``I`ll be back,`` I said. and I`m back!! Naah, actually that
was Arnold Shwarzenagger in `Terminator`, as I`m sure you all know. But
with all this Terminator hype going on at the moment who cares who`s saying
it?
Anyway, I`m going off the point here, as usual. I`m finally updating. Sorry it took so long but I`ve been busy studying and other crappy stuff. And hey, it`s summer. D`oh!
To all my reviewers (all 5 of them!!) thank you!! You are my energy source and food supply. I live on those reviews, so keep `em coming.
To whoever of you asked, yes, Marie IS Rogue. How could you not know that??? (Joking) =)
Thanks for the suggestion WildWolvie, but my computer`s going through a spastic phase here and it`s backbreaking work getting it to switch on and connect to the Internet, let alone save in html. As soon as I get it fixed I`ll try it though. So please bear with me! (and my poor computer of course).
I know.. let`s actually start reading the story!!!
CHAPTER 3
Caitlin watched the snow falling disconsolately as she sat inside a cave. She was sitting with her legs crossed beneath her, looking utterly bored and wishing for the umpteenth time that she had not come. She yawned, and then groaned, realising she hadn`t slept in ages. Caitlin was a very light sleeper and even though she had no plans to sleep during the nighttime, sleeping during the daytime was even harder because for her light was an instant stimulant.
She yawned again, and wondered whether Terri was managing to take care of the diner. She left the latter in charge with a very easy conscience since most of the customers were used to the blind mutant, but you never knew when the random stranger would come wondering by.
The snow continued falling.
********
Logan stopped the motorbike abruptly as the long and winding trail ended grimly right in front of a steep mountain path. Rubbing his sore neck he slid off the vehicle in relief. The long back-numbing hours on the road had been exhausting and once again he thanked whatever God there was for his healing factor. Pulling his bag down from the back he straightened up, and since he was a man who didn`t believe in prolonging things for the sake of dramatic effects, he got going straight away, slipping and sliding on the harsh and slippery road of the mountains.
****** Caitlin blinked and opened up her eyes in surprise. So she had managed to fall asleep. The relentless falling of the snow had probably persuaded her eyes and brain to shut down out of their own accord. She glanced at her watch, which was miraculously still working, and swore in distress and anger. She had been asleep for almost a whole day!
She peered out of the cave and swore again. The snow had piled up during all this time and it was a wonder she had even managed to see. She concluded that the mountain of snow was so high that she would have to tunnel her way through. Seeing that there was no time to waste she immediately began to shovel slushy and mucky snow out of the way with her powerful arms. She began to sweat as she worked, and cursed her mutant power for the millionth time that day. Even in below zero temperatures her body always remained as if she was permanently situated in the middle of Hawaii.
Eventually she managed to climb her way out of her predicament and was soon once again trudging along normally. Her boots made steady, reassuring, crunching sounds as she trekked across the wide white landscape. It was freezing but she didn`t feel it at all. She supposed she was lucky in a way, but the deodorants were a hell of an expense and nowadays it was in no way safe to walk around places like New York in the middle of winter wearing just a tank top and a pair of shorts. People became more and more prejudiced every day, and Caitlin knew that it was only a matter of time before the Mutant Registration Act was legalised. What was the latest thing that had been on the news?. Ah, yes. the mutant that they had captured from Ellis Island had escaped. supposedly on the rampage. Well, with mutants like that it was no wonder that others were having such a hard time, she thought, her musings becoming increasingly bitter with every passing rumination. As she pondered she reached for her dogtag; she often fingered it during her thoughtful fits. Her fingers however gripped empty space. Her dogtag wasn`t there. Her heart stopped.
