Ch-6 Realities-2
"Emma!" Adam yelled.
Adam felt disoriented. He felt as if he was free-floating and spinning in space. Strange visions intruded on his mind. He glanced over at Emma. She had collapsed into Lex's arms and her open eyes had turned into frightening black orbs in the lamp light. She seemed to be staring at him.
She's projecting, Adam thought. Precog? He wondered. No, it was more than precog, but he couldn't quite put a finger on what it was.
"Emma!" Adam yelled again as he ducked out of her line of vision and raced toward her.
Emma found herself floating swiftly through a black haze filled with intense, dark emotions. Her head was a dull ache somewhere in the distance and the force of sudden feelings of betrayal, hurt, anger, jealousy, possessiveness hit her from all sides at once. Unable to barricade her mind, Emma absorbed these feelings and her senses reeled. Now her head hurt with knifelike stabs and as scene after scene engulfed her, she realized that she had changed somehow; she was now seeing far more than the feelings of the people around her….
Almost frantic with concern, Adam raced from the car to the young man holding Emma whom he recognized in the dim light as Lex Luthor, one of the two subjects of Mutant X's mission, Dr. Bryce's fiancé. Dr. Helen Bryce was close behind Adam. Lex shot her a questioning glance but allowed Adam to help him support Emma. They carried her back into the house.
"Adam!" Shalimar greeted him with a smile that turned anxious at the sight of Emma.
Adam's voice was far away, calling her….
"Emma, HANG ON! Emma…. Emma!" But the Telempath was overwhelmed with a feeling of utter futility.
"ADAM" she cried out into the darkness. Hot tears stung her eyes as she felt their hands lose their grip on each other and on the slick metal surface they had been hanging on to. They slipped away from each other and careened into the awful blackness. She couldn't feel him in her mind any more.
Adam acknowledged the Feral's greeting with a curt nod as he and Lex gently laid her down on the couch. "Emma, hang on," Adam urged the pale unconscious young woman, gently brushing the hair out of her face, injecting her with one of his life-saving concoctions that he never seemed to be without. Shalimar, Clark and Frank kept out of his way. The Telempath lay in a trancelike state, her eyes open, pupils widely dilated
Emma desperately tried to change the outcome of the last sequence she just experienced. She sensed her environment shift. The world spun around her and she found herself back in the DoubleHelix as it spun and careened wildly out of control. Somehow, Emma was able to will the crazy spinning to stop. There was still the sensation of falling, but she could see her way through a well furnished cabin toward the front of the plane. Just before she opened the door, she glanced in the mirror and saw a reflection of Lex Luthor staring back at her. "What's happening to me? This can't be real," Emma wondered. She tentatively opened the door and saw the plane she was on, falling out of the sky, hurtling toward the ocean….
"ADAM!" she screamed in terror. Darkness engulfed her.
"Should I call an ambulance?" Lex asked. Adam forced a smile and declined the offer with a shake of his head. There were other issues at stake here and now. Lex watched almost jealously as Helen and Adam worked as a team on Emma. Dr. Bryce quickly examined the head injury that she knew would be there while Adam laid out his miniature equipment and supplies.
"Inflamed." The dark-haired woman said, gently but firmly turning Emma's head so that the wound was exposed. Adam ran a scan on Emma with his portable, his eyes concerned at the extent of the damage.
Adam's dark eyes glittered with concern as he stepped out of the darkness and met her gaze. Emma blinked and the man before her suddenly became young Lex watching her with concern. Emma shook her head, confused. Why was she seeing both Lex and Adam, as if they were the same person? Why couldn't she lock on to Adam?
" Adam," Emma murmured feverishly trying to reach out to her mentor.
"She looked like she wasn't feeling well, said she needed some air," Lex commented.
"Emma," Adam's voice laughed inside her head warningly, "did you do this?"
The Telempath tried to penetrate the black haze, growing more uneasy that she was unable to discern between Adam or Lex. Emma sensed another shift, as if she had stepped from one place to another. The murky haze was still there and suddenly Adam's face was before her, his expression hard and sinister. Someone else was there as well. Emma forced her gaze past Adam and saw another man in the background. He was 30ish, powerfully built and handsome. His dark hair was cropped short and emblazoned on his chest was the letter 'S'. He turned toward Emma, his expression was mild and curious but his eyes suddenly turned red as he carefully applied a heat ray to a nearby surface. Emma realized that the man was being held captive and was trying to escape. Emma stared at the man. He looked a lot like Clark Kent. Adam now turned to the man with an evil smile and held a green rock out toward him. The man collapsed.
"Adam!" Emma shouted. "You're killing him!" The dark-haired man stared at her with cold detached curiosity and didn't respond. Emma tried reading him and suddenly she was looking at young Lex Luthor. Despite his stoic appearance, Lex's hazel eyes held a deep sadness. Emma sensed that a life-changing disaster had taken place.
"Mr. Luthor?" Emma reached out tentatively to her rescuer. "Why are you in Adam's mind?" As Lex looked at her mutely, his expressive eyes locked on hers, that sense of familiarity became overwhelmingly strong. Suddenly Emma was looking into Adam's eyes.
