Mutant X drove into New Gotham around eight o'clock at night. Lexa pressed a button on her cell phone to end a call. "All right, my contact says the just saw Carli rounding the corner on Seventh Street maybe five minutes ago."
"Boy, and here I thought you were talking to your bookie," Brennan said with a smirk. "You know too many people, Lex., you should get rid of some."
Lexa chuckled. "You're telling me, I've been trying to get rid of you for months," Lexa said with a wink, Brennan laughed.
Jesse drove with one hand down Seventh Street, and Shalimar sniffed the air. "There are dead people around here."
"I'm sure there are," Jesse replied. "New Gotham has the highest rate of deaths in any city in the U.S.," Jesse informed.
"Damn, those girls must be very busy," Brennan said.
"Start looking if we want to catch her," Lexa instructed. "Jess, why don't you park somewhere?"
Jesse nodded and pulled into a small parking space near an alley. The four of them walked down the dark alley, Lexa avoided stepping in a puddle. "God, this place just says welcome, tourists, doesn't it?" Lexa asked sarcastically.
"New Gotham reminds me of Hell's Kitchen in New York," Jesse said, looking around. The streets were wet from a previous rainstorm, and a rotten smell of garbage filled the air with a hint of exhaust from cars.
"What? Have you heard stories about it, Pretty Boy?" Lexa teased, Jesse snapped his head around with his jaw hanging open, Lexa laughed.
"And this Barbara Gordon is the one person they all ran to? Carli lived in Metropolis and Dinah lived in some town Missouri . . . I wonder why she's the popular foster mother," Lexa changed the subject.
Carli patrolled the streets, the little deserted alleys had all the action, so naturally she wasn't allowed there. Helena and Dinah took over the bigger scenes by themselves while Carli, forever young to their eyes, took either the small stuff, tagged along with Helena and Dinah, or stayed in the Clock Tower with Barbara. Carli had only been staying with them for nearly a year and she hadn't completed her training yet. She was lucky to have her own codename, Impulse. Barbara had Oracle; Helena had Huntress, and Dinah had the Black Canary.
"Impulse," Barbara's voice echoed in Carli's ears through her comm set.
"Yeah?" Carli asked as she established a connection. The Bird of Prey's communications relied on a medallion and stylish earrings. They were all girls, so they had to look good.
"How's it going over there?" Barbara asked.
"Quiet as a tomb, but I'm sure you already knew that," Carli answered. "How are the more experienced Ops, Oracle?"
There was a pause before she answered. "Fine."
"Anything happens where they're at?" Carli pressed.
Another pause.
"Right, listen, I'll tell you if anything happens. Out." Carli disabled the link before Barbara said anything, Carli knew Barbara hated bragging about her favorite operatives' war stories.
"Are you talking to yourself?" Lexa asked behind her.
Carli stopped and turned around, four adults were standing in the alley. "Yes, and I'd appreciate it if you didn't listen to our private conversation," she said slyly as she turned back around and started walking.
"Carli, wait," Shalimar called.
Carli stopped and turned around. "Who're you?"
"We're mutants . . . " Jesse explained.
Carli blinked a few times. "Mutants don't exist, and therefore have nothing to do with me. So, if you'll excuse me," Carli turned around for a third time.
"Playing human?" Shalimar asked. "It's okay. We're not from around here."
Carli sighed and turned to face the two men and two women. "I don't know how you know about me, but it's safer for you to go away."
"We're not going anyway," Lexa snapped.
Carli took a step back. "Too bad, because I am," she disappeared in a blink of an eye.
Jesse dropped his head. "Damn, she went into super speed," he cursed. "Thanks, Lexa."
"Jesse, I see what you're doing but we don't have time. If the Dominion finds out what we're doing--"
"They won't," Brennan interrupted, he looked around. "Hey, where'd Shal go?"
Lexa looked around as well. "She went after Carli."
