Chapter 17

"Uh, Adam," Brennan said, looking at overwhelming numbers facing them, "just how supercharged did you say Emma was?"

"Emma?" Adam asked. She was the one and only ace up his sleeve.

The young redhead stepped forward from the group. A white light shined forth from her pupils, which expanded so that the blue of the irises went all white, glowing bright enough to make the Links looking at her squint. The pulsating ball of Psionic energy hovering in front of her forehead swelled and split into two. Two became four, then eight, sixteen and thirty-two. They began to swell again, preparing for another split, but suddenly, Emma pressed her hands to her temples and fell to one knee, squeezing her eyes closed. The spheres of energy dimmed and nearly went out, prompting the opposing mutants to step forward.

Still clutching her head, Emma looked up sharply, the white fire still in her eyes and the thirty-two balls of light regained their brilliance. Each with its own target, they shot toward the Fasergen mutants in front of her, trailing tails back to Emma, which allowed her to control them. Nineteen bodies fell to the floor and only the enormous lead Feral remained standing. Two of the multitude of Psionic blasts turned in their paths and brought him down as well. Emma looked to her right and the remaining energy spheres followed her eyes, their long comet tails tracing a curved path down the intersecting hallway. Ten more Links went down before they could close the distance to the Mutant X team.

The light went out from Emma's eyes and she collapsed on the floor, but there was no time for anyone to come to her aid. Seeing the Psionic fall, the ten Links who had started to retreat down the hallway to the left of Mutant X, saw the opportunity to attack.

Brennan didn't know the abilities of the mutants coming at him, so he was forced to simply target the closest. A tesla coil ripped through the air down the corridor, throwing a tall blond woman back into the mutants behind her. Two large Links, nearly identical with dark hair and swarthy complexions grabbed Brennan by both arms and forced him back against the corridor wall. He lifted his legs up, supported by their holds on his arms and brought his feet down on their knees. The brothers' grips loosened as they fell into Brennan and he grabbed them by their shoulders, accelerating their falls into each other and knocking their heads together.

"That's a good start," Jesse said. He massed and stepped in between two Links, his arms out, chopping them both down at the neck. They fell hard to the floor, skulls hitting first and knocking them unconscious. Suddenly Jesse screamed in pain as his entire body erupted in flame. He flailed about in panic as a slim, brunette female kicked him in the midriff. Jesse doubled over and she brought down her hands clenched together on the back of his head, knocking him to the floor. The mental belief that he was on fire faded and her grabbed the ankles of the Psionic, lifting her off of the ground and throwing her back to land several feet away.

Shalimar ran straight ahead into the crowd. She was a whirling dervish, her attack a fierce dance of kicks and punches. Four mutants boxed Shalimar in. She struck the first, a tall female, in the face with her right fist, while simultaneously kicking back into the chest of an Asian man coming in behind her. Both staggered back, but Shalimar was left exposed to her two other assailants, both male, one black, one white. The tall African American on her left grabbed her left shoulder and she felt that entire side of her body turn numb. She nearly lost her footing, but she realized her limbs still obeyed her commands. She just couldn't feel them. Controlling her left arm by sight, she landed a roundhouse punch in the anesthetizing mutant's jaw, sending him twisting to the ground. The Caucasian male took advantage of the situation and grabbed Shalimar in a vise-like grip with his arm around her neck, choking her. His strength was incredible and she could not wriggle free.

Adam came to Shalimar's aid, pressing the Taser-stick he had collected from the observation room into the back of the neck of the mutant who was holding her in a strangle hold. The purple arc of electricity scattered the nerve impulses of the Link, who fell heavily to the ground, releasing Shalimar, who dropped to her knees, gasping for breath. Adam jumped back as a trail of electric fury passed by him, knocking out the Asian man Shalimar had kicked to the ground a few moments before, who had just regained his feet. The black anesthetic mutant grabbed Adam on both shoulders and he fell to the ground, his Taser-stick falling from his numb hands.

Jesse was there in an instant to help. When the Link's numbing hands reached for him, he phased. Unaffected, Jesse walked through the mutant, materializing behind him, turning and striking down on either side of his neck with two clenched fists. He then kicked the fallen foe in the back of the head, sending him to the ground unconscious.

Brennan was amazed to see the Asian link he had zapped still standing. He could have sworn the man had fallen and should still be down. Brennan charged the man head-on, throwing punches, which were deftly deflected. "What are you doing?" the Link said in surprise. Brennan assumed a boxer's stance, leading with the left and following with the right as the other mutant backed away from him, defending the punches, but not attacking. The Mutant X Elemental turned sideways to kick the Fasergen mutant in the gut, but his opponent anticipated the move and grabbed his leg, twisting it and dropping Brennan to the ground. "Stop it, Brennan, it's me, Jesse," the Asian man said. The man's features inexplicably altered to the blond, Caucasian face of Jesse Kilmartin. They both looked at each other and then at the brunette Psionic who turned to run, but a flood of electricity caught her, throwing her twenty feet.

At the same time, Shalimar was locked in a battle with the first woman she had punched, but now her opponent was invisible. It wasn't stealth or teleportation; this mutant was truly invisible with no telltale distortion indicating a simpler manipulation of light. Shalimar was forced to fight with her other senses: she could smell the female pheromones, feel the body heat and slight movements of air, and hear the footsteps and rustling of fabric. A left hook at empty space struck its target. She stepped to her right and defended a kick with her right forearm. Ducking the woman's punch, she threw herself sideways, trying to shoulder-tackle the Link. The invisible woman stepped aside and Shalimar staggered, nearly falling. She had lost track of the target and had only a second to react to the footsteps behind her. Shal ran in the direction she was facing, right at the wall. Her eyes went yellow and she scrambled up, squatting against the wall, holding herself by grasping a vent grate, glad feeling had returned to her entire body. Her Feral energies now recharged, she was able to see the thermal image of the invisible Link and pounced. The mutant was not prepared for the deadly accuracy of Shalimar's leap. She was driven hard down to the ground and did not get up.

Adam slowly rose to his feet, a little wobbly in the knees. He shook his arms and legs, trying to accelerate the return of sensation. Surveying the fallen bodies everywhere, he said, "I have to give it to you. You guys do great work."

"You got one yourself," Shalimar said, panting slightly from the exertion.

"By luck." He turned from them and went to Emma's side. She was still collapsed on the floor in a kneeling position, her head touching the ground and palms firmly pressed to her temples. Adam knelt beside her on one knee and rested his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't touch me!" Emma screamed and Adam was sent flying through the air, landing amongst the fallen Links.

"Emma, baby," Shalimar said. She knelt next to the young woman, but did not touch her. "Can you stand? Can you walk? We still have to get out of here."

Emma placed her hands on the ground and slowly lifted her head to look at Shalimar. She was a wreck. Her still gaunt face was sweat-covered, with strands of wet red hair falling across it. There was blood welling up and dripping from her eyes. Shalimar drew back slightly at the sight of her.

"We can't leave yet," Emma said. "We haven't killed Charles Marlowe."