Marnie's image filled Proxy Blue's screen.
†The hostages labelled this woman, Marnie Neuman, as their kidnapper and arsonist, and also identified several of her accomplices, all arrested in Hillcrest Park yesterday. However, before reaching police central, Miss Neuman made a daring escape--†
Adam muted it there. "I don't think we'll have to worry about her again. Ashlocke abandoned her, will probably try to kill her, and now, the police will be looking for her."
Sitting with Ally and Brennan in the Double Helix, he spoke with Jesse, Emma and Shalimar back in Sanctuary over the comm system.
And they've named her the arsonist. Emma was repeating.
Guess that means you're off the hook, Ally. Shalimar added.
"Yeah," Ally said, nerves apparent in her voice. "I'm free as a bird."
"Speaking of birds, we're ready to land this one." Brennan said from the pilot's seat.
"We'll keep you updated." Adam said to Sanctuary.
Hey Ally, Jesse called. Good Luck.
"Thanks...I'll need it."
Adam broke the connection and turned to Ally. "There's no need to be nervous. Everything is going to be fine."
"I just--" Ally was interupted by the bumpy landing of the Helix and left her thought hanging.
Brennan came over to Ally and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. Trust us."
Ally looked up at him, at Adam, and back at Brennan. "Okay..." She stood and lifted her arms out from her sides. "How do I look?"
Brennan gazed at her in her simple lavender dress, and without missing a beat he told her, "Beautiful."
Ally smiled sweetly and Brennan kissed her softly on the forehead.
They had arrived in Los Angeles, here to meet the New Mutants Ally now remembered so well and to send them all into the Underground. Down in the shipping docks, there were many unused warehouses, but today, one warehouse wasn't so empty. Today it was filled with anxious excited people. But maybe none were so anxious as Ally Preston.
It didn't help that the moment she and the guys walked in, a round of shouts and applause rang out, strong enough to vibrate the floor and walls. Ally never felt smaller than in that moment. But some familar faces helped her get over it.
The first of which was Robin.
"I knew you could do it girl!" She hugged Ally tight and pulled her along. "Welcome home."
Ally smiled timidly. "Thank you. It's good to be back here with everyone who makes it home."
And suddenly shouts were coming from all around her.
"Thank you Ally!"
"Welcome back Ally!"
"Than-thank you!" Ally called back, not sure where they were coming from.
"Thank you!"
"We knew you could do it!"
"Thank you!"
"Thank you Ally!"
As Robin pulled her through the crowd, Ally wasn't sure she could take another second. But Brennan was there behind her, just smiling his encouragement.
"Ally!" Another male voice called. She saw a guy with long blonde hair running over and recognition hit her as he said, "Dude!"
"Chris!" She hugged him as he reached her.
"This is so totally cool dude!" It was obvious where Chris grew up. "I mean, like, bitchin'! We totally had faith in you, babe!"
Adam and Brennan exchanged looks, which Ally ignored. "That means a lot. Uh, Chris, this is Brennan and Adam Kane."
"Whoa!" Chris took Adam's hand to shake it. "Dude, you're like...our Moses or something!"
Adam smiled awkwardly. "I'm just trying to help." He looked at Ally, who smiled sheepishly.
"Ally!"
It was a female voice this time.
"Kirby!"
After the hugs were over, Ally remembered Adam. "Oh! Adam, this is Kirby Mohr. She's the one who did that mind-bender on me."
The two shook hands. "That's quite the creative stunt you pulled."
Kirby shrugged. "Just following the boss' orders." She looked meaningfully at Ally.
Adam gave Ally the 'hairy eyeball'. "Really?"
Brennan cleared his throat and looked at Ally expectantly.
Before Ally could even pretend to explain that one, another dear old friend appeared.
"George! Hey! It is SO GOOD to see you!"
"Everything's ready for you." George announced.
Ally blinked. "What? What's "everything"?"
George pointed. "The stage! Your podium. Time for the big introduction."
Ally's eyes widened as they found the stage ahead. "You mean you want me to be the center of attention and introduce Adam?"
"What's the matter..."Boss"?" Brennan teased.
Ally threw him an evil glare, but Brennan just laughed at her.
"It'll be fine." Adam urged.
So, Ally, Brennan, Adam, George, Chris, Kirby and Robin closed the distance between them and the makeshift stage.
"Attention!" George yelled. "Attention everyone! Let's all close our mouths, open our ears and give a supporting round of applause for Ally Preston!"
The walls shook again for a moment before a hush fell over the warehouse.
Ally shakily stepped forward and inhaled deeply.
"W-well...thank you for that. But, it should be me applauding all of you. The trust and faith you showed in me is remarkable. Growing up, I never thought I'd do something that would be so important to so many. But your bravery and your need for things to change inspired me. And here we are today!"
