To Err is Human
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "While I appreciate your help, I must point out that I am not little. I am small boned"
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Hey all, hope you all made it over with the rating jump up, I promise it'll be worth it, I get more freedom. Ready for another death?
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Chapter 17 - Broken Bonds
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A week later, Dorian Leech sighed as he sat on the floor of his home, his usual spot in front of the TV. Sadly, all the TV showed nowadays was anti-mutant propaganda. He blinked up as his mother walked passed, turning the TV off.
"You know I don't like you watching that, Dorian", she said, "it'll give you nightmares"
Leech rolled his eyes as she walked into the kitchen. Oh, and the fact he couldn't go to school because his peers would toss rocks at him wouldn't give him nightmares? He didn't like being a prisoner in his own home, but he knew his mother was just trying to protect him. Ever since his father had left, she'd been overprotective, trying to keep him safe from a world that had obviously stung her. [1]
"Why don't you read or something, honey?", came Mrs Leech's voice form the kitchen.
"Okay, Mom", he sighed, leaving the TV defeatedly, walking into his room.
He pulled over his stool, standing on it to grab a book from a higher shelf. He paused, something catching the corner of his eye. He turned his head, looking out of his window, where a tree branch was scraping over it. He shook his head. Jumping at shadows, he had to learn to be braver than that. He climbed back down, ging to sit on his chair, reading his book. He got a moment of silence, before hearing a smashing sound, followed by a scream. His mothers scream.
"Mom?", he shouted, jumping off his chair and running into the kitchen.
The window had been torn open, smashed by thick vines that looked like they belonged in a rainforest. He stepped carefully around the shattered glass, his worry causing the light of the kitchen to flicker slightly.
"M...Mom?", he called out again.
He glanced around, looking desperately for his mother. All that was in the room was a huge gathering of the vines in one corner. He let out a shuddery breath, running towards it. He pulled at them, struggling for a moment, before they fell apart of their own accord. His eyes widened at the sight before him, causing him to back away, the light of the kitchen blinking out completely, bathing the figure in front of him in moonlight. His mother was tangled up in the vines, many tightly wrapped around her throat, her body completely motionless, her eyes staring straight ahead, wide with fear.
"Mom?", he whimpered, getting no response, "MOM!!!"
He ran over to her, taking her hand in his tugging her gently.
"Mom...Mom..please get up", he sobbed, tears dripping from his cheeks, "please!"
It was then he heard the rustling again. He froze like a rabbit in headlights, before slowly turning his head to the sound. Above him, sitting on a vine near the ceiling sat a figure all in black, except for that gold, expressionless mask.
"Who...who are you", he whimpered, narrowing his eyes, "wh...what did you do to my Mother?!"
The figure watched him in silence for a moment, before dropping. Leech, jumped out of the way, narrowly avoiding a vine that rushed out at him from nowhere. The figure span around in a cat-like movement, lashing out another vine. Leech didn't want to leave his Mother, but he knew he had no choice. He narrowed his eyes, trying to concentrate on his powers. He'd had a few lessons with Charles Xavier, who had taught him how to tap into his abilities, he just hoped they would work. As the figure raise her hand, trying to send another vine out, her powers failed. She gave a grunt of suprise, looking at her hands. Dorian took his chance and fled. The figure watched him go, pale green eyes narrowing under the mask. She reached into the boot of her uniform, pulling out a short, sharp dagger. Looked like this had to be done the hard way.
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Since the baby shower incident, the Xavier institute went back to normalcy...or as normal as it could. The New Recruits had started to get out of what the adults had called 'the blue period', though Danielle and Roberto were still plotting on how to get rid of the Inner Circle. Jamie had cheered up slightly, and Bobby showed no signs of upset whatsoever. As for Sam...well, he still wasn't comfortable with the thought of his sister working on 'the other side', but he knew there was nothing that could be done about it, besides, Rahne had made sure he cheered up. There was one amongst the teenage populace, however, that was NOT that happy. At all.
"Come on, 'Lock!", said Bobby, trying to follow the ailen, "it's been months!"
"Self is not talking to Bobby", said Warlock, "Bobby is a..a... QUAZLAK!"
Bobby blinked.
"A...what-now?", he said, then sighed, "I said I was sorry about Max. I didn't kill him on purpose, and I did get you a new dog"
"Self-pet Sprocket is not the same as self's old self-pet!", said Warlock.
Okay, so Warlock HAD named her, after the poor thing had gone through weeks of just being known as 'dog'. A sprocket was one of the few items Forge had in his posession at the time of the naming, so Warlock had decided it was an appropriate name for the dog of an inventor, and alien and a weather witch.
"Okay, okay", said Bobby defeatedly, "I'm a Quaz....whatever, can I be self-friend-Bobby again?"
Warlock crossed his arms.
"Negative"
"But WHYYYYY?!", cried Bobby, obviously not quite getting Warlock's point.
"Because", said Warlock calmly, before shouting, "YOU KILLED MY DOG!"
"I said I was....", Bobby paused, "hey....you used real words"
Warlock blinked.
"I did?", he said, then grinned, "I am! I have mastered a language of the Earthling race!"
