Beauty and the Beast
Chapter Fifteen: Counterattack!
Jennifer's voice was anxious as she said to Hank, "I just came from my meeting with the board."
"And?" prodded Hank, but he had a fair idea of how the meeting went by the slump in Jennifer's shoulders and the dullness in her eyes.
"They have said that it is not up to them to reinstate me. They said that as I have already been replaced, I cannot have my job back."
"That's not right!" said Hank, slamming a fist on the table.
Jennifer tried to cover his hand with her own. "Calm down, Hank. It's just the beginning. We still have a lot of options for us to try. And we do have people out there to support us."
"But there are also people who don't."
"True," said Jennifer, remembering the vandals who had damaged her house. She had not told Hank about the death threats that she had also received - she did not want to worry Hank with what she thought was just someone looking to vent their anger - and was just hoping to get through this unharmed, and, most importantly, with Hank. "But don't worry, Hank. We can beat them. We just need to focus on Kelly at the moment. He's the one at the head of this campaign."
Hank withdrew his hand from under Jennifer's, and instead wrapped it around her tiny frame, pulling her close. "You're right," he whispered into her hair. "You and I can do this. Together. You can beat him, you are strong enough. And that's why I love you."
"And that's why I love you, too, Hank."
*
Jennifer hummed a small tune to herself - a song from 'Swan Lake' - as she flipped open her new letterbox and took out her mail. "Bill, bill, you may have already won. . ., death threat, interview, bill, catalogue, postcard, death threat, bill. I hate mail. Hate mail in particular."
Still talking to herself, Jennifer continued to flip through her mail, while walking towards her front door. She did not notice the shadow that lurked around the corner, and disappeared back into the night.
*
About half an hour, Jennifer began to sense something odd - a presence that was hanging around her. The sound of a door shutting confirmed it - there was somebody in the house.
"Hello? Kitty? Kurt? Is that you?"
No answer.
"Who's there?!" demanded Jennifer, trying to keep the fear from seeping into her voice.
"Hello, Jennifer."
Jennifer whirled around, to face a figure dressed in black, his - her? - face hidden. The voice gave no clue to its gender, either. "What do you want?!"
"To warn you, Jennifer. Mutants are dangerous."
"Get out of my house!" she screamed, and tried to run away.
"Not so fast, Jennifer." The figure grabbed her, and she screamed, kicking and fighting to get out of his grasp. "Don't make me hurt you, Jennifer."
"Let go of me!" Jennifer cried, making one desperate attempt to get away.
The figure reached up and grabbed a lamp that was on, and with one final blow, struck Jennifer on the back of the head. The room went dark, and Jennifer hit the floor, unconscious.
The shadow ran from the room, having dropped the lamp.
It did not notice the spark from the lamp's wiring catch the material of the curtains, and race up to the ceiling in tongues of scarlet flame, lighting up the room.
*
"Ohh. My head," groaned Jennifer, slowly coming back to life. "What happened?"
She tried to get up, but fell back down due to a dizzy spell. However, she did manage to look around. She was still in her bedroom, but this bedroom was somehow different.
Her eyes widened when she realised what was wrong.
The room was on fire!
Jennifer staggered to her feet, somehow finding the strength and the will to stand up. But the flames that had her trapped brought back the terrible memories, and she stood paralysed as she had done all those years before.
"Help me," she whispered, her voice that of the child she had thought had died so long ago.
"Hank?"
The darkness overtook her, and she fell to the floor once more.
*
Hank was focused on his chess game with Scott, and so he did not pick up on the sharp smell of smoke that had wafted up to the mansion. But Logan did.
"Do you smell that?" asked Logan.
"No-" began Scott, but he was cut off by the sound of fire engine sirens.
"There's a fire," Logan said simply. He looked out at the town, and his face grew concerned. "Hank," he called. "Doesn't she live down there?" He pointed to a spot in the distance where smoke could be seen rising in a lazy line.