Caitlin had had that dogtag ever since she could remember, which incidentally was only about fifteen years ago. Mr. And Mrs. Beckett, her ``foster parents`` had found her lying unconscious outside an old army camp near Alkali Lake. Amazed at not finding her frozen alive they had taken her, nursed her back to health, which took a couple of hours, and took her under their wing until she found herself on her own two feet again. She found out, to her own distress, that she was an amnesiac, and that it would be highly unlikely that she would remember anything about her past ever again. With no knowledge of how and why she discovered that she was an expert on anything to do with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, thus enabling her to seek out a profession as a doctor. Howvever the prejudiced world outside shunned and disgusted her, and instead she decided to look after the diner after Mr. Beckett died. The latter had been running this particular diner for over 30 years and people who lived in this tiny settlement, especially mutants, were fond of going there for a quiet rendez- vous or a rowdy night out. It had been left to Caitlin, and she continued keeping it with the same style as that of her predecessor, much to the satisfaction of frequent customers. But in her heart there always lay a tiny regret, a feeling that out there, somewhere, was a place where she could do more, and make a difference.
The dogtag was the only link she had ever had connecting her to her past. Mrs. Beckett said that she had been clutching it so tightly when they had found her that when opnened, her hand had started to bleed. It was small, and made out of metal.(the dogtag, not her hand) On one side there was printed a series of numbers, and on the other the name ``Silver Fox``. Cailtlin supposed that this had once been her name, or some sort of codename. However she didn`t like it at all. It was too sentimental, she thought. So she asked Mrs. Beckett to think up a new name for her, and the latter, who had had a miscarriage in her younger days, named her Caitlin Moore, after the lost baby. Caitlin, touched by this gesture, took to the name immediately.
And now the dogtag was lost. Swearing under her breath, she turned back and began kicking snow aside, searcing this way and that, but without any real hope of finding it. In desperation she dropped on her hands and knees and crawled about, throwing snow everywhere.
``Lookin` for this?`` A gruff voice suddenly erupted into the still silence.
Caitlin looked up in alarm. A tall man was standing right in front of her. He was fierce-looking, with an extemely bad beard and a cigar in his mouth. However the only thing that interested her about him was his hand, in which was held her dogtag.
``Give it to me!`` She lunged for it but he jerked his hand back just in time. But Caitlin was ready for that. She whipped round again in an eye- watering split second and snatched it from his hand.
``You stole it!``
``Actually I found it, back there in that cave,`` the man shot back. He sounded very irritable. ``You should be thankin` me, as a matter of fact.`` He seemed very interested in the dogtag, Caitlin noticed. His eyes never left it. So she asked him why.
``Why didn`t you want to give it back then?`` Her accent was British, with a hint of Irishness about it.
``Because,`` said the man, ``I used to have one like it.``
***** ``And zat,`` said Kurt Wagner, ``is vhy ve must forgif our enemies, just as Jesus did, so ve may be able to forget our grudges, and not brood over zem, so ve may vork for ze greater glory of Gott. That is all for today. I vill see you all next veek.`` The members of the bible group began to leave, including Scott, who walked a little behind the others with his head down. Kurt hopped down fron the filing cabinet where he had been sitting and went after him.
``If you need to talk,`` said the blue mutant gently, ``zere are people here who are more zan willing to listen.`` Scott merely nodded, muttered, ``Thanks,`` and then left the room, brushing slightly against Storm who had just entered. She looked after him in dismay.
``Isn`t it working?`` she asked Kurt anxiously, meaning the bible group. He shook his head. ``Sometimes,`` he said, ``I zsink I see a faint glimmer of hope. it shines across his face, as dim as ze earliest ray of sun zat shines in ze morning. but leaves just as qvickly. are you feeling all right zese days?``
The question came as unexpected as a blow in the face. Storm started, and then said, laughing slightly,
``You know, out of all people, I am the least able to hide her feelings. Look outside.``
Kurt did accordingly, and saw the stormy weather rage and hurl against the windows. ``Oh.. I see. I am sorry. I did not know.``
Storm cut in. ``It`s OK. Listen, would you like to come down with me to the cafeteria for a coffee? I have about three free lessons, and a lot of free time. And I really do need to speak to someone.``
Kurt agreed to come with her--- a coffee with Storm was for him an offer too irresistable to refuse.
