DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Mutant X'. They're not
my property. They belong to Tribune Entertainment.
***
*********
The temperature in the room had been on the right level, but the Psionic had still felt cold. Brining the warm mug to her chest, she pressed her lips tightly as the flow of memories had begun in her head. The site of the living room with its green walls and old furniture was slowly transforming into a laboratory surrounded with glass walls. She knew this place well and she knew the young woman that had just entered inside: It was her, feeling tired.
**
Walking over to the chair she leaned on it with her hands tightly pressed on the object's surface and her head being thrown back as Emma let her eyes close for a moment. A sudden smile appeared on her face when someone placed their hand on her shoulder.
"Tired?" he asked her.
"Oh yeah," Emma nodded and opened her eyes to meet his face on a safe distance from hers.
"Let me take you in my big strong arms and sing you to sleep?" he offered jokingly.
Emma giggled. "So generous," she said and then asked: "Aren't you?"
"What?"
"Tired?"
"I think you can tell," his eyes smiling as he felt the tiredness preventing him from forming the smile with his lips.
"You're lucky," she said and straightening up. Emma turned to him when she felt the warmth of where his hand was had started to disappear. "Did she like your surprise?"
"Yes and the result of that was quite satisfying. Thanks."
"Good." Putting her hands on her waist, Emma leaned her head forward, lifting her chin. "I told you I knew that she would love it," she almost sounded as being proud of herself and that was not far from the truth. "I'm a master at these things, ha-ha!" she tried to give out a smart tone to her laughter.
"Yeah, yeah..... whatever! Don't go flattering yourself too much like you usually do."
"Me?? That sounds more like something *you*...," and she poked his chest twice with her index finger, "...would do, *not* me," and crossed her arms.
"Anyway!" Brennan hurriedly interrupted the Psionic before they would enter their 'painfully long match of words and phrases about each other'. Yes, that could turn out to be a nightmare even if a comical one. "Thank you for the tip." This time he summoned up enough strength to pull a grateful smile and touched her right arm.
"You're very welcome, Bren." She felt pleased by this because Emma was obviously fond of helping her friend out, especially when her abilities, which the others lacked, were required for small but meaningful moments like this. Unfortunately as if someone had wanted to deliberately cut this and others moments of happiness short, a sudden feeling like thunder hit her inside.
"What's wrong?" Brennan asked when he noticed the appearance of a disturbing expression on Emma's face.
"It's Adam!" she said and quickly rushed out of the laboratory. Brennan followed her.
They soon reached the hallway to see a mutant with green, almost frog-like, skin, holding Adam by the neck before slowly lifting him up, separating him two feet from the floor.
"Let him go!" Emma ordered the mutant.
Swiftly turning his head, to face the Psionic and Elemental, his yellow eyes with two narrow lines that represented his pupils, glared at them. He did not respond to Emma's demand, only returned his attention to Adam.
"What the fuck is that thing?" Brennan wondered as his eyes traveled along the green body of the mutant, scales with a lighter color lined up at the back of its wrists and ankles.
"I'm a reminder of what happens when you try to screw with nature," the mutant responded, his voice rough and the excessive amount of saliva in his mouth distorting his words. He slowly brought Adam closer to him, letting his feet touch the floor again; this creature appeared to be physically strong, despite the different message which his barely visible muscles were sending. "You thought you could create some dull-witted harmonic life to exist between us mutants and the humans?" he told the scientist as small drops of glop rubbed off on Adam's face from the mutant's mouth as he brought it closer to Adam's ear. "It's not that easy, Adam. Nothing is ever easy!" He then lifted his other hand and was moving in to grab Adam's neck when something inside him suddenly appeared causing him to scream in agony and release Adam.
Emma simulated a feeling of his skin burning so that he would finally release Adam before he had the chance to terminate him. When a safe space appeared between the mutant and Adam, Brennan used the chance to throw a high voltage electric bolt towards the mutant. The shock did not appear to have the power to throw the amphibian creation flying against the wall but it did have adequate energy to stun and weaken him enough to fall on the floor.