Buildings, cars, and people flooded past Shalimar, working her legs the hardest to keep up with Carli. Shalimar was fast but she could never match Carli's speed. Shalimar saw Carli two blocks ahead, she looked like she was in normal speed but all around her was nearly frozen. It took concentration to weave between everything to get to her. Carli was running without looking behind her, Shalimar figured that Carli didn't know she was being followed. Suddenly, Carli turned onto an alley, Shalimar turned as well. Carli had stopped and was inhaling deeply.
"You're a quick one," Shalimar said, breathing hard.
Carli stood straight quickly, now aware of the stranger. "So are you," Carli took a preparing step back like she did before.
"I'm not going to hurt you, if I was going to I would've when your back was turned," Shalimar reasoned.
"You ran three miles in ten seconds to what?" Carli asked, fully recovered from her brisk run.
"Three miles, really?" Shalimar asked.
Carli took another step back. "You didn't answer my question."
"You might've heard of me . . . I'm from Mutant X," Shalimar started.
Carli's eyes widened. "Oh . . . well, why didn't you say so? We've been waiting for you."
"We-who?" Shalimar asked.
"Oracle saw you coming and told us to look out for you," Carli explained. "You're here to talk with her right?"
"Yeah . . . you'll take us to her?"
"That's what I'm here for," Carli answered with a shrug. "We should go get the others then," Carli took a step toward the street. "I'll race you."
"I already know you'll win," Shalimar said with a smile.
"I thought ferals liked playing games?" Carli asked.
"You know me?"
"Just your powers," Carli answered.
Shalimar nodded. "Oh, then I'm Shalimar."
"Carli . . . what do you say? I'll give you one second."
Shalimar disappeared followed by Carli.
"Should we stay here?" Brennan asked.
"Like we can compete with feral and a speed freak," Lexa said.
A gust of wind blew by them, Jesse looked and saw Carli and Shalimar standing there. "I so had you!" Carli exclaimed.
"Yeah, whatever," Shalimar said with a grin. "Carli, this is Brennan, Jesse, and Lexa."
Carli nodded. "Carli . . . So, are you ready to see Oracle or what?"
Lexa paused. "Yeah . . . "
"Take us to your leader," Brennan said with a grin.
"Okay, come on," Carli turned around and started to walk.
"How'd you get her to help us?" Jesse asked as he began to follow Carli.
"Just had to say the magic words," Shalimar answered vaguely.
"What-pretty please?" Lexa asked with a frown.
"No . . . Mutant X."
Carli led the four through a hallway. They were on the ground-floor of New Gotham Clock Tower. She stopped them at a silver door, obviously a door to the elevator. A silver pad was implanted in the wall next to it. Carli pushed her hand on it, when she took her hand away, a blue lighted imprint of her finger and palm prints remained. Suddenly, the pad raised from the wall and slid away to reveal a keypad. Carli pressed some numbers, a light above the keypad turned green and the large silver door opened to reveal the elevator cab.
"All that to get into an elevator?" Brennan asked.
"There's no more, I promise," Carli replied as she walked inside.
"Has anyone gotten past this?" Jesse asked.
"Once . . . but that was pre-Carli days," she answered.
When they were all inside, the door slid shut and the ride began. The room was big enough so none of them felt cramped. Carli sat down and crossed her legs.
Lexa looked down at her. "What are you doing?"
Carli looked up. "You've seen how tall this Tower is, we're going all the way up to the top floor."
"Oh, great," Lexa said sarcastically with a sigh.
"Hey! You wanted to talk to her, beggars can't be choosers," Carli responded.
Shalimar walked the short distance and sat next to Carli, she smiled warmly. "So, what powers do you three have?"
When the elevator door opened, all of Mutant X was getting to their feet as Carli walked out first. "Barbara?"