"What?" asked Hank, coming to the window. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the smoke, and the fire engines racing towards its source.
The sirens cut out abruptly.
"Jennifer!"
*
"Stand back!" shouted a fireman to the crowd surrounding the house. Once they had backed away, he turned to a woman in her mid-forties, a neighbour. "Who lives here?"
The woman was obviously in shock, but she managed to answer. "Jennifer Reed."
"Anyone else?"
The woman shook her head. "Just her. She wasn't too popular for her beliefs about mutants. She was human, though," she added.
"Do you have any idea what might have happened?" he asked her, trying to get the full story from the woman.
"Not really, although Jennifer did mention having chased off some kids a few days ago." The woman nodded knowingly. "They spray-painted her house with rude messages."
"I see," said the fireman. He turned to another fireman who was dressed in rescue gear, about to enter the house. "One victim, female, still inside the house! You must hurry!"
The rescue fireman nodded, and started to head to the front door. He did not see a part of the roof break away directly above him, and begin to fall.
"Look out!"
The rescuer looked up, and instinctively tried to protect himself by raising his arms above his head. Everyone waited for the impact, but it never came.
"What the?" muttered an onlooker.
The crowd watched with wide eyes as the debris floated above the man's head. It then seemed to fly off to one side, away from anyone in the area.
Everyone turned to see the X-Men standing there, in full uniform.
"Beast," said Jean. "She's still alive, but only just."
"Where is she?" asked Nightcrawler, ignoring the stares of onlookers. "I can 'port her out of there, if I know where she is."
"No," said Cyclops. "It's too risky."
Beast had heard enough of this meaningless debate. While the teenagers were busy discussing the best way to deal with this problem, the one thing he cared most about in the entire world was trapped in that inferno, barely clinging onto life.
"Jennifer!" he shouted, and tried to run inside.
But he was stopped by a policewoman. "You can't go in there!" she ordered, blocking his path.
Beast merely growled at her and said, "She's still in there. Either you move aside or-" Beast stopped there, letting the threat hang in the air, punctuated only by another growl and the baring of his teeth.
The woman swallowed, and moved aside. As he ran past her she whispered, "Good luck."
Once inside the building Beast realised his mistake. He did not know exactly where Jennifer was, and he could waste precious time searching through every room. Beast knew that time was something Jennifer just did not have.
It was staring to get even hotter in there. It seemed that as his distress rose, so too did the temperature.
"Jennifer!" he called, hoping to get a response. "Jennifer! Where are you?!"
No answer.
Jean's voice filled Beast's mind. "She's in the bedroom. Storm is going to try and put out the fire. Get her out of there before the house collapses!"
Beast nodded, and began running up the stairs, which, fortunately, were still intact.
Beast let out of roar as he slammed the bedroom door, which was shut tight. He did not notice that the door handle was red hot as he forced it open.
It swung open to reveal a room that shimmered with heat, and was dark with smoke. This was where the fore had started, and where Jennifer was.
Beast coughed, and his eyes started to water as he looked around.
There!
Lying in a corner was Jennifer. But there was a problem.
She was surrounded by flames, and it had already started licking at her skin.
Beast was too worried to notice the gash on the back of her head, which was steadily oozing blood, congealing in a dark red mass in her light brown hair.
Jennifer was not moving at all.
"Jennifer!"
Beast leapt through the flames and scooped up the limp figure in his arms.
He began to make his way out of the house.
*
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Nora Finklestein, Jennifer's nosy neighbour. "What is going on in there?!" she demanded of Jean, who was struggling to keep the flames from consuming the house next door as a deluge caused by Storm fell from the skies.
"There!" shouted Rogue. She pointed to the front door, where Beast was coming out of the burning house.
He raced forwards, away from the flames, and only said one thing as he carried the lifeless figure of his beloved in his arms.
"She's not breathing!"