Running to the fallen man, Emma then kneeled beside him. Adam was gasping for air, choking while she helped him to sit up. "Are you alright?" she asked him with a worried tone and when she saw him nod in response a breath of relief was released from her.
Brennan in the meantime stood over the mutant, watching him carefully; ready to stop him from any further attempts of assassinations. He only took a quick glimpse of Adam and his recovery and that was enough proof for the Elemental to keep the mutant under harsh surveillance. "How did you find this place?" he asked him, his voice stone cold.
The mutant looked up at him, the green eye caps closing down, leaving only a small visible space available of his eyes, consuming the orange color into them. "Why don't you ask your friend?" he hissed.
"And who might that be?"
"Her!" he nodded over to Emma.
The Psionic anxiously turned her head towards the mutant from the sound of that word.
Brennan did not jump into that lie. "Nice try. Now once again, how did you FIND THIS PLACE??"
"I already told you, Elemental."
This was not a good test for Brennan's patience as he grabbed the mutant by the neck and slammed him against the wall. "Why did you want to kill Adam??" a close shout was released.
"It's because of delusional 'scientists' like him who try to play God that outcasts, freaks of nature like you and me exist!" the mutant's breathing had intensified as his gaze barely gave out any human presence.
"We're not freaks of nature!"
"No? Then I don't see you being as someone who could live a normal life and it's because of him and others like him that none of us can or ever will have that chance!" "You're in serious need of some brain therapy..." Brennan wanted to come up with a name for this creature but the mutant already helped out: "Caleb," he told him.
"Alright, *Caleb! What ever your stupid theories are and whatever reasons you had for killing Adam, it was *not* a good idea! Once again, how did you find this place?"
"When twice you failed to comprehend the situation, what good will a third try make?" Caleb responded and then spit a thick white mass toward Brennan's face, covering his eyes and nose, forcing the Elemental to release him.
Being pulled backward as he struggled to rid himself of the mass that had blocked any air from reaching his nostrils, Brennan was forced to breathe through his mouth.
Caleb sprinted from the ground and landed gently on the other side of the hallway using his feet and hands as suction cups.
"Shit! Brennan!" Emma prepared herself to dash towards her friend, leaving Adam for Caleb to jump behind him and knock him unconscious. Afterwards he ran after Emma, tugging her to the ground just as she was close enough to reach Brennan.
Pinning her tightly on the cold floor, Caleb observed her human features, his eyes widening and shrinking after every line on her face. "My... how human you look. If it hadn't been for your deformation you might've actually become something in your life."
"It's not a deformation, you psycho! It's a gift!" she was not only struggling to free herself from his grasp but to avoid the disgusting odor originating from his body; it smelled like marsh.
Caleb slowly shook his head. "It's against nature," he replied and just as Emma was preparing to use her power on him he released a tiny red gas from his mouth. The gas entered through Emma's nostrils, reaching inside her, spreading to her brain and rapidly shutting down her cells that produced her ability to remain conscious and awake. Soon darkness replaced the image of the green amphibian mutant.
**
"Emma? Em, wake up." A clear, smooth voice appeared inside her darkness.
"Mm?" Moving her head slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the face which the voice had been coming from; she could even feel his warm breath due to intensity of his breathing.
"Are you ok?" he asked her when seeing the Psionic coming to life again.
"Yes, a little dizzy but..." slowly and with his help she sat up. Emma felt his hurriedness to escape from here but she also sensed his concern towards her that occupied his mind, causing him to stay.
Taking her arms, Brennan used himself as a leaning post for Emma at the same time as he was assisting her to stand on her feet.
"What... happened?" Emma spoke, her voice giving the sign of disorientation as if she had been exposed to some strong drug; the small dizziness was still present in her head. She could barely make out anything else except for Brennan's face as this appeared to be a small and dark room.
"I don't know," Brennan took in some air before he continued. "After that bastard spit that thing in my face, he must've knocked me unconscious 'cause the next thing I know I woke up here, with you."
