Summary: ALTERNATE UNIVERSE: Magneto couldn't get his hands on Senator Kelly so he opted for another subject, and got more then he bargained for, or even wanted.
Disclaimer: Don't own the X-Men, just Bell and the grandkids. Just for fun I decided to add a few characters that weren't in the first two movies, but everyone wanted them to be.
CHAPTER 21: DANCIN' ON THE CEILIN'
Bell crouched down and sat on the floor next to Victor and just held him with Logan. His sobs quieted down and stopped altogether. He became real quiet. Logan was worried, a quiet Victor means a dangerous Victor sometimes. Victor rubbed his face on Bell's shoulder and sniffed her hair. After a few minutes he was ready to stand.
He walked over to the windows and looked out. He stared at the city skyline for a few minutes more. Nothing was said, no words were spoken or needed. Bell took a ragged breath, it was only this morning that she had purged herself of some grief as well, but it felt like two days ago.
Victor turned to Logan. "He knew....before?"
"Yes, he knew before." Logan said quietly. He could hear a growl coming from Victor. "He knew everything, before he even hired you." Logan said. He knew he was fueling the fire, but keeping anything from him now, only meant for a far more dangerous Victor later. He did grunt jobs for excitement, causes, fun...but when they messed and mixed with family....that he didn't do.
"Bell." Said Victor very quietly. "I need you do to something for me."
"Anything at all Victor. Just name it." Bell said with conviction.
"I want you to turn yourself into an animal." Victor said smiling.
"You want me to do what?!"
"Turn into an animal, your choice. Go on, you can now ya know." Victor said urging her.
"You mean like Shelia?" Bell asked, surprised at Victor's request.
"Just like Shelia. Go ahead. All you have to do is concentrate, relax and do it." Victor said as if he was teaching a class.
"Ooookay." Bell said with uncertainty. "So all I have to do is concentrate?" She started saying 'concentrate' like a mantra. There was a white glow coming from her, she stretched up and dropped to her hands, by the time she reached the floor though, she was growing larger, when the bright white light died down, in place of Bell on all fours on the floor was the grandmother of all felines. It was the size of a medium sized horse. The two fangs hanging out of its mouth were at least 12 inches long, and looked sharp. Its eyes were a bright chilling yellow. Bell had become the female version of Victor's working name......A full grown and more real live Sabretooth tiger, or lion, depending on which class you liked best.
"Uh, Bell? How much time did you say you spent at that museum, anyway?" Asked Logan, practically choking with laughter. Logan looked at his brother; he had a glint in eyes that was somewhat frightening. He had a very evil smile on his face. It was comical the way the large lioness head cocked to one side and a rumbling purr that would have been a "huh?", if she could voice it. Victor threw back his head and let out a laugh.
"YES!! Hot damn! This promises to be fun! We're going to go vistin' Bell." He turned to Logan who shared a smile with him.
"YES! And after that, Bell....you're going to school." He turned to Victor and grinned. Victor nodded. Logan could almost feel sorry for Erick....almost. Bell was still confused. "You're a very handsome Sabretooth Tiger, dear." Logan said.
"Better get back into your own skin, I don't think I'd be able to fit you in my car now." Victor joked. "And besides, Jake's allergic to cats." Victor actually snickered. He went back into his library and turned off the stereo and locked the door. He put on his expensive jacket and grabbed his thick wallet. He put on his sunglasses.
"Let's move out. Bell, you can turn back into yourself now." Bell looked at Victor. "What's the matter cat got your body?" Bell glowed white and transformed back into herself.
Bell looked at her hands and flexed her fingers. She looked at Victor. "How did you know I'd be able to do that?"
"You're what we call a power mimic. They are kind of rare, and in your case.... powerful. Sheila would have been able become a cat, but not a large cat. She's limited by her age and strength...you are not." Victor explained.
"Oh. Okay. What are we doing exactly?" Bell asked.
"We are going to make you more powerful, powerful enough to take on Erick." Bell smiled at that.
"We're gonna stop him from doing to others, what he did to me?" Bell was delighted.
"Yes. Ready little brother?" Victor asked.
"Lead the way, big brother." Logan said. "I really need to put the bike I borrowed somewhere safe."
"I'll just put it in the back of my car. Then we can head back to the school after our stop at Jake's. We can't waste any time. Erick certainly won't." Victor said.
"Fine, well, let's go then." Logan said putting his jacket back on and heading out the door. "Hey, aren't you going to clean up the penthouse first?"
"No, Sandra's almost as bad as I am. She'll get the kids to pick up after themselves."
It was hard for Bell to believe that it had been only a few hours ago that they had arrived at the penthouse. They left the elevator and went back to the monster car. Victor opened the trunk of his car and slid out a rack of some kind. He picked up Scott's motorcycle like it was a child's bike and placed it side down on the rack and clamped into place and pushed the rack back. It was like the bike disappeared. The backseat was still the backseat and no motorcycle was there. Bell could just now appreciate the brute strength that Victor had; Logan took it as a matter of fact. But he raised an eyebrow at the ingenious way Vic had built his car. The ability to carry a motorcycle hidden was an original idea, typical of his brother.