Chapter Fifteen: Counterattack!
Jennifer's voice was anxious as she said to Hank, "I just came from my meeting with the board."
"And?" prodded Hank, but he had a fair idea of how the meeting went by the slump in Jennifer's shoulders and the dullness in her eyes.
"They have said that it is not up to them to reinstate me. They said that as I have already been replaced, I cannot have my job back."
"That's not right!" said Hank, slamming a fist on the table.
Jennifer tried to cover his hand with her own. "Calm down, Hank. It's just the beginning. We still have a lot of options for us to try. And we do have people out there to support us."
"But there are also people who don't."
"True," said Jennifer, remembering the vandals who had damaged her house. She had not told Hank about the death threats that she had also received - she did not want to worry Hank with what she thought was just someone looking to vent their anger - and was just hoping to get through this unharmed, and, most importantly, with Hank. "But don't worry, Hank. We can beat them. We just need to focus on Kelly at the moment. He's the one at the head of this campaign."
Hank withdrew his hand from under Jennifer's, and instead wrapped it around her tiny frame, pulling her close. "You're right," he whispered into her hair. "You and I can do this. Together. You can beat him, you are strong enough. And that's why I love you."
"And that's why I love you, too, Hank."
*
Jennifer hummed a small tune to herself - a song from 'Swan Lake' - as she flipped open her new letterbox and took out her mail. "Bill, bill, you may have already won. . ., death threat, interview, bill, catalogue, postcard, death threat, bill. I hate mail. Hate mail in particular."
Still talking to herself, Jennifer continued to flip through her mail, while walking towards her front door. She did not notice the shadow that lurked around the corner, and disappeared back into the night.
*
About half an hour, Jennifer began to sense something odd - a presence that was hanging around her. The sound of a door shutting confirmed it - there was somebody in the house.
"Hello? Kitty? Kurt? Is that you?"
No answer.
"Who's there?!" demanded Jennifer, trying to keep the fear from seeping into her voice.
"Hello, Jennifer."
Jennifer whirled around, to face a figure dressed in black, his - her? - face hidden. The voice gave no clue to its gender, either. "What do you want?!"
"To warn you, Jennifer. Mutants are dangerous."
"Get out of my house!" she screamed, and tried to run away.
"Not so fast, Jennifer." The figure grabbed her, and she screamed, kicking and fighting to get out of his grasp. "Don't make me hurt you, Jennifer."
"Let go of me!" Jennifer cried, making one desperate attempt to get away.
The figure reached up and grabbed a lamp that was on, and with one final blow, struck Jennifer on the back of the head. The room went dark, and Jennifer hit the floor, unconscious.
The shadow ran from the room, having dropped the lamp.
It did not notice the spark from the lamp's wiring catch the material of the curtains, and race up to the ceiling in tongues of scarlet flame, lighting up the room.
*
"Ohh. My head," groaned Jennifer, slowly coming back to life. "What happened?"
She tried to get up, but fell back down due to a dizzy spell. However, she did manage to look around. She was still in her bedroom, but this bedroom was somehow different.
Her eyes widened when she realised what was wrong.
The room was on fire!
Jennifer staggered to her feet, somehow finding the strength and the will to stand up. But the flames that had her trapped brought back the terrible memories, and she stood paralysed as she had done all those years before.
"Help me," she whispered, her voice that of the child she had thought had died so long ago.
"Hank?"
The darkness overtook her, and she fell to the floor once more.
*
Hank was focused on his chess game with Scott, and so he did not pick up on the sharp smell of smoke that had wafted up to the mansion. But Logan did.
"Do you smell that?" asked Logan.
"No-" began Scott, but he was cut off by the sound of fire engine sirens.
"There's a fire," Logan said simply. He looked out at the town, and his face grew concerned. "Hank," he called. "Doesn't she live down there?" He pointed to a spot in the distance where smoke could be seen rising in a lazy line.