"I taught you to speak Earthling!", grinned Bobby, proudly, "I had to kill your dog to do it, but I did it!"
Warlock grinned, running into the common room, bouncing in front of his more than confused foster-parents.
"Forge, Ororo, LISTEN!", he said, "I, Me, You, Them, Mine, My. I can speak your tounge!"
Forge and Storm blinked, before smiling, confusion still slightly apparent on their faces.
"Err....that's really....groovy, Warlock", said Forge.
"Good for you", smiled Storm.
"I am going to show this new skill to MY friends!", grinned Warlock, "oh, I love this!"
With that, he ran off, saying 'hello Professor Xavier' as he passed by Charles.
"I taught him to speak", said Bobby proudly in explaination, before running off.
Xavier blinked, before looking confusedly at Forge and Storm.
"No, we don't know either", said Storm with a sigh, then looked at him, "you're a professor, right? You've studied medicine, right?"
"Oh no", groaned Forge, hiding his head in his hand.
"Err.....yes?", said Xavier, then coughed, "why?"
"Well!", snapped Storm, the wind howling outside, "I had this HUGE pain yesterday, so Forge took me to the hospital and they said it was this stupid, painless Braxton Hicks thing!"
Her anger was punctuated by a thunderclap.
"Oh, Braxton Hicks is nothing, it's painless", said Xavier with a wave of his hand, before noticing Forge making cut-throat motions frantically from behind Storm...an angry looking Storm...uh oh.
"Nothing? Painless?", said Storm icly, "tell me, 'oh expert' have YOU ever had one?" [2]
Suddenly, Charles felt very, very afraid.
"Having never been pregnant...eerrr....no", he said weakly.
"Then how, pray tell", said Storm, "can you know how 'painless' it is?".
Xavier gulped.
"......Well..I ..errr"
"From now on, if you don't have a uterus, you can keep you opinions to yourself, am I clear?!"
"Yes, Ororo, sorry, Ororo", said Xavier, then sighed, "you were the one that asked for my opinion though"
There was a VERY loud thunderclap as Storm's eyes glowed white. Xavier was almost thankfull when Cererbo's alarm went off.
"I have to get that", he said, wheeling off as quickly as he could to find out what mutant had caused the alarm to go off.
"Don't think I won't come after you, wheely-Joe!", snapped Storm, "I will!!!!"
"Big breath, honey", said Forge calmly, "biiiig breaths, in...and..out"
Storm gave a snarl.
"I'm still mad at you too!", she said, crossing her arms.
Forge blinked slowly.
"Me?", he asked inocently, "what did I do?"
"You won't listen to Vi's advice and get rid of your truck", said Storm pointedly, "I am not fitting a baby seta in a pick-up truck"
"But...but", protested Forge, "I love that truck. I've had it since I was old enough to drive!"
"It's old and it smells funny", said Storm, stomping off, "get a new car"
"But I don't want to"
"Don't care"
Forge sighed, watching her walk off, oh man, how many more months would it be?.....and would he survive it? Probably not...unless he learned to hide really, really well.
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Meanwhile, Leech was still running from his persuer. Even if her powers were no longer working, he could hera her footsteps a little further behind him. He ran into the street, panting heavily, turning swiftly into an alleyway. He looked up in horror as he was met with a brick wall. Dead end. He panted, trying to control his breathing, to think straight. He glanced at the floor, seeing a manhole. Yes, the mutants...the ones that lived under the sewers. Spyke lived down there, the one that had saved him from that mob. In a split-second decision, he knelt down, struggling to lift up the heavy cover, opening it enough for him to slide through, the cover falling back over the hole as he dropped down into ankle-deep sewer water. He leaned against the wall, catching his breath, before hearing footsteps from above. Trying to stay as silent as he could, he ran blindly through the tunnels, hoping to find saftey.
She had got as far as the dead-end he'd run himself into, looking around. Where could he have gone? There was nowhere to...She paused, her eyes flitting down to the floor, locking on the manhole. She nodded, heading towards it....just as headlight shone in on her. She span around as the X-Van parked outside. Kurt, Logan, Kitty, Rogue, Scott and Jean climbing out. Logan growled, sniffing the air.
"Leech was here....", he said, before looking at the figure, sniffing, "...what the?"
The figure narrowed her dull green eyes from behind her mask. Raising her hands as she felt her powers come back, Leech must have got out of range.
"Look out!", shouted out Logan, just as a houseplant from a nearby window ledge grew to huge portions, lashing out it leaves down at the X-Men.
Scott sent out a blast, destroying the plant, before firing one at the figure, knocking her into the wall. Jean held her in place with her TK. While Kurt, Scott and Logan tackled the plantlife throwing themselves at them, Rogue stepped forward to the figure.
"Lets see who's blackhearted enough to hunt down a little kid", she hissed, pulling off the mask, suprised to see it was a kid herself, "....Gina?"
The other X-Men looked over at shock in the figure, Jean dropping her TK. Gina dropped back down to the ground, pulling the knife hidden in her boot, tossing it at Logan, catching him bellow his collarbone. He gave a growl of pain as the other X-Men advanced. Gina narrowed her eyes as she was cornered. Her dull green eyes glowed for a moment, before roots sprung up from the ground, encasing her and pulling her underground and away.