******** Magneto prowled around his room. It had already been a few weeks since he had returned to his secret hideout, and he was already formulating a plan to rid himself of his former friend and work companion, Charles Xavier. He had realised that to succeed his Master Plan- destroy all humans-- Xavier was the only obstacle standing in his way. But he had overlooked that last time, and it was not going to happen again. He realised that if he was going to attack his precious school, it should take place in no more than a few months. The school's defences were probably all low since Stryker's attack, and it would be an ideal time to strike.
He decided to activate Stage 1 in his plan right now.
``Boy! Come here!``
A few minutes passed, then John, a.k.a. Pyro, walked in, with a rebellious look on his face.
``I have a name, you know,`` he glowered, `` it is John, or if you prefer, Pyro. Not `Boy`.``
``My apologies. B- Pyro, I need you to do something for me.`` Magneto quickly went through Stage 1.
``This shouldn`t be difficult for you to do. But I`d like you to take these pills while you`re there. It should keep him out of your more. private. memories. Now, do you accept this mission?``
Pyro hesitated. Part of him was screaming ``No! Run! Just turn and run!`` However, the other, and stronger part of him was saying calmly, ``This was your choice, no? You chose to come here, to follow the guy with the dorky- looking helmet cos you thought he had a better thing going on. So?``
``Yeah,`` said Pyro out loud, ``I accept it.``
``Good boy. Sabretooth will accompany you, of course, as he has a part to play in this stage. Sabretooth!`` Magneto called.
No answer. The great shaggy mutant did not come striding in.
``Sabretooth!``
No answer.
Magneto frowned. ``Where is that oaf?`` he thought irritably.
``He`s not here, sir, `` purred a soft voice. Magneto whipped round to see Mystique enter. ``He left on foot this morning. He said he had some. business. to attend to. right away.``
He frowned. What kind of business could Sabretooth possibly have to attend to? True, of late the large mutant had been rather defiant and would often leave for a few hours by himself to go travelling into the wild. but normally he would never disappear for a whole day.
He sighed. ``Then , Mystique,`` he said, ``you will have to accompany the boy on his mission. And straight away, please. I shall now go and see how Toad is getting on with the ship. I need it at its full working order. I have a lot of trips to make these coming weeks.``
Anyway, I`m going off the point here, as usual. I`m finally updating. Sorry it took so long but I`ve been busy studying and other crappy stuff. And hey, it`s summer. D`oh!
To all my reviewers (all 5 of them!!) thank you!! You are my energy source and food supply. I live on those reviews, so keep `em coming.
To whoever of you asked, yes, Marie IS Rogue. How could you not know that??? (Joking) =)
Thanks for the suggestion WildWolvie, but my computer`s going through a spastic phase here and it`s backbreaking work getting it to switch on and connect to the Internet, let alone save in html. As soon as I get it fixed I`ll try it though. So please bear with me! (and my poor computer of course).
I know.. let`s actually start reading the story!!!
CHAPTER 3
Caitlin watched the snow falling disconsolately as she sat inside a cave. She was sitting with her legs crossed beneath her, looking utterly bored and wishing for the umpteenth time that she had not come. She yawned, and then groaned, realising she hadn`t slept in ages. Caitlin was a very light sleeper and even though she had no plans to sleep during the nighttime, sleeping during the daytime was even harder because for her light was an instant stimulant.
She yawned again, and wondered whether Terri was managing to take care of the diner. She left the latter in charge with a very easy conscience since most of the customers were used to the blind mutant, but you never knew when the random stranger would come wondering by.
The snow continued falling.
********
Logan stopped the motorbike abruptly as the long and winding trail ended grimly right in front of a steep mountain path. Rubbing his sore neck he slid off the vehicle in relief. The long back-numbing hours on the road had been exhausting and once again he thanked whatever God there was for his healing factor. Pulling his bag down from the back he straightened up, and since he was a man who didn`t believe in prolonging things for the sake of dramatic effects, he got going straight away, slipping and sliding on the harsh and slippery road of the mountains.
****** Caitlin blinked and opened up her eyes in surprise. So she had managed to fall asleep. The relentless falling of the snow had probably persuaded her eyes and brain to shut down out of their own accord. She glanced at her watch, which was miraculously still working, and swore in distress and anger. She had been asleep for almost a whole day!
