A/N: All disclaimers are in Ch. 1
"No, Steve, contrary to what Homer Simpson says, pants are not a suggestion." Alex was gazing over the back of the couch in the common room of the Hellions' dorm building. Selene had called it the "smoking room," but since none of them smoked, they called it "the place with the TV and stereo."
"Hey, Alex, is it safe to look?" Jeffrey asked absently. His attention was more focused on the TV in front of them.
"Yeh. He just has them on backwards. Take them off, turn them around so the zipper- the little interlocking metal thingies- are in front. NO, NOT HERE. Go change in the room, for chrissake." Alex turned his attention back to the screen. "Selene said she climatized him, but I don't think he'd fool a retard."
"About what?"
"About being from this century."
"Mfff." Jeffrey grabbed another handful of popcorn. "Where'd he get the clothes? I thought Selene was gonna buy him some today."
"Macon's, I think."
Outside the door, they heard high heels clicking towards them. Selene strode through the door, dressed in black, looking like evil-as-power- businesswoman. "Hello, boys. Where is Stephen?"
"Changing. He had his pants on back- URGGH!" The popcorn bowl went flying as the couch came to life, half-swallowing both of them.
"I greeted you, politely. Is it so much to ask that you do the same for me?" Selene had a sugary-sweet smile on her face.
"Hello, Selene." They both supplied. The couch snapped back with a POP.
"Ow." Jeffrey rubbed his ribs, but Selene didn't appear to notice.
"I will collect our neanderthal friend, and then Macon will fly us to Florida." She turned away, but Alex stopped her at the door.
"Why?"
"Clothes are required for him, and since I don't trust you two alone, you're coming shopping with us."
Alex looked shocked. "Why? What about Cole, Macon-"
"Cole and Reese have to speak with Shaw Industries about their. modifications. Reese has been having malfunctions lately, so he and Cole are going to be consulting with the engineers in Florida about the problem. Macon will be going with them, as well as flying the jet." She turned sharply and stalked away in the direction of their dorm room.
"How's she going to hide." Jeffrey mimed Steve's extra set of arms.
"Dunno. Maybe use her mind powers and make nobody see 'em." Alex cracked his neck. "Ouch. She really likes to use her matter-changing powers, dosn't she."
"She does." Jeffrey agreed. "Wonder why I couldn't just teleport us there?"
*Because the odds are even that you would drop bits of us halfway, Transit.* Selene's voice said in their heads. *You are not as good as you think yourself. And don't bother to mention your Alaska to Westchester feat, that was one person.*
Jeffrey closed his mouth with a snap.
***
The Shaw Industries learjet was making excellent time, getting through to Florida in under five hours. Steve had a hologram projecter that set up the image of a huge fat kid, because he had his second set of arms crossed over his stomach.
As they entered one of the larger shopping malls, Selene sighed contentedly. She didn't feel at home, but what appealed to her vanity appealed to her, and everywhere around, shops were in the business of that appeal.
"Man, this sucks." Alex said as Selene studied a shop window intently. "I hate getting dragged along shopping." He glanced at his friend. "Hey, Jeffrey, man, what's up?"
"It's. big. I've never been anywhere like this."
"Everyone's been stuck in a mall."
"Not me. Alaska, remember?"
"Yeah. The big cold nothin' state." His gaze wandered over to a pizza establishment. "Wonder what a rich guy like Bogan was doing there- he could afford to get out."
"What was he doing?" Jeffrey shuddered a little. "You don't want to know."
"Sure I do."
"Not telling."
"C'mon, scared?"
"Yes."
"Of what?"
"Of him."
"What can he do, now?"
"Plenty." Jeffrey gave Alex a glare. "Stop it."
"Stop what?"
*STOP PRYING.* Selene's voice erupted in their heads. *Unless you want dear Jeffrey to invite you to his home- or, rather, the glacier outside of it.*
"I wouldn't do that-" Jeffrey began, but Selene cut him off.
"Here we are. End of discussion."
"This is a mall, correct?" Steve asked as they trolled the racks. Or, rather, Selene trolled the racks and they followed.
"Correct." Alex was following poking some jackets. "What're these made of, wallpaper?"
"Skylight. glass. window. register." Steve was taking mental note of everything he saw, muttering to himself as the tried to match it with the data Selene had given him.
"Isn't it kind of hot in here?" Jeffrey asked. "Maybe they should turn the AC up."
"High seventies, low eighties- not real hot."
"It's hot."
"No, it isn't."
There was a clatter of plastic as Selene returned with a large number of hangars. "Living in Alaska will do that to you, I'm afraid. Steve, these will fit you. Do either of you two need anything?" She shut her eyes. "You do. Jeffrey, get yourself some more shirts, the ones you have are worn to rags. Alex, go get some more socks and underwear- you havn't bought any new in over a year." She gave them a glare. "Hurry."
"Oh, sure, she can take as long as she wants, but we have to move at- " Alex groused as he grabbed a bag of socks.
"I'm not saying anything against her. She got the charges against me dropped." Jeffrey replied. "Here. This and this and."
Soon, Selene was at the register with her black credit card. The clerk looked at the clothes, then at Steve.
"Are you sure these'll fit?"
"Positive." Selene replied absently.
"Really? I mean, I've seen some. large people, and these aren't even in-" her voice failed as Selene fixed her with a death glare. Leaning over the counter, she fixed the woman with her eyes.
"My judgement is perfectly sound. Charge the clothes and do not speak any more if you value your life."
"Yes, ma'am." The clerk squeaked.
