ONCE INSIDE
DISCLAIMER: M-X, Don't own them. Enjoy!
"I still can't believe you said no."
Jesse leaned on his pool stick, watching the dark man. Brennen sat on the edge of the table deep in thought. "I do believe Adam knew you would decline." The molecular continued. "But to the rest of us, it was a real surprise."
Brennen remembered how their faces held an almost shocking understanding. Emma looked so sad, and Brennen felt a special kind of pain for breaking her heart. Adam shook his hand in understanding then asked Jesse to ready some I.D.'s for the safe house. Realization of the Underground hit when he turned to face the woman behind him. Jordan stood leaning against a column, her slender arms folded. But it was her eyes,,,he couldn't make out either hurt or anger in them. She just nodded in agreement. Brennen moved to walk by, but stopped to kiss her on the forehead. I'm sorry, all he could say before leaving the room.
"Nothing ever felt so necessary." He replied as Jesse stared at him. "My demons were my responsibility, and no one else's. It wasn't right to put my burden on all of you."
"Self forgiveness is a hard thing to understand." Jesse started. " To let go enough to ask someone for help, or to know you need saving- no male will admit to anything like that. It's a hard lesson to learn, but necessary."
"I know that now."
Brennen was being taken to the safe house early that morning. He stood in the garage, again saying good- bye to Adam and a nearly crying Emma. She hugged him before walking quickly from the doorway and Mulray knew there'd be a special place in hell for him breaking her heart. Not a surprise, he thought. They may have a whole floor for me when I get there.
The drive was the longest hour, longer than the Hillview bus, and longer than the blinded ride to Sanctuary with Jordan. Jesse and Shalimar sat quietly in the front seats, glued to the road. At least he was thankful for them not using the cloak. The last thing he needed was to feel even more separated than he did. Jordan was waiting at the safe house when they arrived. She stood adjusting her coat against the cool morning air, the sun seemed not ready to wake.
Brennen said his good-byes to the two blondes then moved towards the woman. Her eyes focused on the horizon in thought.
"You taking me somewhere?" he asked, secretly wishing she would.
"No, love." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Just here to check in your escort." The elemental felt he would break if she looked at him. "I'm a southern girl. Never will get used to this 'city' weather. If it's not ninety, I'm out of place."
Brennen made a face at her sarcasm. "You guys need a vacation."
She threw her arms around his neck weakly, making him grin in surprise. Jordan shivered in his hold, her voice muffled as he pulled her close. It was then that the escort arrived. "Take care, Sparky. Stop searching for trouble."
"This would be easy if you didn't feel so good." He joked before pulling back. Right then, if he ever had a heart, the man knew it would belong to her. Jordan pulled back, standing by her teammates. Within moments, Brennen Mulray was gone.
"Nobody said a word." Jesse started as he broke a new game on the table. "We just got ready to go back."
"I know," Brennen replied, his memory rolling thee footage of them in the rearview. "My whole world changed that morning."
Brennen sat in the front passenger seat, tuning out a talkative go- between with brown hair. His eyes tried to focus on the road ahead- open and alone as it always was. But the blast pulled him back. The explosion was surreal in the rearview. Red curled around orange and yellow, only to be shadowed by a violent purple. "What the fuck?" he whispered, his body jerking back at the sight. "Turn around!"
The gun barrel in his neck told him no. "Sorry," the man said flatly. "There are some people waiting for you-" An elbow slammed into the man's teeth, before pushing him out of the SUV. Brennen grabbed the wheel, turning viciously on the road, and zig- zaging back to the safe house. He slammed on the brakes and jumped out, seeing nothing but the entangling curl of smoke. Guarding his face, he slipped by the flames. The trio was a confusion of powers in the midst of the agents. Soon, the elemental was also lost in the fight.
The senses were his only clear view. There was a snarl of burning entangled in the grunt and groan of bodied being pummeled. Gasoline drifted easily into his nose along with the flat scent of burning metal. His eyes watered from the smoke and dirt, sending nearly black tears down his face. Intense heat weighted his shoulders as he looked for them. Jesse was fine and so was Jordan, but Shalimar was attacking a little too wildly for her. She'd beat an opponent then freeze, scurrying from the flaming debris. He moved forward, snatching her by the waist. "Move!" he yelled pushing them through the agents.
