In a secluded part of Hillcrest Park, The Strand reunited with their leader. Ally took in the sight of Gabriel Ashlocke, in all his arrogance. She rolled her eyes and caught sight of the hostages trembling around them.
"Spare them. They've done nothing wrong."
"On the contrary." Ashlocke came closer to Ally. "They've seen what we can do, our powers. They're a liability." He waved Ally's guards off, giving them space. "Not only that, but they're only human. We are above them, exhaulted. I've been trying to make you and the rest of the world realize that."
Ally raised her voice. "I won't cooperate unless you let them go!"
Ashlocke smiled cruelly, reaching over to tuck a lock of Ally's hair behind her ear. Ally flinched away and just glared at him. Ashlocke smiled still. "My dear, what makes you think I need anyone to make you co-operate with me?" His eyes started to glow red and he grabbed Ally's head, keeping eye contact as the glow spread to meet her eyes.
Ally started to hear whispers in her head and slowly, it didn't seem so bad to be with Gabriel.
A moment later, Ashlocke broke away. Ally blinked once or twice, gave her head a shake and when she looked back at Gabriel, she smiled.
Ashlocke leaned in and kissed Ally full on the lips...and Ally returned his kiss.
He smiled as he pulled away. "There's a good girl."
Ally just smiled more.
He offered his arm to her. "Let's take a walk."
Ally accepted and, arm in arm, they headed for the clearing, with Marnie close behind.
But before she disappeared after them, she spoke to one of the Links.
"Kill them all."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Just as the Links were about to carry out their orders, they heard a rustling in the trees. One Link strayed from the group to investigate and he was assulted from above, down before he knew what hit him.
"What's going on guys?" Shalimar asked the others, who wouldn't be standing much longer.
As they came at her, she rammed the heel of her palm into one's face, kicked out at the solar plexus of another, and in a jump kick, planted her toes into the adam's apple of a third.
"You were going to have the neighbourhood picnic wihtout me, weren't you?" She jammed her fist into the temple of a Link who was being stubborn. Her eyes flashes yellow. "That really ticks me off!"
A flipkick, right cross, hook punch and jab knee lift later, there wasn't a Link left standing, and the hostages were free.
"I've got the hostages." Shalimar said into her commlink. "You're clear."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"Anything seem familiar?" Ashlocke was asking Ally. "Remembering anything about your friends?"
Ally looked around...and frowned. She even pouted. "I'm sorry, Gabriel, nothing is--" Ally looked off to their right and saw a fountain...and everything came flooding back into her mind. She gasped at the force of it all and stummbled into Gabriel's arms.
His smile was as big as the Cheshire Cat's. "Wonderful."
Looking over at Marnie, she came forward and withdrew her gun. Taking hold of it by the barrel, Marnie pistol-whipped Ally and Ashlocke let her fall to the ground.
"Time to go to work."
Marnie smiled back at Gabriel, ready to prove her worth at last, but she quivered and fell next to Ally as she was struck from behind by a telsa coil.
Mutant X was back on it's feet and ready for action.
"If Ally were awake, she'd probably thank you for helping her regain her memories...right before kicking your ass." Brennan allowed. "But we'll take it from here."
Ashlocke fired an energy bomb at him, but Brennan blasted himself out of the way "Rocket-Man" style, and it harmlessly struck a massed out Jesse. Emma took the plate and psi-blasted Ashlocke, confusing him long enough for Shalimar to leap in and get ahold of Ally.
"Come on hot-stuff." Shal coaxed the firebug, trying to rouse her. "No time to rest."
Brennan tried to continue the assult on Ashlocke, but he recovered too quickly and raised a shield.
The second Brennan gave out, Ashlocke fired another bomb at Shalimar, seperating her from Ally and launching Shal right into Brennan.
Coming to and confused, Ally stummbled to her feet. Jesse and Emma tried to get to her, but Ashlocke was quicker. He grabbed Ally and used her as a shield to keep any of them from getting any ideas.
Again, he turned Ally to face him and cast his spell over her.
"How's my girl? Feel ready to tell me where to find your friends?"
Her eyes glazed over, Ally slowly nodded.
"No!" Brennan shouted, hoping his voice could reach her.
Ashlocke grinned wickedly. "Sorry folks, guess she's finally figured out who's won here. Haven't you...Allison?"
Ally looked up at Ashlocke. Her eyes took focus and her expression darkened as she stepped back. "Don't call me Allison." She seethed.
Ashlocke looked at her, perplexed.
"You shouldn't mess with Mutant X women, Ashlocke!" Brennan called, now smiling.
Ally catapolted a fiery missle right into Ashlocke's face, sending him flying into the trees. Her old self again, Ally turned back to Mutant X, popped the kinks out of her neck and walked back over to them.
Shalimar was smiling. "I never get tired of seeing him get knocked on his ass."
Adam came running from the direction of the front entrance. "The police are here. It's best we make a hasty exit."