"Well, I'd call that trip a success, wouldn't you?" Selene said with a smile once they were back on the main concourse. "I am hungry. There's no haute cuisine here- far from it- but the basics of nutrition may yet be filled. To Pizza Hut."
***
"Well, that was expenive, unhealthy, and altogther gratuitous." Selene said as she pitched her tray. "Children these days."
"You had eight slices." Alex commented.
"Just because it's not good for you doesn't mean that people- even ones who should know better- don't engage in it. Look at sex." She turned to Steve. "And you would be advised to get better motor control with just your top two hands. I know you've never been without the bottom set before, but you have to adapt here. Twice your other hands almost pierced the hologram- that would've taken quite a bit of explaining." She motioned to the two of them. "Alex, pick up the bags." She snapped her cell phone open. "Hello?. Ah, Macon. Perfect timing. I was just going to call you. good. Goodbye." She shut it again. "We are going now."
As the four of them made their way towards the door, a pair of eyes watched them. They had come from a young man named Arthur Swift.
"A-4 to D-7, come in."
"D-7 here."
"Whatdaya got?"
"Muties, at least two. Get that psi over here and retrieve the images." D-7 felt a tingling in his brain.
"Holy. you have just hit the mother lode, my man." A-4 sounded awed.
"What?"
"Three muties, one I'm not sure of. One of them's. Jesus Christ! Selene! She's a heavy hitter."
"We can take her." D-7 said.
"No, we can't. She's not just a mutie- she's got magic comin' out the wazoo. We need help. Professional help." A-4 replied.
***
"I don't like this, Wrecker." Piledriver said. "My nephew's a mutant. Whudda we got against 'em?"
"Keep it down, Piledriver." Wrecker said irritably. "We don't got anything against mutants, ya know that."
"So why're we huntin-"
"CUZ we're paid to!" Wrecker cut him off irratably. "Sure, your nephew's a mutant. So's my uncle. When they start footin' the bills, then we can worry 'bout mutants, OK? 'Till then, we knock heads when it makes us some dough, okay?"
"Hey, idiots, the plan-" Wrecker and Piledriver turned on him.
"Who're you callin' an idiot, Mistuh Franklin?"
" 'Mistuh Franklin.'" Thunderball mocked. "Hick. Seriously, after that guy with the portal hands got us here, I wanted to know what we were gonna do."
"I wanna knock over the temples, maybe see if there's some dough." Piledriver put in.
"We heard you the first three times, and the answer is still no." Thunderball said irritably. "They're supposed to be comin' in soon, and we need to know how to handle 'em."
"What can they do?" Bulldozer asked.
"Jesus, don't you guys listen? One's Jeffrey Garrett, you know the kid who killed those seven people? On the news?" Thunderball ticked them off on his fingers. "One's got four arms, and they think he's super-strong as well- he shouldn't be too tough. The broad's Selene- dunno what her power is, but she's got magic like nothin' you ever saw. She's got mind powers, can suck away your life with a touch, and can control inanimte matter. Dangerous lady. The last one- they don't think he's a mutant at all, but we're supposed to bring him in just to be on the safe side."
"How're we supposedta bring 'em in?" Piledriver asked.
"Alive, and in more or less on piece."
"Hey! T-Ball, Driver- get ready. I see 'em now." Bulldozer shouted. The four men got back under cover of the jungle.
"Hey, Franklin, you sure these gizmos'll work?" Wrecker muttered to Thunderball.
"I've field-tested them every way I can. They should block us long enough to get the drop on her. As long as we take her out, we should be cool."
"And what if we don't?"
"Then we're screwed, Garthwaite."
"So you're saying your doohickies ain't up to the task-"
"I'm saying that if you do your job half as well as I did mine, we aren't having any trouble."
"I'll get you for that, Franklin," Wrecker snarled as the whine of jets filled their ears "but I got an idea."
The airplane slowed to a halt, and Jeffrey, Alex, Steve, and Selene stepped off.
"All our birdies in a the cage. Now, ta make sure they don't get any bright ideas about leavin'." Wrecker pulled his hand back, then slung the crowbar forward like a throwing knife.
Halfway between the Wrecker and the airplane, lightning burst out of it. Selene, reacting with superhuman speed, had attempted to disintegrate it with her powers. Unfortunatly, the vessel of Karnilla's magic was not so easily destroyed- Selene reeled from the feedback.
The Wrecker's bar shot through the Learjet like a bullet. Given the his position, it went sailing into the nosecone, shredded it's way through through the entire body of the plane, and tore one of the tailfins off as it shot out the other side. Then, curving backwards, it ripped open the skin of the airplane as it returned to the Wrecker's hand.
"Holy-" In the traditional blaze of red light, Jeffrey vanished.
"SELENE!" Alex was at her side, but she was out of it. "Who the hell. oh." He looked up to see the four men standing there.
"That's right, kid, it's the Wrecking Crew." Wrecker said. "We've been hired to haul you and your mutie friends in- don't fight an' you won't get hurt- much."
Alex's breathing had accelerated. He didn't know what the hell to do, but thanks to Selene's training, his hands weren't glowing. He was subconsiously restraining his power. He stepped back and looked at Steve. "What do you-"
Steve replied by turning and running.
"Get back here, you-" Thunderball shouted, hurling his wrecking ball after him.
Without a thought, Alex extended his right hand, spraying the air with his incineration ray. The jungle to his left erupted in flames as the wrecking ball was knocked off-course, a large portion of it's mass disintegrated.
"What the-" Thunderball began. Alex spun to see Bulldozer bearing down on him. With a yell, Alex lashed out again, blasting Bulldozer's helmet off. Faster than Alex could react, Bulldozer sprang, about to pulp him with his head.
