Old Flame
Chapter 3: The Face Of The Enemy
Jade blinked as she slowly woke up, she felt so weak. She looked around, trying to figure out where she was, everything seemed so fuzzy and she finally closed her eyes again.
Adam moved to her side and looked down at her, "morning. How are you feeling?" he asked touching her arm.
"I feel weak and everything is so fuzzy. I can't really remember what happened..." she said her voice trembling a little. She opened her eyes after a minute and looked up at Adam with a smile.
"Thank you Adam. Saving me again, this is becoming a regular occurance..." she said trying to sound light hearted not to worry him.
"Well what can l say? I help mutants and you are a mutant and a very good friend" Adam said giving her a warm smile. He looked down at her pale face, he turned his head to the door hearing the bantering between the others, trying to ignore the feelings that he suddenly felt threaten to overwhelm him.
"Are they always teasing each other?"
He laughed "always. You will get used to it, they are serious when they have to be."
"We certainly are" Brennan said as they walked into the lab. He walked over to the chair Jade was in and looked down at her, then over to Adam "how is she doing today?"
Emma moved to the chair and picked up Jades hand, much to the other mutants surprise. Emma smiled down at her "we are very glad to see that your doing better."
Jade looked up at Emma and smiled softly and looked at Brennan "l'm doing fine..."
Adam crossed his arms over his chest and shook his head. "She's still weak, but she should feel better in a day or two."
"A day or two? Your joking right?" Jade said moving to stare at Adam in shock. "I can't stay here for that long, without doing anything..." she said pleading with Adam.
Jesse and Shalimar laughed and shook their heads. "Don't listen to her Adam, she's trying to use her female charms to get you to let her leave and get herself worse off" Jesse said yelping a moment later.
He looked at Shalimar with a injured look. "What was that for? I didn't say anything that anyone else wasn't thinking about..." he said ending his sentence abruptly as Shalimar raised a eyebrow and frowned.
Brennan laughed at Jesse and Shalimar "you better watch it there Jesse. If you finish that sentence, you will be in a chair longer then Jade here."
Shalimar looked at Brennan and stuck her tongue out at him. "Men...they always think they know everything about everything."
Emma stood quietly trying not to laugh. She shook her head "you guys, stop it. Jade doesn't need to hear you two bickering with how she's feeling."
Jade smirked and chuckled, her eyes closed for a moment. "So doc, l really have to stay here for a day or two?"
Adam had moved to the computer and was typing something rapidly into the computer. He finally heard the question and responses, he glanced back at them with an amused look in his eyes.
"Yes, you have to stay her for a day or two. That virus was a strong one and your body needs to rest from the stress and there is no arguing. That virus was a strong, someone had to have somehow given it to you and made it so that it could be activated at anytime."
Shalimar looked back at Adam puzzled "but that's hard to do isn't it?"
Adam smiled "to the average person yes. It would be quite difficult to manipulate a virus like that, but for someone working at Genomex it wouldn't be hard at all. What worries me is that it might be possible for whoever put this in Jade, to reactivate the virus."
Jesse frowned "then we need to find out who it is and stop them. But who would be after her? Well other then Genomex?"
"Good question Jesse" Adam said quietly, turning to the chair. He walked to Jade and stopped beside her, Brennan moved so Adam could talk to Jade.
"Jade, what is going on? How did such an advanced virus get into you? This virus isn't transfered like a normal virus either, it's been changed only to attack one person's nervous system. Your powers will more then likely be stronger while the virus is still in your system, even with the vaccine that l gave you. There will be still some traces of this virus in you for a little while, so you must be careful."
Jade sighed and turned her eyes from Adam. Her thoughts drifted to how she figured she got the virus.
Emma blinked and gasped a little as pictures flashed in her head. Suddenly a man's face was clearly shown and she blinked and looked at Jade.
"Who's the man? It's not Eckhart" she asked quietly.
Lamont turned and slammed his fists down onto the table. His dark eyes flashed in anger "what do you mean she's still alive? I told you not to return until she is dead! if anyone finds out what we've been doing here, then you 5 will most certainly be as dead as she will be..."
The 5 people looked at each other and they each started to back away from the large table. They pushed their way through the door, none of them wanting to be the last one out of the room.
A blast of electricity came from a device on the desk, hitting the last three in the small of their backs. They yelped in pain and jumped, they turned half way out of the door and looked at Lamont.
He leaned back in his chair, a satisfied smirk on his lips. "Each time you return and that mutant is still alive, the shock gets stronger...until finally..." he said leaning forward and tapping some buttons on the back of the device. A strong blast of electricity hit a vase on a pedestal right beside them, the vase shattered, the bit of plastic that had been put on as a protective coating, melted, leaving a strong odor in the air.
The 3 let out terror filled screams as the vase shattered, turning into a smoldering heap on the pedestal. "Now GO! And don't return till that mutant is dead!" The man's voice echoed throughout the room and the three remaining in the office ran from the office shaking.