Helen added thoughtfully, "Earlier in the hospital, when she walked out of the hospital wing into the waiting room, I thought something wasn't quite right about her, but I couldn't place it. It was as if I had a memory lapse." Adam nodded, already knowing what had happened back there.
"Emma, did you do this?" Adam said with a smile in his voice despite his concern. Lex hung over Adam's shoulder, ignoring the body language that ordered him to keep his distance. Lex's expression was filled with concern as Adam pried open Emma's eyes to examine the pupils.
"Adam, I don't understand what's happening." She told him. "I know it's impossible, but it's as if you and Lex are the same person."
Adam looked at her warmly. "I'm right here," he said gently looking directly into her eyes. Adam opened his mouth to say something else, when the universe shifted again.
Adam was dressed in black; his expression was cold and arrogant. He resonated with impatience and resentment. As he gazed down at her, there was no sign of recognition in his dark eyes. Lex suddenly stepped into the vision and seemed to try to reason with Adam. Adam fiercely pulled his arm away from the young man and snarled, "I have nothing to do with your good intentions. You died years ago with her. Go back to your place in oblivion." Adam's ebony eyes sparkled with malice. He looked down at Emma and said softly and menacingly, "I own Metropolis. You will not stop me."
"Syringe, vial DX-3 red," Adam said. Dr. Bryce loaded the syringe with the appropriate medication and primed it as Adam gently pressed certain areas on Emma's face.
"Energy centers," he explained. Dr. Bryce shrugged non-committally. "We need a sanitizing agent. Lex, do you keep iodine, alcohol, or hydrogen peroxide in the house?" Adam asked. Lex looked momentarily lost. He looked at Frank Rose and Clark Kent. They shrugged. Lex stepped over to the bar and quickly returned flourishing some linen napkins and a bottle of vodka.
"How could this be?" Emma asked herself, growing more alarmed.
"No! This can't be happening! Adam, come back!" Emma pleaded.
Emma felt the universe shift yet again….
"That should work," Helen said, carefully applying the alcohol as a disinfectant around Emma's head. Adam injected Emma with the medication and applied other treatments. Shalimar, Frank Thorne and Clark stood nearby and watched silently. Lex continued to observe his fiancé work with the renowned scientist whom she had admired since high school. That's where he recognized the man, Lex thought. Helen kept Dr. Kane's books around her office. There was a picture of a younger Dr. Kane on the back cover of some of the books. Lex observed that Adam Kane hadn't changed much except that his face was thinner and there were more lines on his face. Too many cares, Lex thought. He wondered if he would age gracefully like him. Amazing how Helen's dream of meeting the famous Biogeneticist had come true.
"ADAM!" Emma screamed in panic. She was standing in darkness so complete and final that none of her senses could register any light or life. She didn't know where she was and had no idea where she was going. Fear traced a cold finger down into the pit of her stomach. She shivered in terror.
Emma was shivering, her eyes had returned to normal but she was still not cognizant of them. She closed her eyes again. Her lips kept moving; she was trying to say something that no one could hear. Adam injected her with another ampule of medication.
"Adam," she whimpered, eyes closed, tears streaming down her face. Adam was already at her side.
"I'm right here, Emma," he responded, his eyes glittering as he captured some of the depths of the Telempath's pain that she was broadcasting in her lost state. Adam gently hugged Emma to himself, wishing he could shelter her from whatever was causing such pain. Lex, Helen, Clark, Shalimar, and Frank also gathered near Emma, their faces reflecting her distress.
"We're here, Em," Shalimar told her friend. "You're not alone." After a few more moments, the mood broke as Emma awakened from her trancelike state. The red-head opened her eyes and saw Adam, Shalimar, Lex and Dr. Bryce looking down at her with concern. Emma gazed steadily at her mentor for a few more moments without speaking, trying to assure herself that this was the Adam that rescued and trained her, the man who was more a father to her than anyone else in the world. Her eyes then darted over to see the others- Shalimar, concerned expression on her face, was sitting less than a foot away on the other side, ready to spring to her aid. Lex and Helen were holding hands further away, talking softly, stealing a glance toward her every now and then to check on her well being. Frank was watching her with the detached curiosity of a boy watching a fly whose wings had been pulled off. Clark's expression was filled with concern. As Emma met his gaze, he started visibly and blushed. There was a question in his eyes that he would not speak aloud in the presence of the others. Emma closed her eyes and turned her head away.
"It's OK, Emma," Adam said softly with a gentle smile. Emma gaze turned inward. She felt drained by the Visions. Although her eyes maintained a slightly troubled expression, Emma finally smiled as she realized that she was safe now, with Adam and Shalimar. She hoped that what she experienced were horrible dreams, nothing more, but doubt rankled at the back of her mind. Still, she was here with the ones she loved. Emma blinked and yawned. Shalimar smoothed a hand over Emma's forehead, brushing back the hair, then kissed her. Adam kissed Emma too.
