The you-know-whos don't belong to you know who (The X-men don't belong to
me).
---------
The city seemed dead. There were thousands of people surrounding him, but the faces were a flood of emptiness to him. Not a familiar face in the entire city. It almost brought him comfort.
It'd been three days since Touch had left the mansion. His heart was beginning to feel a little more at peace in the relaxing environment. The city might have been noisy, boisterous, and even dangerous, but it definitely wasn't easy to find someone. He needed to be alone.
He walked down the street towards a new diner. He'd had plenty to eat with a simple trick of letting the owner's believe his meal should be on the house - the key was just avoiding them after they realized what they've done. And sleep wasn't a big deal. it hadn't been in a long time for Touch.
He ordered lunch, ate it quietly, and left the diner in silence. There were few issues he faced during the past few days. He spent the many hours he had to himself simply pacing the city streets, contemplating his existence, and when that became too frustrating, observing those around him. Every so often he'd feel a familiar presence around him. the feeling that Professor Xavier was looking for him. but he was able to shift his mind undercover and avoid the constant searching of Cerebro. The hiding, the seclusion. it was familiar to exist in such a way. Almost comfortable.
He worked his way back to an alley way had a ladder towards the end, allowing for easy access to the roofs on either side. He climbed his way up the eight stories and rested on the edge of the wall. Rolling up the sleeve of his coat, he checked out his arm.
The cut had stopped bleeding long ago, and the healing was well on its way. His workings of the mind allowed Touch to partially control the speed in which his body recuperated. It would still require at least a week before the wound disappeared. though there would be about a five-inch scar. The thought of his body's disfigurement reminded him of the extent of his powers. He closed his eyes and let his mind move out of his body and slowly pass through that of those below. he could read a mind if he chose, even control it and alter it. and if he pressed himself hard enough, he could almost feel himself encompass it.
He withdrew back into his own body. As he opened his eyes, a figure came into view, but it was too late. Black.
center* * */center
"Wake up child."
Touch was awakened slowly by a beautiful woman, gently touching the side of his face, speaking in soft tones. Though he was in a definitely unfamiliar place, and he had never seen this person before, he was not startled. in fact, he was the most relaxed he'd ever been.
The woman helped him sit up as his vision cleared, and the room he was in came into focus. He was in some kind of billiard room. There was a pool table not far away from him, along with various mounted animals around the walls. He looked down where he was sitting and saw (what he imagined to be) a very expensive leather coach. That's when he once again became aware of the woman sitting next to him. She was dressed in a long, flowing white dress that was almost completely contradictory to his image. He was fascinated with her. he had long been able to see past beauty - there was something else that captured his attention. He then noticed that she was still touching his hand.
"My name is Emma," she offered kindly, attempting to gain his confidence. "Try as I might, I can't determine yours."
"Touch," he replied. he said it in a normal tone, but suspicion was there.
i'I can't determine yours'/i
"Where am I?"
"You are in the confines of my office, located in the suburbs of New York City."
"Before you ask what will undoubtedly be your next question, allow me to introduce myself." A man came out of the shadows, dressed in a strangely Victorian-like manor, with shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. It wasn't until now that Touch had realized how modern he appeared in comparison to everything. "My name is Sebastian Shaw, but Shaw will suffice for the moment. You've already met Ms. Frost I presume, though I have my doubts that she has had the time to introduce the situation to you." He motioned towards the table, poured three glasses of wine, and sat at the table with them.
"Ms. Frost and I are entrepreneurs, you see," Shaw began, sipping slightly at his wine. "The investments we've made have done us both extremely well, and allowed us to become philanthropists of sorts. We'd like to use one of these titles to help out the other one." Shaw made a short motion to Emma, who began her own presentation.
"We've been studying you for some time now, and couldn't help but notice your adeptness in handling your gift," she said, tapping the edge of the glass with her gloved fingers. "We're looking for a person to act an informant for us. Your job will be to enter the minds of people and extract an amount of information from a few sources. We can assure you that you will be more than compensated for your efforts."
Touch looked silently at the both of them. He sensed that their efforts weren't entirely legal, though that wasn't much of a con for him. laws were often frivolous in his mind. His main concern was exactly who his efforts would be affecting.
"I need time," Touch said shortly.
"All that you need," Emma said, standing up along with Shaw. "We'll be back tomorrow to see where you stand on the situation. You may stay in the room through that door if you'd like to sleep."
Touch paused for a moment. As she stared at him, he felt what was like a pass by Cerebro, only stronger. As if a telepath was trying to enter his mind from a short distance. He fought away the entrance with a slight effort, than nodded towards Emma.
He was alone. He lay down on the couch, and closed his eyes, though he did not let himself lose consciousness of his body this time. He did not even think to ask why they had kidnapped him to bring him here, or why they knew as much as they did. Those would be questions for tomorrow, he decided. He had already made his decision. he would assist these two strange individuals. The luxury they offered was nice. he just wanted the night to himself.
