Pre - Mutant X

by PsiGen

Summary
A pivotal day in the lives of the Mutant X characters before they ever heard of Mutant X.

Shalimar

It was dark and cold in the alley where she crouched - the heavy rain had settled down into a steady light drizzle, faint wisps of mist hanging about the atmosphere and making the surroundings all the denser and oppressing.

Pushing aside her wild and somewhat unkempt blonde hair, she kept a wary eye on the alley mouth - almost certain that she had given her recent pursuers the slip - but unwilling to risk that she had not.

Images, jumbled and distorted raced through her mind as she waited for the inevitable, the inescapable. Her end.

But time passed, seconds turning to minutes, minutes to hours and she realized she had indeed managed to escape once again the people who sought to harm her. One more night of freedom - away from the Institute and her father - away from the men who were scared of her, of what she was becoming.

What was she becoming? Shalimar no longer knew anymore. It was like all her senses had become heightened, touch, smell, taste and her stamina!

She felt like she could run for days, without tiring, and could see differently too, her sight and smell collided together, giving her the ability to see past what was visible to the naked eye.

It was as if she'd been watching black and white television all her life without the sound on, and somebody had suddenly turned a switch and everything was color and with stereo sound. These changes while startling, weren't what scared her.

It was what was happening on the inside - in her mind and in her reactions and temperament. What good were her newfound abilities if she went mad? Was she already mad? Would she know?

The rain eased off, and she rested in a nearby niche, staring at the night sky.

She remembered...

She had been sleeping in her bedroom, when the men had come. Strangers who had brought her roughly out of her bed, carried her downstairs to where her father sat frowning at a sheaf of papers. He looked up at her when she came in, but quickly returned his attention to his papers, signing them with a flourish - albeit with shaking hands.

"Father? Who are these people?" She asked, scared. She ran up to her father, putting her arms about him, seeking comfort. He shook her off and made her sit down on the sofa, whilst he paced the room.

Anyone would have thought he was a caged tiger, not she.

"Shalimar, you know you're different, don't you? Doctor Kane did something to you, which made you different. Do you remember Dr Kane?" He asked her, taking her arms away from her face and making her look at him.

Shalimar closed her eyes, trying to think of whom he was referring to.

After a minute of such thought a brilliant smile lit up her face.

"Dr. Adam! Am I going to see Dr Adam again father?" She asked, excitedly. She liked Dr Adam - he was fun to play with.

"God forbid! No you're going to go with these gentlemen Shalimar. They're going to take you someplace special for special people like you. You're to do what they tell you to do, and not be a nuisance - it wont be for long." Lied her father.

"Don't worry sir. We'll make sure there are no misunderstandings from the off. We've our own little way for getting along with our charges..." Assured one of the men, smiling at Shalimar...

Oh yes, thought Shalimar to herself, they certainly had their own ways for dealing with their charges. Drug them up to the eyeballs and when that didn't work, put them in restraints and user tazors to shut them up. She had endured 14 months of that hellhole, before finally she had had enough. Her powers, whatever they were, wherever they were leading her, had progressed steadily over the months. The 'orderlies' had grown lazy from lack of resistance from her, believing to have finally broken her to their will - and one night Shalimar had simply fought back, clawing one man, and throwing others into walls and other equally heavy objects in one mad desperate rush at sweet freedom. If she had failed that night, she doubted very much that she would have had the guts or the strength to try a second time. Assuming of course that her captors would have been forgiving enough to let her live. Especially after the scar she must have given the leader.

Briefly she wondered what her father was doing right then and there.. whilst she lingered in the dark shadows, hunted and haunted both. Was he worried about her? Was he wondering what he had done? Or was he cursing her for causing trouble, for being 'a nuisance'.

Anger welled up – a bitterness in her throat, and she quashed it with difficulty. Her darker side again - wanting to lash out and hurt, and bite and ki.... wait! Something was coming? Someone was approaching her hiding spot. Had they found her after all? Was this the end of Shalimar Fox?

She watched and waited, standing her ground. If she was going to die tonight, she'd do it on her own terms - even as her instincts wailed at her to run, to escape the danger.

She almost laughed aloud when she saw him. One man, against her! He didn't even look as if he was armed! Was this a joke? Perhaps he had more friends waiting to ambush her?

He was looking around, stumbling in the moonlight and even tripping against his own feet at one point.

Yet there was something strangely familiar about him... she couldn't quite remember....

"Hello? Ms Fox? Shalimar? Please, I'm not here to hurt you. I only want to help if you'll let me.." His voice was quiet, reassuring - genuine sounding. But could she afford to take the risk that he wasn't simply acting a part to gain her trust? And why did that voice reinforce the familiarity she felt for him?

What should she do? Who could she trust?

Trust your instincts.. said a little voice inside her - her dark side given voice. Kill the stranger and run!

Without thinking, she acted, flinging herself onto the stranger and knocking him to the ground, her long nails clawing at his chest, ripping his thin black t-shirt. Blood welled up from between her fingers, exciting her dark side.

Finish him! It urged her. Kill!

"Shalimar? My.. you've grown... umm I wonder if you wouldn't mind if we continued this conversation standing up?" He started to roll to the side, but subsided when she didn't move from off him.

"Well.. this is quite cosy isn't it. Shalimar you must listen to what I have to say. This isn't you really, it's a part of you true, but not your whole self.." He shut up at her growl of annoyance. Clearly she wasn't in the mood for listening,

She raised her right hand, ready to gore his throat out if necessary, when it all clicked. She knew him! She knew this man! But it couldn't be.. could it?

"Dr Adam?" She whispered, lowering her hand hesitantly.

"Yes, that is what you used to call me. Do you remember me now Shalimar? What I said to you all those years ago?"

Instantly her mind sent her the memory replay:

Sitting on the hospital bed and crying because of the operation she had to have. A young brown haired man in a white coat sitting on the bed and telling her he was Dr Adam, and she was a very brave little girl. But more importantly was his promise to her that very day.

"I'd never hurt you Shalimar..."

She had tears in her eyes as she finished remembering.. he would never hurt her and she knew that deep down.

Flinging her arms around the startled Adam, she sobbed into his shoulder, her tears stinging his clawed wound and making him wince ever so slightly. But he didn't move her. Instead he just held her, until she stopped crying.

"Shalimar, I'm going to help you -" But she was shaking her head already, and backing away.

"No, you can't help me. I'm turning into a monster!" She cried.

"No you're not a monster. You're a Feral New Mutant and I can prove it." He countered, hand reaching out for her.

"A a Feral? What's that?"

He looked back at her and sighed, hand raking his hair distractedly.

"Well.. its a long story, but if you trust me I'll explain everything. Do you trust me Shalimar, enough to come with me and start a new life?" He held out his hand to her a second time, and she eyed it warily.

Did she? Could she? Would she?

She took the hand.

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Authors Note: A massive thank you to FireFeral and Rain who beta read for me - and thanks to all those who have reviewed - Im not stopping just yet!! Lexa up next!