DISCLAIMER: I do not own any of the characters from 'Mutant X'. They're not
my property. They belong to Tribune Entertainment.
***
*********
Sitting down on the purple sofa, with his left arm resting on Shalimar's shoulder whilst she was soundly sleeping with her head on the small red cushion that was placed in his lap, Brennan lowered his eyes to her quiet image. It was a nice substitute to the nightmare from earlier, he knew that much. He smiled and took his right hand close to her head and stroke her hair gently so he wouldn't disturb her.
After his shower they both sat down and started talking about matters that had no real importance. As they did so, he could tell how desperately the Feral struggled to chase away the sleepiness that had been threatening her the entire day. Brennan felt sorry for her and he knew she would not listen to him no matter how much he would insist for her to simply give into her biological urge to rest. Typically feline. In the end though, without him saying a single word about it, Shalimar stretched out lazily like the cat that she was and lied down on the cushion to sleep... she had lost the fight to stay awake despite her attempts.
Moving his eyes over to the window, Brennan saw the large drops of rain splashing down on the surface of the glass and before having the chance to slide down and end their natural course, were interrupted by another set of smaller or even bigger drops. There was that pesky rain, it had finally started. Moving his right hand up to his chin he covered his lips with the fist he soon formed and let the memories in his mind pave away the path of reality for the images to begin and shape in front of his eyes. He saw two people run by the windows, with the visible larger or smaller panic in their eyes. Brennan's heart jumped sadly to this as he begun.
**
Walking as neatly as they could when the sudden chilly and yet shuttering calmness had sent an invisible arrow of alarm into their minds through their ears. Brennan stopped.
"Do you hear anything?" he whispered.
"No," Emma whispered back, her eyes searching the empty hallway. "Do you smell that?" she asked once a few sniffs were done.
"Yes... smoke. Ah fuck its coming from the lab!" Brennan shouted and then both he and Emma rushed to the room only to be met by high rising flames. Raising his arm to shield his face from the roaring heat with sparks that snapped at his defenseless skin as dogs, preventing him and Emma from entering inside.
"Brennan!" Emma shouted to him. Taking some steps back, Brennan turned his face to look at her and saw the Psionic pointing to the floor. Following that direction he saw a dense and long trail of red blood leading to the entrance of the lab before being sharply cut off by the red and orange flames feeding on the present air. "What..." he did not want to believe that this might have belonged to someone he knew. As he took another step backwards, Brennan noticed that his left foot left bloody stains on the floor; he must've stood on the trail when first encountering the fire. The smoke had quickly entered his lunges causing the Elemental to try and cough it out of his system and it made him distance himself and Emma as well, away from the fire.
**
Brennan closed his eyes, moving his fingers over his eyes, feeling the thin skin of the eyelids. A disturbing sigh was heard as the memory added another heated stroke inside him while he watched the fire being slowly put out, its flames disappearing into gray smoke from the large drops of the depressing rain on the window.
The fire had disappeared and no other traces were found. The laboratory was completely destroyed and the hope of discovering Adam had burned out just as quickly as everything else around them, when Brennan and the others did not find any traces of the scientist. One thought that did occupy them was that he was not here and that perhaps meant that he was still alive.
Brennan lowered his eyes on the sleeping Feral, the conflicting shadows of dim light and the darker shades, reflecting on her golden hair that had been resting calmly on her face and shoulders. He could not forget how her face had turned into the most miserable piece of inflicted shock and pain when her eyes saw the picture, three days later that shook her and the others to their bone.
It was on a Sunday morning when they discovered the location of where Adam might have been taken. The process of searching for him had nearly drained the Psionic from her energy as she barely gave herself two hours of sleep a day.
Jesse, Brennan, Emma and Shalimar landed on a barren, lifeless desert where besides the scorching heat of the high sun, a weak amount of wind was desperately trying to carry itself through this God-forsaken place. There was a yellow rock precisely 110 meters from where the Helix had landed, glittering on the sunlight, almost like a luring gem settled here. But the body that laid on the rock's surface immediately let the intense daylight be devoured by the crude and hollow darkness, flowing down before the mutants' eyes.