---------
The city seemed dead. There were thousands of people surrounding him, but the faces were a flood of emptiness to him. Not a familiar face in the entire city. It almost brought him comfort.
It'd been three days since Touch had left the mansion. His heart was beginning to feel a little more at peace in the relaxing environment. The city might have been noisy, boisterous, and even dangerous, but it definitely wasn't easy to find someone. He needed to be alone.
He walked down the street towards a new diner. He'd had plenty to eat with a simple trick of letting the owner's believe his meal should be on the house - the key was just avoiding them after they realized what they've done. And sleep wasn't a big deal. it hadn't been in a long time for Touch.
He ordered lunch, ate it quietly, and left the diner in silence. There were few issues he faced during the past few days. He spent the many hours he had to himself simply pacing the city streets, contemplating his existence, and when that became too frustrating, observing those around him. Every so often he'd feel a familiar presence around him. the feeling that Professor Xavier was looking for him. but he was able to shift his mind undercover and avoid the constant searching of Cerebro. The hiding, the seclusion. it was familiar to exist in such a way. Almost comfortable.
He worked his way back to an alley way had a ladder towards the end, allowing for easy access to the roofs on either side. He climbed his way up the eight stories and rested on the edge of the wall. Rolling up the sleeve of his coat, he checked out his arm.
The cut had stopped bleeding long ago, and the healing was well on its way. His workings of the mind allowed Touch to partially control the speed in which his body recuperated. It would still require at least a week before the wound disappeared. though there would be about a five-inch scar. The thought of his body's disfigurement reminded him of the extent of his powers. He closed his eyes and let his mind move out of his body and slowly pass through that of those below. he could read a mind if he chose, even control it and alter it. and if he pressed himself hard enough, he could almost feel himself encompass it.
He withdrew back into his own body. As he opened his eyes, a figure came into view, but it was too late. Black.
center* * */center
"Wake up child."
Touch was awakened slowly by a beautiful woman, gently touching the side of his face, speaking in soft tones. Though he was in a definitely unfamiliar place, and he had never seen this person before, he was not startled. in fact, he was the most relaxed he'd ever been.
The woman helped him sit up as his vision cleared, and the room he was in came into focus. He was in some kind of billiard room. There was a pool table not far away from him, along with various mounted animals around the walls. He looked down where he was sitting and saw (what he imagined to be) a very expensive leather coach. That's when he once again became aware of the woman sitting next to him. She was dressed in a long, flowing white dress that was almost completely contradictory to his image. He was fascinated with her. he had long been able to see past beauty - there was something else that captured his attention. He then noticed that she was still touching his hand.
"My name is Emma," she offered kindly, attempting to gain his confidence. "Try as I might, I can't determine yours."
"Touch," he replied. he said it in a normal tone, but suspicion was there.
i'I can't determine yours'/i
"Where am I?"
"You are in the confines of my office, located in the suburbs of New York City."
"Before you ask what will undoubtedly be your next question, allow me to introduce myself." A man came out of the shadows, dressed in a strangely Victorian-like manor, with shoulder-length brown hair pulled back into a ponytail. It wasn't until now that Touch had realized how modern he appeared in comparison to everything. "My name is Sebastian Shaw, but Shaw will suffice for the moment. You've already met Ms. Frost I presume, though I have my doubts that she has had the time to introduce the situation to you." He motioned towards the table, poured three glasses of wine, and sat at the table with them.
"Ms. Frost and I are entrepreneurs, you see," Shaw began, sipping slightly at his wine. "The investments we've made have done us both extremely well, and allowed us to become philanthropists of sorts. We'd like to use one of these titles to help out the other one." Shaw made a short motion to Emma, who began her own presentation.
"We've been studying you for some time now, and couldn't help but notice your adeptness in handling your gift," she said, tapping the edge of the glass with her gloved fingers. "We're looking for a person to act an informant for us. Your job will be to enter the minds of people and extract an amount of information from a few sources. We can assure you that you will be more than compensated for your efforts."
Touch looked silently at the both of them. He sensed that their efforts weren't entirely legal, though that wasn't much of a con for him. laws were often frivolous in his mind. His main concern was exactly who his efforts would be affecting.
"I need time," Touch said shortly.
"All that you need," Emma said, standing up along with Shaw. "We'll be back tomorrow to see where you stand on the situation. You may stay in the room through that door if you'd like to sleep."
Touch paused for a moment. As she stared at him, he felt what was like a pass by Cerebro, only stronger. As if a telepath was trying to enter his mind from a short distance. He fought away the entrance with a slight effort, than nodded towards Emma.
He was alone. He lay down on the couch, and closed his eyes, though he did not let himself lose consciousness of his body this time. He did not even think to ask why they had kidnapped him to bring him here, or why they knew as much as they did. Those would be questions for tomorrow, he decided. He had already made his decision. he would assist these two strange individuals. The luxury they offered was nice. he just wanted the night to himself.