"Yer sure this is the place?" Logan said, turning to catch a glimpse of Mystique in her latest masquerade. She was fully able to pass off as a biker chick – a tiny lock of reddish brown hair was visible with her bulky dark helmet.
They had just driven up on Logan's motorcycle and had stopped in front of a dilapidated brick inner city apartment building that looked like it had been abandoned for quite some time now.
Mystique dismounted from her spot on the bike clutching Logan's backside and stood up. Immediately she removed the helmet and casually clutched it under her arm, as she looked the building up and down once before giving herself a sure nod. She began walking confidently forward and gestured for Logan to do so as well.
Logan slowly dismounted and considered for a moment how safe it was to leave the bike out in the deserted alleyway, but he shrugged it off. If anyone so much as dared to touch his bike, he'd be sure to give them hell.
He then realized he'd lost Mystique. With an annoyed breath he quickly entered the darkened building and began to cautiously look around.
The ground floor of the building was wet, smelled like a sewer, and Logan was sure he could hear the scurrying of rats from within the walls. But he couldn't hear the scurrying of one cocky mutant and her younger flame-thrower.
Just as he was getting ready to go back outside to wait – or maybe even leave, a hand grabbed his shoulder. In a flash, his claws popped out with a loud slicing sound and he had them pointed at his attacker's neck. Then he actually looked to see who it was.
John.
Logan continued to glare at the longhaired former student when Mystique appeared from the shadows behind John. She looked at the two and smirked as she casually leaned against the cool brick.
John gave a nervous smile. Logan studied the boy for a moment. He figured John must be about twenty-one now, like Bobby and Rogue. His long hair hadn't really changed, it was still combed back and was an inch off his shoulders. There were a few new scars across his face, and he looked like he had been living on the street for sometime now. The biggest difference in John Allerdyce though was his eyes. When he had left four, nearly five years ago, he had had the cocky look of a teenager who claimed to be all 'hard-core' but had never witnessed the real horrors of war. Now all this time later, John knew. He had felt pain, he'd probably caused most of it. And now he was just some kid living on the streets in Vancouver, hoping not to be discovered as the infamous mutant terrorist that he was now known to be. Logan almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
"Nice to see ya, kid. Now spill." Logan said slowly lowering the claws that had been aimed at John's neck.
John smiled. "Good to see you too, Logan. How's everyone?" He asked sarcastically but Logan could hear a hint of sincerity in the boy's words.
"And how would I know?" Logan sneered. He was really starting to regret this whole little plan.
John ignored Logan's comment. He glanced back at Mystique then back to Logan.
"We need to talk," He declared.
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Brian's group was still working on the construction of the shed. It was a particularly hot day, Brian guessed it was probably around July, though he honestly didn't know anymore. The days in the desert were long – or maybe the work made time pass even slower.
He paused from the digging and looked around. They were tired, all of them. The guards were growing more and more impatient as time wore on. Brian panted for breath in the heat. He used a tattered sleeve from his worn T-shirt to wipe sweat from his brow. It was times like these were he wished more than ever he was normal.
"You! Back to work!" One of the guards yelled from behind a pair of oversized mirrored sunglasses. He's been spotted resting.
Brian slowly turned and squinted at the guard. The guard's poised figure was silhouetted against the late afternoon sun.
"I said, Back to work!" The guard repeated, raising his rifle menacingly. Brian cocked his head to the side, he couldn't understand what they were saying.
"Do it freak! Now!" The guard yelled again. The rest of the workers and guards were now focused on the enveloping scene before them. The guard took a step forward- his rifle still raised.
Brian's eyes drifted up to the sun. It was so hot. That's all he could think. Over and over, he thought about the heat, the orange rays the sun was casting, and the figure in front of him making noise. The guard's voice was thundering and yet nearly inaudible. What was it saying? He couldn't tell. But he told him self that it couldn't be important. His head hurt. He wanted to be anywhere but here. Anywhere.
He heard a shot fired and slowly the image in front of his eyes melted away. He was back home. He was standing in the dining room, setting the table. Only two place settings.