The recollection was quickly appearing as Emma's eyes widened. "Adam!" she panicked and as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown at her, her hands grabbed the front of Brennan's shirt. "I can't sense Adam! I can't find him!" The panic in her voice grew as well with this sudden realization.
"What?"
"I'm not picking up anything from him!" she said and searched for the door with her eyes although it appeared difficult due to the darkness around her.
"Emma, Emma!" he tried to quiet her down. "Calm down, we'll find him. He's not far. Calm down, alright??" he told her, sensing her struggle inside to control her breathing. Taking Emma's hands he jerked them away and he felt her grip being so tight that she nearly tore off pieces from his shirt.
"Ok...ok." Emma nodded and exhaled, trying her best to remain calm although the uncertain feeling of Adam's wellbeing was digging deeper inside her brain. She could sense that despite Brennan's appearing coolness, he too was showing signs of engrossed concern about the situation.
Soon she noticed a few small sparks appear and the metal door sliding to the right, revealing the entrance to the outside - light, precious light. Emma saw Brennan slowly stepping out of the room to check the safety of the space in front of them, this giving her the chance to take a short glance of the room that appeared to have metal walls and shelves that had seemed to be so far empty. Then returning her eyes to the entrance and noticing the surprisingly still intact small security key pad, it did not take her long to tell that, being typical of the Elemental, instead of trying to remember the code, he simply opened the door in his own way - a few zaps of electricity here and there. Normally she would comment on his choices of *daring escapes* but this time she was preoccupied with concern. She run out of the room and after seeing Brennan's wave towards him, Emma followed him.
**
Seeing them run out of the room and disappear from her sight, Emma felt the tears had no longer the patience to be held inside and so slowly she gave in to their pressure and let them slide down along her gentle cheeks. Putting the mug next to her, Emma pressed her legs to her chest and cupped them with her arms, letting her sad face sink into the available space between them. She could not go on and continue her remembrance; it was hurtful... too much for her and the heart inside her.
*********
***
*********
The temperature in the room had been on the right level, but the Psionic had still felt cold. Brining the warm mug to her chest, she pressed her lips tightly as the flow of memories had begun in her head. The site of the living room with its green walls and old furniture was slowly transforming into a laboratory surrounded with glass walls. She knew this place well and she knew the young woman that had just entered inside: It was her, feeling tired.
**
Walking over to the chair she leaned on it with her hands tightly pressed on the object's surface and her head being thrown back as Emma let her eyes close for a moment. A sudden smile appeared on her face when someone placed their hand on her shoulder.
"Tired?" he asked her.
"Oh yeah," Emma nodded and opened her eyes to meet his face on a safe distance from hers.
"Let me take you in my big strong arms and sing you to sleep?" he offered jokingly.
Emma giggled. "So generous," she said and then asked: "Aren't you?"
"What?"
"Tired?"
"I think you can tell," his eyes smiling as he felt the tiredness preventing him from forming the smile with his lips.
"You're lucky," she said and straightening up. Emma turned to him when she felt the warmth of where his hand was had started to disappear. "Did she like your surprise?"
"Yes and the result of that was quite satisfying. Thanks."
"Good." Putting her hands on her waist, Emma leaned her head forward, lifting her chin. "I told you I knew that she would love it," she almost sounded as being proud of herself and that was not far from the truth. "I'm a master at these things, ha-ha!" she tried to give out a smart tone to her laughter.
"Yeah, yeah..... whatever! Don't go flattering yourself too much like you usually do."
"Me?? That sounds more like something *you*...," and she poked his chest twice with her index finger, "...would do, *not* me," and crossed her arms.
"Anyway!" Brennan hurriedly interrupted the Psionic before they would enter their 'painfully long match of words and phrases about each other'. Yes, that could turn out to be a nightmare even if a comical one. "Thank you for the tip." This time he summoned up enough strength to pull a grateful smile and touched her right arm.
