ONCE INSIDE
DISCLAIMER: M-X, Don't own them. Enjoy!
Brennen removed his shirt while watching the people around him. His limbs stretched quietly against a still but thick air. Before his eyes closed, he was in the guarded realm of the dojo, now he stood centered in a dark area lined with ongoing pipes and metal flooring. A factor, he thought, even the air now smelled of iron. We have to be somewhere on a pit module. He could remember thee conveyers from when his stepfather was actually sober at times. He'd take the boy to work so he could sit and watch the products get loaded onto trucks- it was the man's idea of babysitting.
Now, as he opened his eyes, the coats were running right at him. The elemental jumped, flipping off of a wall to spin in a barreling kick. That first agent fell, then the second when struck by his upper cut. More he thought, as the steps drew near, seeming to pound on the ground of his eardrums. They ran from the metal stairways and concrete floor. But the man was ready. Brennen was a flash of executions, taking down each with enough pace to assess what was coming. They haven't seen the sparks, he thought smirking. His form flipped over the mass of agents, finding slim balance on a rafter hidden in the upper darkness. Giving into his weight, the chain broke, spilling the man in a clumsy motion towards the floor. Focus you Fuck! He spat under his breath. Legs moved over his head and into a split, jamming the elemental between two walls. Wait, he thought.
Everything was in his ears; the ghost of once rushing air, the yell of commands below him, the shuffle of advancing feet. His breath curled in enticing curved around his lips and chin. Eyes narrowed in anticipation, and rough fingertips brushed in passing, birthing a vicious blue current between their aligned palms. Brennen rolled his hands slowly, steadying the beat of his heart before thrashing the volts down onto the agents. When his feet hit the ground, all that remained was dust.
Shalimar lunged at the man, her foot connecting with his ribs. Spinning backwards, Brennen swiped at the foot before blocking two more punches. Her strength is amazing he thought, dizzying as they countered each other's moves. Her eyes (no longer the soft brown that greeted him before) were now intense pools of gold, drowning her pupils to the point of slits. Before his next move she'd flipped out of view, just as pain rammed into his shoulder. This was different, he thought, shaking of the beating ache. Jesse.
The advantage was that he'd fought the molecular before. And while his abilities were more defensive than offensive, the blonde made up for it in his fighting. The result was a fair and dangerous balance. Despite his slender look, the blonde was fierce. He flew at Brennen, moving threw him before massing behind the man. The elemental roared at the fist burying in his back. In his burred vision, he could picture the massed forearm and volcanic veins. He pulled back, spinning to hit the man with a sharp current. His body began to numb, lost in the on going battle. But he had to pace. If I'm right, he thought. There is one more,,,
Again a Mutant X member disappeared, leaving the elemental in stance. Nothing but darkness embraced his senses. Open and closed at the same time, it slept lightly, only showing life in a steady brush of air. Air? He thought. Air? Or wind?
A force barreled into his stomach, more so his already injured rib, slamming the man into a wall. Focus, he thought, his mind barreling back to the beginnings of his training. Focus to fight what you can't see.
Ironically Jordan appeared, flipping into the upward space as Brennen conjured the volts in his fingers. He jumped over her, landing on his left foot, while kicking with the right. The currents sliced towards her, only to dissipate seconds before the pretty face. Nothing, he thought. Was she an elemental or more so like Jesse? Adam had said she could throw (for a lack of words) invisible punches-creating an unavoidable solid mass. His foot hit her thigh (leaving the ugliest of marks), but she barreled between his legs, swiping a long calf from under the man. He had to watch her. Unlike Jesse, she didn't have to breathe to work. Jordan's actions were much more controlled and understood by their owner. Their blows were shadows to each other, interlacing the two in interchanging styles. Brennen flipped into stance before sending yet another current in her direction. Another blow lunged into his shoulder before she landed in front of him. The rips in her jeans were evidence of the electricity hitting her leg, just as his boot had hit her thigh earlier. But the flesh was uninjured and in fact smooth, seemingly untouched by his action. The amber skin glowed in warmth, almost mocking the man's abilities. Brennen was actually pissed, thinking he'd been one-upped by a girl.
