Chapter Nineteen:
Nightcrawler was on his feet first, crouching in a ready position to face the source of the noise. For a moment, he had the wild thought that the children from the mansion had somehow been brought to this place, and that he would see Siryn's bright Irish eyes greeting him from the corridor.
However, when he saw the two figures approaching, he knew they were not students of Xavier. The shorter could have been confused as a child, but their movements were threatening.
The others were slowly standing and taking their hands from their ears. A harsh giggle rang through the air, and the sound felt heavy, like it could be touched instead of simply heard.
The taller mutant stepped forward. He looked at each of them in turn, and finally settled on Nightcrawler. The mutant, named Paul when he was a boy, narrowed his eyes slightly.
A strange sensation came over the blue mutant, one he recognized from his past. Like someone else was taking control of his body…his mind…like when he had involuntarily attacked the President of the United States…
He ground his sharp teeth together and fought against the 'pusher's' control on his mind.
Paul felt him fighting and grinned wickedly. Despite his earlier reservations, he always enjoyed making people do what he wanted them to do.
"Leave…" Paul's voice echoed with a deep vibrato, "Just go away…"
Then, he pointed to Gambit, because of his similar uniform, "And take him with you...go into the cold…"
Nightcrawler closed his eyes tightly, trying not to listen to the attacking mutant's powerful commands.
"No…" he said and then disappeared. The others looked at the fading smoke in surprise, and Gambit drew a card from his pocket. It charged quickly, and he threw it towards the new mutants quickly. Eddie opened his mouth and screamed again. The card slowed in mid-air, as if it had impacted something soft, and grew blindingly bright right before it exploded.
All the mutants were again thrown off their feet, except Toad who leapt toward the ceiling.
Paul fell backward and hit the ground hard. As he did, the strange cap fell from his head. He stood quickly, and this time grabbed Pyro with his mind. The boy, unprepared for such an assault, was easily controlled.
"Kill them…" Paul's voice commanded and Pyro fought with his right hand to keep it from opening his lighter. Paul gave a guttural grunt of effort and forced the boy to do what he wanted. His head pounded with pain, but he ignored it.
Pyro panicked as the flame appeared in his hand, and he held it toward Gambit. He had done this earlier when he was fighting as part of the Brotherhood, but now, he struggled to keep the fire under his own control.
The flames leapt toward the Cajun, who dodged them easily. He did not counter Pyro's attack, but turned again toward the two unknown mutants.
Paul raised one hand toward Pyro and then the other at Gambit, who froze in his tracks. The strain of controlling two people at once caused white stars of pain to dance before his eyes.
When Eddie stepped up beside him, Paul focused again on Pyro.
"Kill her…" he said, nodding his head toward Rebecca. Pyro glanced at her, and their eyes locked. A smiled crossed Pyro's face and he allowed his fight with the 'pushing' mutant to ease.
Flames once again shot from his hand, but Rebecca stepped into them instead of away. The fire swirled around her like orange and yellow ribbon, and she held her hands out. The heat began to draw into her palms, and she closed her eyes serenely. After the fire was absorbed, she stepped toward the two new mutants.
The power was all around her now, the air shimmering with heat, and she grinned as the flames burst to life at her feet.
The fire began to trace a direct path toward Paul and Eddie. The smaller mutant's eyes widened considerably at her unexpected display of power, and then his mouth opened wider. The resulting shout knocked Rebecca to the side and she stumbled against the wall. The fire approaching them disappeared and the hall once again became dark.
Paul heard a soft sound behind him, and yelped in surprise as Nightcrawler gripped his shoulders. There was a second soft sound, and they both disappeared. Gambit and Pyro felt the mental hold on them disappear as well.
Eddie gaped at them and inhaled deeply for another shriek, when he was hit in the face with a sticky green substance. Toad leapt down from the ceiling and watched the small mutant try to tear the substance from his face. In one hand, Toad was carrying the strange cap the taller mutant had been wearing.