"You're very welcome, Bren." She felt pleased by this because Emma was obviously fond of helping her friend out, especially when her abilities, which the others lacked, were required for small but meaningful moments like this. Unfortunately as if someone had wanted to deliberately cut this and others moments of happiness short, a sudden feeling like thunder hit her inside.
"What's wrong?" Brennan asked when he noticed the appearance of a disturbing expression on Emma's face.
"It's Adam!" she said and quickly rushed out of the laboratory. Brennan followed her.
They soon reached the hallway to see a mutant with green, almost frog-like, skin, holding Adam by the neck before slowly lifting him up, separating him two feet from the floor.
"Let him go!" Emma ordered the mutant.
Swiftly turning his head, to face the Psionic and Elemental, his yellow eyes with two narrow lines that represented his pupils, glared at them. He did not respond to Emma's demand, only returned his attention to Adam.
"What the fuck is that thing?" Brennan wondered as his eyes traveled along the green body of the mutant, scales with a lighter color lined up at the back of its wrists and ankles.
"I'm a reminder of what happens when you try to screw with nature," the mutant responded, his voice rough and the excessive amount of saliva in his mouth distorting his words. He slowly brought Adam closer to him, letting his feet touch the floor again; this creature appeared to be physically strong, despite the different message which his barely visible muscles were sending. "You thought you could create some dull-witted harmonic life to exist between us mutants and the humans?" he told the scientist as small drops of glop rubbed off on Adam's face from the mutant's mouth as he brought it closer to Adam's ear. "It's not that easy, Adam. Nothing is ever easy!" He then lifted his other hand and was moving in to grab Adam's neck when something inside him suddenly appeared causing him to scream in agony and release Adam.
Emma simulated a feeling of his skin burning so that he would finally release Adam before he had the chance to terminate him. When a safe space appeared between the mutant and Adam, Brennan used the chance to throw a high voltage electric bolt towards the mutant. The shock did not appear to have the power to throw the amphibian creation flying against the wall but it did have adequate energy to stun and weaken him enough to fall on the floor.
Running to the fallen man, Emma then kneeled beside him. Adam was gasping for air, choking while she helped him to sit up. "Are you alright?" she asked him with a worried tone and when she saw him nod in response a breath of relief was released from her.
Brennan in the meantime stood over the mutant, watching him carefully; ready to stop him from any further attempts of assassinations. He only took a quick glimpse of Adam and his recovery and that was enough proof for the Elemental to keep the mutant under harsh surveillance. "How did you find this place?" he asked him, his voice stone cold.
The mutant looked up at him, the green eye caps closing down, leaving only a small visible space available of his eyes, consuming the orange color into them. "Why don't you ask your friend?" he hissed.
"And who might that be?"
"Her!" he nodded over to Emma.
The Psionic anxiously turned her head towards the mutant from the sound of that word.
Brennan did not jump into that lie. "Nice try. Now once again, how did you FIND THIS PLACE??"
"I already told you, Elemental."
This was not a good test for Brennan's patience as he grabbed the mutant by the neck and slammed him against the wall. "Why did you want to kill Adam??" a close shout was released.
"It's because of delusional 'scientists' like him who try to play God that outcasts, freaks of nature like you and me exist!" the mutant's breathing had intensified as his gaze barely gave out any human presence.
"We're not freaks of nature!"
"No? Then I don't see you being as someone who could live a normal life and it's because of him and others like him that none of us can or ever will have that chance!" "You're in serious need of some brain therapy..." Brennan wanted to come up with a name for this creature but the mutant already helped out: "Caleb," he told him.
"Alright, *Caleb! What ever your stupid theories are and whatever reasons you had for killing Adam, it was *not* a good idea! Once again, how did you find this place?"
"When twice you failed to comprehend the situation, what good will a third try make?" Caleb responded and then spit a thick white mass toward Brennan's face, covering his eyes and nose, forcing the Elemental to release him.
Being pulled backward as he struggled to rid himself of the mass that had blocked any air from reaching his nostrils, Brennan was forced to breathe through his mouth.