"Not too shabby." Logan said approvingly.
"Thanks, good thing I made allowances with the clamps. If I hadn't this smaller bike would cause more trouble then its worth." Victor said unlocking the car door. "Bell gets to sit in the front seat, don't ya Bell?" He smiled at her; they shared a little joke between them... Logan thought. The three of them got into the car.
"Buckle up everybody." Bell said. Logan having already been thrown from a truck by way of the windshield was not arguing this time.
"Learned you lesson did ya, bro?" Victor chuckled.
"Oh, shut up!" Logan said irritably. Victor had gotten his humor back for he gave a hearty laugh. Bell was relieved to hear it and even Logan fought to keep a straight face.
They left the parking garage and Victor must have taken every short cut he knew to get to where he was going. Bell had lived in this city for a long time and Victor took her into parts that she didn't even know existed.
They pulled into a street that had a number of bars and clubs on it and Victor pulled in front of the one called Jake's Bar & Grill. It didn't look like much, but it looked like it was kept up better then most that Bell had ever seen. They got out of the car and Victor put on his anti-theft alarm. Custom made, of his own design of course. He had a few surprises for those who would try to steal his baby.
"Follow me guys." Victor said and led them around the back of the bar. He knocked on the door. A little flap in the door opened.
"Yeah?" Came a voice from inside, and eyes stared out at them from the opening.
"We came to see Jake," Victor said. "It's personal, not business, Barry...Is Brad here?"
"Vic, is that you....silly me of course it is, who else is that big." Barry said opening the door. "If I didn't let you in Brad would never forgive me. He's not here right now, but he's supposed to be back shortly. Come on in, who's your friends? Not that they aren't welcomed...."
"Barry, this is my little brother James...Logan...oh hell, whatever he wants to be called. The lady is Bell." Victor said introducing them quickly. "Who else is here, I know it's early..."
"Got a bunch that never goes home it seems. Just hanging around playing cards, talking drinking, and being nuiances to just about everyone." Barry griped.
"If you want I can toss them out on their....." Victor started.
"Hey, Vic! How are you, haven't seen you in a rat's age!" This came from a rather short, but beautiful older blonde woman who trotted over to them. She gave Vic a hug and looked at him somewhat surprised. "Nice outfit. Almost didn't recognize you."
"Jake, it's so good to see you. Sorry I haven't been by...so how's tricks." Victor said to his friend.
"Jake?" Bell asked.
"That's what my friends call me, and you are?"
"Belinda, but my friends call me Bell." She replied.
"Nice to meet you Bell, welcome. So who's this guy?" Jake asked.
"That's no guy, that's my baby brother." Victor chuckled.
"He doesn't look like a baby." Jake said eyeing him closely.
"I got bigger." Logan said cockily.
"Not as big as Vic." Jake said.
"Not for the lack of trying." Logan shrugged his shoulders. "He takes after our uncle Harold. Mother's older brother."
"Actually Jake, I came to see Brad. Do you mind if we wait for him. Barry said he'll be back soon."
"Of course not, but it's too early for serving alcohol, but for you boys, it's not ever too early for booze." She smiled. "Coffee?"
"No, I think we've had enough coffee. Just sodas I guess." Victor said.
"Sure, why don't you go annoy the other early birds? Maybe you can get them to leave." Jake said with a little rancor. "And see if you can get that one, to stop cheating in my bar!" She shouted at a table that had a number of young men around it. The man in question turned to look in her direction at the new arrivals.
"Moi???!!" The young man said throwing up his hands and sounding insulted. Bell laughed.
"If you're not cheating, why did you assume that she meant you?!" Bell asked the young man.
"Remy never cheats, he just very good at the cards." He said in a thick accent that Bell recognized as belonging to deep parts of Louisiana. He took the deck of cards that he had in hands and demonstrated how good he was.
"Does he always speak in third person? He sounds like Gollum...." Bell snickered. The men that were sharing the table with Remy snickered and laughed at him.
"Laugh at Remy? Remy thinks that you be in a lot of trouble with him, if not stop their laughing." This only got the young men at the table more tickled. Remy held up one card and Jake simply pounced on that.
"Don't you even....damaged any of this bar and you're paying double the price of the breakage...understand, Cajun?" Jake said angrily.
"Remy can't afford to pay double...he understands." Remy put the card back in the deck and shuffled the cards.
"Am I missing something?" Asked Bell, turning to Victor in confusion.
"Thankfully, yes." Victor said with some relief.
"Victor!!! Oh my god! I was hoping it was today!" A tall man about 6'3" came out of nowhere. He was dressed in such a flamboyant way that he couldn't be missed even on a Pasadena Rose Bowl Parade flower float. "Come here and give me one of your bear hugs, you big beautiful man you!" His arms were outstretched. Bell had never seen the like up close before. Victor didn't hesitate and walked over to the man and gave him what he wanted.
"Brad! It is good to see you. I heard you were in town so I came as soon as I could," Victor said enthusiastically.