The scene blurred again and this time he was with Kelly. They were leaving the movie theater, hands entwined the movie had been good. He turned and automatically said something to her while he was thinking and to this she shrieked with laughter. Playfully she punched arm.
"Jeff!" She squealed. "That's horrible!" She finished between giggles.
He laughed too and said something else. Brian wasn't sure what he was saying. Then he stopped. Or at least tried to, his body kept walking. What had she called him? Jeff, who was this Jeff? Brian was puzzled. His body came to a stop next a new black Lexus. Kelly was on the other side, waiting for him to open the door. Then out of the corner of his eye he caught a glimpse of himself in the car's mirrored windows. If Brian had been in control of his body, he would have screamed, cursed, or at least done something. But this wasn't his body and he wasn't in control. Staring back at him was some junior from his old high school. Brian hadn't known him, but he was known as a rich brat. Kelly was dating him. Brian felt like he'd been kicked in the stomach. His host body rubbed his hand to his own stomach. Brian felt himself getting in the car and sitting down. God, the car was new. It had that smell. He felt himself turning towards Kelly and leaning in for a kiss. She smiled and….
Brian bolted awake in a foreign room. The walls were concrete as was the ceiling and floor and he found himself laying on a raised stainless steel operating table. A doctor stood on each side of him. The one on the left, whom had been writing notes on a clipboard, noticed he was awake first. They gestured to the other doctor who looked down at Brian. The two doctors nodded to each other and one of them stepped off to the side. From the corner of his eye, Brian could see the doctor take out a cell phone and begin dialing.
"Was I shot?" Brian whispered, remembering vaguely the scene from the field.
The remaining doctor looked over at him with pity and shook their head.
Brian slowly turned his head over to look at the doctor. He asked what had happened with a hoarse voice.
The doctor ignored him this time and gently took hold of Brian's arm. He struggled to resist, but was met with no reward. The doctor brought down a syringe and then Brian was unconscious.
______________________________
"Hello?" Brian's voice echoed through the dark, empty cavern. The last thing he remembered was struggling with the doctor and closing his eyes. Now he was here, in a circular cave of sorts. The bottom of this cave was covered in a good three inches of murky, freezing water. He could hear voices coming in front of him and…
…He was now walking down a crowded street. Everywhere around him was Asian and all he could hear was the foreign sounds of an Asiatic language. He paused to greet someone when…
…He tripped over a fallen rotting tree trunk. The air was thick and humid, and greenery surrounded him. A tall, leggy woman dressed in khaki helped him up. She was gesturing towards something in the distance, a bird, he thought. He pointed at whatever it was and made a few gestures. He turned to their guides, a tiny Hispanic man and his son, and rattled off something in Spanish to them. They were getting into a heated discussion before…
…He was sitting on a bed, inside what appeared to be a little girl's bedroom. The sheer ruffled curtains bathed the room in sunlight and he looked over the mess of playthings that scattered the floor….
…Walking in the woods. A sound behind him! He bolted. Running. Fear. Oh God…
…Sand flying in his face as he fell. He had missed the shot…
…An old man was yelling something in German…
…Icy water enveloped him…
…Darkness…
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A/N: A big whopping thanks to all my outstanding reviewers!!!!
Roz – Of course I remember you! Anyone reading this who likes Star Wars should go read Roz's fics! They are the best ever. …hehe… Um, the website didn't work out. Kinda a long story. Sorry! I'm thinking about giving it another try when it gets closer to summer, so if I do I promise you'll be the first to know!
Kasey22 – Thanks for all your reviews! You really hit the story line on the head with your review of chapter fifteen! I read that, having the next chapter already written, and was all 'whoa!'. Hehe. Anywho, I love your reviews, don't stop! ;)
Pendragon4 – Yes, I know I am a god. ;) Ah just kidding. You rock though!!!
Guin – Thanks for the reviews. (By the way, not to sound stupid, but what's a spaner?)
Crystal113- Thanks, glad you enjoyed it!
Musiqboy – Same to you, glad you liked it and thank you for your review!
In case I missed anyone, Thanks to you – whoever you are! I love all these reviews, I can't say how great you all are! Keep reviewing!