"I-I can't. I'm feral- afraid of fire." Brennen snatched her up, blazing past another group of agents. Soon, the others followed, scrambling towards the opposite entrance. He knew some one would be waiting on the other side.
Two SUV's stood blocking their way. In the midst, two men- one white haired, and the other dark- looked on in a flat silence. Brennen sat the woman down before moving next to Jesse, their faces covered in ash.
"Mr. Mulray." The dark one said. "We've been waiting for you." The elemental glanced at Jesse whom nodded silently at his presence. Out of his eye, Jordan moved from her shaken teammate to the molecular's opposite shoulder.
"Who are you?" Brennen asked, his fingers itching to spark.
"Gabriel Ashlocke," he started then gestured to the other man. "And this is Mason Eckhart." The white-haired man was silent. "He's not big on words right now." Brennen remembered Adam's talk of these two, but he never said anything of them working together. Right then, the elemental had a feeling Adam didn't know. "We've been waiting to meet you," the man continued. "You're very high on our little shopping list."
"I take it you've heard of us." Eckhart finally spoke. His eyes seemed to burn through the glasses.
"Is he a mutant?" The elemental muttered to Jesse, not looking away from the men.
"Nope," he replied, steadying his breath for any required extra time. "Just a bitch."
"Well," Eckhart replied, stepping forward. His voice was a dangerous, high mannered baritone. "Have you?"
Brennen felt the surge pushing through his fingers. "Some what."
"Then please." The man smirked before looking at Asklocke "Allow us to inform you."
Brennen lunged in front of the others, the energy coiled in his fingers, taut in its readiness to attack. But Gabriel grinned before hitting the man with a fiery blast. He shot the currents wildly before sprawling over and landing on his back. His body burned in agony, blurring his view of the advancing men. Jesse massed, and Shalimar went feral, but it was Jordan who flew over to him. Her eyes glowing in something he'd never seen before.
"Hold on," she whispered, grasping his hand. Her free arm ejected a large blast towards the men, while the other proceeded to pull the charge from his body. That barreling sensation he once knew was now replaced by something much more violent. He could barely focus on the sounds. Shal and Jesse were busting up oncoming agents, but everything was a blur of echo. Whatever this Ashlocke had hit him with was strong, and apparently, it was becoming too strong for Jordan.
I can't move, he thought. Even though he could feel his limbs, his ability to act was gone. Yet, the purging light of his teammate's powers still ravaged into him. It surged his mind, his physical, even his nerves shook at the intense blast. Somehow he could focus on her other blast destroying the two SUV's, but the men were moving towards another parked further back. This Ashlocke didn't seem as eager to leave as Eckhart, however. Never the less, they ran.
The two original Mutant X members had just finished the last agents. Is his distorted hearing, Brennen could her the feral yell for Jesse to get the car. She ran over, but not focusing on Brennen. Her lips were yelling for Jordan. Brennen felt as though he were under water and trying to get to the surface. Finally, when the connection broke, he could see Shalimar's fear.
The woman stood above him-pale. Her lips formed a small grin before she fell down by his side in an agonizing scream. Brennen snapped from the moment, his body regenerated from the blast. And turned to see Shalimar pushing at the woman, who wasn't moving. Oh Shit! He thought.
"My God! She's.she's turning blue." Whatever had torn through him was easily taking her smaller frame. There was a sick rolling in her chest, as if the heart and lungs were imploding. And she was blue, the sickest shade he'd ever seen. The elemental couldn't think of what to do. His hands slipped through the locs, seeing the Jeep pull up beside them. Jesse jumped out, running to fold down the back seat.
"I called Adam. He's waiting."
Brennen lifted the woman, who'd now saved his life for the third time. He waited till Shalimar pulled her into the extended space before jumping in. The door closed just as Jesse sped off. Suddenly, any warmth in her was gone.
"Are you all there?" Adam asked calmly over the COMM link.
"Yeah, Brennen's here, too." Shalimar replied.
There was a momentary pause on the link. "Brennen, can you hear me?"
"I hear you! What do I do?"