His eyes closed peacefully to the quiet feeling of death; his mouth slightly opened with dried blood forming a trail from inside and toward the left side of his face, a twisted line finding its ending on the yellow rock surface with a small dried puddle; his arms spread on the wide exterior, with the hands dangling lifelessly over the barely twenty centimeters high fall. Something inside had killed Adam. Except for the blood and some reddish marks on his neck, there were no other signs of physical abuse. He hadn't been strangled, they knew that much. Perhaps it had been a brutal inner death or perhaps a less noticeable and even painless death.
Anger, disappointment, sadness, confusion, all kinds of different emotions were gathered into a sudden, thick and spiky knot that nearly choked the Elemental. It had simultaneously ended millions of things inside him and the rest of the Mutant X members.
Now, he was sitting in a small apartment with the Feral, one year later and separated from Emma and Jesse. Remembering the sight and all the feelings that had emerged from it caused the incredibly heavy weight to fall mercilessly on his heart. As slowly and as steadily as he could, Brennan removed him self from the couch, placing Shalimar's head on the pillow, letting her sleep alone on that sofa; he needed to stand up.
Approaching the window, the watery surface on his brown eyes was high lightened by the rain. The news of Adam's death had crushed the others and experiencing the picture with their own two eyes had been almost the final blow. He hated this day; he hated the mere memory of this day and the effects which it had; it changed everyone, it sucked out so many good things from everyone, enhancing the negative and darker features, distancing the mutants from each other.
He glanced over at Shalimar. Brennan questioned himself why he took her with him; maybe due to their relationship they simply could not stay apart from one another even though the event had reacted deeply to their insides wanting them to take that needed distance; maybe the knowledge of what that loneliness could do to them at times sew them back again, knowing that they would need some support, simply for someone to stay with them, no mattering who, but simply a mind and soul who had experienced the same, who knew their pain. Returning his eyes to the window, he shook his head. Sometimes all of this had been a burden to them both. But they kept trying. They did not have anyone else; they were forced to keep together.
Brennan and Shalimar lost touch with Jesse and Emma and that had been painful at times, extremely painful. The thoughts that kept running through his head had distracted the Elemental to notice the two large tears that had begun to gradually slide down on his face. The pressure was building up inside him, but he did not feel that it would explode, it had already happened twice before, this time there was not enough strength nor will to approve its arrival.
Emma... he wondered how Emma was. The entire ordeal had been devastating to all of them but what about the small Psionic? He could not let his heart stay numb and cold to that; how she coped with not only her own endless grievance and inner agony but the sadness and aching of the others as well. That must've been such a useless excess baggage for someone with the thin and sometimes weak nervous system as her to carry. Perhaps that had been the reason why she had been the first one to present her intention of separation from the other members, her friends. He saw the deep unwillingness in her by now, paler blue eyes as she had made her decision. But Brennan understood her and well. Six days that burden was building up on her shoulders, inside her mind. Even in her sleep she could not avoid it; her mind kept sucking in all the depressing emotions from the others.
When they had to inform Adam's acquaintances and friends... that had appeared to be another heavy rock topping inside Emma's mind; she could hardly attend to her own feelings without having to be intercepted by the feelings of those around her.
Adam was their father, their guardian. They lost him and with it parts of themselves. Brennan understood how difficult it was for everyone to asses their feelings, to somehow get back on their normal track... how it had been for him. Adam had taken him under his wing and was how a true parent could be; he trusted in him, he cared for him.
Putting his palms on the glass surface, feeling the coldness rush through his body, Brennan let his head hang as his eyes closed once more, letting the tears to continue falling.
It hadn't been raining outside only; it was raining inside his heart as well; black, cold drops of rain eating away his useless attempt of happiness for this moment.
*********
The last piece of the shrimp meat, transformed into a gooey mass had slid down to his digestive system when Jesse picked up the glass of white wine and took a long sip. At least his appetite was still there and now it had been satisfied. Yes, his stomach was, but his mind was far, much farther from that.
He looked over at the table placed in the middle of the restaurant. Its previous occupants had finished and now the waitress, a short little lady with glasses was cleaning the table. When she had finished and left the white table empty, Jesse saw a translucent image of Shalimar sitting there, her hand providing a small surface for her head to lean on, her fingers tangled with her blond locks.
