Chapter 3: If Only To Return in One Piece!

"NO..!!" Brennan scrambled to his feet but he saw there was nothing he could do. Jesse was no where to be seen. Choking up with emotions, Brennan moved to face Jesse's executioner. Seeing that Jesse had knocked one guy out, Brennan was surrounded by the three remaining agents. Brennan was reaching the breaking point of his anger. Listening to Gwen screaming in the background, and just recently dealing with Jesse's loss of life, Brennan could hardly contain him self. Just as Brennan made the first move of attack the whole cliff side was flooded in a bright light from above, causing all those below to be blinded, pause in there tracks and cover their faces. It was the Helix!

"Okay!" said Shalimar to Emma. "Let's see what's going on!"

Knowing where the car was, the commander wasted no time in getting to his destination. Still partially blinded, he continued for the door. Shalimar, seeing that they were about to loose their Mutant, took matters into her own hands!

"HANG ON EMMA!" Shalimar said as she took control of the Helix, moving it over the vehicle, and forcefully slamming it down on top of the black SUV! The force of the collision caused the air currents to push Gwen and her capturer, to the ground and then out about 15 feet away slamming them into a rock! They had been only five feet away from the car!

"Well that takes care of their transportation!" Shal said as she lifted the Helix; setting it down a few yards in front of the smashed, twisted block of metal.

"And there senses! Shal you almost knocked them out!" Emma cried!

"Almost being the key word here" Shalimar responded coolly.

"Yea well you better hope there is no serious damage to the Helix or Adam will kill you!"

Back over where Brennan was standing, all eyes were beginning to adjust to the new light and sight was returning. The feral's eyes were the first to adjust and he used Brennan's short term blindness to his advantage. He jumped into the air and kicked Brennan in straight under his chin, throwing Brennan's head back, lifting him off his feet, and sending him flying backwards! As Emma was stepping off the plane she witnessed Brennan hitting the ground!

"BRENNAN!" Emma yelled as she began to run towards the group with Shalimar close behind. Overtaking Emma, Shalimar proceeded on a full fledged attack on the healthiest man standing. She soon discovered that HE was the mutant Brennan had spoke of. Just as one of the other agents was about to kick Brennan, who was beginning to stand, Emma blasted him back. Very few people ever stand up after receiving a direct hit from Emma and his guy was no different.

Seeing that Shalimar could take care of her self, Emma knocked out the other agent and set her sights on freeing Gwen. The leader was not about to give up even though it seemed he was stranded and out numbered. Gwen, not being a very strong person, was once again being dragged, but this time, to Brennan's rented motorcycle.

"Come On!" the commander bellowed to Gwen as he shoved her into the buggy. "If you don't stay put you'll never hear from your parents again!" With that statement Gwen became still and compliant. The Commander, seeing Emma's attack, first put on a helmet. Wanting to leave he said, "DAMET, Where are the keys?"

Brennan, in earshot range, painfully laughed as he stumbled up. "Ha, do you really think it would be that easy punk?" Legs and fists were flying allover the place as Shalimar's anger manage punching bag went passed Brennan.

"Toss me the keys or the girl gets it!"

Brennan laughed again. "Na I don't think that's going to happen like that. You see, you have used up a lot of time and resources on this girl and I don't think you want to throw that all away now do you?" The cornered man watched Brennan and Emma slowly walk towards him as Shalimar was having a huge cat fight in the street.

"I mean it! Don't take a step further!" They both stopped their advance.

Brennan not wanting to endanger Gwen complied. "Ok, ok! Just don't hurt her. I gave my college here the key's ok? I'm just going to get them from her and I'll toss them to you."

"Brennan?" Emma said confused.

Chuckling Brennan said, "What? You're a bad throw!" As Brennan finally hobbled over to Emma he leaned in and whispered "Make Gwen get out of the buggy, Now!" as Brennan pretended to retrieve the key's he had in his pocket all along.

"Sure thing Brennan" Emma said smiling.

Brennan then began to pretend to swing his arm back and forth to mimic practice throws.

"DAMET just throw me the keys!"

"Well SORRY! I just wanted to make sure you caught it so you wouldn't have to get off the bike, what a guy can't be courteous?"

While Brennan was stalling, Emma concentrated on Gwen. Instantly Gwen started screaming and leaped out of the buggy. The agent was so caught off guard by what was once a comma like state to franticly screaming about spiders on her legs, he never saw Brennan muster up a large ball of electricity, but by the time he did notice, it was too late!

The entire bike was smoldering after the shock, the agent hung limp, and the spiders vanished from Gwen's legs. Relieved, she slumped into the grass and leaned up against the fence, whimpering exhaustingly. As Emma turned towards Shal, Brennan collapsed next to Gwen.