"Her abilities are trying to fight whatever Ashlocke hit her with-"
"He hit me." The elemental admitted with guilt. "She absorbed it right after I fell."
"Adam," the feral continued with a shaky voice. "She used both of her abilities at the same time."
"She's never done that before." he replied.
"I didn't know she could."
"Neither did I,,," he returned.
"CAN-WE-SAVE IT?!" Jesse yelled in agitation from the driver's seat. "She is dying on us, Damn it!"
"Okay, Brennen." Adam continued. "Her body is trying to fight whatever Gabriel hit her with. You need to shock her. The charge should be able to advance the regeneration process.
"Adam!" Shalimar yelled into her ring. "Adam! She's not breathing!
Brennen pushed the feral aside, conjuring the currents in his hand. Jordan couldn't be dying in front of him. Shalimar moved further back as volts surged into her teammates chest, her eye seeming green in their reflection. Brennen extended for as long as he could, then proceeded to start again. The elemental was on his fourth shot when her eyes flew open.
Jordan grabbed her chest, urgently attempting to scream, but the voice had yet to make it back. Brennen watched as Shalimar held her. The wounds in her chest slowly began to fade from sight. Tears streamed down the honey-colored face as the scream finally hit, jolting the feral's sensitive ears and making her pull back. He pulled Jordan's head into his lap, her eyes squinted tight in pain as slender fingers gripped at her now burnt coat. His head finally dropped back in relief.
"J.?" Shalimar said, stroking her hair. "You still with us?"
"Of,,,of course." she whispered. "Just got knocked on my ass."
The blonde smiled weakly, reaching to pat the molecular's shoulder over the still standing seats. Jess smiled back in the rearview.
"Adam,,, it worked!" The feral grinned. "She's up."
"We'll be there soon." Jesse said, still doing ninety down the strip of highway. His heart finally released from his throat.
"Hey you," Brennen said, her hand wrapped in his own. She smirked as his lips bushed her fingers. "Welcome back."
"Dude, after this shit, you are SO buying me dinner." Her welcome sarcasm gave way to the woman passing out in exhaustion, leaving her friends to grin in their joy.
DISCLAIMER: M-X, Don't own them. Enjoy!
"I still can't believe you said no."
Jesse leaned on his pool stick, watching the dark man. Brennen sat on the edge of the table deep in thought. "I do believe Adam knew you would decline." The molecular continued. "But to the rest of us, it was a real surprise."
Brennen remembered how their faces held an almost shocking understanding. Emma looked so sad, and Brennen felt a special kind of pain for breaking her heart. Adam shook his hand in understanding then asked Jesse to ready some I.D.'s for the safe house. Realization of the Underground hit when he turned to face the woman behind him. Jordan stood leaning against a column, her slender arms folded. But it was her eyes,,,he couldn't make out either hurt or anger in them. She just nodded in agreement. Brennen moved to walk by, but stopped to kiss her on the forehead. I'm sorry, all he could say before leaving the room.
"Nothing ever felt so necessary." He replied as Jesse stared at him. "My demons were my responsibility, and no one else's. It wasn't right to put my burden on all of you."
"Self forgiveness is a hard thing to understand." Jesse started. " To let go enough to ask someone for help, or to know you need saving- no male will admit to anything like that. It's a hard lesson to learn, but necessary."
"I know that now."
Brennen was being taken to the safe house early that morning. He stood in the garage, again saying good- bye to Adam and a nearly crying Emma. She hugged him before walking quickly from the doorway and Mulray knew there'd be a special place in hell for him breaking her heart. Not a surprise, he thought. They may have a whole floor for me when I get there.
The drive was the longest hour, longer than the Hillview bus, and longer than the blinded ride to Sanctuary with Jordan. Jesse and Shalimar sat quietly in the front seats, glued to the road. At least he was thankful for them not using the cloak. The last thing he needed was to feel even more separated than he did. Jordan was waiting at the safe house when they arrived. She stood adjusting her coat against the cool morning air, the sun seemed not ready to wake.
Brennen said his good-byes to the two blondes then moved towards the woman. Her eyes focused on the horizon in thought.
"You taking me somewhere?" he asked, secretly wishing she would.