The crowd broke out into applause again.
"Today marks the beginning of new lives for all of you. I will miss you all, but I know you go into better days, and that makes it all worthwhile." The crowd remained still, so Ally went on. "On that note, I give the floor to the man you've all been waiting to meet. Adam Kane."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Three days and a hundred New Mutants later, the trio was on the way back to Sanctuary. And Ally was preparing to say goodbye to the group of people who saved her life and the lives of her very large adopted family.
"So..." Ally started sadly. "That's it then?"
The Helix set to auto-pilot, the three of them were sitting towards the back.
"If any of them get into trouble, they'll know how to contact Mutant X...but I think they're all going to be fine."
Though her sadness was evident in her voice, Ally smiled. "Yeah, I know they will."
Brennan crouched down in front of her. "Hey...Kirby, Chris, they've all promised to keep in touch with you. It isn't goodbye."
Ally sniffled, fighting back the tears welling in her eyes. "It's not them I'm afraid I've said goodbye to." She told him, looking at him longingly.
Leaning over, Brennan kissed her softly, which only brought the tears on with a vengence.
"You are, possibly the most courageous person I've met." He said to her.
Ally could only laugh through her tears at hearing that. "I don't know, I can think of a whole team of people I aspire to be like."
"Trust me," Adam came over and handed a small box to Brennan. "I think you already are."
Now smiling, Brennan held the box for Ally to see and opened it up.
"I've been thinking for awhile...that it's about time we recruited some new blood." Adam went on.
Inside the box was a familiar Mutant X ring.
Ally had no words to describe.
"There's a spot waiting, if you're interested?" Brennan finished.
Ally had to cover her mouth to muffle the cry of joy. She grappled Brennan and hugged him excitedly, as if he'd just asked her to marry him!
Then, taking the ring from the box with a shaky hand, she slipped it on her right middle finger and watched with building emotion as the ring keyed into her DNA and changed.
Ally leapt to her feet and hugged Adam before turning back on Brennan and kissing him heatedly.
After a long moment, Ally and Brennan came to their senses and broke away.
"Uh...welcome to the team!" Brennan fummbled.
Sharing a laugh, Ally went back to admiring her new ring...the symbol of a brand new beginning!
[END LOG ONE]
†The hostages labelled this woman, Marnie Neuman, as their kidnapper and arsonist, and also identified several of her accomplices, all arrested in Hillcrest Park yesterday. However, before reaching police central, Miss Neuman made a daring escape--†
Adam muted it there. "I don't think we'll have to worry about her again. Ashlocke abandoned her, will probably try to kill her, and now, the police will be looking for her."
Sitting with Ally and Brennan in the Double Helix, he spoke with Jesse, Emma and Shalimar back in Sanctuary over the comm system.
And they've named her the arsonist. Emma was repeating.
Guess that means you're off the hook, Ally. Shalimar added.
"Yeah," Ally said, nerves apparent in her voice. "I'm free as a bird."
"Speaking of birds, we're ready to land this one." Brennan said from the pilot's seat.
"We'll keep you updated." Adam said to Sanctuary.
Hey Ally, Jesse called. Good Luck.
"Thanks...I'll need it."
Adam broke the connection and turned to Ally. "There's no need to be nervous. Everything is going to be fine."
"I just--" Ally was interupted by the bumpy landing of the Helix and left her thought hanging.
Brennan came over to Ally and rested a hand on her shoulder. "It'll be fine. Trust us."
Ally looked up at him, at Adam, and back at Brennan. "Okay..." She stood and lifted her arms out from her sides. "How do I look?"
Brennan gazed at her in her simple lavender dress, and without missing a beat he told her, "Beautiful."
Ally smiled sweetly and Brennan kissed her softly on the forehead.
They had arrived in Los Angeles, here to meet the New Mutants Ally now remembered so well and to send them all into the Underground. Down in the shipping docks, there were many unused warehouses, but today, one warehouse wasn't so empty. Today it was filled with anxious excited people. But maybe none were so anxious as Ally Preston.
It didn't help that the moment she and the guys walked in, a round of shouts and applause rang out, strong enough to vibrate the floor and walls. Ally never felt smaller than in that moment. But some familar faces helped her get over it.
The first of which was Robin.
"I knew you could do it girl!" She hugged Ally tight and pulled her along. "Welcome home."
Ally smiled timidly. "Thank you. It's good to be back here with everyone who makes it home."
And suddenly shouts were coming from all around her.
"Thank you Ally!"
"Welcome back Ally!"
"Than-thank you!" Ally called back, not sure where they were coming from.
"Thank you!"