They circled slowly, now joined by a returning Jesse and Shalimar. The elemental closed his eyes, pulling the electricity from his palms. His mind was picking off the positions they held. The nerves on his skin itched in its feeling. In his mind, he counted off backing from ten, down to nine and so forth. At five, he became solid, ready to fly at the next attack. His lips moved to the numbers. Three, two, -"
"SIMULATION OFF!"
The dark eyes opened focusing on a grinning Adam, standing minutes away at the console. The man pushed a few buttons before moving towards him. "You might want to cut those off."
The currents still flushed in his hands, snapping silent when Brennen cut his surge. His eyes were now focusing on the brighter lights of the dojo. They all stood around watching him with those signature smirks and grins. "Good job." Adam grinned shaking his hand. "You have amazing skills, Brennen. Could you feel how the re-alignment affected your powers?"
",,,Yeah." The elemental spoke between breaths. "I felt stronger. You guys always jump people in around here?"
Shalimar chuckled. "Nope. Just you."
"Funny."
"Well you gave us a good workout." The molecular replied. "Shal and Jordan always beat the hell out of people."
"You talking from experience?" Brennen asked, holding his tender shoulder.
"Definitely."
Hours later, the elemental was again under the lasers. This time, he could feel his injuries being healed. Emma stood beside him, watching thee screen for information. "So, you don't fight?" he asked.
"Let's just say I attack differently." She started. "My combat skills are not quite like those of my teammates, but I hold my own."
Brennen smiled at the woman who seemed to be the youngest out of all of them. Even though her abilities left her continuously assaulted by others feelings, those blue eyes had an innocence he long forgotten could exist. "How long have you been at Sanctuary?"
"Almost two years. Jess and Shal were already here and Jordan was off and on before joining last year."
"What did she do?"
"She was a safe house runner, in fact one of Adam's best. Then he nearly demanded that she join the team. Finally, she gave in." Emma turned back to him. "How about you?"
"Long life, long story." He exhaled. "What do you want to know?"
"What did you do before?"
"A lot." he grinned, pausing to chose his answers carefully. "Some good and some bad. Actually, a lot of bad."
"Ah," Emma replied softly as she typed on the console. "Looking for redemption? We're all here for that."
"Not necessarily. I don't think either heaven or hell are ready for me yet."
A smile broke on the woman's face as she looked back at him. "Were you that bad?"
"Only when I had to be. Did what I had to, y'know?" Brennen thought momentarily over his youth. Experience wise, he was far older than his twenty-eight years. But the thrill seeker- in both his ego and libido- kept him fifteen. Maybe if I'd had a father figure like this Adam long ago, he thought. I wouldn't have to battle so many demons. "You're the youngest here. Aren't you, Emma?"
"Yep! I'm the baby!" The giggle was as sweet as her grin. I haven't heard a laugh like that since high school. He thought. "Twenty-three."
"And the rest of you?"
"Jordan's twenty-four, Jess is twenty-six and you have to ask Shal before getting her age." The elemental cracked in laughter as the lasers ended. He sat up, stretching slowly as he searched for the now absent pain. Again, all of his battle scars were gone. Emma stood in front of him, folding her arms. His eyes danced in opportunity. "SO." He started, already seeing the blush on her cheeks. "Jess is your boyfriend,,,"
"NO! We're just friends." Now the blush was redder than her hair.
"Yeah, right."
"It's the truth." She sang before turning from him.
"I believe you, Em." Brennen stood, rotating his shoulders before swinging his arms loosely. "One day, right?" The woman almost turned and ran out off the room. "So what do I do now?"