"No, love." Her voice was almost a whisper. "Just here to check in your escort." The elemental felt he would break if she looked at him. "I'm a southern girl. Never will get used to this 'city' weather. If it's not ninety, I'm out of place."
Brennen made a face at her sarcasm. "You guys need a vacation."
She threw her arms around his neck weakly, making him grin in surprise. Jordan shivered in his hold, her voice muffled as he pulled her close. It was then that the escort arrived. "Take care, Sparky. Stop searching for trouble."
"This would be easy if you didn't feel so good." He joked before pulling back. Right then, if he ever had a heart, the man knew it would belong to her. Jordan pulled back, standing by her teammates. Within moments, Brennen Mulray was gone.
"Nobody said a word." Jesse started as he broke a new game on the table. "We just got ready to go back."
"I know," Brennen replied, his memory rolling thee footage of them in the rearview. "My whole world changed that morning."
Brennen sat in the front passenger seat, tuning out a talkative go- between with brown hair. His eyes tried to focus on the road ahead- open and alone as it always was. But the blast pulled him back. The explosion was surreal in the rearview. Red curled around orange and yellow, only to be shadowed by a violent purple. "What the fuck?" he whispered, his body jerking back at the sight. "Turn around!"
The gun barrel in his neck told him no. "Sorry," the man said flatly. "There are some people waiting for you-" An elbow slammed into the man's teeth, before pushing him out of the SUV. Brennen grabbed the wheel, turning viciously on the road, and zig- zaging back to the safe house. He slammed on the brakes and jumped out, seeing nothing but the entangling curl of smoke. Guarding his face, he slipped by the flames. The trio was a confusion of powers in the midst of the agents. Soon, the elemental was also lost in the fight.
The senses were his only clear view. There was a snarl of burning entangled in the grunt and groan of bodied being pummeled. Gasoline drifted easily into his nose along with the flat scent of burning metal. His eyes watered from the smoke and dirt, sending nearly black tears down his face. Intense heat weighted his shoulders as he looked for them. Jesse was fine and so was Jordan, but Shalimar was attacking a little too wildly for her. She'd beat an opponent then freeze, scurrying from the flaming debris. He moved forward, snatching her by the waist. "Move!" he yelled pushing them through the agents.
"I-I can't. I'm feral- afraid of fire." Brennen snatched her up, blazing past another group of agents. Soon, the others followed, scrambling towards the opposite entrance. He knew some one would be waiting on the other side.
Two SUV's stood blocking their way. In the midst, two men- one white haired, and the other dark- looked on in a flat silence. Brennen sat the woman down before moving next to Jesse, their faces covered in ash.
"Mr. Mulray." The dark one said. "We've been waiting for you." The elemental glanced at Jesse whom nodded silently at his presence. Out of his eye, Jordan moved from her shaken teammate to the molecular's opposite shoulder.
"Who are you?" Brennen asked, his fingers itching to spark.
"Gabriel Ashlocke," he started then gestured to the other man. "And this is Mason Eckhart." The white-haired man was silent. "He's not big on words right now." Brennen remembered Adam's talk of these two, but he never said anything of them working together. Right then, the elemental had a feeling Adam didn't know. "We've been waiting to meet you," the man continued. "You're very high on our little shopping list."
"I take it you've heard of us." Eckhart finally spoke. His eyes seemed to burn through the glasses.
"Is he a mutant?" The elemental muttered to Jesse, not looking away from the men.
"Nope," he replied, steadying his breath for any required extra time. "Just a bitch."
"Well," Eckhart replied, stepping forward. His voice was a dangerous, high mannered baritone. "Have you?"
Brennen felt the surge pushing through his fingers. "Some what."
"Then please." The man smirked before looking at Asklocke "Allow us to inform you."
Brennen lunged in front of the others, the energy coiled in his fingers, taut in its readiness to attack. But Gabriel grinned before hitting the man with a fiery blast. He shot the currents wildly before sprawling over and landing on his back. His body burned in agony, blurring his view of the advancing men. Jesse massed, and Shalimar went feral, but it was Jordan who flew over to him. Her eyes glowing in something he'd never seen before.