Caleb sprinted from the ground and landed gently on the other side of the hallway using his feet and hands as suction cups.
"Shit! Brennan!" Emma prepared herself to dash towards her friend, leaving Adam for Caleb to jump behind him and knock him unconscious. Afterwards he ran after Emma, tugging her to the ground just as she was close enough to reach Brennan.
Pinning her tightly on the cold floor, Caleb observed her human features, his eyes widening and shrinking after every line on her face. "My... how human you look. If it hadn't been for your deformation you might've actually become something in your life."
"It's not a deformation, you psycho! It's a gift!" she was not only struggling to free herself from his grasp but to avoid the disgusting odor originating from his body; it smelled like marsh.
Caleb slowly shook his head. "It's against nature," he replied and just as Emma was preparing to use her power on him he released a tiny red gas from his mouth. The gas entered through Emma's nostrils, reaching inside her, spreading to her brain and rapidly shutting down her cells that produced her ability to remain conscious and awake. Soon darkness replaced the image of the green amphibian mutant.
**
"Emma? Em, wake up." A clear, smooth voice appeared inside her darkness.
"Mm?" Moving her head slowly, she opened her eyes and saw the face which the voice had been coming from; she could even feel his warm breath due to intensity of his breathing.
"Are you ok?" he asked her when seeing the Psionic coming to life again.
"Yes, a little dizzy but..." slowly and with his help she sat up. Emma felt his hurriedness to escape from here but she also sensed his concern towards her that occupied his mind, causing him to stay.
Taking her arms, Brennan used himself as a leaning post for Emma at the same time as he was assisting her to stand on her feet.
"What... happened?" Emma spoke, her voice giving the sign of disorientation as if she had been exposed to some strong drug; the small dizziness was still present in her head. She could barely make out anything else except for Brennan's face as this appeared to be a small and dark room.
"I don't know," Brennan took in some air before he continued. "After that bastard spit that thing in my face, he must've knocked me unconscious 'cause the next thing I know I woke up here, with you."
The recollection was quickly appearing as Emma's eyes widened. "Adam!" she panicked and as if a bucket of cold water had been thrown at her, her hands grabbed the front of Brennan's shirt. "I can't sense Adam! I can't find him!" The panic in her voice grew as well with this sudden realization.
"What?"
"I'm not picking up anything from him!" she said and searched for the door with her eyes although it appeared difficult due to the darkness around her.
"Emma, Emma!" he tried to quiet her down. "Calm down, we'll find him. He's not far. Calm down, alright??" he told her, sensing her struggle inside to control her breathing. Taking Emma's hands he jerked them away and he felt her grip being so tight that she nearly tore off pieces from his shirt.
"Ok...ok." Emma nodded and exhaled, trying her best to remain calm although the uncertain feeling of Adam's wellbeing was digging deeper inside her brain. She could sense that despite Brennan's appearing coolness, he too was showing signs of engrossed concern about the situation.
Soon she noticed a few small sparks appear and the metal door sliding to the right, revealing the entrance to the outside - light, precious light. Emma saw Brennan slowly stepping out of the room to check the safety of the space in front of them, this giving her the chance to take a short glance of the room that appeared to have metal walls and shelves that had seemed to be so far empty. Then returning her eyes to the entrance and noticing the surprisingly still intact small security key pad, it did not take her long to tell that, being typical of the Elemental, instead of trying to remember the code, he simply opened the door in his own way - a few zaps of electricity here and there. Normally she would comment on his choices of *daring escapes* but this time she was preoccupied with concern. She run out of the room and after seeing Brennan's wave towards him, Emma followed him.
**
Seeing them run out of the room and disappear from her sight, Emma felt the tears had no longer the patience to be held inside and so slowly she gave in to their pressure and let them slide down along her gentle cheeks. Putting the mug next to her, Emma pressed her legs to her chest and cupped them with her arms, letting her sad face sink into the available space between them. She could not go on and continue her remembrance; it was hurtful... too much for her and the heart inside her.
*********