Chapter 4

Emma donned her 'government inspector' outfit. This basically meant wearing a suit and prescription-less glasses. Perhaps the costume was silly and unnecessary, but it helped her to get into the role and made it easier to gently modify the feelings of those who questioned her identity. Suspicion was turned into trust, belief, and attraction in the most beneficial combination. Jesse was similarly attired in a sharp suit and black-rimmed glasses. Together, they would be making an exploratory visit to Fasergen knowing it would be especially dangerous to enter the facilities. Emma and Jesse had the greatest understanding of both genetics and computers. The Psionic could covertly manipulate anyone who caused them trouble and the Molecular had powers best suited for defense, escape and evasion. Shalimar and Brennan would wait nearby in the Helix, hiding in stealth mode and ready to launch a rescue mission. Adam was too well known a figure in the world of genetics to reveal himself in public during this sort of operation. However, he knew he was dealing with one of the first children of Genomex, one of his personal creations, who might need immediate care. If they brought her in, he wanted to be onsite and so would be waiting with the cavalry in the plane, available for assistance and advice.

The government issued Chevrolet Caprice pulled up in front of Fasergen's corporate headquarters, a generic looking three-story office building in an industrial park on the outskirts of the city. Immediately as they started walking across the parking lot, Emma had misgivings.

"Jesse, let's go back. They know we are here," she said.

"Looks fine to me," he said. "You picking up on something?"

"Nothing definite…just a feeling. If I'm wrong, we can come back." Jesse was incredulous, but Emma said, "Let's go. Now. We have no time." She started back toward the car and started to get in.

"There's no way they can know. We just got here," Jesse said. He looked around and saw a man and a woman in dark suits and sunglasses making a b-line for them. "On second thought—." He ran back to the car, jumped behind the wheel next to Emma, started it up and threw it into reverse. Emma looked behind them. Two more men and a woman appeared out of thin air. The woman was holding on to the men on either side of her, apparently making all three invisible. The man on her left stepped forward and grabbed the rear of the car, stopping it. Emma and Jesse heard the front wheels spin.

"Adam, we need help!" Emma cried into her comlink.

"We'll be right with you. Hold on," came the reply.

Emma reached into the mind of the man holding their car, compelling him to jump out of the way in fear. The car bucked into reverse motion. The woman with invisibility power ran out of the way, but the other man was a Molecular similar to Jesse. He massed, becoming impervious and the rear of the car crushed against him. Jesse threw the car into drive and it lurched forward.

The woman who had been approaching them from the building stopped. She reached toward them and a pulse of red-tinged energy surged forth from her hands. Suddenly, the engine exploded, throwing the hood into the sky and shrapnel everywhere, shattering the windshield. Jesse reached over to Emma and phased them both through the burning car, pulling her toward him as they escaped through the driver's side. The man, who had been walking from the building, rushed up, opening his mouth to reveal fangs and vicious teeth. The huge Ursine Feral charged at Jesse, who threw his shoulder into the enormous chest, but was thrown backwards. A huge, paw-like hand swiped at Emma. She put up her arm to protect her head, but even so, was thrown some distance to land on the ground, dazed. The Feral turned his attention back to Jesse.

The three mutants from behind the car were closing in on the two Mutant Xers, but Emma recovered enough to hit the Molecular mutant with a psionic blast, knocking him unconscious before he could phase or join the fray. She lost track of the woman, then caught a flicker of motion from the corner of her eye as the female materialized and punched her in the face. Emma rolled with the motion, falling away from the punch and spinning around with a kick right up into the chin of the woman, who fell backwards to the ground. The mutant with super-strength grabbed her by the neck with one hand and lifted her into the air. She clawed and grabbed at his wrist, trying to support some of her weight as she gasped futilely for breath. Consciousness was beginning to slip away from her and she desperately tried to kick at his body, aiming for the groin, but he grabbed her leg and lifted her up above his head, then threw her as far as he could.

Jesse massed as the female Elemental fired flame at him. His incredible density kept the heat from transferring into his body, having no more affect on him than an electric blanket would. He clubbed the Ursine, knocking him unconscious. As the flame attack dissipated and he returned to his normal state the mutant who had thrown Emma approached him. He ducked under a kick from the woman and retreated from the pair. On the ground nearby was the crumpled hood of the car. Jesse picked it up and swung around with it at the male mutant. Like tearing a toy from a child's hands, the Fasergen mutant ripped the hood from Jesse's hands. In a show of strength, he rolled the metal up into a club and slapped it into his left hand as he came toward Jesse again.

The strongman swung the improvised club at Jesse's head, but the metal bent into a curve. Enough time had passed that the target had recharged and gone impervious again. "Mistake," Jesse said and thrust his palm into the face of the male mutant who went down as if hit with a ton of bricks. Turning, the Mutant X hero saw the female about to hit him with another burst of fire just as he had phased back into normal state. It was too soon to protect himself with his powers and the only thing he could do was to try and time his jump out of the path of the flame. Just then a bright glow passed over his shoulder and the woman fell to the ground and did not get back up.

A mud-covered Emma was walking toward him and Jesse smiled at her. "You all right?"

"Some bumps and bruises, but I guess that guy didn't know his own strength. He threw me past the parking lot and into a muddy runoff canal." Emma ran her fingers through her hair, dislodging large clumps of wet earth. They looked around and confirmed that all five Fasergen mutants were out of commission.

"Where's the Helix?" Jesse asked.

Emma shook her head. "It should have been in the air by now. Jesse and Shalimar should already be standing here with us." Worried, the two ran off in the direction of where they knew the Helix had been landed.