"Hold on," she whispered, grasping his hand. Her free arm ejected a large blast towards the men, while the other proceeded to pull the charge from his body. That barreling sensation he once knew was now replaced by something much more violent. He could barely focus on the sounds. Shal and Jesse were busting up oncoming agents, but everything was a blur of echo. Whatever this Ashlocke had hit him with was strong, and apparently, it was becoming too strong for Jordan.
I can't move, he thought. Even though he could feel his limbs, his ability to act was gone. Yet, the purging light of his teammate's powers still ravaged into him. It surged his mind, his physical, even his nerves shook at the intense blast. Somehow he could focus on her other blast destroying the two SUV's, but the men were moving towards another parked further back. This Ashlocke didn't seem as eager to leave as Eckhart, however. Never the less, they ran.
The two original Mutant X members had just finished the last agents. Is his distorted hearing, Brennen could her the feral yell for Jesse to get the car. She ran over, but not focusing on Brennen. Her lips were yelling for Jordan. Brennen felt as though he were under water and trying to get to the surface. Finally, when the connection broke, he could see Shalimar's fear.
The woman stood above him-pale. Her lips formed a small grin before she fell down by his side in an agonizing scream. Brennen snapped from the moment, his body regenerated from the blast. And turned to see Shalimar pushing at the woman, who wasn't moving. Oh Shit! He thought.
"My God! She's.she's turning blue." Whatever had torn through him was easily taking her smaller frame. There was a sick rolling in her chest, as if the heart and lungs were imploding. And she was blue, the sickest shade he'd ever seen. The elemental couldn't think of what to do. His hands slipped through the locs, seeing the Jeep pull up beside them. Jesse jumped out, running to fold down the back seat.
"I called Adam. He's waiting."
Brennen lifted the woman, who'd now saved his life for the third time. He waited till Shalimar pulled her into the extended space before jumping in. The door closed just as Jesse sped off. Suddenly, any warmth in her was gone.
"Are you all there?" Adam asked calmly over the COMM link.
"Yeah, Brennen's here, too." Shalimar replied.
There was a momentary pause on the link. "Brennen, can you hear me?"
"I hear you! What do I do?"
"Her abilities are trying to fight whatever Ashlocke hit her with-"
"He hit me." The elemental admitted with guilt. "She absorbed it right after I fell."
"Adam," the feral continued with a shaky voice. "She used both of her abilities at the same time."
"She's never done that before." he replied.
"I didn't know she could."
"Neither did I,,," he returned.
"CAN-WE-SAVE IT?!" Jesse yelled in agitation from the driver's seat. "She is dying on us, Damn it!"
"Okay, Brennen." Adam continued. "Her body is trying to fight whatever Gabriel hit her with. You need to shock her. The charge should be able to advance the regeneration process.
"Adam!" Shalimar yelled into her ring. "Adam! She's not breathing!
Brennen pushed the feral aside, conjuring the currents in his hand. Jordan couldn't be dying in front of him. Shalimar moved further back as volts surged into her teammates chest, her eye seeming green in their reflection. Brennen extended for as long as he could, then proceeded to start again. The elemental was on his fourth shot when her eyes flew open.
Jordan grabbed her chest, urgently attempting to scream, but the voice had yet to make it back. Brennen watched as Shalimar held her. The wounds in her chest slowly began to fade from sight. Tears streamed down the honey-colored face as the scream finally hit, jolting the feral's sensitive ears and making her pull back. He pulled Jordan's head into his lap, her eyes squinted tight in pain as slender fingers gripped at her now burnt coat. His head finally dropped back in relief.
"J.?" Shalimar said, stroking her hair. "You still with us?"
"Of,,,of course." she whispered. "Just got knocked on my ass."
The blonde smiled weakly, reaching to pat the molecular's shoulder over the still standing seats. Jess smiled back in the rearview.
"Adam,,, it worked!" The feral grinned. "She's up."
"We'll be there soon." Jesse said, still doing ninety down the strip of highway. His heart finally released from his throat.
"Hey you," Brennen said, her hand wrapped in his own. She smirked as his lips bushed her fingers. "Welcome back."
"Dude, after this shit, you are SO buying me dinner." Her welcome sarcasm gave way to the woman passing out in exhaustion, leaving her friends to grin in their joy.