At the same moment, Nightcrawler reappeared with the terrified 'pusher' in tow. Paul collapsed to his knees, now on the other side of the crossing halls, and his mind spun from the sudden 'jump.' His focus was lost, and he held his head in pain.
Toad was crouching next to the shrieker, watching him reel in terror with quiet amusement. He heard a footstep behind him, and Rebecca began speak.
"What did you do to him?" she asked, and when she saw Eddie could not breathe, she spoke again, "He's choking! How do you…"
Toad ignored her and began to speak directly to the small mutant himself.
"Right…" he began, feeling Rebecca's angry glare without having to look back, "Now, you listen, and you nod if you understand me. This shit I spit on you ain't goin' nowhere unless you do what I tell you, got it?"
The small mutant was staring up at him with terror, and only continued to tear unsuccessfully at the substance filling his mouth and nose.
Toad's face became vicious as he glared down, "You better nod before you suffocate…"
The small mutant began to nod vehemently, his face losing color as the remaining oxygen in his lungs was spent.
"Now, I'm gonna take that shit off of your face…if you'll stop the screamin'…got it?"
Eddie nodded again urgently, the void in his chest becoming painful, screaming on its own for air. Toad looked satisfied, and then spit in Eddie's face again.
Rebecca began to protest, before she realized it was not more of the green viscous stuff, only ordinary saliva. Almost at once, the solid mass began to get soft, and Toad had to spit one more time before the small mutant was able to spit the green substance out of his own mouth.
Eddie breathed in great gasps of air, and never took his frightened eyes off of Toad.
"Okay," Toad began again, "You just sit right there for now…don't talk, just nod or shake your head when someone asks you somethin', understand?"
He could tell the small mutant desperately wanted to speak, but he just nodded again and sagged against the wall, defeated.
"Good," Toad said, leaning forward slightly so the mutant would cringe, "But, one sound…one bloody peep…and you're done in…either by me, or Pyro there will char-broiled you…"
"No, he won't," a very strong voice said, and Toad stood and glared at Rebecca.
Her face was livid with fury and she met his vicious gaze without flinching. This time, he did grab her arm again, and drug her to the side toward where Gambit and Pyro were standing. Nightcrawler was keeping close watch on the 'pusher' only a few feet away.
"This," Toad said, gesturing to the two mutants, "…is the only resistance we've found since escaping that fucking cell. I doubt they're the only one's here, and I doubt there the ones in charge. They fucking attacked us…"
"I don't care," Rebecca interrupted him, "We're not going to kill them…"
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Toad hissed at her, "D'you think this is a game…"
"Maybe," she said with slow emphasis, "Maybe it's all a game! Fucking killer robots…fucking good guys and bad guys…fucking cold, haunted hallways that change and…"
"Enough," Nightcrawler said strongly, actually sounding angry himself. Rebecca and Toad, as well as Gambit and Pyro, stared at him for a moment in surprise. Nightcrawler was helping the fallen 'pusher' sit up, handing him a small white cloth to sop the blood from his nose and face.
"Fighting with words will get us no farther than fighting with our gifts," the blue mutant continued, his voice returning to its typically soft tone. Toad was glaring at him viciously, and turned it on Rebecca once more before turning with a disgusted scoff. He walked over toward the small mutant again and ordered him to go sit by the taller one.
Eddie moved without protest, looking more like a child than ever, and curled up closely next to Paul. His bleeding nose was ebbing, but he knew the headache would last at least a few more hours.
"You are ill," Nightcrawler said to him, and the 'pusher' shook his head.
"No," he said, glancing up at the blue mutant, "I'm pretty sure we're dying."
"Who are you?" Rebecca asked, kneeling down close by. There was something eerily familiar about them, but she did not know why.
"My name is Paul, and I'm a mutant," he said, announcing it like he was at a support meeting, "This is Eddie, and he's a mutant, too."
"Yeah, we figured that out ourselves," Gambit chimed in with a strained grin. These two did indeed look like they were dying…maybe they even looked worse.
"Beyond that…" Paul continued, "We're nothing."
He looked up at Pyro with an almost nostalgic grin, "For a minute, I thought maybe you were a firestarter…but you've got a lighter, so you're just a pyretic, huh?"