"Good night, Em. You've been through hell," Adam said. The Telempath snuggled into the couch with a smile.
"You don't know the half of it," she thought, then she fell asleep. Adam looked toward Lex.
"You're all welcome to spend the night here, " Lex said. "We have plenty of rooms."
Adam nodded his thanks. "I sent my people here to warn you and your father that you are both in serious danger." Lex raised his eyebrows.
"What's this about?" he asked.
Adam nodded at Shalimar. "I presume that you've already met Ms. Shalimar Hunt. She and her colleagues, Emma Wise, Brennan Voltaire, and Jesse Wall flew in to brief you and your father that LuthorCorp and LexCorp have been scrutinized by a group of fanatical albeit powerful vigilantes who call themselves the Tribunal.
"And what is your interest in the Luthors, Dr. Kane?" Lex asked pleasantly.
"My group of colleagues and I had been tracking the Tribunal's activities and found that they are known for kidnapping people who they deem to be dangerous to society. In most cases, these individuals are never heard from again.
Lex's thoughts seemed to have turned inward for a moment and he mused, "And you believe that they have already captured my father?"
Clark interrupted. "Lex, the guy on the video tape mentioned not having captured you. They'll be coming after you, man."
Adam's expression grew sharp. "May I view the tape you're speaking about?"
Lex hit the switch on the video player in reply. As they viewed the tape, Adam and Shalimar stared at Frank (Rose)Thorne at the mention of freak body guard. Thorne was rubbing the back of his head.
"I think we all need to get some things out in the open," Lex said quietly, looking at each person in the room. "First of all, I get the feeling that some of us here may be gifted with more than normal abilities." Lex shot a look at his father's bodyguard then at Shalimar.
"I noticed some metal plugs imbedded in his skull while you left the room," Clark blurted out. "Do you think those may have been responsible for what we saw, Lex?"
Lex looked at Frank Thorne. "Frank?"
Adam raised an eyebrow and waited to see how Frank Thorne would explain his telekinetic abilities to a non-New Mutant.
Frank Thorne shrugged defensively. "I told you, Mr. Luthor, it has something to do with the classified information from the government job I held in the past."
Clark looked intently at Shalimar. "Mr. Rose obviously knows both you and Emma. Sounds like you all worked together at some point."
"And you personally came here to warn me and my dad," Lex added. "Are you from the government, and what about Ms. Hunt's enhanced physical abilities? I'm very interested in all of these things."
Adam shook his head. "No, we are independent but affiliated with the government in ways that you can't imagine."
"Try me, Dr. Kane," Lex answered cynically.
"That's why the Tribunal and subsequently we are interested in the activities of LuthorCorp and LexCorp," Adam added, watching for any change in Lex's expression.
"LexCorp is clean, Dr. Kane." Lex answered, his eyes flashing with indignation. "However, I cannot vouch for my father's business. What are we doing that is deemed a threat to society? I assure you that all my operations are above board. And I still want to know about these people who seem to have special" Lex glanced involuntarily at Clark, "abilities."
"Like my ability to jump higher and move faster than the average woman?" Shalimar interrupted, regaining Lex's attention. Lex nodded.
Adam gazed stonily back at Lex Luthor. "You and your father's corporations are suspected of manipulating humans so they have enhanced skills. The Tribunal is determined to put a stop to this alleged activity—permanently."
Lex looked at Adam then at his companions in disbelief. "That's impossible! I provide jobs for the people of Smallville. Our work is construction and manufacturing orientated, it's all in the Portfolio." Lex paced back and forth, obviously troubled.
"My people will be stationed here to protect you, Mr. Luthor as we try to locate your father," Adam said.
Lex looked mildly amused. "Dr. Kane, may I point out that half of your team is incapacitated—Miss Emma here and Brennan at the hospital."
Shalimar looked at Adam worried. Frank Thorne was stroking his chin with forefinger and thumb. He had a delighted, speculative look on his face. Adam's lips tightened momentarily.
"A temporary disadvantage, the result of a possible Tribunal attack on our aircraft," Adam replied.
"Oh, you mean not possible related to operator induced error or structural flaw?" Lex asked with exaggerated innocence. Shalimar bristled and Thorne's grin widened. Clark very quietly whistled to draw Shalimar's attention away from Lex before her eyes turned into golden coals.
Helen stood up. "I think we're all tired and should turn in," she suggested in a tone that allowed no argument. "You boys stop your posturing and pick this up in the morning." Lex looked up at her boyishly. His beautiful fiancé glowered imperiously at them.
"Never argue with a woman," Lex told Adam with a wink. "Do you need someone to discreetly attend to your downed aircraft? LexCorp is able to handle special projects like that."
Adam raised both eyebrows and smiled. "Thanks," he accepted. "Please keep me informed. I'll want to take a look at it myself, find out what caused it to lose control."
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A/N- I apologize for my metaphysical nonsense. I just couldn't resist the play on Mr. Shea's roles in MX and L&C in the presence of the younger Lex Luthor of SV, and of course I had to have Emma (temporarily?) evolve some new powers to make it so…. ; )