Putting his glass down, Jesse then saw this area transform into one section of Sanctuary, one of the last ones without traces of decay. "So..." he heard Brennan who was leaning calmly against the wall, crack the closely uncomfortable silence. "You think that might solve our problems?" he eyes slowly going over to Emma who had taken a stool and was sitting on it with her arms set firmly between her knees.
"I don't know, but it is an individual decision, mine." Emma responded with frostiness in her voice; there had been some odd distant behavior between these two from Jesse's observation.
"I think Adam would've wanted us to stay together," Brennan said.
"We're not splitting, Bren... I told you, this is just my time-off. You three stay, I need some time on my own," and crossed her arms with a brief bolt of invisible electricity going through her body, causing Emma to tremble for two short seconds.
"Don't you think it's..."
"Selfish? No, I don't. You know my reasons. And I'm pretty sure that it won't be long before you do the same," was her response.
Jesse knew how she felt; he wasn't that far off from that condition himself. He did not have to be a telempath like Emma to discover the oddness between them all... and especially the strange discomfort between Brennan and Emma. "Maybe she's right," he then made himself heard. All eyes were on him now. "I think that... I could use some time to myself as well."
The others didn't question him; they were getting similar vibrations from the situations that had risen to a dark hollowness.
Shalimar placed her hand over Jesse's. The Feral felt for him, she felt for him out of them all the most. Her dark eyes painted with sympathy toward the Molecular, sending him comforting messages though them. Jesse had appreciated this always; Brennan and Emma weren't neglectful either but it had been Shalimar's longest and most understanding compassion that could wrap itself like a soft blanket when he needed it, when she would look at him like this; his friend, his dear, dear friend.
He glanced at their hands and smiled back at Shalimar.
Brennan knew where this was heading; he did not need any other words. "Alright then." Collapsing his arms, the Elemental pushed himself off the wall and simply walked pass Emma and traveled down the stairs.
Watching him leave, Shalimar glanced over at Jesse and stood up, removing her hand from his. He heard her sigh. She walked over to Emma and crouched in front of the Psionic. "You're sure about this?" her voice placid and patient.
Emma nodded in response.
Making a curve with her lips, Shalimar took a strain of her red hair and placed it behind Emma's right ear. "Ok." She then stood up and followed Brennan downstairs.
When they were left alone, Emma was the centre of Jesse's attention as his blue eyes, now with fading color, studied Emma's face with not as much curiosity as he had hoped. Standing up at the same time, both mutants' stares met quietly with faint amazement at their 'timing'. He slowly walked over to her. "For how long?" he asked her, his voice subduing to the quiet tone of the day.
"I don't know," her arms had remained locked to her chest, remaining crossed as if she felt scared to release them. "Until I feel better."
Jesse nodded and placed his hands on the soft skin of her bare arms. It felt colder than usual. He saw the dark marks under her eyes, the clear sign of her continuous lack of sleep. And she somehow had appeared thinner to him... or maybe it was simply his own less joyful view of things today.
Jesse felt sorry for her; he felt sorry for everyone, even for himself about this strange state that had overpowered them. He didn't think it could affect them in such a way. It hadn't been just the laboratory that was left to the merciless demolishment... most of Sanctuary had been included. It would take them a while to repair this. He would make contacts, he knew people. Maybe when it was renewed, rebuilt, it would be a more inviting place for all of them to return. Perhaps even some of the memories will slowly and unnoticeably glide away from here.
"Well, make sure you get some decent sleep, ok?"
Emma smiled coyly. "I'll try," she said and finally unlocked her arms to embrace Jesse.
"Gonna miss you."
"Me too, Jesse," her voice sounded sour.
Jesse sighed, looking down at the table. The silence of the room was quickly replaced with the quiet pattering of the restaurant. He looked at his plate that was left with only tiny crumbs of the meal that was right now being digested inside him; the glass nearly vacant, waiting to be refilled. Perhaps he should order some desert. Yes, that would be a good idea. The recollection sent an easy wave of discomfort across his body, distancing himself even more from those around him. This wasn't right; the isolation shouldn't grow like this today. Quickly raising his hand, Jesse called the waitress; he'd seen a good coconut desert earlier in the menu, his stomach might accept that one well.