The tone was almost mocking and Pyro glared at him.
"Doesn't make me any less dangerous, asshole," Pyro said and Paul began to laugh.
"Oh, yes, it does…" he said, and then added in a diminishing voice, "Believe me…it does…"
"Then, maybe you should be more nervous about me," Rebecca said, suddenly disliking this mutant a little. Paul glanced toward her doubtfully.
"Just because of that little show you put on…please," he shot back, and then sneered, "There's only ever been one…Stryker said so…"
Nightcrawler recoiled, "Stryker? Colonel Stryker?"
Paul laughed again, "No…General Stryker…as it's been for nearly six months…"
Nightcrawler fell into silent thought, and Rebecca spoke again.
"Charlene McGee," Rebecca said and Paul winced as if he was struck.
"How did you know that?" he said in a nasty tone.
Rebecca frowned and held one hand toward his face. Behind her, she did not see Toad grin as the flames leapt from her palm. Eddie broke his vow of silence by yelping in shock, but Toad decided with inner amusement to overlook that slip of the tongue…so to speak.
"She's my mother," Rebecca said coolly, a stark contrast to the burning mass in her hand.
Paul did not flinch, but his eyes widened with wonder at this new, unexpected fact. His gaze shifted from the flame, to the young woman's shining blue eyes.
"Charlie's…your mom…" Paul breathed softly, and then something changed in his face. What was it? Excitement…anticipation…a sudden peace washing away his wicked glare.
"He'd seen it coming," he continued softly, "Our seer had seen it…you should meet him…he said there'd be two…Charlie'll have two…and that's when…"
Paul's mouth dropped and a desperate fear filled his eyes. He grabbed onto Rebecca's flaming hand, which she quickly extinguished as she fell backward in surprise.
"You have to leave here," the older mutant said quickly, "All of you…but you, firestarter, have to leave most of all…"
Before he could say another word, Toad landed solidly beside them and ripped the 'pusher' away from Rebecca.
"Keep your bloody hands off her," he growled, thinking Paul's sudden movement had been an attack.
Paul was nodding but did not move his eyes from Rebecca, "Fine…fine. Just get out! For your mother's sake…"
Rebecca frowned in confusion, and got to her knees again.
"How do you know her?" she asked, and Paul began to shake his head.
"No…no time…no time…you have to get out…"
Toad stood up and pulled her with him reluctantly. Gambit was standing to their left and took a step forward.
"Becca?" he asked with concern. Her eyes had not left the 'pushing' mutant, and Gambit wanted to make sure Mr. Tall was not using his power on her.
Rebecca glanced at him and nodded before returning to gaze to the two fallen subjects of the Lot Program.
"What about you two?" she asked, "Why don't you…"
"No," Paul said firmly, "I told you…we're dying…but none of you…have to die, too…"
"We can't just leave you here," Rebecca said with honest concern.
"Yes, we can," Toad said, glaring at the pair viciously, and Rebecca shot him a fiery look before he continued, "But…we won't…"
Toad reached down and hauled the 'pusher' to his feet. The small mutant jumped up without having to be asked.
"You're gonna stay right where we can see you," he said, "If you're dying, then it doesn't matter if its here or a hundred feet down the tunnel. Pyro?"
The younger Brotherhood member step forward, knowing what Toad was going to ask.
"I still say it's this way," Pyro said, pointing to the right, "But now that light's gone…"
Gambit inspected the newly darkened hall cautiously. It felt warmer, safer now somehow. Rebecca appeared at his side and nodded in acknowledgement.
"I think you were right before," Rebecca said to Pyro, "And I think you're right now."
Toad made the two mutants walk in front of him so he could keep an eye on them and the other's fell into their previous marching pattern as they headed down the final stretch of tunnel that lead to the outer hanger.
***
Review Response:
To Xany Kaos – Thanks for the review! I'm trying to do justice to each character which is why I eventually want each to have their own book. Right now, they're all fighting for room with so many characters crammed in one situation. :-)