So what if the X-men don't belong to me? Don't judge me!
--------------
Touch slowly opened his eyes, feeling like he'd just woken up after a bad hang over. In his direct line of sight was concrete. He rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. More concrete. He swore to himself.
Sitting up, he saw he was surrounded by even more concrete, and iron bars that were about three inches in diameter, with just about an inch between each one. He stood up and looked around his cell. It looked to be ten feet by ten feet, and not much else besides that. No toilet, no bed, and the door was fairly inaccessible. Touch closed his eyes to see if he could send his mind out for a better look. As he began to leave his body, a large shock ran through his entire body so strong, it knocked him off of his feet. He looked down at his wrist, and his mind began to click as to the events that had just happened. The infiltration of the building, the trap, the loss of the computer code. Eric and Emma betraying him.
The anger began to flow through him again. He needed to get out. Once again, he was on his own. He wouldn't be foolish enough to let his loyalties sway one way or another again. It wasn't a time for these things though. Now it was time for a little fun.
Touch had one thing going for him without access to his powers - a mind that for whatever reason was capable of deciphering and defeating any situation he faced. He looked around and saw his cell, and two guards pacing through the corridor just outside of his cell.
"AHHHH!" Touch screamed just before falling to the ground. He twitched every so often, shrieking in pain. "Oh god, please no!!!" Both guards quickly ran to the door and one placed his key inside the door. That's all Touch needed to execute his plan. He rolled onto his trench coat completely, wrapped his arm around the iron bar next to him, and attempted to use his power, feeling the electricity travel away from his wrist towards the better grounded guard and short circuiting his wrist band. Quickly he left his mind and entered that of the other guard, putting him to sleep and leaving Touch in his own body with a sleeping guard, an electrified guard, and an unlocked door.
"Idiots." he mumbled to himself. Looking around, he saw that the area had been left occupied only by those two guards, so he decided to expand his search immediately. He realized that simply killing Shaw wasn't enough to hurt him. Touch had to hit his company, his money, and the only way he could think of doing that is finding out what that computer code was for. Touch allowed himself to partially enter the mind of one of the guards, so he could use him as a puppet.
Touch had the guard put handcuffs on Touch's wrist without closing them, so it would look as if the guard was escorting him around. He arrived at the first basement level and saw that there were hundreds of computers all around the area, with a few programmers scattered between them. Silently, Touch closed his eyes and entered each one of their minds, trying to piece together exactly what was happening that was so important. One had a background in genetics. another in electromagnetism. still another in cranial analysis. besides a background in computers, their major scientific expertise was completely unrelated. He eventually came across the head of the programming group. This person didn't provide too much information, except basic knowledge of Shaw Enterprises. Pretty much a supplier to the defense department with other small ties in industry.
Seeing as that was all he could pull from these men, he had to assume that the code had something to do with a military weapon or something of that sort that he'd be selling off. Touch directed another portion of his mind to control the head of the group. He was able to quickly access the computer mainframe and delete the coding, along with crashing the system. Touch smiled as an alarm went off and the programmers began rushing around trying to figure out what the problem was. He left the guard to help handle the chaos and sneaked upstairs. He was going to do things right this time.
Much like the night before, he began to go up floor by floor. However, instead of simply sneaking past all of the employees of Shaw Enterprises, Touch entered their minds and set in a temporary block on their optic nerve.
Within five minutes, Shaw Enterprises was filled with 600 temporarily blinded personnel.
* * *
Shaw passed back and forth upstairs. His security monitors were going crazy. His computer system had just crashed, and 75% of his employees in this building had suddenly go blind.
"Touch." he grumbled underneath his breath. He knew how necessary it was to keep Touch under captivity, but it had gotten to a point where he was too much to handle. Emma sat on the couch, looking just as infuriated.
"There is no way to hold him," she stated, glaring at Shaw. "I am well aware of the importance that he serves, but there is no other way to handle the situation. Keeping him around is a lost cause."
"Impossible!" Shaw cried out. "I will not let the money I've put into this endeavor go to waste. Do you understand me? I do not care what it takes, even if it means eliminating him. We will not throw away this opportunity."
Emma sighed audibly. She walked over to her desk and pressed a button on her intercom. "Eric. Take him down."