Logan winced as he pulled out the kife, his wound closing up instantly.
"......That's a new trick", he muttered.
"Why would Gina attack us?", said Kitty, frowning.
"Because she's beign controled", said Jean, rubbing her head, "I could sense it...but I couldn't make out what it was"
"She sure didn't smell right", said Logan, rubbing his shoulder, "that kid's long gone by now, his scent goes down that manhole, he'll run inta a Morlock before we find him. Besides....we need ta speak ta Chuck about this mess".
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Leech had been running through the tunnels, his heart thundering in his chest, for what had seemed an eternity. As soon as he was sure he wasn't being followed, he leaned against the wall, sinking down to sit, giving a sob. He'd left her, he'd left his Mother all alone. He knew she was gone, but he shouldn't have just LEFT her. And now he was lost, cold, tired, and very much alone....or so he thought.
"Hello?".
He glanced up, letting out a shuddery breath, his eyes still full of terror, before relaxing slightly, recognising the mutant in front of him. He couldn't remember her name, but she had been there when the mob had attacked Spyke.
"H...he..hello", he whimpered.
Callisto watched him carefully, knowing the boy, he'd saved their lives, once. In Morlock society, that was held in high regard. Besides, the boy looked terrified.
"What are you doing here?", she asked gently, leaning down by him.
"I..I.."he stammered, "there..there was this mutant..she...she attacked my home...my..my..Mom"
He closed his eyes, tears dripping down his cheeks.
"She killed my Mom", he whispered, "I..I had to run away...I had to find somewhere safe"
Callisto's showing eye softened, she sighed, resting a hand on his shoulder.
"You're safe with the Morlocks", she said gently, "come on, lets get you a warm drink and a blanket"
"Uh-huh", he said, his voice still shaky.
Callisto picked him up, carrying him off down the tunnels, by the time they'd got to the main alley, Leech had fallen asleep in exhaustion. She sighed, lying him down on one of the beds, covering him with a blanket. Evan frowned as he walked over.
"....Why is Leech here?", he asked.
"Someone killed his mother", whispered Callisto, frowning, "he had nowhere else to go. The poor guy's exhausted....and fightened".
Evan sighed, watching the youngster shift around in his sleep, troubled by nightmares.
"Looks like he's one of us, now", said Evan softly, glancing at Callisto, "you okay?"
The Morlock leader shrugged, sighing.
"It's just another orphaned mutant", she said, frowning, "forced to hide in darkness because he isn't what most would call 'the norm'"
"I know", said Evan, putting his arm around her comfortingly, "but hey, you look after them well"
Callisto let a small smile cross her lips.
"We both do", she said, nodding at him before walking off.
Evan sighed, watching her go. He knew she was too strong minded, too strong willed to let her weaknesses show, but he also knew her well enough to know how she felt about orphans, especially MUTANT orphans. She'd take them all under her wing if she could, be a mother to them all. And he...he was always more than willing to be their father.
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Over at the Institute, Charles was trying to think over what his team had told him, he glanced over to the TV, which was showing the scene at the Leech home. It showed police trying to tidy up the tangle of vines in the home, looking confused.
"The scene at a home in Bayville", said Trish Tilby, looking seriously at the cameras, "police are baffled by the vines that have appeared here, which have strangled a woman to death. Authorities refuse to divulge any information about the incident, but it is known in the neighbourhood that her son is, indeed a mutant. Many believe this is the work of a mutant, though no one would talk to this reporter to confirm suspisions. This is Trish Tilby, for Channel eight news".
"You know, I still say she's fat", said Storm, glancing over at a silent Hank.
"Humph", he replied, Trish Tilby was still a tender subject, unfortunately, it was difficult not to be reminded of your former lover when she appared on TV regulary.
"Thank you, Trish. We'll give you more on that story as it unfolds", said Tim, the anchorman, "in other news, the whereabouts of teen pop sensation, Alison Blaire are still unknown. The young singer, better known as Dazzler vanished after a preformance two days ago, with no trace where or why she could have gone. Police are offering a reward for any eye-wittnesses to come forward. In sports..."
Storm sighed, turning off the TV, turning to listen to the conversation going on in the room.
"And you say you sensed something in Angelina?", asked Xavier, looking at Jean.
"Yes, it was her", said Jean, "it was hard to explain"
"Well, this certainally explains why she left inexplicably to 'Italy'", he said, "she simply didn't leave at all"
"What do we tell Toad....or Jamie fer that matter?", said Logan.
"I sent Rogue over to the Brotherhood to tell Toad", said Xavier, then sighed, "I think the New Recruits had best not know for now....we don't want to upset Jamie any more than he already is"
"I hope you're right, Charles", said Storm, frowning, "This may be a bit of a big secret to keep"
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[1] - Not sure WHAT happened to Leech's dad in Evo, so I made it up.
[2] - Another fine pregnant Rachel moment.
Awww, poor Leech. But now he's where he belongs, with the Morlocks. Do review. Until next time...