She peered out of the cave and swore again. The snow had piled up during all this time and it was a wonder she had even managed to see. She concluded that the mountain of snow was so high that she would have to tunnel her way through. Seeing that there was no time to waste she immediately began to shovel slushy and mucky snow out of the way with her powerful arms. She began to sweat as she worked, and cursed her mutant power for the millionth time that day. Even in below zero temperatures her body always remained as if she was permanently situated in the middle of Hawaii.
Eventually she managed to climb her way out of her predicament and was soon once again trudging along normally. Her boots made steady, reassuring, crunching sounds as she trekked across the wide white landscape. It was freezing but she didn`t feel it at all. She supposed she was lucky in a way, but the deodorants were a hell of an expense and nowadays it was in no way safe to walk around places like New York in the middle of winter wearing just a tank top and a pair of shorts. People became more and more prejudiced every day, and Caitlin knew that it was only a matter of time before the Mutant Registration Act was legalised. What was the latest thing that had been on the news?. Ah, yes. the mutant that they had captured from Ellis Island had escaped. supposedly on the rampage. Well, with mutants like that it was no wonder that others were having such a hard time, she thought, her musings becoming increasingly bitter with every passing rumination. As she pondered she reached for her dogtag; she often fingered it during her thoughtful fits. Her fingers however gripped empty space. Her dogtag wasn`t there. Her heart stopped.
Caitlin had had that dogtag ever since she could remember, which incidentally was only about fifteen years ago. Mr. And Mrs. Beckett, her ``foster parents`` had found her lying unconscious outside an old army camp near Alkali Lake. Amazed at not finding her frozen alive they had taken her, nursed her back to health, which took a couple of hours, and took her under their wing until she found herself on her own two feet again. She found out, to her own distress, that she was an amnesiac, and that it would be highly unlikely that she would remember anything about her past ever again. With no knowledge of how and why she discovered that she was an expert on anything to do with Physics, Chemistry and Biology, thus enabling her to seek out a profession as a doctor. Howvever the prejudiced world outside shunned and disgusted her, and instead she decided to look after the diner after Mr. Beckett died. The latter had been running this particular diner for over 30 years and people who lived in this tiny settlement, especially mutants, were fond of going there for a quiet rendez- vous or a rowdy night out. It had been left to Caitlin, and she continued keeping it with the same style as that of her predecessor, much to the satisfaction of frequent customers. But in her heart there always lay a tiny regret, a feeling that out there, somewhere, was a place where she could do more, and make a difference.
The dogtag was the only link she had ever had connecting her to her past. Mrs. Beckett said that she had been clutching it so tightly when they had found her that when opnened, her hand had started to bleed. It was small, and made out of metal.(the dogtag, not her hand) On one side there was printed a series of numbers, and on the other the name ``Silver Fox``. Cailtlin supposed that this had once been her name, or some sort of codename. However she didn`t like it at all. It was too sentimental, she thought. So she asked Mrs. Beckett to think up a new name for her, and the latter, who had had a miscarriage in her younger days, named her Caitlin Moore, after the lost baby. Caitlin, touched by this gesture, took to the name immediately.
And now the dogtag was lost. Swearing under her breath, she turned back and began kicking snow aside, searcing this way and that, but without any real hope of finding it. In desperation she dropped on her hands and knees and crawled about, throwing snow everywhere.
``Lookin` for this?`` A gruff voice suddenly erupted into the still silence.
Caitlin looked up in alarm. A tall man was standing right in front of her. He was fierce-looking, with an extemely bad beard and a cigar in his mouth. However the only thing that interested her about him was his hand, in which was held her dogtag.
``Give it to me!`` She lunged for it but he jerked his hand back just in time. But Caitlin was ready for that. She whipped round again in an eye- watering split second and snatched it from his hand.