There was a crash. Bulldozer came to a virtual stop in midair as a ball of metal slammed into him with unimaginable speed. At the same instant, there was a blaze of red light, and Alex disappeared. An empty set of jeans and a flannel shirt crumpled to the ground.
"Whoa- what- damn. Lifesaver, Jeff. rey." his speech slowed down as comprehension dawned. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CLOTHES, YOU PERV?"
Jeffrey, too buisy watching the Wrecking Crew from the roof of the building they were on top of, hadn't noticed Alex's predicament. "What- oh, jeez- sorry- I wan't thinking-"
"Just get me my-" the rest of Alex's statement was lost as he disappeared in a blaze of red light. Another flash, and Steve was on top of the building. Jeffrey was relived to see that the Savage Land native had retained his garments.
"Steve, turn off the hologram."
"Who are those people?" The holgram wavered and vanished.
"I think they're-" Jeffrey was interrupted by teleporting them to another roof. The Wrecker's crowbar crashed through the building where they had been a second ago. "-the Wrecking Crew. I dunno why they're attacking us."
"We'll have to kill them." Steve said flatly. "Before they do."
"Let's not get extreme-" Jeffrey started, voice faltering a little.
"Why not?" Steve seemed genuinely surprised. "Selene told me that you were killer."
"It wasn't like that." Jeffrey started, then gave up. "Quick thinking, hitting Bulldozer with the crumped-up stableizer. Got any more?"
"Airplane pieces?"
"No. Quick thoughts."
"Where did you send Alex?"
"Dorm room."
"I'm going to go beat them up." Steve lept off the building, landing hard enough to make the ground shake. Jeffrey's eyes flared and Steve appeared next to him. "What are you-"
"You can't fight them alone! They're as strong as a god. We need a plan- crap!" The two of them blazed and vanished as the building crumbled under them.
"I wish they'd just stay still." Piledriver groused as he saw the burst of red light.
"What kind of plan?"
"We need Selene." Jeffrey's mind was racing, but that was all he could come up with.
"They were handcuffing her when you teleported me."
"That's OK, she can just warp the handcuffs off." The two of them disappeared.
Alex was just fastening the belt of his uniform when they materialized. "Hey, Jeffrey, Steve, what are we going to do?"
"We have to wake up Selene." Jeffrey said. "She'll know what to do, maybe get Cole or Macon too."
"If Selene can't beat them-" Alex bagan.
"Fine, Einstein, come up with something better." Jeffrey cut him off.
"OK, what's the plan?"
"I'm going to try and save Selene." Jeffrey said. "I move faster by myself- you two better hide until we get back."
"I refuse!" Steve burst out. "I've hidden far too often- we must destroy them if we want to be safe!" Jeffrey and Alex suddenly found themselves wrenched into the air by two of his arms. "I'm not surprised this place was attacked. The first thing you do is run."
"Steve-put us-" Alex's hands began to glow. Steve dropped them both. "You're right, kinda- but the Wrecking Crew isn't what we're prepared to fight."
"I don't care." Steve said bluntly. "If we are to fulfill Selene's faith, we fight."
Jeffrey covered half of his face in exasperation. "Fine. Fine. Draw the Wrecking Crew out, wherever you can, and get them away from Selene and the plane."
"OK. Can you just teleport them to Alaska and-" Alex shut up when Jeffrey shot him a look. "-never mind."
"Right. Distract them and I'll get Selene." Jeffrey vanished in his teleportation burst.
"Shall we-" Alex started, but Steve was already out the door. "Never mind."
***
In his customary burst, Jeffrey appeared on top of the wreckage of the plane. Only Bulldozer was still there, standing guard over the still- unconscious Selene. The others were obviously trolling the city- he could see the wreckage of the buildings he had been on.
But what to do about Bulldozer? Teleport him, obviously, but where? He was the fastest of the Crew- anywhere in Nova Roma, and he could be back in record time. Pausing for a second, he disappeared again, reappearing inside the passenger compartment of the Learjet.
It looked like it had been hit by a storm. Though the bulkhead had blocked Bulldozer from seeing the flash of his teleportation, he didn't know long he could dodge around. He could just teleport Selene to him- but then what? Hurrying down the swath of destruction, he entered the smashed cockpit.
He nearly lost his lunch. Lying on the ground in two pieces was Macon, his intestines unravelled between his upper and lower halves. There wasn't as much blood as would be expected from bisecting a human, but that was cold comfort to Jeffrey. He gave a cry of disgust.
"Wha-" Jeffrey mentally cursed himself as Bulldozer's voice spoke. Trying to keep his reeling stomach steady, he looked again. Macon was in two pieces, and Cole was lying over the instrument panel, blackened and bloody. It looked like he had been caught by the plane's electrical system when it shorted out. Which left only.
"Reese." Jeffrey hissed in his ear. He could hear slow, crunching footsteps as Bulldozer approached. "C'mon, wake up, I need your help. wake up!" He grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him violently. Finally, one bionic eye opened.
"Wha- what hit me?"
"The Wrecker, I think- C'mon, I need help waking up Selene, and Bulldozer's going to be here in about ten seconds." There was a thump inside the plane. "I need your help!"
"Hey!" Bulldozer bellowed and charged, lowering his head despite his lack of a helmet. Jeffrey had been so intent on Reese, however, that he didn't hear him until he was about three feet behind him. Looking intently he saw- Bulldozer bearing down on him reflected in his teacher's eye.
"AAAAAHHH!" Completely unprepared, Jeffrey's eyes blazed yet again. The blow never came.
"Easy, kid, stop trying to break my shoulders." Reese said. "You got him- I think. Where'd you send him?"
