Author's Note: Hello again, good readers! I hope you enjoy the
latest installment in the 'Fear' chronicles. No, they're not really
chronicles, but it's a cool word. Heh. ANYWAY: I will be changing my
pen name soon, not sure to what, so keep that in mind.
NOW ON TO THE STORY!!
Chapter One
Revisit The Past
Erik Lensherr was running out of options. He needed to get Toad out of Jaye's clutches, but it already looked as if some greater power had done that for him.
He scanned the headlines of several papers each day- making sure that he knew what was going on in the outside world. Of course, a headline like "MUTANT ATTACK ON FOH BASE" would catch the man's attention.
He had no way of knowing that Mortimer had been on that mission- but he had a sinking feeling in his stomach- a premonition. And he could safely say that this feeling had never led him astray before.
If you've ever woken up in a strange place before, no doubt after a few seconds of consciousness you have recognized where you were.
However, this was not the case with Mortimer. He woke up to find himself laid out on a black leather couch, tucked in with a coarse wool blanket. A TV in the corner of the room was blaring Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl.
Of course, Mortimer's first reaction was to think that he had gone quite mad. I'm sure that would be your reaction, as I'm sure mine would too; either that, or I would be certain that I was in heaven.
Somewhere to his left, he heard the tell-tale clink of spoon against bowl, and the sloppy crunching of cereal. This was accompanied by commentary, that if would have been displayed in a movie theatre, would have gotten the culprit thrown out.
"PARRY! PARRY! Why don't you dodge?! Mmpgh!" he looked over to see a young woman, still in her pajamas, sitting in a leather armchair next to him.
"..."
"Oh! You're awake!" said the woman, detecting his gaze. She picked up a remote and turned the television off with a decisive 'click'. She turned to him apologetically.
"Who's awake?" came another voice from somewhere behind him.
"Who do you think, Tessa?" sighed the woman in the armchair, putting down her almost empty bowl of granola. "Hi," she said. "My name is Katana Fey, I'm a member of the New York Police Department. I found you near the site of the explosion there around yesterday evening. The hospital was having some issues, so I brought you back here for the time being. Do you remember anything about the incident?" she asked.
Mortimer's head pounded. Too much input. He his hand to his temple, and feebly shook his head no. Right now he was having trouble remembering his own name, let alone what had caused him so much pain. Everything was coming in bits and pieces.
He looked at his hand for a moment, stunned. Green skin was now coloured black from ash- he surmised that this was the same for his face. This explained why he was lying out on a couch instead of a cot in a jail cell. He remembered enough about his past to know he was quite infamous. The last thing he remembered clearly was Liberty Island- but everything after that was a blur. A dream.
"Alright." She said nodding. "Do you have a name?" she asked gently.
"Mortimer." He said, trying to rub the ash from his hands.
"Sorry that you're still all beaten up. The medical training I did have to endure I didn't pay much attention to. I didn't want to attempt anything- I usually make things worse." She muttered. "Tessa used to be a nurse- she should be able to help. Tess?" a tired looking female walked over to him, holding a first aide kit, a sponge, and a bucket full of warm water.
"You're not..." he asked as she mopped away at his forehead.
"I'm not what? Gonna give you a sponge bath? Of course I am. From what I can tell you've got a broken leg and several bruised ribs. You're not going anywhere fast, buddy." She paused for a moment, and he sighed. She'd gone and sponged away his disguise. "Hey, you normally green?" she asked skeptically.
"Yes." He said, somewhat pained.
"Mmm. Ok then." She said continuing her work, but now with a raised brow. After she was done with his face and neck, she whipped of the blanket and began removing his tattered battle gear with a pair of scissors.
"What're you...?!" she sighed.
"I'm a nurse. You're a patient. And unless you don't want me to go banging on that bum leg of yours, you'll stay quiet!" she said. He soon lay there in his underwear, extremely peeved. Katana had turned the television back on, and had continued watching her movie as if nothing was happening.
"You know what?" she said between bites. "I think it's criminal Depp didn't get the Oscar for this movie." She said, pointing at the screen with her spoon to accentuate her point. She looked over at the green mutant piteously. "You're pretty banged up there, Mort." She said. He looked down at himself, and discovered it was true. He was bruised from head to toe- his leg was bent at an odd angle, and there were several deep cuts on his arms, neck, and face, where the Kevlar hadn't protected him from the explosion.
He didn't quite understand why they hadn't taken him in to the authorities yet. It troubled him. What troubled him more was the gentle touch that Tessa employed while dressing his wounds, and the kindness in Katana's voice. Some things are just too good to be true.