* * *
Within thirty seconds of receiving his command, Eric was already on Touch's trail, and Touch was well aware of it. For some reason, he was utterly confused. This wasn't the Eric Casey had known. They grew up together, helped each other out. Now he's trying to-
Touch stopped himself. He needed to deal with the problem at hand. He went to take a corner, but was tackled into a wall.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Eric growled. Literally, growled. His eyes had taken on a red glow and the tackle was so powerful that the wall had the imprint of a back left in it. Touch responded by tossing him off, but the blow had dislocated his shoulder.
He lined his arm up and popped the shoulder in, nearly letting out a pained shriek but catching himself in time. He looked over to the monster. Eric. who was just staring at him. The only reason he'd been allowed these ten seconds to recuperate. he wanted a challenge.
"Why are you doing this?" Touch yelled, trying to delay as much time as possible to formulate some kind of strategy. Eric looked back and smiled.
"Same reason you did," he replied gruffly. "I've got my own things to deal with, my own things that need funding. I'm not exactly the March of Dimes." He entered a fighting position and made a motion for Touch to approach him.
"They'll screw you over too." Touch pulled himself into a similar fighting stance, with much less desire to fight.
"No they won't. I'm just in it for the money." Eric cracked his neck, warming up his shoulders.
"What do you think they are doing here?" Touch made no such attempts to warm up. He didn't stand a chance.
"Doesn't matter. Just need my money." Eric began to walk towards Touch, flicking his coat back and winding up to swing.
"Don't you think they could have hired anyone else if they just needed you for a strong man?" Touch closed his eyes, but felt nothing. When he opened them, Eric wasn't moving. in fact, he wasn't even facing towards his target anymore.
"You're right. They're gonna f*ck me the first chance they get. What do you know?"
"They are doing genetic testing," Touch began to explain. As he spoke the words, he analyzed how Eric was taking them in. "They have experts from every kind of field I could think of, scientists who have studied in." he stopped himself, and looked at Eric. his eyes had faded from the intense red to a normal shade, but the image was imprinted in Touch's mind. "What are you?"
--------------
Touch slowly opened his eyes, feeling like he'd just woken up after a bad hang over. In his direct line of sight was concrete. He rolled over, and stared at the ceiling. More concrete. He swore to himself.
Sitting up, he saw he was surrounded by even more concrete, and iron bars that were about three inches in diameter, with just about an inch between each one. He stood up and looked around his cell. It looked to be ten feet by ten feet, and not much else besides that. No toilet, no bed, and the door was fairly inaccessible. Touch closed his eyes to see if he could send his mind out for a better look. As he began to leave his body, a large shock ran through his entire body so strong, it knocked him off of his feet. He looked down at his wrist, and his mind began to click as to the events that had just happened. The infiltration of the building, the trap, the loss of the computer code. Eric and Emma betraying him.
The anger began to flow through him again. He needed to get out. Once again, he was on his own. He wouldn't be foolish enough to let his loyalties sway one way or another again. It wasn't a time for these things though. Now it was time for a little fun.
Touch had one thing going for him without access to his powers - a mind that for whatever reason was capable of deciphering and defeating any situation he faced. He looked around and saw his cell, and two guards pacing through the corridor just outside of his cell.
"AHHHH!" Touch screamed just before falling to the ground. He twitched every so often, shrieking in pain. "Oh god, please no!!!" Both guards quickly ran to the door and one placed his key inside the door. That's all Touch needed to execute his plan. He rolled onto his trench coat completely, wrapped his arm around the iron bar next to him, and attempted to use his power, feeling the electricity travel away from his wrist towards the better grounded guard and short circuiting his wrist band. Quickly he left his mind and entered that of the other guard, putting him to sleep and leaving Touch in his own body with a sleeping guard, an electrified guard, and an unlocked door.
"Idiots." he mumbled to himself. Looking around, he saw that the area had been left occupied only by those two guards, so he decided to expand his search immediately. He realized that simply killing Shaw wasn't enough to hurt him. Touch had to hit his company, his money, and the only way he could think of doing that is finding out what that computer code was for. Touch allowed himself to partially enter the mind of one of the guards, so he could use him as a puppet.