"Liar! But I forgive you. It's about time...oh, my is that? It is....she is finally here. Oh my dear....I have been waiting for you for so long." Brad said coming over to Bell.
"You have? Really? But I only heard of you this morning." Bell said, somewhat startled and confused. Brad simply smiled at her and gave her a big hug. Bell gasped.
"It's alright, dear...just take a deep breath and relax. That how you control your power, you know. Now...you have mine. There you see, I have been waiting for you." He smiled at her and broke off the hug and stood back and looked at her.
"Oh, I envy you soooo much. Now that you see, don't you let anyone take him away from you..." He giggled. "Even me." He sighed and stared at Victor with desire. Then he looked over at Logan. "Well, maybe I can be derailed a bit. What do you say....Logan?" Brad said throatily to Logan. "Oh, damn....you too? Well, she is a beauty." Brad said smiling. Bell instantly knew exactly what he was talking about. It was a bit scary but not as much as she thought it would be at first.
"There he goes again. No one ever knows what he is talking about." Griped a young man with silver hair, angrily. "So, what do you see for me, your crazy ol' queer?" He asked spitefully.
"You're such a sleaze, Pietro. Maybe I should tell you....naw..., I'll just let you simmer a bit." Brad said smiling dismissing him with a wave of both hands. His companions just snickered at him. But he heard Bell's sharp intake of breathe. Brad put a finger to his lips. Bell nodded she understood what he meant.
"Why is it that I miss all the fun every time I leave the room?" A very large young man came in. He had blonde hair and a goatee and mustache to match. Bell gasped. She recognized him instantly. She needed no insight of Brad's talent to know him.
"Hey, you're Fred Dukes!" Bell exclaimed. "I remember you! My dad took me to all your appearances when ever you were in the area! Fred Dukes the strongest teenager in the world! Jeez, I just loved going and watching you do your stuff. My dad spent hours and hours trying to figure out how you were able to do all that stuff you did! We met you a bunch of times, and you even signed a picture for us. Gee I never expected to see you again...Wow!" Bell gushed.
"We've met?" Fred asked surprised. He would have remembered her. She was so beautiful! "I don't recognize you at all, I'm sorry...boy am I ever." He muttered that last part. Bell smiled brightly and he swallowed hard.
"I've changed, grown up a bit." Bell said. "I bet you would remember my name though, it's Belinda James, Bell to my friends." Recognition blazed on his face.
"Yeah, I remember now. Your dad he was always asking me questions and stuff, but he was always nice to me. And you were....much smaller then. Guess you've kind of sprouted." Fred Dukes grinned. "It's real nice to see you again. So how's your dad?" Fred asked. Bell's smile faded instantly.
"Um, he died in a car accident three years ago." Bell said quietly.
"Oh gosh, I'm sorry. He always was nice to me." Fred was really sorry.
"Yeah, thanks...I really miss him and mom." The room got a little quiet. But Bell refused to let it get to her again. Twice in one day, not likely. Bell walked over to Fred and patted him on his huge arm. "So how've been? Better then me I hope."
"Yeah, can't complain. Wow, you turned out really swell." Fred smiled. He wasn't unattractive as all that. He had a pleasant face and nice smile. Bell had always liked him. He was always nice to her even if she was just a kid. "So you got a boyfriend or something?" Fred asked, maybe he'd have a chance with her since she seemed to like him.
"She does!" Victor shouted from across the room. Fred looked to see who it was, and was shocked.
"Oh." Fred said quietly and walked away. Even Fred Dukes gave Sabretooth wide berth. Bell gave Victor a stern look. There wasn't any reason for him to do the Alpha male bit.
"Well, Fred," Bell said, "There's no reason we can't be friends still, right?" Bell said. Fred turned and smiled.
"No, no reason at all." Fred agreed. Well it was better then nothing.
"Oh, god...that's quite enough." Another of the young men at the table got up and went over to the jukebox and feed it a handful of quarters and started picking out songs to listen to.
"Lance, could you be more rude, homme'?" Remy said.
"Probably, but I'm not putting myself out for anyone...certainly not for that tall blonde bimbo over there." Lance said testily. Lance had no idea he was about to put his life on the line. To Bell's surprise the danger came from Fred and not Victor. Fred grabbed Lance by the front of his shirt and slammed him up against the wall...hard! It was then Lance realized his mistake.
"Hey Fred, calm down...I didn't mean it honest!" Lance practically squeaked. Lance's companions chuckled at his predicament. No one came to his rescue; Fred still had him by the shirt front and was holding him up by one hand. He looked content to hold him there till next year if need be. Fred just glared at Lance with his face inching closer to his. Lance gulped; he hadn't known the intense feeling that Fred had for the blonde bim---Bell. "Listen I said I was sorry." Lance practically begged.
"Don't apologize to me, Lance...apologize to Bell.....NOW!" Fred gave him an order. Lance swallowed and wrung out his courage as Bruce Springsteen's song, Dancing on the Ceiling' played loudly in the background.