*********
***
*********
Sitting down on the purple sofa, with his left arm resting on Shalimar's shoulder whilst she was soundly sleeping with her head on the small red cushion that was placed in his lap, Brennan lowered his eyes to her quiet image. It was a nice substitute to the nightmare from earlier, he knew that much. He smiled and took his right hand close to her head and stroke her hair gently so he wouldn't disturb her.
After his shower they both sat down and started talking about matters that had no real importance. As they did so, he could tell how desperately the Feral struggled to chase away the sleepiness that had been threatening her the entire day. Brennan felt sorry for her and he knew she would not listen to him no matter how much he would insist for her to simply give into her biological urge to rest. Typically feline. In the end though, without him saying a single word about it, Shalimar stretched out lazily like the cat that she was and lied down on the cushion to sleep... she had lost the fight to stay awake despite her attempts.
Moving his eyes over to the window, Brennan saw the large drops of rain splashing down on the surface of the glass and before having the chance to slide down and end their natural course, were interrupted by another set of smaller or even bigger drops. There was that pesky rain, it had finally started. Moving his right hand up to his chin he covered his lips with the fist he soon formed and let the memories in his mind pave away the path of reality for the images to begin and shape in front of his eyes. He saw two people run by the windows, with the visible larger or smaller panic in their eyes. Brennan's heart jumped sadly to this as he begun.
**
Walking as neatly as they could when the sudden chilly and yet shuttering calmness had sent an invisible arrow of alarm into their minds through their ears. Brennan stopped.
"Do you hear anything?" he whispered.
"No," Emma whispered back, her eyes searching the empty hallway. "Do you smell that?" she asked once a few sniffs were done.
"Yes... smoke. Ah fuck its coming from the lab!" Brennan shouted and then both he and Emma rushed to the room only to be met by high rising flames. Raising his arm to shield his face from the roaring heat with sparks that snapped at his defenseless skin as dogs, preventing him and Emma from entering inside.
"Brennan!" Emma shouted to him. Taking some steps back, Brennan turned his face to look at her and saw the Psionic pointing to the floor. Following that direction he saw a dense and long trail of red blood leading to the entrance of the lab before being sharply cut off by the red and orange flames feeding on the present air. "What..." he did not want to believe that this might have belonged to someone he knew. As he took another step backwards, Brennan noticed that his left foot left bloody stains on the floor; he must've stood on the trail when first encountering the fire. The smoke had quickly entered his lunges causing the Elemental to try and cough it out of his system and it made him distance himself and Emma as well, away from the fire.
**
Brennan closed his eyes, moving his fingers over his eyes, feeling the thin skin of the eyelids. A disturbing sigh was heard as the memory added another heated stroke inside him while he watched the fire being slowly put out, its flames disappearing into gray smoke from the large drops of the depressing rain on the window.
The fire had disappeared and no other traces were found. The laboratory was completely destroyed and the hope of discovering Adam had burned out just as quickly as everything else around them, when Brennan and the others did not find any traces of the scientist. One thought that did occupy them was that he was not here and that perhaps meant that he was still alive.
Brennan lowered his eyes on the sleeping Feral, the conflicting shadows of dim light and the darker shades, reflecting on her golden hair that had been resting calmly on her face and shoulders. He could not forget how her face had turned into the most miserable piece of inflicted shock and pain when her eyes saw the picture, three days later that shook her and the others to their bone.
It was on a Sunday morning when they discovered the location of where Adam might have been taken. The process of searching for him had nearly drained the Psionic from her energy as she barely gave herself two hours of sleep a day.
Jesse, Brennan, Emma and Shalimar landed on a barren, lifeless desert where besides the scorching heat of the high sun, a weak amount of wind was desperately trying to carry itself through this God-forsaken place. There was a yellow rock precisely 110 meters from where the Helix had landed, glittering on the sunlight, almost like a luring gem settled here. But the body that laid on the rock's surface immediately let the intense daylight be devoured by the crude and hollow darkness, flowing down before the mutants' eyes.