Jeffrey took a breath. His heart was going at what felt like a thousand beats a second. "I got him?"
"Yeah, I said that. Where'd you send him?"
"I. don't. remember. What if I. killed him?"
"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Reese asked acidly.
"But what if I did?" Jeffrey was getting a crazed look in his eyes. "I'm not going to be hunted again, I don't want Bogan back, Reese, you have to help me-"
"Easy, kid, you got him, but we got bigger fish to fry." Reese was trying to make his tone as paternal as possible, but Jeffrey kept right on babbling.
"-suppose Bogan finds out, I did it for the right reasons, please Reese-" Not sure what else to do, the cyborg pulled back his fist and floored him. Jeffrey's head hit the bulkhead with a thunk.
"Snap out of it, kid! We have three, perhaps all four, of the Wrecking Crew running around here. You said help Selene, right? So let's help her!"
"That hurt." Jeffrey felt his jaw and wiped the blood of his mouth. ".Sorry." He added. I kinda lost it."
Reese snorted. "Damn straight."
The two of them quickly got out to Selene. Reese started shaking her, murmuring profanities. "Dammit, she's really out of it. There has to be- forget this." Taking off one of his gloves, he pried a wire out of his hand and carefully disconnected it, leaving the sputtering end hanging. "There. If this don't wake her up, nothing will." He said as he carefully rolled her over, looking for a good place to apply the shock. "I'm just surprised the rest of the Crew havn't found us yet."
"Ale- er. Ashcan and Bastard are fighting them."
"Why the hell? They're no match for the Crew."
"They might be. Alex stood up to the Hulk, and Bastard is really, really strong."
"The Hulk is a retard, kid. The Crew ain't bright themselves, but they've worked together for a long-ass time. And come to think of it, Thunderball is a nuclear physicist." He touched the wire to her elbow. Selene gasped. "Hot damn, we got her!" She moved a little, and Reese rolled her over. "Sorry about that, Selene, but we have. oh, crap."
"What?" Jeffrey looked at her. She was staring up at them, but not focusing. It was almost like she was asleep with her eyes open.
"She's catatonic, I think, or almost. She's consious, but her brain's short-circuted. We need to snap her out of this." He started shaking her. "Come on, Selene, people to drain! Fresh blood!"
"What do you mean?" Jeffrey asked. He was trying desperatly to think of something that had gotten a rise out of his mother.
"I'll explain later." Reese replied. "Selene, magic, the Clu- er. Hellions are being threatened."
Jeffrey leaned over. "Hey, Selene, is that a wrinkle? And I think I see a few new grey hairs."
Reese whistled. "If that works, you are not going to live to talk about it."
"It was all I could think of- REESE!" The remains of Thunderball's wrecking ball had caught the cyborg in the chest, sending him flying.
"So!" Wrecker's voice came. "'Doze was right. Here's our damned little teleporter- we just trashed your friends- will you save everyone a whole lotta hassle and give up already? I don't wanna-" he was cut off by a bellow from Thunderball.
The physicist was clutching his back, from which smoke was pouring. Ashcan was leaning against the wall of a building behind him, uniform torn and bloody, with Bastard close behind him. Bastard's lower left arm was hanging at a nasty angle and he was obviously in pain, but he wasn't quite beaten. Unable to think of any other options, Jeffrey teleported himself next to his friends to face the Wrecking Crew.
"What do we do now, oh fearless leader?" Ashcan asked drily.
"I don't know."
"Where's the cyborgs?"
"Cole and Macon are dead, and I think Reese is too."
Ashcan let fly another beam, which the Wrecker blocked with his bar. Thunderball said something to the other members of the Crew, who nodded. Not wasting any time, all four of them charged.
Ashcan opened up, but it wasn't enough. Even if he managed to get the Wrecker past his bar and kill him, the villan had so much forward momentum he could've punched through a mountian. Jeffrey, too panicked to teleport, did the only thing a human could do: braced for impact.
It never came. With a roar, the street tore itself up under the crew, pulling them back along waves of rubble. In front of the building stood Selene, radiating so much power that she was impossible to look at. She was hurling them about like ping-pong balls in a gale, smashing them into the ground at impossible speeds, and enveloping them in earth. They were breaking out, of course, but you could see them straining as the long chase began to take it's toll. Thunderball, however, was struggling with something on his wrist. As he was hurled by a hand of stone, Jeffrey heard him call out. "NOW, GODDAMNIT!"
A portal shimmered into existance. Thunderball lept through it, followed closely by the Wrecker. A stone wall rose from the earth, but not quickly enough to stop Bulldozer- the third member sailed headlong through. Piledriver was last, charging towards the portal- but him, Selene was ready for. As his feet fell into the ground as though it were a liquid, Selene's voice spoke in Ashcan's head. *Start firing into the portal.* Alex complied, firing a hail of beams as Piledriver was swept helplessly away from his escape route.
Suddenly, the portal imploded. It didn't just flick out, like it was supposed to-it blew up. Brilliant orange light blasted out of it as it's inner part was torn to shreds. With a final, ear popping FWUMP, it collapsed.
In the ruined Nova Roma street, Selene took stock of the situation. Millions in property damage, her students mangled, her cyborg assitants in bad need of rebuilding, and possible scarring on the time/space continuum where the portal had force-imploded. Though she would never tell him this, Selene was fairly sure that Ashcan had maimed or killed the U-Man generating it. On the plus side, her new, green students had sucessfully plotted against a surprise attack from the Wrecking Crew. She smiled, and put Piledriver to sleep with a thought. She would have answers, later. but right now, she just felt good.