``You stole it!``
``Actually I found it, back there in that cave,`` the man shot back. He sounded very irritable. ``You should be thankin` me, as a matter of fact.`` He seemed very interested in the dogtag, Caitlin noticed. His eyes never left it. So she asked him why.
``Why didn`t you want to give it back then?`` Her accent was British, with a hint of Irishness about it.
``Because,`` said the man, ``I used to have one like it.``
***** ``And zat,`` said Kurt Wagner, ``is vhy ve must forgif our enemies, just as Jesus did, so ve may be able to forget our grudges, and not brood over zem, so ve may vork for ze greater glory of Gott. That is all for today. I vill see you all next veek.`` The members of the bible group began to leave, including Scott, who walked a little behind the others with his head down. Kurt hopped down fron the filing cabinet where he had been sitting and went after him.
``If you need to talk,`` said the blue mutant gently, ``zere are people here who are more zan willing to listen.`` Scott merely nodded, muttered, ``Thanks,`` and then left the room, brushing slightly against Storm who had just entered. She looked after him in dismay.
``Isn`t it working?`` she asked Kurt anxiously, meaning the bible group. He shook his head. ``Sometimes,`` he said, ``I zsink I see a faint glimmer of hope. it shines across his face, as dim as ze earliest ray of sun zat shines in ze morning. but leaves just as qvickly. are you feeling all right zese days?``
The question came as unexpected as a blow in the face. Storm started, and then said, laughing slightly,
``You know, out of all people, I am the least able to hide her feelings. Look outside.``
Kurt did accordingly, and saw the stormy weather rage and hurl against the windows. ``Oh.. I see. I am sorry. I did not know.``
Storm cut in. ``It`s OK. Listen, would you like to come down with me to the cafeteria for a coffee? I have about three free lessons, and a lot of free time. And I really do need to speak to someone.``
Kurt agreed to come with her--- a coffee with Storm was for him an offer too irresistable to refuse.
******** Magneto prowled around his room. It had already been a few weeks since he had returned to his secret hideout, and he was already formulating a plan to rid himself of his former friend and work companion, Charles Xavier. He had realised that to succeed his Master Plan- destroy all humans-- Xavier was the only obstacle standing in his way. But he had overlooked that last time, and it was not going to happen again. He realised that if he was going to attack his precious school, it should take place in no more than a few months. The school's defences were probably all low since Stryker's attack, and it would be an ideal time to strike.
He decided to activate Stage 1 in his plan right now.
``Boy! Come here!``
A few minutes passed, then John, a.k.a. Pyro, walked in, with a rebellious look on his face.
``I have a name, you know,`` he glowered, `` it is John, or if you prefer, Pyro. Not `Boy`.``
``My apologies. B- Pyro, I need you to do something for me.`` Magneto quickly went through Stage 1.
``This shouldn`t be difficult for you to do. But I`d like you to take these pills while you`re there. It should keep him out of your more. private. memories. Now, do you accept this mission?``
Pyro hesitated. Part of him was screaming ``No! Run! Just turn and run!`` However, the other, and stronger part of him was saying calmly, ``This was your choice, no? You chose to come here, to follow the guy with the dorky- looking helmet cos you thought he had a better thing going on. So?``
``Yeah,`` said Pyro out loud, ``I accept it.``
``Good boy. Sabretooth will accompany you, of course, as he has a part to play in this stage. Sabretooth!`` Magneto called.
No answer. The great shaggy mutant did not come striding in.
``Sabretooth!``
No answer.
Magneto frowned. ``Where is that oaf?`` he thought irritably.
``He`s not here, sir, `` purred a soft voice. Magneto whipped round to see Mystique enter. ``He left on foot this morning. He said he had some. business. to attend to. right away.``
He frowned. What kind of business could Sabretooth possibly have to attend to? True, of late the large mutant had been rather defiant and would often leave for a few hours by himself to go travelling into the wild. but normally he would never disappear for a whole day.
He sighed. ``Then , Mystique,`` he said, ``you will have to accompany the boy on his mission. And straight away, please. I shall now go and see how Toad is getting on with the ship. I need it at its full working order. I have a lot of trips to make these coming weeks.``