His eyes closed peacefully to the quiet feeling of death; his mouth slightly opened with dried blood forming a trail from inside and toward the left side of his face, a twisted line finding its ending on the yellow rock surface with a small dried puddle; his arms spread on the wide exterior, with the hands dangling lifelessly over the barely twenty centimeters high fall. Something inside had killed Adam. Except for the blood and some reddish marks on his neck, there were no other signs of physical abuse. He hadn't been strangled, they knew that much. Perhaps it had been a brutal inner death or perhaps a less noticeable and even painless death.
Anger, disappointment, sadness, confusion, all kinds of different emotions were gathered into a sudden, thick and spiky knot that nearly choked the Elemental. It had simultaneously ended millions of things inside him and the rest of the Mutant X members.
Now, he was sitting in a small apartment with the Feral, one year later and separated from Emma and Jesse. Remembering the sight and all the feelings that had emerged from it caused the incredibly heavy weight to fall mercilessly on his heart. As slowly and as steadily as he could, Brennan removed him self from the couch, placing Shalimar's head on the pillow, letting her sleep alone on that sofa; he needed to stand up.
Approaching the window, the watery surface on his brown eyes was high lightened by the rain. The news of Adam's death had crushed the others and experiencing the picture with their own two eyes had been almost the final blow. He hated this day; he hated the mere memory of this day and the effects which it had; it changed everyone, it sucked out so many good things from everyone, enhancing the negative and darker features, distancing the mutants from each other.
He glanced over at Shalimar. Brennan questioned himself why he took her with him; maybe due to their relationship they simply could not stay apart from one another even though the event had reacted deeply to their insides wanting them to take that needed distance; maybe the knowledge of what that loneliness could do to them at times sew them back again, knowing that they would need some support, simply for someone to stay with them, no mattering who, but simply a mind and soul who had experienced the same, who knew their pain. Returning his eyes to the window, he shook his head. Sometimes all of this had been a burden to them both. But they kept trying. They did not have anyone else; they were forced to keep together.
Brennan and Shalimar lost touch with Jesse and Emma and that had been painful at times, extremely painful. The thoughts that kept running through his head had distracted the Elemental to notice the two large tears that had begun to gradually slide down on his face. The pressure was building up inside him, but he did not feel that it would explode, it had already happened twice before, this time there was not enough strength nor will to approve its arrival.
Emma... he wondered how Emma was. The entire ordeal had been devastating to all of them but what about the small Psionic? He could not let his heart stay numb and cold to that; how she coped with not only her own endless grievance and inner agony but the sadness and aching of the others as well. That must've been such a useless excess baggage for someone with the thin and sometimes weak nervous system as her to carry. Perhaps that had been the reason why she had been the first one to present her intention of separation from the other members, her friends. He saw the deep unwillingness in her by now, paler blue eyes as she had made her decision. But Brennan understood her and well. Six days that burden was building up on her shoulders, inside her mind. Even in her sleep she could not avoid it; her mind kept sucking in all the depressing emotions from the others.
When they had to inform Adam's acquaintances and friends... that had appeared to be another heavy rock topping inside Emma's mind; she could hardly attend to her own feelings without having to be intercepted by the feelings of those around her.
Adam was their father, their guardian. They lost him and with it parts of themselves. Brennan understood how difficult it was for everyone to asses their feelings, to somehow get back on their normal track... how it had been for him. Adam had taken him under his wing and was how a true parent could be; he trusted in him, he cared for him.
Putting his palms on the glass surface, feeling the coldness rush through his body, Brennan let his head hang as his eyes closed once more, letting the tears to continue falling.
It hadn't been raining outside only; it was raining inside his heart as well; black, cold drops of rain eating away his useless attempt of happiness for this moment.
*********
The last piece of the shrimp meat, transformed into a gooey mass had slid down to his digestive system when Jesse picked up the glass of white wine and took a long sip. At least his appetite was still there and now it had been satisfied. Yes, his stomach was, but his mind was far, much farther from that.
He looked over at the table placed in the middle of the restaurant. Its previous occupants had finished and now the waitress, a short little lady with glasses was cleaning the table. When she had finished and left the white table empty, Jesse saw a translucent image of Shalimar sitting there, her hand providing a small surface for her head to lean on, her fingers tangled with her blond locks.