"No, Steve, contrary to what Homer Simpson says, pants are not a suggestion." Alex was gazing over the back of the couch in the common room of the Hellions' dorm building. Selene had called it the "smoking room," but since none of them smoked, they called it "the place with the TV and stereo."
"Hey, Alex, is it safe to look?" Jeffrey asked absently. His attention was more focused on the TV in front of them.
"Yeh. He just has them on backwards. Take them off, turn them around so the zipper- the little interlocking metal thingies- are in front. NO, NOT HERE. Go change in the room, for chrissake." Alex turned his attention back to the screen. "Selene said she climatized him, but I don't think he'd fool a retard."
"About what?"
"About being from this century."
"Mfff." Jeffrey grabbed another handful of popcorn. "Where'd he get the clothes? I thought Selene was gonna buy him some today."
"Macon's, I think."
Outside the door, they heard high heels clicking towards them. Selene strode through the door, dressed in black, looking like evil-as-power- businesswoman. "Hello, boys. Where is Stephen?"
"Changing. He had his pants on back- URGGH!" The popcorn bowl went flying as the couch came to life, half-swallowing both of them.
"I greeted you, politely. Is it so much to ask that you do the same for me?" Selene had a sugary-sweet smile on her face.
"Hello, Selene." They both supplied. The couch snapped back with a POP.
"Ow." Jeffrey rubbed his ribs, but Selene didn't appear to notice.
"I will collect our neanderthal friend, and then Macon will fly us to Florida." She turned away, but Alex stopped her at the door.
"Why?"
"Clothes are required for him, and since I don't trust you two alone, you're coming shopping with us."
Alex looked shocked. "Why? What about Cole, Macon-"
"Cole and Reese have to speak with Shaw Industries about their. modifications. Reese has been having malfunctions lately, so he and Cole are going to be consulting with the engineers in Florida about the problem. Macon will be going with them, as well as flying the jet." She turned sharply and stalked away in the direction of their dorm room.
"How's she going to hide." Jeffrey mimed Steve's extra set of arms.
"Dunno. Maybe use her mind powers and make nobody see 'em." Alex cracked his neck. "Ouch. She really likes to use her matter-changing powers, dosn't she."
"She does." Jeffrey agreed. "Wonder why I couldn't just teleport us there?"
*Because the odds are even that you would drop bits of us halfway, Transit.* Selene's voice said in their heads. *You are not as good as you think yourself. And don't bother to mention your Alaska to Westchester feat, that was one person.*
Jeffrey closed his mouth with a snap.
***
The Shaw Industries learjet was making excellent time, getting through to Florida in under five hours. Steve had a hologram projecter that set up the image of a huge fat kid, because he had his second set of arms crossed over his stomach.
As they entered one of the larger shopping malls, Selene sighed contentedly. She didn't feel at home, but what appealed to her vanity appealed to her, and everywhere around, shops were in the business of that appeal.
"Man, this sucks." Alex said as Selene studied a shop window intently. "I hate getting dragged along shopping." He glanced at his friend. "Hey, Jeffrey, man, what's up?"
"It's. big. I've never been anywhere like this."
"Everyone's been stuck in a mall."
"Not me. Alaska, remember?"
"Yeah. The big cold nothin' state." His gaze wandered over to a pizza establishment. "Wonder what a rich guy like Bogan was doing there- he could afford to get out."
"What was he doing?" Jeffrey shuddered a little. "You don't want to know."
"Sure I do."
"Not telling."
"C'mon, scared?"
"Yes."
"Of what?"
"Of him."
"What can he do, now?"
"Plenty." Jeffrey gave Alex a glare. "Stop it."
"Stop what?"
*STOP PRYING.* Selene's voice erupted in their heads. *Unless you want dear Jeffrey to invite you to his home- or, rather, the glacier outside of it.*
"I wouldn't do that-" Jeffrey began, but Selene cut him off.
"Here we are. End of discussion."
"This is a mall, correct?" Steve asked as they trolled the racks. Or, rather, Selene trolled the racks and they followed.
"Correct." Alex was following poking some jackets. "What're these made of, wallpaper?"
"Skylight. glass. window. register." Steve was taking mental note of everything he saw, muttering to himself as the tried to match it with the data Selene had given him.
"Isn't it kind of hot in here?" Jeffrey asked. "Maybe they should turn the AC up."
"High seventies, low eighties- not real hot."
"It's hot."
"No, it isn't."
There was a clatter of plastic as Selene returned with a large number of hangars. "Living in Alaska will do that to you, I'm afraid. Steve, these will fit you. Do either of you two need anything?" She shut her eyes. "You do. Jeffrey, get yourself some more shirts, the ones you have are worn to rags. Alex, go get some more socks and underwear- you havn't bought any new in over a year." She gave them a glare. "Hurry."
"Oh, sure, she can take as long as she wants, but we have to move at- " Alex groused as he grabbed a bag of socks.
"I'm not saying anything against her. She got the charges against me dropped." Jeffrey replied. "Here. This and this and."
Soon, Selene was at the register with her black credit card. The clerk looked at the clothes, then at Steve.
"Are you sure these'll fit?"
"Positive." Selene replied absently.
"Really? I mean, I've seen some. large people, and these aren't even in-" her voice failed as Selene fixed her with a death glare. Leaning over the counter, she fixed the woman with her eyes.
"My judgement is perfectly sound. Charge the clothes and do not speak any more if you value your life."
"Yes, ma'am." The clerk squeaked.
"Well, I'd call that trip a success, wouldn't you?" Selene said with a smile once they were back on the main concourse. "I am hungry. There's no haute cuisine here- far from it- but the basics of nutrition may yet be filled. To Pizza Hut."