Lamont leaned back in his chair again, his finger tips pressing together as a smile came over his lips. He turned his chair to a window and then spoke "Tylena, come out of your hiding spot" he said not turning from the window.
A figure stepped from the bookcase behind him, her body solidifying after a minute. A sneer curled up her lips as she sauntered forward "so Jade is still alive and well?
That's just too bad...she just doesn't know when to die" the mutant laughed as she stepped up behind the chair, laying her hands on Lamont's shoulders.
Jade pressed her lips together firmly, refusing to say anything. Her thoughts churned in her head, she couldn't put Adam and her new friends in any danger.
"Jade, what is going on? We want to help you, but we can't unless you tell us what's going on" Adam said softly.
Jesse and Shalimar exchanged confused glances, then Jesse's glance turned to Brennan. Brennan was standing stiffly beside the bed, like the others unsure why Jade wasn't telling them what was going on.
Emma squeezed Jades hand and leaned down to whisper in the mutants ear. "Please let us help Jade. Then the pain of your past can finally come to an end, then a new, happier chapter can start."
Jade stared at Emma and shook her head slowly. A look of mild amusement crossed her face "this is the reason l've kept away from tele paths and telempaths...they always get into your head one way or another."
Jesse and Shalimar smiled trying not to laugh. Brennan laughed, but quieted down with a single stern look from Emma, which she shot at the others as well.
Adam smiled at Jades comment and waited patiently for her to answer their questions, knowing that sooner or later she would.
Jade looked at them and sighed "please understand that l'm not trying to be rude or keep secrets from you. But you cannot know what's going on, l won't tell you, it's for your own good" she said quietly.
Adam looked at Jesse and Shalimar, then to Brennan and Emma "go continue our search for those two mutants. I need to speak to Jade alone" he said with a quiet voice and a nod towards the door.
They all looked at each other but turned to the door, all except Emma. She was reluctant to leave Jade's side and looked at Adam "please...can't l stay?"
He shook his head "no. You can come back later, for now go with the others" he said putting his hand on Emma's arm.
Emma sighed but nodded, she let go of Jades hand and walked to the others. Jesse draped a arm over Emma's shoulders and with the others, lead her out of the lab.
Brennan looked back at Jade and Adam and then continued down the hall, smacking Jesse's arm. "What did we say about shows of affection? Huh?" he said teasing, a grin coming over his lips.
Shalimar snickered and shook her head. "You two aren't going to start up again are you? Your acting like a old married couple" she said with a wink towards Emma.
Emma giggled and looked at Jesse and Brennan.
"She is right...you two do act quite a lot like a couple. Is there something we should know about?" she said getting a teasing glint in her eyes.
Brennan and Jesse looked at the girls shocked. They looked at each other and jumped away from each other, "me like him?" Brennan said frowning, "he's to short...and he has weird habits...like insisting on eating that weird cereal for breakfast, and drinking that natural junk that tastes like sand..."
Jesse frowned at Brennan "l'm not short and l'm not the one with the weird habits! That cereal is better for you then that kind you eat...no wonder your always so hyper, it's full of sugar. As for bad habits, you always put that gel in your hair that stinks up the bathroom. You never pick up your towels and what is that weird smell that comes from your room? I still think you've snuck in some animal or something..."
By this time Shalimar and Emma were both holding their stomachs. Their laughter ringing up and down the hall, they high five d each other and continued down the hall "do girls rule or what?" Shalimar said wiping at her eyes.
"We certainly do" Emma said suddenly laughing again, she turned her head back to the guys and k nudged Shalimar and nodded her head to the guys. They were smacking at each other, having a childish argument over who had the weirdest habits.
"Children...l think we need to find a babysitter for those two. Either that or we just lock them in a training room and watch them bug each other..." Emma said grinning.
Jade slipped off the chair and stood on wobbly legs, "Adam. You know me, l wouldn't keep a secret from you unless it was absolutely necessary."
Adam walked to her and quickly wrapped a arm around her waist as her legs started to give out. He helped her into the chair and looked at her in concern. "Talk to me Jade. You know me better then to think that l'm going to just let you go off on your own, not knowing what your going through."
Jade sighed and laid her head back against the chair. "I know, were both hopelessly stubborn. Please Adam, all l'm asking is for you to trust me on this..."
Adam sighed as he watched her. "I do trust you Jade. But l also don't want to lose you again, you left once without a good-bye. You surprised me, l didn't think that you would leave...l thought things were going so well between us."
Jade smiled softly at him, her pale blue eyes filled with pain. "I am so sorry about that Adam, l didn't want to leave. But l had no choice, like l have no choice now, l'm not leaving for good this time Adam."
Adam reached up and cupped her cheek in his hand "l hope that you return this time." He leaned down and kissed her softly, then straightened and turned walking to the computer, his emotions in a tail spin within him.
Jade sighed and closed her eyes, still feeling the feel of his lips against hers. She fell into a light sleep, she would at least rest before she left, one less thing for Adam to worry about.