Part 3: The Inner Sense

By: lornein

Author's note: The third chapter deals with Emma's fears and insecurities. Also we find out how the rescue went. Don't forget to review!!!

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The human mind works in the most complicated ways imaginable. Sometimes running away and escaping from an unpleasant situations seems a really great idea, no matter what the consequences be. But sometimes the consequences can have such long term effects on a person's life that it can even destroy one's peace of mind forever.

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Emma De lauro's life had never been simple or easy. Initially she was plenty scared when she realized at age five that she could read other people's thoughts. But that was to be expected of such a young child. However Emma had always been good at adjustments. She had been that way since she was somewhat aware of the world around her. Growing up among a glittering city life she was accustomed to accepting abnormality. Her parents had been victims of a generation that screamed distinctiveness.  Emma's parents were firm believers in individualism. They were far too much open minded and unrealistic than others around them. Many of Emma's childhood family holidays had been spent hugging trees to protect them from uprooting or joining her parents in protest of war. Emma had also witnessed too many occult practices and Wicca sessions with the ouija board in her own house. So her powers had never been a problem to her being treated any different than a normal girl, perhaps a normal psychic girl. Her parents had sensed divine intervention and liked to refer to Emma as a blessed child, a messiah of god. And after some time they stopped paying attention to her at all. Subconsciously Emma also avoided them. She had found solace in Michelle Bigelow. Being in highschool together had made a lot of things easier. Through each other they had learnt more about their abilities than anyone would have been able to teach them.

Of course when that was over Emma had to look elsewhere. She moved away from her parents, as far as she could. She wanted to start a new life, look for comfort elsewhere. Emma wanted to be ordinary. Although developing control over her powers had left her more at ease with it but Emma still could not help but feel scared whenever she sensed someone's negative thoughts towards her. She had taken a job where most twenty year olds would have, a shopping mall. Emma's powers had come in handy there. She had manipulated a thousand minds into being their faithful customers. To Emma, the employee of the month award was getting a little old. She spend a year like this, thinking that finally a chance at normal life was headed towards her way. But little did Emma know that she was wrong, very wrong. Her life had a greater purpose than selling women's underwear.

She had noticed strange men in black suits before but these individuals were somewhat different. They seemed to have a purpose, towards her. Then one day Emma's suspicions proved to be right. Those men wanted to take Emma somewhere, against her wishes. Out of habit Emma had peeked into their psyche and resented ever being there. She knew that she had to run, these men could never be the good guys. Emma panicked, she had no one to help her, no family or friends to get her through this mess.

But there would be a light at the end of the tunnel. There always was. Emma's light had been Brennan and Mutant X. Meeting Brennan in that bar, she had connected with him instantly. Strangely enough Brennan had seemed like family to her.

 After her rescue and meeting Mutant X Emma had started to consider these men and woman as her family.

Although Emma had found her creator, her mentor in Adam, Brennan would always be the leading man in her life. He had occupied the position of a big brother long before Emma had actually admitted it to herself. Then there were Shalimar and Jesse. Shalimar was everything that Emma looked up to, everything Emma wanted to be, a strong, sensuous and courageous personality. After meeting Shalimar she had realized what it felt like to have a best friend to whom you could also look up to.

And if there would be an ideal confidante for her, to whom she could spill her deepest secrets without the fear of that person being judgmental, it would have to be Jesse. They could talk about anything under the sun. After a year with them, Emma really felt that she too belonged somewhere. She belonged in Mutant X.

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"How are you guys doing? Any sign of Collins?" Emma anxiously asked.

"Brennan and Shalimar are looking around for any signs of a trap. As far as I can say, there seems very little threat here. I am guessing that our GSA buddies still don't know that Collins is here." Jesse answered back.

"Okay stay alert Jesse. I don't trust this GSA researcher or whatever he is." Emma said again.

"You're not the only one."

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Brennan watched Shalimar as she turned her eyes to their unusual golden color. She was using her enhanced senses to detect whether any foul play was involved on the GSA's part. He himself wasn't really satisfied at how they were on a mission to rescue someone who could well have been their enemy for the longest time. But Brennan knew that he had to go with Adam on this one. No matter what, after a year with Mutant X Brennan had realized that Adam would never consciously get them in danger. He was hurt just as much if any of Mutant X was hurt. Brennan couldn't overlook that.

"No indication that the GSA was ever in these premises." Shalimar said.

"So it's safe to go in? No trap?" Brennan asked.

"As far as this motel goes, no."

"Okay, there's no trap Jess. You go back to the helix. We'll get Adam's buddy if he is here." Brennan said over his com link ring.

"Got you." Jesse headed over to the helix.

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The 'Pine View Motel' looked as sleepy as it's name sounded. In the gloomy December afternoon it looked like a deserted shack, barely able to stay up.

An equally sleepy looking man at the front desk who looked like the manager greeted Brennan and Shalimar.

"What'll it be? A room for the night maybe?" the man openly smirked at Shalimar. Brennan immediately felt sorry for the man. As his mind had predicted, reaching behind the desk Shalimar picked up the man by his shirt's collar. Her eyes glowed in their rich golden coloring.

"Listen little man, I don't have time for idiosyncrasy. We are looking for someone who might have checked in here. So if you want to live you will give us the information we need." Shalimar snarled.

"The name is Collins, Martin Collins."  Brennan stated.

"There haa..have only tt…two guests in the past three days. One of them, a woo…woman left today morning. Th…the other guy is in room 11. FFF… First floor." The man seemed to have lost his capability of speech.

They hurried up the stairs fearing the worst. Arriving at room 11, Brennan looked towards Shalimar for any sign of discrepancy as far as the GSA was concerned. But she nodded her head again and proceeded towards the door. Brennan stopped her and used a small spark to unlock the door. But they never expected to see what they saw inside.

There were no signs of the enemy, but Adam's friend Martin Collins was lying flat on his back on the bed. He seemed to be dead. More interestingly, they were no signs of any struggle around the room.

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So what happened to Martin? Is he really dead? What will Mutant X face now?

Find out in the next chapter. Meanwhile, please review!!!!!!!!!!