***
"Well, that was expenive, unhealthy, and altogther gratuitous." Selene said as she pitched her tray. "Children these days."
"You had eight slices." Alex commented.
"Just because it's not good for you doesn't mean that people- even ones who should know better- don't engage in it. Look at sex." She turned to Steve. "And you would be advised to get better motor control with just your top two hands. I know you've never been without the bottom set before, but you have to adapt here. Twice your other hands almost pierced the hologram- that would've taken quite a bit of explaining." She motioned to the two of them. "Alex, pick up the bags." She snapped her cell phone open. "Hello?. Ah, Macon. Perfect timing. I was just going to call you. good. Goodbye." She shut it again. "We are going now."
As the four of them made their way towards the door, a pair of eyes watched them. They had come from a young man named Arthur Swift.
"A-4 to D-7, come in."
"D-7 here."
"Whatdaya got?"
"Muties, at least two. Get that psi over here and retrieve the images." D-7 felt a tingling in his brain.
"Holy. you have just hit the mother lode, my man." A-4 sounded awed.
"What?"
"Three muties, one I'm not sure of. One of them's. Jesus Christ! Selene! She's a heavy hitter."
"We can take her." D-7 said.
"No, we can't. She's not just a mutie- she's got magic comin' out the wazoo. We need help. Professional help." A-4 replied.
***
"I don't like this, Wrecker." Piledriver said. "My nephew's a mutant. Whudda we got against 'em?"
"Keep it down, Piledriver." Wrecker said irritably. "We don't got anything against mutants, ya know that."
"So why're we huntin-"
"CUZ we're paid to!" Wrecker cut him off irratably. "Sure, your nephew's a mutant. So's my uncle. When they start footin' the bills, then we can worry 'bout mutants, OK? 'Till then, we knock heads when it makes us some dough, okay?"
"Hey, idiots, the plan-" Wrecker and Piledriver turned on him.
"Who're you callin' an idiot, Mistuh Franklin?"
" 'Mistuh Franklin.'" Thunderball mocked. "Hick. Seriously, after that guy with the portal hands got us here, I wanted to know what we were gonna do."
"I wanna knock over the temples, maybe see if there's some dough." Piledriver put in.
"We heard you the first three times, and the answer is still no." Thunderball said irritably. "They're supposed to be comin' in soon, and we need to know how to handle 'em."
"What can they do?" Bulldozer asked.
"Jesus, don't you guys listen? One's Jeffrey Garrett, you know the kid who killed those seven people? On the news?" Thunderball ticked them off on his fingers. "One's got four arms, and they think he's super-strong as well- he shouldn't be too tough. The broad's Selene- dunno what her power is, but she's got magic like nothin' you ever saw. She's got mind powers, can suck away your life with a touch, and can control inanimte matter. Dangerous lady. The last one- they don't think he's a mutant at all, but we're supposed to bring him in just to be on the safe side."
"How're we supposedta bring 'em in?" Piledriver asked.
"Alive, and in more or less on piece."
"Hey! T-Ball, Driver- get ready. I see 'em now." Bulldozer shouted. The four men got back under cover of the jungle.
"Hey, Franklin, you sure these gizmos'll work?" Wrecker muttered to Thunderball.
"I've field-tested them every way I can. They should block us long enough to get the drop on her. As long as we take her out, we should be cool."
"And what if we don't?"
"Then we're screwed, Garthwaite."
"So you're saying your doohickies ain't up to the task-"
"I'm saying that if you do your job half as well as I did mine, we aren't having any trouble."
"I'll get you for that, Franklin," Wrecker snarled as the whine of jets filled their ears "but I got an idea."
The airplane slowed to a halt, and Jeffrey, Alex, Steve, and Selene stepped off.
"All our birdies in a the cage. Now, ta make sure they don't get any bright ideas about leavin'." Wrecker pulled his hand back, then slung the crowbar forward like a throwing knife.
Halfway between the Wrecker and the airplane, lightning burst out of it. Selene, reacting with superhuman speed, had attempted to disintegrate it with her powers. Unfortunatly, the vessel of Karnilla's magic was not so easily destroyed- Selene reeled from the feedback.
The Wrecker's bar shot through the Learjet like a bullet. Given the his position, it went sailing into the nosecone, shredded it's way through through the entire body of the plane, and tore one of the tailfins off as it shot out the other side. Then, curving backwards, it ripped open the skin of the airplane as it returned to the Wrecker's hand.
"Holy-" In the traditional blaze of red light, Jeffrey vanished.
"SELENE!" Alex was at her side, but she was out of it. "Who the hell. oh." He looked up to see the four men standing there.
"That's right, kid, it's the Wrecking Crew." Wrecker said. "We've been hired to haul you and your mutie friends in- don't fight an' you won't get hurt- much."
Alex's breathing had accelerated. He didn't know what the hell to do, but thanks to Selene's training, his hands weren't glowing. He was subconsiously restraining his power. He stepped back and looked at Steve. "What do you-"
Steve replied by turning and running.
"Get back here, you-" Thunderball shouted, hurling his wrecking ball after him.
Without a thought, Alex extended his right hand, spraying the air with his incineration ray. The jungle to his left erupted in flames as the wrecking ball was knocked off-course, a large portion of it's mass disintegrated.
"What the-" Thunderball began. Alex spun to see Bulldozer bearing down on him. With a yell, Alex lashed out again, blasting Bulldozer's helmet off. Faster than Alex could react, Bulldozer sprang, about to pulp him with his head.