He rapped his arm around Gwen and softly said "It's ok. We've got you now." Only then did Brennan remember Jesse was no longer with them. As Shalimar was just polishing off her opponent, Emma herself was beginning to look around for Jesse. However, unknown to the people above, Jesse was still alive. He was beaten, tired, and hanging on for dear life.

"Brennan where's Jesse?" Emma asked highly concerned.

Finding it difficult to breathe Brennan said quietly "He's dead Emma! Dead! I let him die."

"NO, that can't be!" Emma cried!

"WELL BELIEVE IT! I saw him fall and. and. it's entirely my fault." Coughing, Brennan's voice was straining to be heard. His throat was closing up from built up emotions. Brennan leaned over as if he would vomit, he just felt so sick inside!

Having won her battle, Shalimar ran over to Brennan. "What's wrong Brennan talk to me?" she said holding Brennan's beaten head.

"Brennan said Jesse's dead, but that can't be." Emma said touching the broken pieces of wood.

Brennan getting really upset "WHY, why Emma is that so hard for you to believe?"

Yelling back Emma explained, "Because, Brennan, I'm still getting a hit off him, and I couldn't do that if he were dead now could I?"

Pulling himself together Brennan replied slowly, "No, your right. You couldn't." Now with authority Brennan said "Emma stay here with Gwen! I'm taking the Helix!" With that Brennan ran towards the Helix the fastest he could as Shalimar leaned over the side using her eyesight to see if she could see Jesse in the dark.

"JESSE, are you down there?" Shalimar screamed!

Jesse, having tried to pull himself up earlier, but unable to from his weakened state, called up "Yes I'm down here! I have been trying to get someone's attention up there for five minutes, but forgive me if I'M interrupting any conversations up there!"

"Brennan's firing up the Helix to pick you up, so just hang on for a bit longer okay!" Shal called out as she heard the Helix taking off.

Jesse hung there thinking sarcastically 'So all I have to do is hang here helplessly for a couple more minutes. Dam I can't hang on!' "SHAL I'm slipping!!"

Jesse's scared, panicked voice made Emma shutter.

"JESSE!" Shal cried out! "Be strong!"

Softly Jesse said "Sorry I can't" and then let go.

Jesse had lost his grip, and the two Mutant X team member watched in horror as they saw their friend fall towards the deadly rocks below! In that single moment, Gwen stretched her hands over the cliffs edge, her fingertips glowing green, and with light shinning on the rocks below from the Helix, Emma and Shalimar witnessed before their eyes the potential power this New Mutant had! Every strand of seaweed and kelp in the bay was throwing itself onto the rocks below. Jesse, striking the side of the cliff as he fell, hit the kelp cushion hard with a large resounding SMACK! Then, after bouncing back into the air, Jesse fell again and then was still. Not moving, Jesse slowly began to slip into the rising tide.

"Brennan!" Emma yelled into her comlink. "Jesse's unconscious on the rocks below!"

"Right", Brennan said as he began to lower the Helix down to the water.

"WAIT" Shal called to Brennan. "I'll be on the wing!" She then jumped down onto the Helix's left wing as Brennan continued its slow descent. Just as Jesse was about to submerge in completely, two hands reached out, grabbed him, and pulled him onto the wing of the plane. Shal holding him there called to Brennan "We got him", and Brennan slowly brought the Helix back to the top of the cliff.

Back up top, Shalimar jumped down onto the road and then carried Jesse to the floor. Brennan then flew the Helix a few yards away from the group and hovered there never lowering the landing gear. Opening the door, Shalimar and Emma carefully lifted the wet, unconscious Jesse on the floor of the Helix. Right before they were about to take off, Brennan notice that they were missing someone.

"Hey where's Gwen?"

"Who?" Shalimar said as she helped Emma wrap Jesse in blanks, to prevent him from going into shock.

"Gwen, the new 'Mutant' you were standing NEXT TWO!" he replied back in an angry tone. All he wanted to do was get Jesse back to Sanctuary as quickly as possible. Deep inside, he felt responsible for Jesse's fall. Before anyone could answer, Gwen came into the light of the plane. She was about to speak but then passed out on the ground. She had used too much of her energy to save Jesse for her to stay conscious.

"Grab her stuff and get her strapped in!" Brennan demanded. Brennan was pissed. He couldn't see how he went from watching a beautiful sunset with Gwen, to fighting for their lives and watching his best team mate fall to what was going to be his death.

Shalimar jumped out and grabbed Gwen, while Emma retrieved her belongings out of the basket on her bike. Once everyone was strapped into the Helix, they took off and headed for Sanctuary leaving scattered agents lying all over the place, a smashed SUV, a fried Motorcycle with buggy, an out of date bike, and a broken fence with skid marks on the near by road!