"Just get dressed and wait. Adam's checking on the others, so make yourself at home." Brennen watched as she left the lab, his mind swirling in the possibilities of staying at Sanctuary. His steps led him out of the lab and along the cavernous paths of StormKing. He found himself walking past the garage and its array of cars (later models of some he knew he'd stolen in his youth) and out onto the coast. Watching the tide pull in and out of the shore, the man's thoughts span over his past, his future and his possibilities. How had his paths led him to Mutant X? From what Adam had said, he could have been an easy target for the GSA or Ashlocke. He doubted there'd be any way to silence the screaming of regret in his head. One thing he had to rely on was instinct. Responsibility was limiting, and could only spread so far before spreading itself thin. It was this thought that lead him back into the rock in search of Adam.
Brennen found him by the pond, deep in his thoughts. The older man's head sat low in concentration as the elemental stepped forward. This man known as Adam seemed troubled deep under his surfaces. The heavy brows were thick in unending mental movement as he leaned back for release. Brennen stuffed his hands into his pants pockets in silence; the man knew he was there.
"You have a tremendous gift, Brennen." He started, still not opening his eyes. " The right use of it will be your redemption in life. The choices we make, both by will and by force mold us, no matter what the outcome."
"Learned that the heard way."
"We all do." Adam grinned. " I think of all those affected by my choices as my children. Therefore, I feel an unyielding attachment to all mutants - both those created by my hand, and those created out of love between two parents. That attachment includes you. Never the less, my children-the children of Genomax- are now grown and responsible for their own paths." A lump was barreling between Brennen's throat and his stomach. How could one's heart race and break all at the same time? In Sanctuary, he could find closure-peace. Under the guidance of this man, he could find purpose and in this group, we would find a family. In that lied a responsibility not known since his mother was living. Adam knew what he was going to say. "Brennen, I feel Mutant X could offer you a chance at the peace you seek." Now, Jesse, Shalimar and Emma stood behind the man. Listening intently, they seemed not to breathe. "How do you feel about joining us?"
The elemental couldn't ram his hands any further into his pockets, and his neck was giving out. All he could see was the boots that had some how carried him over years of struggle. "Adam,,,,"
"Do what you need to." Adam replied. "What's right in your heart?"
His heart? He thought. Do I actually function like normal people? Brennen's head managed to rise. "Thanks,,,But I can't"
DISCLAIMER: M-X, Don't own them. Enjoy!
Brennen removed his shirt while watching the people around him. His limbs stretched quietly against a still but thick air. Before his eyes closed, he was in the guarded realm of the dojo, now he stood centered in a dark area lined with ongoing pipes and metal flooring. A factor, he thought, even the air now smelled of iron. We have to be somewhere on a pit module. He could remember thee conveyers from when his stepfather was actually sober at times. He'd take the boy to work so he could sit and watch the products get loaded onto trucks- it was the man's idea of babysitting.
Now, as he opened his eyes, the coats were running right at him. The elemental jumped, flipping off of a wall to spin in a barreling kick. That first agent fell, then the second when struck by his upper cut. More he thought, as the steps drew near, seeming to pound on the ground of his eardrums. They ran from the metal stairways and concrete floor. But the man was ready. Brennen was a flash of executions, taking down each with enough pace to assess what was coming. They haven't seen the sparks, he thought smirking. His form flipped over the mass of agents, finding slim balance on a rafter hidden in the upper darkness. Giving into his weight, the chain broke, spilling the man in a clumsy motion towards the floor. Focus you Fuck! He spat under his breath. Legs moved over his head and into a split, jamming the elemental between two walls. Wait, he thought.
Everything was in his ears; the ghost of once rushing air, the yell of commands below him, the shuffle of advancing feet. His breath curled in enticing curved around his lips and chin. Eyes narrowed in anticipation, and rough fingertips brushed in passing, birthing a vicious blue current between their aligned palms. Brennen rolled his hands slowly, steadying the beat of his heart before thrashing the volts down onto the agents. When his feet hit the ground, all that remained was dust.
Shalimar lunged at the man, her foot connecting with his ribs. Spinning backwards, Brennen swiped at the foot before blocking two more punches. Her strength is amazing he thought, dizzying as they countered each other's moves. Her eyes (no longer the soft brown that greeted him before) were now intense pools of gold, drowning her pupils to the point of slits. Before his next move she'd flipped out of view, just as pain rammed into his shoulder. This was different, he thought, shaking of the beating ache. Jesse.