Putting his glass down, Jesse then saw this area transform into one section of Sanctuary, one of the last ones without traces of decay. "So..." he heard Brennan who was leaning calmly against the wall, crack the closely uncomfortable silence. "You think that might solve our problems?" he eyes slowly going over to Emma who had taken a stool and was sitting on it with her arms set firmly between her knees.
"I don't know, but it is an individual decision, mine." Emma responded with frostiness in her voice; there had been some odd distant behavior between these two from Jesse's observation.
"I think Adam would've wanted us to stay together," Brennan said.
"We're not splitting, Bren... I told you, this is just my time-off. You three stay, I need some time on my own," and crossed her arms with a brief bolt of invisible electricity going through her body, causing Emma to tremble for two short seconds.
"Don't you think it's..."
"Selfish? No, I don't. You know my reasons. And I'm pretty sure that it won't be long before you do the same," was her response.
Jesse knew how she felt; he wasn't that far off from that condition himself. He did not have to be a telempath like Emma to discover the oddness between them all... and especially the strange discomfort between Brennan and Emma. "Maybe she's right," he then made himself heard. All eyes were on him now. "I think that... I could use some time to myself as well."
The others didn't question him; they were getting similar vibrations from the situations that had risen to a dark hollowness.
Shalimar placed her hand over Jesse's. The Feral felt for him, she felt for him out of them all the most. Her dark eyes painted with sympathy toward the Molecular, sending him comforting messages though them. Jesse had appreciated this always; Brennan and Emma weren't neglectful either but it had been Shalimar's longest and most understanding compassion that could wrap itself like a soft blanket when he needed it, when she would look at him like this; his friend, his dear, dear friend.
He glanced at their hands and smiled back at Shalimar.
Brennan knew where this was heading; he did not need any other words. "Alright then." Collapsing his arms, the Elemental pushed himself off the wall and simply walked pass Emma and traveled down the stairs.
Watching him leave, Shalimar glanced over at Jesse and stood up, removing her hand from his. He heard her sigh. She walked over to Emma and crouched in front of the Psionic. "You're sure about this?" her voice placid and patient.
Emma nodded in response.
Making a curve with her lips, Shalimar took a strain of her red hair and placed it behind Emma's right ear. "Ok." She then stood up and followed Brennan downstairs.
When they were left alone, Emma was the centre of Jesse's attention as his blue eyes, now with fading color, studied Emma's face with not as much curiosity as he had hoped. Standing up at the same time, both mutants' stares met quietly with faint amazement at their 'timing'. He slowly walked over to her. "For how long?" he asked her, his voice subduing to the quiet tone of the day.
"I don't know," her arms had remained locked to her chest, remaining crossed as if she felt scared to release them. "Until I feel better."
Jesse nodded and placed his hands on the soft skin of her bare arms. It felt colder than usual. He saw the dark marks under her eyes, the clear sign of her continuous lack of sleep. And she somehow had appeared thinner to him... or maybe it was simply his own less joyful view of things today.
Jesse felt sorry for her; he felt sorry for everyone, even for himself about this strange state that had overpowered them. He didn't think it could affect them in such a way. It hadn't been just the laboratory that was left to the merciless demolishment... most of Sanctuary had been included. It would take them a while to repair this. He would make contacts, he knew people. Maybe when it was renewed, rebuilt, it would be a more inviting place for all of them to return. Perhaps even some of the memories will slowly and unnoticeably glide away from here.
"Well, make sure you get some decent sleep, ok?"
Emma smiled coyly. "I'll try," she said and finally unlocked her arms to embrace Jesse.
"Gonna miss you."
"Me too, Jesse," her voice sounded sour.
Jesse sighed, looking down at the table. The silence of the room was quickly replaced with the quiet pattering of the restaurant. He looked at his plate that was left with only tiny crumbs of the meal that was right now being digested inside him; the glass nearly vacant, waiting to be refilled. Perhaps he should order some desert. Yes, that would be a good idea. The recollection sent an easy wave of discomfort across his body, distancing himself even more from those around him. This wasn't right; the isolation shouldn't grow like this today. Quickly raising his hand, Jesse called the waitress; he'd seen a good coconut desert earlier in the menu, his stomach might accept that one well.
*********