Lexa looked around, the lair was all high-tech walking from the elevator door, a ramp led to a circular platform. The platform was surrounded by sleek, flat screen computers. Pillars rose from the platform where large screens were placed, a map of the city was on one of the large screens, two dots were close to each other on the other side of the city. Beyond the circle of computers was the face of the clock, around the computer were little rooms, in one room was a couch and in another was a desk littered with books and papers no doubt belonging to the two students, Dinah and Carli.
"Barbara?" Carli called again.
It was the entrance of Barbara Gordon a.k.a. Oracle that awoke everyone from their observations. She had fiery red hair and flashing green eyes, but what had surprised them was that she wasn't walking. Barbara was sitting in a high, motorized wheelchair. Barbara was raised to about five and a half foot but it was still a shock.
"As promised," Carli introduced.
"Good," she praised Carli but her eyes never leaving Mutant X. "Tell Helena and Dinah to come back to the Tower."
Carli nodded and walked into one of the small nooks. "Oracle?" Lexa asked.
"Oh, call me Barbara, please. You must be Lexa, right?" she asked, moving to the circle platform and turned back around to face them. "I saw you coming across the state line and sent the girls after you."
"So Carli has told us . . . how do you know about us?" Brennan asked.
Barbara smiled. "Brennan?" Barbara waited for a nod this time before going on. "Brennan, we know you're here to get some Intel on the Dominion."
"How do you know all this?" Lexa asked, getting defensive.
"We've known since we got this . . . " Barbara pressed a button on her keyboard, the center of the platform glowed. Light beams came from the center and formed the image of Adam Kane.
"Oracle, I've sent you this to warn you. All our fears of the Dominion have come true. The corruption is deep. I've spent the last year trying to narrow it down but I've been coming down to the same result, our enemy is the Dominion. They have too much power over science, if they establish all control over the Children of Genomex, they'll eventually come after metahumans. My team, Mutant X, is now aware of this. If I know them, they'll be trying to get any information they can on their enemy, I've left clues in their system to lead them to you, Oracle. Tell them all you know about it . . . but be careful, Barbra, the eyes of the Dominion are everywhere," the hologram disappeared. Carli walked up the ramp and nodded to Barbara, she passed Mutant X and leaned on a computer table next to her.
"So you know Adam?" Jesse asked.
"When Carli came on the team and I had found out about her mutation, I tracked Adam down to get information about it . . . as you've possibly figured, New Gotham isn't famous for New Mutants," Barbara explained. "He kept me posted about the Dominion."
"So, because of Carli you know so much about the Dominion?" Jesse further questioned.
Carli grinned. "Oh, no, no need to thank me. I help people for a living," she said sarcastically.
Barbara looked at Carli. ''Apparently, my reputation proceeds."
Carli dropped her jaw. "You? Sure, take all the credit," she pouted.
"Carli . . . " Barbara scolded her.
"What, just trying to lighten the mood," she shrugged.
"Why don't you see what's taken them so long?" Carli walked off mumbling something under her breath.
Barbara turned back to Mutant X. "You shouldn't have come all the way here, once your contact knows that you've been gone, he'll start to get suspicious."
Jesse looked at Lexa. "Actually, no, he wouldn't. He's helped us before, I think he's on our side."
Lexa shrugged with a frown. "Sort of."
Brennan gave them a questioning look. "We'll worry about that later."
"Okay," Barbara began. "Because it's so late, we'll pour over Adam's research and video files tomorrow."
"What? Why?" Lexa asked.
"Well, you don't think we can read one year of research in one night, Lexa. You think Adam was sitting on his ass the whole time?"
"I don't see why not, his holograms did most of the talking," Brennan muttered, Lexa and Jesse laughed a little while Shalimar gave them a scornful look.
"Carli," Barbara called over. "Go move some overnight stuff out of your room for Shalimar and Lexa, and you'll stay with Helena for the night, you four can sleep in the two top floor rooms."
Shalimar laughed. "No problem."
Carli dropped her jaw. "What do you mean no problem, Helena can barely keep a house plant alive?!"
