Author's note: Hey, a mid-day update instead of a 12 AM update!
Ah, there's nothing like being heckled by the family. A big hand for my sis Sarah and her humor. Shouldn't you be in class or something, Ms. Future-Brain-Surgeon-of-America? :-P
Chapter Fifteen:
"I said PUT HER DOWN, VICTOR!" Mystique's voice rang through the house commandingly. Sabertooth sneered at her, and gave the girl another shake.
"When Magneto arrives," he said. He would take orders from no one else.
"Magneto," Mystique said icily, "...would not approve if this child was injured."
Sabertooth growled again, "He wouldn't approve…if she went running off for help either."
Toad glared at the pair as they debated, the girl hanging limply from Sabertooth's grip. Wisps of hair had pulled free from her braid and hung around her face. Her eyes were closed, but her body had become very tense. He frowned and was the first to notice that the air in the room was becoming very heavy…very hot.
"Damn you, Victor," Mystique hissed, and Sabertooth laughed wickedly and spat another vulgar insult at the enraged woman.
However, his laughter faded quickly as he felt his hand began to burn. Not as muscles will when fatigued, but a scorching sensation on his palm. The long hair on his arm began to bristle and burn.
The girl's eyes opened then, wide and shining, and she grabbed his clutching hand with her own. Sabertooth roared in pain and released the girl from his grasp. His long coat caught fire quickly and he swung his arm around in vain to put it out.
Rebecca gasped as she hit the floor and her hands supported her from collapsing, fiery circles forming around them on the carpet. The other two mutants had jumped away from her, momentarily distracted by Sabertooth's attempts to put out his burning hand.
She used the moment to her advantage and charged across the room and down the "L"-shaped hall towards the door. She grasped at it, managed to pull the metal knob toward her a few inches before it was ripped out of her grasp. There was no one on the other side, but the metal plated knob would not allow her to open the door.
Rebecca pounded the wall in frustration and then shuttered and slid to the floor. Her power had been harnessed but still raged inside of her. It had not been too bad. It had not gotten away from her too much. Just enough so that mutant would let her go, could have been worse…
"Shit," she said aloud, and then remembered her cell phone was in her coat pocket on one of the sofas. She heard the large mutant roar down the bedroom halls towards the bathroom and debated on another jaunt through the den.
Sabertooth ran off to the bathroom, the nearest water source, roaring obscenities no normal human voice could have mustered. Mystique began to follow him, but turned to Toad first, her fury at the situation burning in her yellow eyes.
"Watch her!" she said, pointing in the direction of the stairs, "Don't let her get out!"
Toad nodded, feeling bitter glee as he listened to Sabertooth's angry shouting, and headed toward the "L"-shaped hall. He heard her try to open the door, but he knew someone else would keep the metallic components firmly in place.
She mumbled something, and Toad waited.
Rebecca used the wall as a support as she stood up and inhaled deeply. She would have to try to reach her phone if she expected any kind of outside help. Her panic may have sparked some inner warning in Sid, but she could not be sure.
Taking one more moment to gather herself, Rebecca stepped around one corner. The green mutant was standing at the far side of the hall waiting for her. He opened his mouth, and she dove back the other way just as something shot past her head and smacked loudly on the far wall. She turned back and saw something like a long, damp rope hanging in the air. It snapped back quickly, and was followed by the green mutant's voice.
"Sorry, little sister," he called darkly, "Can't get out that way."
Rebecca crept closer to the edge of the corner and listened, thinking quickly of what to do next. She could hear the man approaching in slow, determined steps.
"You don't need to run," he continued, "We're all mutants here. We just want to talk to you."
He was closer now, and Rebecca put her hand over the hall light switch. A few more steps and he would be under the ceiling lamp. If she could overload it, the blast might buy her a few seconds. She took a chance and glanced around the corner.
Toad stepped down the hall slowly, waiting for a response. He could hear her breathing, and he continued to call her out.
"There's nowhere else to go," he said softly, closing in on the end of the hall, "I won't let him hurt you. Although, he bloody pissed at the mess you made of his coat…"
Toad stopped then, and noticed that she was peering carefully at him. He grinned, and took one more step forward. The girl glanced up then quickly, and Toad followed her gaze.
In the next moment, the ceiling seemed to ripple, the light above his head blazed to life, and he ducked an instant before it exploded.
Rebecca leaped out from the corner as the light burst into flame and shattered. The green mutant ducked and yelped in surprise. She used the moment to dart out of the corner and run past him into the den.
She broke into an open dash towards where her jacket was laying and the open balcony doors. Suddenly, something wrapped tightly around her ankle and she tumbled forward onto her stomach. She gasped for breath and rolled on her back, struggling against the force pulling on her leg.
From the front hall, the English mutant crouched low on the floor and Rebecca gaped at him. The long 'rope' that was holding her was extending from his mouth.
That's his tongue! She thought wildly and began to kick at the abnormal appendage with her free foot. The first man whipped his head back and forth, attempting to drag her back.
"Let me go!" she yelled angrily, feeling the power rising again as the attack continued. The carpet under her hands began to singe, a defense response yearning to confront her assailant.
He took a step toward her and grinned around his open mouth. Rebecca clawed away and began to smell smoke. As she struggled, she saw movement in the corner of her eye and looked around. From the back hall came the blue woman and the large, hairy mutant, who did indeed look inconceivably pissed.
The new danger from behind her caused the power to pound in her head. Her hands and arms were tingling as the warmth spread down her body.
She looked back at the first mutant desperately, using all her will to fight against the fire.
"I don't want to hurt you!" Rebecca cried to him urgently. The power was like a wild animal in her head and she felt her eyes burning in their sockets. The man must have begun to feel the heat as he approached and his eyes widened as they met her own. She felt his tongue loosen from her ankle and it was draw back into his mouth.
Rebecca got to her knees and inhaled sharply in rapid breaths, focusing on drawing back the power. It was so strong now, it was stronger all the time, and she knew it was too late to keep back all of it.
No! she screamed in her mind, Back off! Back off! No, no, no, no…
Toad stared at the girl and stepped backward. Her body seemed to be glowing and the dark room was filling with a terrible orange light. She arched backward and put her hands to her head, as if she was battling with herself. He glanced over to Sabertooth and Mystique, who were watching her with the same fascination.
Mystique smiled broadly as she looked on. This is what Erik was waiting for. Evidence of who this child was…of who her mother was…
Toad stepped away again until his back ran into the wall. The girl was shaking her head violently and her body was trembling. Her eyes were tightly closed, but Toad knew what he would see when they opened, what rage would be there.
The windows of the house began to shake angrily as the girl shrieked. The temperature in the room was becoming nearly unbearable, but Toad could not stop staring at her. Even as the walls began to shudder, he did not make any motion to leave.
"NO!" the girl screamed finally, and waves of heat poured from her.
Mystique's smile melted quickly from her face. This was more than she had expected. The girl looked as if she herself were on fire and ready to explode. She grabbed Sabertooth and ran with him across the room. Toad was staring fixedly on the girl and Mystique pulled him roughly with them into the front hall.
A moment later, the windows of the house shattered outward as flames blasted from the Rebecca Malloy's body.
Standing outside on the back lawn, Erik Lensherr smiled as he watched the wave of fire dissipate into the night sky. Deathstrike stood to his left and Pyro at his right. The youngest member of the Brotherhood could only watch in stunned awe.
"Come, Pyro," Magneto said to the young man amicably, "Let us go meet our new friend."
The residents in neighboring buildings began to stir at the commotion and within the next fifteen minutes sirens could be heard.