"We knew you could do it!"
"Thank you!"
"Thank you Ally!"
As Robin pulled her through the crowd, Ally wasn't sure she could take another second. But Brennan was there behind her, just smiling his encouragement.
"Ally!" Another male voice called. She saw a guy with long blonde hair running over and recognition hit her as he said, "Dude!"
"Chris!" She hugged him as he reached her.
"This is so totally cool dude!" It was obvious where Chris grew up. "I mean, like, bitchin'! We totally had faith in you, babe!"
Adam and Brennan exchanged looks, which Ally ignored. "That means a lot. Uh, Chris, this is Brennan and Adam Kane."
"Whoa!" Chris took Adam's hand to shake it. "Dude, you're like...our Moses or something!"
Adam smiled awkwardly. "I'm just trying to help." He looked at Ally, who smiled sheepishly.
"Ally!"
It was a female voice this time.
"Kirby!"
After the hugs were over, Ally remembered Adam. "Oh! Adam, this is Kirby Mohr. She's the one who did that mind-bender on me."
The two shook hands. "That's quite the creative stunt you pulled."
Kirby shrugged. "Just following the boss' orders." She looked meaningfully at Ally.
Adam gave Ally the 'hairy eyeball'. "Really?"
Brennan cleared his throat and looked at Ally expectantly.
Before Ally could even pretend to explain that one, another dear old friend appeared.
"George! Hey! It is SO GOOD to see you!"
"Everything's ready for you." George announced.
Ally blinked. "What? What's "everything"?"
George pointed. "The stage! Your podium. Time for the big introduction."
Ally's eyes widened as they found the stage ahead. "You mean you want me to be the center of attention and introduce Adam?"
"What's the matter..."Boss"?" Brennan teased.
Ally threw him an evil glare, but Brennan just laughed at her.
"It'll be fine." Adam urged.
So, Ally, Brennan, Adam, George, Chris, Kirby and Robin closed the distance between them and the makeshift stage.
"Attention!" George yelled. "Attention everyone! Let's all close our mouths, open our ears and give a supporting round of applause for Ally Preston!"
The walls shook again for a moment before a hush fell over the warehouse.
Ally shakily stepped forward and inhaled deeply.
"W-well...thank you for that. But, it should be me applauding all of you. The trust and faith you showed in me is remarkable. Growing up, I never thought I'd do something that would be so important to so many. But your bravery and your need for things to change inspired me. And here we are today!"
The crowd broke out into applause again.
"Today marks the beginning of new lives for all of you. I will miss you all, but I know you go into better days, and that makes it all worthwhile." The crowd remained still, so Ally went on. "On that note, I give the floor to the man you've all been waiting to meet. Adam Kane."
# # # # # # # # # # # # # # # # #
Three days and a hundred New Mutants later, the trio was on the way back to Sanctuary. And Ally was preparing to say goodbye to the group of people who saved her life and the lives of her very large adopted family.
"So..." Ally started sadly. "That's it then?"
The Helix set to auto-pilot, the three of them were sitting towards the back.
"If any of them get into trouble, they'll know how to contact Mutant X...but I think they're all going to be fine."
Though her sadness was evident in her voice, Ally smiled. "Yeah, I know they will."
Brennan crouched down in front of her. "Hey...Kirby, Chris, they've all promised to keep in touch with you. It isn't goodbye."
Ally sniffled, fighting back the tears welling in her eyes. "It's not them I'm afraid I've said goodbye to." She told him, looking at him longingly.
Leaning over, Brennan kissed her softly, which only brought the tears on with a vengence.
"You are, possibly the most courageous person I've met." He said to her.
Ally could only laugh through her tears at hearing that. "I don't know, I can think of a whole team of people I aspire to be like."
"Trust me," Adam came over and handed a small box to Brennan. "I think you already are."
Now smiling, Brennan held the box for Ally to see and opened it up.
"I've been thinking for awhile...that it's about time we recruited some new blood." Adam went on.
Inside the box was a familiar Mutant X ring.
Ally had no words to describe.
"There's a spot waiting, if you're interested?" Brennan finished.
Ally had to cover her mouth to muffle the cry of joy. She grappled Brennan and hugged him excitedly, as if he'd just asked her to marry him!
Then, taking the ring from the box with a shaky hand, she slipped it on her right middle finger and watched with building emotion as the ring keyed into her DNA and changed.
Ally leapt to her feet and hugged Adam before turning back on Brennan and kissing him heatedly.
After a long moment, Ally and Brennan came to their senses and broke away.
"Uh...welcome to the team!" Brennan fummbled.
Sharing a laugh, Ally went back to admiring her new ring...the symbol of a brand new beginning!
[END LOG ONE]