Barbara gave Carli a stern look and Carli began up a spiral staircase identical to Sanctuary's. The guests smiled to themselves, "need any help, Carli?" Shalimar offered.
"I wouldn't mind . . . oh and by the way, Helena and Dinah are on their way, Barbara."
"Okay," Barbara answered. "Um the rest of you should tag along, Carli will show you the kitchen if you're hungry."
Carli waited until all four of them were coming up the stairs before she went up to the second story. The second floor was actually a wide catwalk that surrounded the first floor. Like the story below, there were small rooms with more couches. However, one of the rooms had a table and chairs and next to the dining room was the kitchen. "That's the kitchen, your rooms are this way," Carli said as she took a few steps down the hallway.
"You know, if you don't feel like sharing your room, we can always take one of those couches," Lexa suggested.
"No, of course you can stay in my room, I was just being difficult," Carli excused. They past two doors and then they came to the last two doors that were across the hall from one another. Carli opened the door to the right, revealing a large bedroom. Complete with a bed, desk with her own computer, couch, and a large screen television. The walls were plastered with posters of movies, television shows, and rock bands. In a corner was a guitar, and two stacks of CD's and DVD's.
"Um, the couch folds out and the computer has a DVD player if your bored ... any questions?" Carli asked as she picked up an empty backpack from the floor.
"Nope," Lexa said.
Carli nodded. "Oh, Jesse and Brennan, your room is right across the hall. You'll have to come in here for entertainment because nobody lives in that one. The bathroom is right next door to the guys' room to the left."
Brennan and Jesse nodded and walked out, Carli walked to the wall and turned a small doorknob to open a closet. "So, how long do you think you'll be staying here?" she asked as she walked into her closet.
"Until we get what we need," Lexa answered.
"Okay, too bad, you're the first mutants I've ever met," Carli answered as she came out, stuffing clothes into her backpack.
"Awe, sorry, but Adam is now in the Dominion and we have to find him," Shalimar apologized.
Carli shrugged. "Well, with an excuse like that ..." she smiled and walked to the door. "See you tomorrow." Before she had touched the doorknob, the door opened and Helena and Dinah walked in.
"Hey," Carli greeted them. "I'm staying with you tonight."
"Yeah, I heard," Helena said with a frown. "Barbara just can't get rid of you fast enough, can she?" Carli shrugged, Helena looked past her to the strangers. "Hi, I'm Helena," the brunette introduced, her brown locks were a little lighter than Carli's and her hair was shorter as well. Helena was wearing black leather everywhere, a black leather coat trailed to her ankles and black leather pants and a black top.
"Hey, the Matrix called, they want their clothes back," Carli joked, spotting Lexa and Shalimar looking at her sister's outfit.
Helena made a face at Carli. "Why don't you wait at the elevator for me, Carli?" Carli moved past Helena and Dinah and disappeared around the doorframe.
Shalimar nodded. "I'm Shalimar."
"Lexa."
"Ah, Shalimar the feral, right? Well, nice meeting you, we'll see you tomorrow then," Helena walked out the door, leaving the young blond Dinah.
"Right, well, I'm Dinah if you haven't guessed. My room's right next to yours if you need anything," Dinah was also dressed in black with a glossed leather coat that went down to her ankles as well.
'Must be a trend in New Gotham,' Shalimar thought. 'I remember when I did as well.'
Dinah was gone, Lexa sat down on the couch. "Man, I'm tired."
"And I thought Sanctuary was crowded," Shalimar said with a smile. Lexa got up and folded out the couch before lying down. "Goodnight, Lexa."
"'Night, Shal."
A/N: Sorry to disappoint, but I had to make sure that all characters were all introduced so if you're still not satisfied, just hang around until the next chapter so you can get to see some metahuman/mutant bonding and some thoughts about how Jesse really feels about Mutant X's job in saving the world.