"If only we had an invisible jet." Brennan sighed. "Oh wait...we do!"
"Spare them. They've done nothing wrong."
"On the contrary." Ashlocke came closer to Ally. "They've seen what we can do, our powers. They're a liability." He waved Ally's guards off, giving them space. "Not only that, but they're only human. We are above them, exhaulted. I've been trying to make you and the rest of the world realize that."
Ally raised her voice. "I won't cooperate unless you let them go!"
Ashlocke smiled cruelly, reaching over to tuck a lock of Ally's hair behind her ear. Ally flinched away and just glared at him. Ashlocke smiled still. "My dear, what makes you think I need anyone to make you co-operate with me?" His eyes started to glow red and he grabbed Ally's head, keeping eye contact as the glow spread to meet her eyes.
Ally started to hear whispers in her head and slowly, it didn't seem so bad to be with Gabriel.
A moment later, Ashlocke broke away. Ally blinked once or twice, gave her head a shake and when she looked back at Gabriel, she smiled.
Ashlocke leaned in and kissed Ally full on the lips...and Ally returned his kiss.
He smiled as he pulled away. "There's a good girl."
Ally just smiled more.
He offered his arm to her. "Let's take a walk."
Ally accepted and, arm in arm, they headed for the clearing, with Marnie close behind.
But before she disappeared after them, she spoke to one of the Links.
"Kill them all."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Just as the Links were about to carry out their orders, they heard a rustling in the trees. One Link strayed from the group to investigate and he was assulted from above, down before he knew what hit him.
"What's going on guys?" Shalimar asked the others, who wouldn't be standing much longer.
As they came at her, she rammed the heel of her palm into one's face, kicked out at the solar plexus of another, and in a jump kick, planted her toes into the adam's apple of a third.
"You were going to have the neighbourhood picnic wihtout me, weren't you?" She jammed her fist into the temple of a Link who was being stubborn. Her eyes flashes yellow. "That really ticks me off!"
A flipkick, right cross, hook punch and jab knee lift later, there wasn't a Link left standing, and the hostages were free.
"I've got the hostages." Shalimar said into her commlink. "You're clear."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
"Anything seem familiar?" Ashlocke was asking Ally. "Remembering anything about your friends?"
Ally looked around...and frowned. She even pouted. "I'm sorry, Gabriel, nothing is--" Ally looked off to their right and saw a fountain...and everything came flooding back into her mind. She gasped at the force of it all and stummbled into Gabriel's arms.
His smile was as big as the Cheshire Cat's. "Wonderful."
Looking over at Marnie, she came forward and withdrew her gun. Taking hold of it by the barrel, Marnie pistol-whipped Ally and Ashlocke let her fall to the ground.
"Time to go to work."
Marnie smiled back at Gabriel, ready to prove her worth at last, but she quivered and fell next to Ally as she was struck from behind by a telsa coil.
Mutant X was back on it's feet and ready for action.
"If Ally were awake, she'd probably thank you for helping her regain her memories...right before kicking your ass." Brennan allowed. "But we'll take it from here."
Ashlocke fired an energy bomb at him, but Brennan blasted himself out of the way "Rocket-Man" style, and it harmlessly struck a massed out Jesse. Emma took the plate and psi-blasted Ashlocke, confusing him long enough for Shalimar to leap in and get ahold of Ally.
"Come on hot-stuff." Shal coaxed the firebug, trying to rouse her. "No time to rest."
Brennan tried to continue the assult on Ashlocke, but he recovered too quickly and raised a shield.
The second Brennan gave out, Ashlocke fired another bomb at Shalimar, seperating her from Ally and launching Shal right into Brennan.
Coming to and confused, Ally stummbled to her feet. Jesse and Emma tried to get to her, but Ashlocke was quicker. He grabbed Ally and used her as a shield to keep any of them from getting any ideas.
Again, he turned Ally to face him and cast his spell over her.
"How's my girl? Feel ready to tell me where to find your friends?"
Her eyes glazed over, Ally slowly nodded.
"No!" Brennan shouted, hoping his voice could reach her.
Ashlocke grinned wickedly. "Sorry folks, guess she's finally figured out who's won here. Haven't you...Allison?"
Ally looked up at Ashlocke. Her eyes took focus and her expression darkened as she stepped back. "Don't call me Allison." She seethed.
Ashlocke looked at her, perplexed.
"You shouldn't mess with Mutant X women, Ashlocke!" Brennan called, now smiling.
Ally catapolted a fiery missle right into Ashlocke's face, sending him flying into the trees. Her old self again, Ally turned back to Mutant X, popped the kinks out of her neck and walked back over to them.
Shalimar was smiling. "I never get tired of seeing him get knocked on his ass."
Adam came running from the direction of the front entrance. "The police are here. It's best we make a hasty exit."
"If only we had an invisible jet." Brennan sighed. "Oh wait...we do!"