that Shalimar decided to run the program again. At first Shalandra froze when the agents appeared. Then she thought of the redhead and started kicking butts. She found that she enjoyed the challenge the program offered. After the program was done both ladies sat on the stairs catching their breath.
"Are you sure you didn't know how to fight before this?" Shalimar asked.
"Yup. All I had to do was picture the redhead in place of the agents in the program." Shalandra said.
"That wasn't bad for a first try with the program." Shalimar complimented surprised that Shalandra had picked up moves so quickly.
"Thanks." Shalandra said grinning. At about three in the morning both ladies went to bed after getting a midnight snack.
It didn't take long for Shalandra to fall into a schedule. She'd wake up around midmorning and eat breakfast with the others. She often read sitting at the fountain or meditated there. Emma was showing her how to control the mental abilities she had. The boys and Shalimar were helping her get better whit her fighting moves. Once in a while fighting she'd let off a small zap of electricity and shock someone by accident. She'd take a nap after dinner and then sit up until the early hours of the night with Shalimar.
She'd also often sit in the lab asking Adam about the various experiments and things he was doing. After the first week he had shown her the computer. Within a few hours she was running it as if she had it for years. At times she almost forgot about her childhood and how she had gotten here, and for the first time in a long time she was happy.
In the second week Adam had done a few more tests and stabilized her DNA as much as he could. She was no longer experiencing as many health problems. She had also gone clubbing with the others a few times and was starting to really enjoy it.
One night the third week she had another nightmare. In this one a very young girl was in a lab of some sort where people were running some kind of experiments on and around her. When that went wrong the child was put in some kind of glass tube in a sleep-like state. A year later there was a strong magnetic storm and she disappeared to where Shalandra had grown up.
In the dream a man in a black suit handed the young girl to Shalandra's mother after an exchange of money. The girl, like Shalandra, had been very small for her age and sick. Shalandra woke up from the dream in a sweat. They had lied to her! She always knew the woman who raised her was keeping something from her, but this was a bit too much. Shalandra got out of bed and got dressed, knowing it was still very early. Slightly shook up she went to the fountain room and meditated until after Adam and Emma woke up.
Emma went into the room with the fountain and was surprised to see Shalandra there.
"Your up early." She said.
"I had another dream and couldn't sleep afterwards." Shalandra said. Usually meditating or sleeping helped her emotional well-being. This morning it wasn't working very well.
"Want to talk about it?" Emma asked.
"Not right now. I should be fine in a few hours." Shalandra said.
"We're going to the mall later, do you want to join us?" Emma asked.
Shalandra smiled. Shopping always cheered her up. "Sure!" She exclaimed and headed for the kitchen to get breakfast with a smile.
After breakfast Shalandra walked into the lab. She was really starting to look up to Adam as a parental type figure.
"Morning old man." Shalandra said grinning.
"Hey, I'm not that old kid." Adam said laughing.
"So what's up this morning?" Shalandra asked.
"Not much." Adam answered.
"I had another dream last night. I think I know how I got to the other dimension." Shalandra said and told him about it.
"It seems we know who arranged for you and your sister to disappear from my front yard." Adam said.
After the conversation Shalandra got ready to go to the mall. Brennen and Jesse were joining them this time. While waiting for the others to get ready she decided to play around on the computer.
Once everyone was ready the got in the Mustang (lol, I just LOVE that type of car!) and went to the mall. After a few hours of shopping and goofing off they went back to Sanctuary and ate dinner. The others were going clubbing that night. Shalandra was tired and decided not to join them this time. After dinner Adam asked her if she wanted to join the team, which she did. He gave her a silver ring similar to his own.
After the others headed out to the club Adam and Shalandra played a game of chess. The game was close but in the end she won. Shortly after that she watched some TV and went to bed after she heard everyone else return.