There was a crash. Bulldozer came to a virtual stop in midair as a ball of metal slammed into him with unimaginable speed. At the same instant, there was a blaze of red light, and Alex disappeared. An empty set of jeans and a flannel shirt crumpled to the ground.
"Whoa- what- damn. Lifesaver, Jeff. rey." his speech slowed down as comprehension dawned. "WHAT DID YOU DO TO MY CLOTHES, YOU PERV?"
Jeffrey, too buisy watching the Wrecking Crew from the roof of the building they were on top of, hadn't noticed Alex's predicament. "What- oh, jeez- sorry- I wan't thinking-"
"Just get me my-" the rest of Alex's statement was lost as he disappeared in a blaze of red light. Another flash, and Steve was on top of the building. Jeffrey was relived to see that the Savage Land native had retained his garments.
"Steve, turn off the hologram."
"Who are those people?" The holgram wavered and vanished.
"I think they're-" Jeffrey was interrupted by teleporting them to another roof. The Wrecker's crowbar crashed through the building where they had been a second ago. "-the Wrecking Crew. I dunno why they're attacking us."
"We'll have to kill them." Steve said flatly. "Before they do."
"Let's not get extreme-" Jeffrey started, voice faltering a little.
"Why not?" Steve seemed genuinely surprised. "Selene told me that you were killer."
"It wasn't like that." Jeffrey started, then gave up. "Quick thinking, hitting Bulldozer with the crumped-up stableizer. Got any more?"
"Airplane pieces?"
"No. Quick thoughts."
"Where did you send Alex?"
"Dorm room."
"I'm going to go beat them up." Steve lept off the building, landing hard enough to make the ground shake. Jeffrey's eyes flared and Steve appeared next to him. "What are you-"
"You can't fight them alone! They're as strong as a god. We need a plan- crap!" The two of them blazed and vanished as the building crumbled under them.
"I wish they'd just stay still." Piledriver groused as he saw the burst of red light.
"What kind of plan?"
"We need Selene." Jeffrey's mind was racing, but that was all he could come up with.
"They were handcuffing her when you teleported me."
"That's OK, she can just warp the handcuffs off." The two of them disappeared.
Alex was just fastening the belt of his uniform when they materialized. "Hey, Jeffrey, Steve, what are we going to do?"
"We have to wake up Selene." Jeffrey said. "She'll know what to do, maybe get Cole or Macon too."
"If Selene can't beat them-" Alex bagan.
"Fine, Einstein, come up with something better." Jeffrey cut him off.
"OK, what's the plan?"
"I'm going to try and save Selene." Jeffrey said. "I move faster by myself- you two better hide until we get back."
"I refuse!" Steve burst out. "I've hidden far too often- we must destroy them if we want to be safe!" Jeffrey and Alex suddenly found themselves wrenched into the air by two of his arms. "I'm not surprised this place was attacked. The first thing you do is run."
"Steve-put us-" Alex's hands began to glow. Steve dropped them both. "You're right, kinda- but the Wrecking Crew isn't what we're prepared to fight."
"I don't care." Steve said bluntly. "If we are to fulfill Selene's faith, we fight."
Jeffrey covered half of his face in exasperation. "Fine. Fine. Draw the Wrecking Crew out, wherever you can, and get them away from Selene and the plane."
"OK. Can you just teleport them to Alaska and-" Alex shut up when Jeffrey shot him a look. "-never mind."
"Right. Distract them and I'll get Selene." Jeffrey vanished in his teleportation burst.
"Shall we-" Alex started, but Steve was already out the door. "Never mind."
***
In his customary burst, Jeffrey appeared on top of the wreckage of the plane. Only Bulldozer was still there, standing guard over the still- unconscious Selene. The others were obviously trolling the city- he could see the wreckage of the buildings he had been on.
But what to do about Bulldozer? Teleport him, obviously, but where? He was the fastest of the Crew- anywhere in Nova Roma, and he could be back in record time. Pausing for a second, he disappeared again, reappearing inside the passenger compartment of the Learjet.
It looked like it had been hit by a storm. Though the bulkhead had blocked Bulldozer from seeing the flash of his teleportation, he didn't know long he could dodge around. He could just teleport Selene to him- but then what? Hurrying down the swath of destruction, he entered the smashed cockpit.
He nearly lost his lunch. Lying on the ground in two pieces was Macon, his intestines unravelled between his upper and lower halves. There wasn't as much blood as would be expected from bisecting a human, but that was cold comfort to Jeffrey. He gave a cry of disgust.
"Wha-" Jeffrey mentally cursed himself as Bulldozer's voice spoke. Trying to keep his reeling stomach steady, he looked again. Macon was in two pieces, and Cole was lying over the instrument panel, blackened and bloody. It looked like he had been caught by the plane's electrical system when it shorted out. Which left only.
"Reese." Jeffrey hissed in his ear. He could hear slow, crunching footsteps as Bulldozer approached. "C'mon, wake up, I need your help. wake up!" He grabbed his shoulders and began to shake him violently. Finally, one bionic eye opened.
"Wha- what hit me?"
"The Wrecker, I think- C'mon, I need help waking up Selene, and Bulldozer's going to be here in about ten seconds." There was a thump inside the plane. "I need your help!"
"Hey!" Bulldozer bellowed and charged, lowering his head despite his lack of a helmet. Jeffrey had been so intent on Reese, however, that he didn't hear him until he was about three feet behind him. Looking intently he saw- Bulldozer bearing down on him reflected in his teacher's eye.
"AAAAAHHH!" Completely unprepared, Jeffrey's eyes blazed yet again. The blow never came.
"Easy, kid, stop trying to break my shoulders." Reese said. "You got him- I think. Where'd you send him?"