"What?" asked Hank, coming to the window. His heart leapt into his throat when he saw the smoke, and the fire engines racing towards its source.
The sirens cut out abruptly.
"Jennifer!"
*
"Stand back!" shouted a fireman to the crowd surrounding the house. Once they had backed away, he turned to a woman in her mid-forties, a neighbour. "Who lives here?"
The woman was obviously in shock, but she managed to answer. "Jennifer Reed."
"Anyone else?"
The woman shook her head. "Just her. She wasn't too popular for her beliefs about mutants. She was human, though," she added.
"Do you have any idea what might have happened?" he asked her, trying to get the full story from the woman.
"Not really, although Jennifer did mention having chased off some kids a few days ago." The woman nodded knowingly. "They spray-painted her house with rude messages."
"I see," said the fireman. He turned to another fireman who was dressed in rescue gear, about to enter the house. "One victim, female, still inside the house! You must hurry!"
The rescue fireman nodded, and started to head to the front door. He did not see a part of the roof break away directly above him, and begin to fall.
"Look out!"
The rescuer looked up, and instinctively tried to protect himself by raising his arms above his head. Everyone waited for the impact, but it never came.
"What the?" muttered an onlooker.
The crowd watched with wide eyes as the debris floated above the man's head. It then seemed to fly off to one side, away from anyone in the area.
Everyone turned to see the X-Men standing there, in full uniform.
"Beast," said Jean. "She's still alive, but only just."
"Where is she?" asked Nightcrawler, ignoring the stares of onlookers. "I can 'port her out of there, if I know where she is."
"No," said Cyclops. "It's too risky."
Beast had heard enough of this meaningless debate. While the teenagers were busy discussing the best way to deal with this problem, the one thing he cared most about in the entire world was trapped in that inferno, barely clinging onto life.
"Jennifer!" he shouted, and tried to run inside.
But he was stopped by a policewoman. "You can't go in there!" she ordered, blocking his path.
Beast merely growled at her and said, "She's still in there. Either you move aside or-" Beast stopped there, letting the threat hang in the air, punctuated only by another growl and the baring of his teeth.
The woman swallowed, and moved aside. As he ran past her she whispered, "Good luck."
Once inside the building Beast realised his mistake. He did not know exactly where Jennifer was, and he could waste precious time searching through every room. Beast knew that time was something Jennifer just did not have.
It was staring to get even hotter in there. It seemed that as his distress rose, so too did the temperature.
"Jennifer!" he called, hoping to get a response. "Jennifer! Where are you?!"
No answer.
Jean's voice filled Beast's mind. "She's in the bedroom. Storm is going to try and put out the fire. Get her out of there before the house collapses!"
Beast nodded, and began running up the stairs, which, fortunately, were still intact.
Beast let out of roar as he slammed the bedroom door, which was shut tight. He did not notice that the door handle was red hot as he forced it open.
It swung open to reveal a room that shimmered with heat, and was dark with smoke. This was where the fore had started, and where Jennifer was.
Beast coughed, and his eyes started to water as he looked around.
There!
Lying in a corner was Jennifer. But there was a problem.
She was surrounded by flames, and it had already started licking at her skin.
Beast was too worried to notice the gash on the back of her head, which was steadily oozing blood, congealing in a dark red mass in her light brown hair.
Jennifer was not moving at all.
"Jennifer!"
Beast leapt through the flames and scooped up the limp figure in his arms.
He began to make his way out of the house.
*
"Is she going to be all right?" asked Nora Finklestein, Jennifer's nosy neighbour. "What is going on in there?!" she demanded of Jean, who was struggling to keep the flames from consuming the house next door as a deluge caused by Storm fell from the skies.
"There!" shouted Rogue. She pointed to the front door, where Beast was coming out of the burning house.
He raced forwards, away from the flames, and only said one thing as he carried the lifeless figure of his beloved in his arms.
"She's not breathing!"