The advantage was that he'd fought the molecular before. And while his abilities were more defensive than offensive, the blonde made up for it in his fighting. The result was a fair and dangerous balance. Despite his slender look, the blonde was fierce. He flew at Brennen, moving threw him before massing behind the man. The elemental roared at the fist burying in his back. In his burred vision, he could picture the massed forearm and volcanic veins. He pulled back, spinning to hit the man with a sharp current. His body began to numb, lost in the on going battle. But he had to pace. If I'm right, he thought. There is one more,,,
Again a Mutant X member disappeared, leaving the elemental in stance. Nothing but darkness embraced his senses. Open and closed at the same time, it slept lightly, only showing life in a steady brush of air. Air? He thought. Air? Or wind?
A force barreled into his stomach, more so his already injured rib, slamming the man into a wall. Focus, he thought, his mind barreling back to the beginnings of his training. Focus to fight what you can't see.
Ironically Jordan appeared, flipping into the upward space as Brennen conjured the volts in his fingers. He jumped over her, landing on his left foot, while kicking with the right. The currents sliced towards her, only to dissipate seconds before the pretty face. Nothing, he thought. Was she an elemental or more so like Jesse? Adam had said she could throw (for a lack of words) invisible punches-creating an unavoidable solid mass. His foot hit her thigh (leaving the ugliest of marks), but she barreled between his legs, swiping a long calf from under the man. He had to watch her. Unlike Jesse, she didn't have to breathe to work. Jordan's actions were much more controlled and understood by their owner. Their blows were shadows to each other, interlacing the two in interchanging styles. Brennen flipped into stance before sending yet another current in her direction. Another blow lunged into his shoulder before she landed in front of him. The rips in her jeans were evidence of the electricity hitting her leg, just as his boot had hit her thigh earlier. But the flesh was uninjured and in fact smooth, seemingly untouched by his action. The amber skin glowed in warmth, almost mocking the man's abilities. Brennen was actually pissed, thinking he'd been one-upped by a girl.
They circled slowly, now joined by a returning Jesse and Shalimar. The elemental closed his eyes, pulling the electricity from his palms. His mind was picking off the positions they held. The nerves on his skin itched in its feeling. In his mind, he counted off backing from ten, down to nine and so forth. At five, he became solid, ready to fly at the next attack. His lips moved to the numbers. Three, two, -"
"SIMULATION OFF!"
The dark eyes opened focusing on a grinning Adam, standing minutes away at the console. The man pushed a few buttons before moving towards him. "You might want to cut those off."
The currents still flushed in his hands, snapping silent when Brennen cut his surge. His eyes were now focusing on the brighter lights of the dojo. They all stood around watching him with those signature smirks and grins. "Good job." Adam grinned shaking his hand. "You have amazing skills, Brennen. Could you feel how the re-alignment affected your powers?"
",,,Yeah." The elemental spoke between breaths. "I felt stronger. You guys always jump people in around here?"
Shalimar chuckled. "Nope. Just you."
"Funny."
"Well you gave us a good workout." The molecular replied. "Shal and Jordan always beat the hell out of people."
"You talking from experience?" Brennen asked, holding his tender shoulder.
"Definitely."
Hours later, the elemental was again under the lasers. This time, he could feel his injuries being healed. Emma stood beside him, watching thee screen for information. "So, you don't fight?" he asked.
"Let's just say I attack differently." She started. "My combat skills are not quite like those of my teammates, but I hold my own."
Brennen smiled at the woman who seemed to be the youngest out of all of them. Even though her abilities left her continuously assaulted by others feelings, those blue eyes had an innocence he long forgotten could exist. "How long have you been at Sanctuary?"
"Almost two years. Jess and Shal were already here and Jordan was off and on before joining last year."
"What did she do?"
"She was a safe house runner, in fact one of Adam's best. Then he nearly demanded that she join the team. Finally, she gave in." Emma turned back to him. "How about you?"