Jeffrey took a breath. His heart was going at what felt like a thousand beats a second. "I got him?"
"Yeah, I said that. Where'd you send him?"
"I. don't. remember. What if I. killed him?"
"Wouldn't be the first time, would it?" Reese asked acidly.
"But what if I did?" Jeffrey was getting a crazed look in his eyes. "I'm not going to be hunted again, I don't want Bogan back, Reese, you have to help me-"
"Easy, kid, you got him, but we got bigger fish to fry." Reese was trying to make his tone as paternal as possible, but Jeffrey kept right on babbling.
"-suppose Bogan finds out, I did it for the right reasons, please Reese-" Not sure what else to do, the cyborg pulled back his fist and floored him. Jeffrey's head hit the bulkhead with a thunk.
"Snap out of it, kid! We have three, perhaps all four, of the Wrecking Crew running around here. You said help Selene, right? So let's help her!"
"That hurt." Jeffrey felt his jaw and wiped the blood of his mouth. ".Sorry." He added. I kinda lost it."
Reese snorted. "Damn straight."
The two of them quickly got out to Selene. Reese started shaking her, murmuring profanities. "Dammit, she's really out of it. There has to be- forget this." Taking off one of his gloves, he pried a wire out of his hand and carefully disconnected it, leaving the sputtering end hanging. "There. If this don't wake her up, nothing will." He said as he carefully rolled her over, looking for a good place to apply the shock. "I'm just surprised the rest of the Crew havn't found us yet."
"Ale- er. Ashcan and Bastard are fighting them."
"Why the hell? They're no match for the Crew."
"They might be. Alex stood up to the Hulk, and Bastard is really, really strong."
"The Hulk is a retard, kid. The Crew ain't bright themselves, but they've worked together for a long-ass time. And come to think of it, Thunderball is a nuclear physicist." He touched the wire to her elbow. Selene gasped. "Hot damn, we got her!" She moved a little, and Reese rolled her over. "Sorry about that, Selene, but we have. oh, crap."
"What?" Jeffrey looked at her. She was staring up at them, but not focusing. It was almost like she was asleep with her eyes open.
"She's catatonic, I think, or almost. She's consious, but her brain's short-circuted. We need to snap her out of this." He started shaking her. "Come on, Selene, people to drain! Fresh blood!"
"What do you mean?" Jeffrey asked. He was trying desperatly to think of something that had gotten a rise out of his mother.
"I'll explain later." Reese replied. "Selene, magic, the Clu- er. Hellions are being threatened."
Jeffrey leaned over. "Hey, Selene, is that a wrinkle? And I think I see a few new grey hairs."
Reese whistled. "If that works, you are not going to live to talk about it."
"It was all I could think of- REESE!" The remains of Thunderball's wrecking ball had caught the cyborg in the chest, sending him flying.
"So!" Wrecker's voice came. "'Doze was right. Here's our damned little teleporter- we just trashed your friends- will you save everyone a whole lotta hassle and give up already? I don't wanna-" he was cut off by a bellow from Thunderball.
The physicist was clutching his back, from which smoke was pouring. Ashcan was leaning against the wall of a building behind him, uniform torn and bloody, with Bastard close behind him. Bastard's lower left arm was hanging at a nasty angle and he was obviously in pain, but he wasn't quite beaten. Unable to think of any other options, Jeffrey teleported himself next to his friends to face the Wrecking Crew.
"What do we do now, oh fearless leader?" Ashcan asked drily.
"I don't know."
"Where's the cyborgs?"
"Cole and Macon are dead, and I think Reese is too."
Ashcan let fly another beam, which the Wrecker blocked with his bar. Thunderball said something to the other members of the Crew, who nodded. Not wasting any time, all four of them charged.
Ashcan opened up, but it wasn't enough. Even if he managed to get the Wrecker past his bar and kill him, the villan had so much forward momentum he could've punched through a mountian. Jeffrey, too panicked to teleport, did the only thing a human could do: braced for impact.
It never came. With a roar, the street tore itself up under the crew, pulling them back along waves of rubble. In front of the building stood Selene, radiating so much power that she was impossible to look at. She was hurling them about like ping-pong balls in a gale, smashing them into the ground at impossible speeds, and enveloping them in earth. They were breaking out, of course, but you could see them straining as the long chase began to take it's toll. Thunderball, however, was struggling with something on his wrist. As he was hurled by a hand of stone, Jeffrey heard him call out. "NOW, GODDAMNIT!"
A portal shimmered into existance. Thunderball lept through it, followed closely by the Wrecker. A stone wall rose from the earth, but not quickly enough to stop Bulldozer- the third member sailed headlong through. Piledriver was last, charging towards the portal- but him, Selene was ready for. As his feet fell into the ground as though it were a liquid, Selene's voice spoke in Ashcan's head. *Start firing into the portal.* Alex complied, firing a hail of beams as Piledriver was swept helplessly away from his escape route.
Suddenly, the portal imploded. It didn't just flick out, like it was supposed to-it blew up. Brilliant orange light blasted out of it as it's inner part was torn to shreds. With a final, ear popping FWUMP, it collapsed.
In the ruined Nova Roma street, Selene took stock of the situation. Millions in property damage, her students mangled, her cyborg assitants in bad need of rebuilding, and possible scarring on the time/space continuum where the portal had force-imploded. Though she would never tell him this, Selene was fairly sure that Ashcan had maimed or killed the U-Man generating it. On the plus side, her new, green students had sucessfully plotted against a surprise attack from the Wrecking Crew. She smiled, and put Piledriver to sleep with a thought. She would have answers, later. but right now, she just felt good.