ACT ON IMPULSE 6:

The Hospital Scene

Lance netted his fingers in Scott's. The auburn haired boy was unresponsive…Lance reached out and touched his lips ever so slightly before recoiling for fear of waking him. Mystique was outside with Natasha and Bobby…he'd stayed in and convinced the woman doctor he was going to be no trouble.

The pouting lips were so gorgeous… Lance groaned and put the hand to his lips. The door opened and in a blink Lance had put some distance between him and the boy. "Well?" the doctor shrugged.

"He should be fine" the doctor said. "Once the anaesthetic wears off he'll be fine"

"Lance" Mystique had entered with Bobby. "Tell me about the attacker"

"Mutant, about 5 ½ or 6 foot tall…superhuman speed and a sonic blast" he shrugged. "I didn't see a face sorry…just saw whoever it was blast Scott."

"Well that's an unusual combination" said Bobby. "I'll get onto the Pentagon Mutant Criminal Investigation Beaureau…"

"Get onto St. John more like" Scott croaked as sat up and reached out for his glasses by the bed rubbing his eyes. He slipped the shades on. "I amn't sure if it was…"

"It was the killer" Mystique said. She looked at Lance. "I assume you're not about to leave so I might as well let you see the file" she muttered. "The Rainy Day Killer" she said. "Another death…damn"

"Human?" Scott asked.

"Yeah" said Bobby. "No pattern they have nothing in common"

Lance sifted through the pages and photos then stopped. "Wait here" he said. He ran from the room then returned with a few back issues of Glamour! "The stall downstairs had these" he explained. "Look" he laid a photo out on each one and showed them…each lay out resembled the arranged position of the model on the cover.

"The killer mimic's Glamour?" murmured Mystique. "We should call them…"

"We saw them only a few hours ago!" Scott said.

"A day and a half" corrected Lance. "You've been out that long."

"Natasha" called Mystique. Natasha sashayed in. "We've got our connection." Natasha looked at the photo's lain on the covers. "I see the connection" she said. "These mutants killed mimic mutant models…these human's mimic human's."

"So what do we do?" Lance asked.

"Figure out who the next death will be" Scott replied. "Any way to do that?"

Natasha bit her lip. "Maybe…" she mused. "Okay, let's see…the models are substitutes. Like stand-ins for the real people on the covers, the killer resents them and so---maybe they're scarred? Or then again…okay these killings have been brutal but stayed away from maiming the front of the body. For display…yeah."

"Who's the next victim?"

Natasha tapped her lip and read through the profiles. "Wait here's something. One of the human's was an excellent martial artist…the other was a computer hacker…the mutant was able to walk through walls…the other was able to run on air water…whatever… this last human was a publisher. It's like the killer was… practicing on these people for a bigger prize."

"A publisher? A computer hacker? No physical challenge from what I saw" Scott said.

"No not physically. But mentally they had traits perhaps a way of thinking? On some superficial level…then there's the Glamour magazine link and the mutant powers to put into the equation" Natasha sighed.

"Wait…" Scott said. "Combine those traits and…"

"Kitty!" gasped Lance. "All the traits and the Glamour poses…those covers were all Kitty's concept! The killer is after Kitty!"

"And she's in Genosha" Scott said. "We have to go after her."

"I'll organize a plane" said Natasha. "We'll follow her flight it left this morning but we can catch up with her. She'll be all right."

Everyone left the room. Scott looked at Lance. "I need to get dressed" he said.

Lance shrugged. "I'm not stopping you."

"I - - "

Lance cupped the back of Scotts face and pulled him into a kiss. Scott was too shocked to push him away…well he didn't actually WANT to. But that was beside the point…okay not really.

"Damn it" Lance whispered as he pulled away from Scott. "You EVER nearly die again and I will KILL you myself." Scott raised his eyebrows.

"You care?"

"Well D'uh Summers!"

"I – I – I – wow" Scott murmured as he touched his lips. "I thought…"

"I only wanted to get into your pants? Well no It'd be nice but…I'd like you to like me as in long-term" Lance said at last. He frowned and touched Scott's face. "What colour are your eyes?"

"Don't ask that" Scott said.

Lance sat up on the bed and slipped closer to the young man. "Why?"

"I don't remember…I don't want to…"

Lance kissed his ear. "Why? Is it because you don't want to talk about not being able to stop the blasts?" Scott didn't speak. "Scott? You can talk to me… I used to have minor fractures with my power."

"I know…"

"Natasha's powers changed that," he said. "I…like you a lot…but- - - you are so cold! I will work at this if you want a relationship. But you have to let me be there for you, let me be – a part of your life. I won't hurt you."

Scott turned away from him. "Don't make promises you can't keep"

Lance spun Scott around and kissed him. "I won't hurt you not if I can help it"

"When people hurt me they usually can't help it" whispered Scott.

He pulled away and went over to his clothes over a chair.


The pictures of Kitty and Dominic and all the models covered the scrapbook. A broken music box played its dying melody as the owner set up in the Genoshan hotel room. It was nearly time for everything and everyone to fit.


Lance sat in the jet. Natasha was on her phone she shut it and turned it off. "I've not been able to reach Kitty," she said. "Or Dominic. They're in a meeting, it's going to drag on so we can hope we reach her before she's alone. Evan and Pietro are at the building ready to stop anyone who tries to get at her but I don't know how well this is going to defend her. The killer could be anywhere if he or she is as fast as you and Scott say then security might have a problem if Pietro is in the wrong place at the wrong time."

Scott had buckled himself into a seat far behind Lance. The private jet was beautifully decorated and very comfortable. But it didn't feel good that Scott wouldn't meet Lance's gaze.

Mystique buckled her belt and looked at Lance then at Scott. She rolled her eyes. Amara, Jamie, Bobby and John looked at each other and shrugged.

The plane took off eventually the cabin door opened and out came the pilot. Dream, she smiled at them. "Great to see you again Scotty" she smiled. "Hey Lance." She waved. "Okay this jet is the fastest around, we'll be in Genosha in under an hour, Cassandra Nova is hoping for a word with you all at some point. The killer in the streets could be a problem so…you know…tact people the population of mutant to human is roughly 50-50 so don't go making a scene."

"And I thought I was the ambassador" Natasha sighed dramatically.

"Yeah but I'm doing the PA bit for a while" Dream shrugged. "Mickey and Rae are off in the mountains of Genosha surveying an oil line. Like I wouldn't appreciate a skiing holiday," she sighed.

There was a sharp pop and Scott jumped. Mystique raised the glass. "Wine anyone?"

TBC:

More next time Yes I Know It Was Short don't tell me about it in reviews. Have to toddle off now. Sayonara. Adieu. Au Revoir. Toodles.