"Long life, long story." He exhaled. "What do you want to know?"
"What did you do before?"
"A lot." he grinned, pausing to chose his answers carefully. "Some good and some bad. Actually, a lot of bad."
"Ah," Emma replied softly as she typed on the console. "Looking for redemption? We're all here for that."
"Not necessarily. I don't think either heaven or hell are ready for me yet."
A smile broke on the woman's face as she looked back at him. "Were you that bad?"
"Only when I had to be. Did what I had to, y'know?" Brennen thought momentarily over his youth. Experience wise, he was far older than his twenty-eight years. But the thrill seeker- in both his ego and libido- kept him fifteen. Maybe if I'd had a father figure like this Adam long ago, he thought. I wouldn't have to battle so many demons. "You're the youngest here. Aren't you, Emma?"
"Yep! I'm the baby!" The giggle was as sweet as her grin. I haven't heard a laugh like that since high school. He thought. "Twenty-three."
"And the rest of you?"
"Jordan's twenty-four, Jess is twenty-six and you have to ask Shal before getting her age." The elemental cracked in laughter as the lasers ended. He sat up, stretching slowly as he searched for the now absent pain. Again, all of his battle scars were gone. Emma stood in front of him, folding her arms. His eyes danced in opportunity. "SO." He started, already seeing the blush on her cheeks. "Jess is your boyfriend,,,"
"NO! We're just friends." Now the blush was redder than her hair.
"Yeah, right."
"It's the truth." She sang before turning from him.
"I believe you, Em." Brennen stood, rotating his shoulders before swinging his arms loosely. "One day, right?" The woman almost turned and ran out off the room. "So what do I do now?"
"Just get dressed and wait. Adam's checking on the others, so make yourself at home." Brennen watched as she left the lab, his mind swirling in the possibilities of staying at Sanctuary. His steps led him out of the lab and along the cavernous paths of StormKing. He found himself walking past the garage and its array of cars (later models of some he knew he'd stolen in his youth) and out onto the coast. Watching the tide pull in and out of the shore, the man's thoughts span over his past, his future and his possibilities. How had his paths led him to Mutant X? From what Adam had said, he could have been an easy target for the GSA or Ashlocke. He doubted there'd be any way to silence the screaming of regret in his head. One thing he had to rely on was instinct. Responsibility was limiting, and could only spread so far before spreading itself thin. It was this thought that lead him back into the rock in search of Adam.
Brennen found him by the pond, deep in his thoughts. The older man's head sat low in concentration as the elemental stepped forward. This man known as Adam seemed troubled deep under his surfaces. The heavy brows were thick in unending mental movement as he leaned back for release. Brennen stuffed his hands into his pants pockets in silence; the man knew he was there.
"You have a tremendous gift, Brennen." He started, still not opening his eyes. " The right use of it will be your redemption in life. The choices we make, both by will and by force mold us, no matter what the outcome."
"Learned that the heard way."
"We all do." Adam grinned. " I think of all those affected by my choices as my children. Therefore, I feel an unyielding attachment to all mutants - both those created by my hand, and those created out of love between two parents. That attachment includes you. Never the less, my children-the children of Genomax- are now grown and responsible for their own paths." A lump was barreling between Brennen's throat and his stomach. How could one's heart race and break all at the same time? In Sanctuary, he could find closure-peace. Under the guidance of this man, he could find purpose and in this group, we would find a family. In that lied a responsibility not known since his mother was living. Adam knew what he was going to say. "Brennen, I feel Mutant X could offer you a chance at the peace you seek." Now, Jesse, Shalimar and Emma stood behind the man. Listening intently, they seemed not to breathe. "How do you feel about joining us?"
The elemental couldn't ram his hands any further into his pockets, and his neck was giving out. All he could see was the boots that had some how carried him over years of struggle. "Adam,,,,"
"Do what you need to." Adam replied. "What's right in your heart?"
His heart? He thought. Do I actually function like normal people? Brennen's head managed to rise. "Thanks,,,But I can't"