When the trio emerged from their hiding place, they found a grisly sight. Asklocke was missing, but all of the lackies that had been with him were still here...and all dead. Ally was missing as well.
"Did Ashlocke take her?" Jesse asked, looking around desperatly. "Or did she..." He didn't finish that other thought.
Brennan heard moaning nearby. "Neither." He moved in the direction of the sound.
The power of the explosion had sent Ally flying at least thirty feet, but she'd survived it.
"Uh...are we sure we want to hang around a mutant that can do that?" Jesse questioned aloud.
"Better she be with us then a sociopath like Ashlocke." Brennan responded gathering the unconscious Ally in his arms.
What the hell happened up there? Came Shalimar's voice over their rings' comm link.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Shalimar had stayed with the Double Helix during the mission (not trusting her fear of fire). Adam had told them that Allison Preston was probably going through a growth spurt like they had, not so long ago, which usually ment loss of control over powers, especially in the case of elementals, she remembered.
* * * * * * *
"Allison Preston." Adam had informed them earlier. "Her mother came down with hypothermia while pregnant, so she was given experimental drugs to save both her and the child."
"I'm guessing Genomex was the supplier of these drugs." Brennan interupted.
"It was nine years later that side-effects occured in the child, Allison." Adam continued. "I was introduced to her once. before she disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Emma had asked.
"Her parents said she was rebellious and ran away, but I tend to believe Ally left out of fear of being locked away." Adam explained.
"Guess mom and dad weren't too fond of living with a girl who could start fires at will." Shalimar had remarked, being reminded of how her father had treated her.
Adam had then gone into details about Allison's abilities. "Her resting body temperture stands at 106 degrees, which is what helps enable her ability to melt things with a touch, and her body's adaptation to it, makes her almost totally flame resistant. Allison also has the ability to throw and control fire, and can detect even the smallest changes in temperature."
"That's a lot of power for just one New Mutant." Brennan commented, saying what they were already all thinking.
"Which makes it all the more important we get to her first. If she's mutating like all of you have, she could lose control. And that kind of power in the wrong hands could prove devastating."
"So it's up to us to help her." Emma said.
"How'd you even know she was here?" Jesse asked.
"I was emailed an anonymous tip. Someone believes she's here and has come looking for me, though, whether it's to do with her powers or something else, I don't know."
"So how do we find her?" Brennan asked.
"I've modified the scanners on the Double Helix. Her body temperature gives her a unique signature. If she is here, it shouldn't be too difficult to locate her."
"Guess we're going for a ride." Shalimar had a grin on her face when she said this.
* * * * * * *
It quickly became clear to Shalimar when the others disappeared into the buildings that they weren't the only ones to find Allison. It wasn't even two minutes before she found herself in a fight with Links.
And then the explosion happened.
The Strand members took off, leaving Shalimar to worry about her friends.
"What the hell happened up there?!" She shouted into her ring.
Is everyone alright? Came Adam's voice from Sanctuary.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"We're fine." Emma replied. "But Ally's definitly mutating too quickly for her to control."
"But I don't think we can be sure of that being the reason she's here, Adam." Jesse reported as they exited the torched buildings and rejoined Shalimar. "The Strand was here in full force."
Alright. How's Allison doing now? Adam asked.
"She's out cold." Brennan answered. "Oh, but Adam, she really doesn't seem to like being called Allison."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Adam smiled a little, remembering the spunky little redhead he'd met so long ago. "Alright, get her here as quickly as you can, but you'd best keep her unconscious until I can have a look at her."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ashlocke and his surviving followers stood in the shadows and watched the Double Helix take off and disappear.
"She's escaped with Mutant X." Kelly Rice stated the obvious. "Now she's unreachable."
His eyes never leaving the spot in the sky he'd last seen the Helix, Gabriel calmly replied in a low voice. "Not for Marnie."
"Did Ashlocke take her?" Jesse asked, looking around desperatly. "Or did she..." He didn't finish that other thought.
Brennan heard moaning nearby. "Neither." He moved in the direction of the sound.
The power of the explosion had sent Ally flying at least thirty feet, but she'd survived it.
"Uh...are we sure we want to hang around a mutant that can do that?" Jesse questioned aloud.
"Better she be with us then a sociopath like Ashlocke." Brennan responded gathering the unconscious Ally in his arms.
What the hell happened up there? Came Shalimar's voice over their rings' comm link.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Shalimar had stayed with the Double Helix during the mission (not trusting her fear of fire). Adam had told them that Allison Preston was probably going through a growth spurt like they had, not so long ago, which usually ment loss of control over powers, especially in the case of elementals, she remembered.
* * * * * * *
"Allison Preston." Adam had informed them earlier. "Her mother came down with hypothermia while pregnant, so she was given experimental drugs to save both her and the child."
"I'm guessing Genomex was the supplier of these drugs." Brennan interupted.
"It was nine years later that side-effects occured in the child, Allison." Adam continued. "I was introduced to her once. before she disappeared."
"Disappeared?" Emma had asked.
"Her parents said she was rebellious and ran away, but I tend to believe Ally left out of fear of being locked away." Adam explained.
"Guess mom and dad weren't too fond of living with a girl who could start fires at will." Shalimar had remarked, being reminded of how her father had treated her.
Adam had then gone into details about Allison's abilities. "Her resting body temperture stands at 106 degrees, which is what helps enable her ability to melt things with a touch, and her body's adaptation to it, makes her almost totally flame resistant. Allison also has the ability to throw and control fire, and can detect even the smallest changes in temperature."
"That's a lot of power for just one New Mutant." Brennan commented, saying what they were already all thinking.
"Which makes it all the more important we get to her first. If she's mutating like all of you have, she could lose control. And that kind of power in the wrong hands could prove devastating."
"So it's up to us to help her." Emma said.
"How'd you even know she was here?" Jesse asked.
"I was emailed an anonymous tip. Someone believes she's here and has come looking for me, though, whether it's to do with her powers or something else, I don't know."
"So how do we find her?" Brennan asked.
"I've modified the scanners on the Double Helix. Her body temperature gives her a unique signature. If she is here, it shouldn't be too difficult to locate her."
"Guess we're going for a ride." Shalimar had a grin on her face when she said this.
* * * * * * *
It quickly became clear to Shalimar when the others disappeared into the buildings that they weren't the only ones to find Allison. It wasn't even two minutes before she found herself in a fight with Links.
And then the explosion happened.
The Strand members took off, leaving Shalimar to worry about her friends.
"What the hell happened up there?!" She shouted into her ring.
Is everyone alright? Came Adam's voice from Sanctuary.
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"We're fine." Emma replied. "But Ally's definitly mutating too quickly for her to control."
"But I don't think we can be sure of that being the reason she's here, Adam." Jesse reported as they exited the torched buildings and rejoined Shalimar. "The Strand was here in full force."
Alright. How's Allison doing now? Adam asked.
"She's out cold." Brennan answered. "Oh, but Adam, she really doesn't seem to like being called Allison."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Adam smiled a little, remembering the spunky little redhead he'd met so long ago. "Alright, get her here as quickly as you can, but you'd best keep her unconscious until I can have a look at her."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Ashlocke and his surviving followers stood in the shadows and watched the Double Helix take off and disappear.
"She's escaped with Mutant X." Kelly Rice stated the obvious. "Now she's unreachable."
His eyes never leaving the spot in the sky he'd last seen the Helix, Gabriel calmly replied in a low voice. "Not for Marnie."