Touch had the guard put handcuffs on Touch's wrist without closing them, so it would look as if the guard was escorting him around. He arrived at the first basement level and saw that there were hundreds of computers all around the area, with a few programmers scattered between them. Silently, Touch closed his eyes and entered each one of their minds, trying to piece together exactly what was happening that was so important. One had a background in genetics. another in electromagnetism. still another in cranial analysis. besides a background in computers, their major scientific expertise was completely unrelated. He eventually came across the head of the programming group. This person didn't provide too much information, except basic knowledge of Shaw Enterprises. Pretty much a supplier to the defense department with other small ties in industry.
Seeing as that was all he could pull from these men, he had to assume that the code had something to do with a military weapon or something of that sort that he'd be selling off. Touch directed another portion of his mind to control the head of the group. He was able to quickly access the computer mainframe and delete the coding, along with crashing the system. Touch smiled as an alarm went off and the programmers began rushing around trying to figure out what the problem was. He left the guard to help handle the chaos and sneaked upstairs. He was going to do things right this time.
Much like the night before, he began to go up floor by floor. However, instead of simply sneaking past all of the employees of Shaw Enterprises, Touch entered their minds and set in a temporary block on their optic nerve.
Within five minutes, Shaw Enterprises was filled with 600 temporarily blinded personnel.
* * *
Shaw passed back and forth upstairs. His security monitors were going crazy. His computer system had just crashed, and 75% of his employees in this building had suddenly go blind.
"Touch." he grumbled underneath his breath. He knew how necessary it was to keep Touch under captivity, but it had gotten to a point where he was too much to handle. Emma sat on the couch, looking just as infuriated.
"There is no way to hold him," she stated, glaring at Shaw. "I am well aware of the importance that he serves, but there is no other way to handle the situation. Keeping him around is a lost cause."
"Impossible!" Shaw cried out. "I will not let the money I've put into this endeavor go to waste. Do you understand me? I do not care what it takes, even if it means eliminating him. We will not throw away this opportunity."
Emma sighed audibly. She walked over to her desk and pressed a button on her intercom. "Eric. Take him down."
* * *
Within thirty seconds of receiving his command, Eric was already on Touch's trail, and Touch was well aware of it. For some reason, he was utterly confused. This wasn't the Eric Casey had known. They grew up together, helped each other out. Now he's trying to-
Touch stopped himself. He needed to deal with the problem at hand. He went to take a corner, but was tackled into a wall.
"Don't make this harder than it has to be," Eric growled. Literally, growled. His eyes had taken on a red glow and the tackle was so powerful that the wall had the imprint of a back left in it. Touch responded by tossing him off, but the blow had dislocated his shoulder.
He lined his arm up and popped the shoulder in, nearly letting out a pained shriek but catching himself in time. He looked over to the monster. Eric. who was just staring at him. The only reason he'd been allowed these ten seconds to recuperate. he wanted a challenge.
"Why are you doing this?" Touch yelled, trying to delay as much time as possible to formulate some kind of strategy. Eric looked back and smiled.
"Same reason you did," he replied gruffly. "I've got my own things to deal with, my own things that need funding. I'm not exactly the March of Dimes." He entered a fighting position and made a motion for Touch to approach him.
"They'll screw you over too." Touch pulled himself into a similar fighting stance, with much less desire to fight.
"No they won't. I'm just in it for the money." Eric cracked his neck, warming up his shoulders.
"What do you think they are doing here?" Touch made no such attempts to warm up. He didn't stand a chance.
"Doesn't matter. Just need my money." Eric began to walk towards Touch, flicking his coat back and winding up to swing.
"Don't you think they could have hired anyone else if they just needed you for a strong man?" Touch closed his eyes, but felt nothing. When he opened them, Eric wasn't moving. in fact, he wasn't even facing towards his target anymore.
"You're right. They're gonna f*ck me the first chance they get. What do you know?"
"They are doing genetic testing," Touch began to explain. As he spoke the words, he analyzed how Eric was taking them in. "They have experts from every kind of field I could think of, scientists who have studied in." he stopped himself, and looked at Eric. his eyes had faded from the intense red to a normal shade, but the image was imprinted in Touch's mind. "What are you?"