Robin Hood
By: ShalCat-Kitty
Disclaimer: See chapter 1: Also I would like to tell everyone that the way that the governor affects Shalimar is not my idea! Sure, I might add to it a little, but it came from a favorite author of mine called Loveconqures.
This is starting to get confusing because I wrote the first chapter so long ago and now I have to make everything match up. I have a basic outline of what I want to happen but I get myself all twisted around in the small details. If there's something that doesn't match up or that your confused about don't be afraid to ask and I'll do my best to answer.
Again. My gravest apologies for how long it took this chapter to be written. I feel so bad that every chapter I post takes longer and longer to write. I feel like I'm letting you guys down.
I thought that it being summer, I would have more time to write, but I really got into a good series of books and couldn't stop myself from reading in all my free time. This series unfortunately for me is under the list of authors that we're not supposed to write fanfictions for.
I have decided to dedicate this chapter to Mr. Terry Goodkind even though I can never write a fanfiction for his amazing work. His books are so inspirational and I think he deserves some credit.
xxxxxxxxxxxxxx Chapter 9: The Plan and the Questions xxxxxxxxxxxxxx
Adam:
After explaining my plan to Robin, she pulled a communicator out of her pocket and moved away from me to talk to Ashlock. While explaining my plan she had told me that the new base had a signal jamming device that her communicator had been adjusted to work outside of. She said that the jamming device worked within approximately a three-hour drive of the base. Signals could only be picked up if both the sender and the receiver were inside the jamming zone.
This was going to be a dangerous mission and I didn't want the others to remain in contact or follow me. On the other hand I would want to contact them eventually. In light of these things, I decided two things. First was to adjust my com ring so that they couldn't trace it when it was deactivated and second was that we would disable the jamming device while inside the base.
When I finished with that, Robin had finished calling Ashlock. It was time to contact the others at sanctuary and be on our way.
"Guy's?" I asked to no one in specific, hoping that all three of them were at sanctuary and would stay out of the way.
"Hey Adam. What's up?" Jesse's voice greeted me on the other end.
"I had some things to take care of. Has Brennan come back yet?" Jesse went silent, but I could hear a muffled conversation going on between him and someone else.
"Adam we um… lost him." Emma said. I was a little confused and was about to ask when Jesse cut in.
"We're trying our best to find him though." He sounded like he was hiding something, but I was about to do the same thing so I let it slip.
"Ok Robin and I have devised a plan to stop Ashlock and whatever his endgame is." I knew they would ask lots of questions if I gave them room. So I kept talking. "I know you guys want to know how and where and all sorts of other things. Its complicated but I can't be interrupted on this one… and don't try to follow me, it will be a futile effort. Let's just say, don't call me, I'll call you." I quickly deactivated my ring before they could get a word in edgewise.
"Ok" I turned to Robin. "Lets get going. It's going to be a long drive."
We made a quick stop to pick up some equipment from a friend of mine who owed me a favour, then set out.
As we started out on the six-hour trip we went over the plan making adjustments where they were needed and decided that we would go over it once more right before we got there.
Neither of us really spoke other than that for most of the trip, we just sat back and listened to the radio. It was probably around five hours into the trip when Robin spoke up.
"Adam. This is very dangerous. What if you don't get out before it blows?" She looked like she was concentrated on driving, but I knew she was watching for my reaction out of the corner of her eye.
I tried my best to keep a calm visage even though I was concerned about the same problem. What if one of us didn't make it out before the bomb went off? "It will be ok. Just give us some extra time to get out just in case there are complications." I said. We both slipped into silence again.
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Shalimar:
Pain. Brennan had explained to me once the pain, but there was nothing that could have prepared me for what the subdermal governor felt like. It was the most unexplainable pain, almost as if some one were trying to rip out your spine. This pain was constant though. I suspected that because I was a feral it wouldn't shut off because unlike other mutants, I couldn't turn off my powers.
I didn't know where I was or how long I had been there. I was only just waking up from what I hoped was a very bad dream. I shifted my weight a little and held my breath from the pain that ripped through my shoulders. Nope. It wasn't a bad dream.
I was in the most uncomfortable position. I wasn't standing, but I couldn't lie down. Chains that cut into my wrists were holding up most of my weight. So I was half sitting, slumped against the wall with my legs underneath me, and my arms above my head. There were also chains around my ankles.
I tried my best to stand up slowly to relieve the pull on my arms. Once I was standing I looked around the room and came face to face with someone right in front of me. Why hadn't I sensed him there with me? Why hadn't I seen him.
"Well, nice of you to join us in the world of the living. I was starting to think you weren't as strong as I thought you were." His smug smile startled me gravely. There was anger behind his smile and Gabriel Ashlock was not someone you wanted to piss off.
"How could I stay away from you? Your just so… charismatic." I mocked him letting out a short laugh. Why not? He was already pissed off. For my joke I received a punch in the jaw.
"Come now Shalimar. Don't provoke me. It will do you no good." He scolded me like a child.
He laughed as I looked down and tried to bring my hand up to wipe away the few drops of blood I could feel on my lip. The chain on my wrist wasn't longer than a few inches so I couldn't reach very far. I pulled on my chains as hard as I could but they wouldn't budge. Normally I could have ripped them out of the wall. What was wrong with me?
I growled at him and flashed my eyes. This only added to the constant pain running up my spine. I inhaled sharply and closed my eyes. He laughed again. "You're only succeeding in hurting yourself darling."
He got closer to me then, as if he was going to kiss me. I turned my head to the side. He punched me in the middle and when I fell a little, he grabbed my chin forcefully and pulled me up to look him in the eyes.
When I got my footing back, he leaned forward and licked the blood from my lip. A disgusted shiver ran through me. I despised this guy.
"Now Shalimar, there are some things that I need you to tell me." He let go of my chin and I set my jaw, determinedly staring him in the eyes. He could ask all he wanted. I would tell him nothing. "You really are quite the actress, too bad you couldn't go without calling your little friends." He held up my ring in front of my face. "Clever little device here, I never would have thought it was a communicator. Your so called friends, they didn't answer did they?" he said.
"They would have." I answered his question trying my best to sound threatening.
"No they wouldn't have Shalimar. They've abandoned you. Why do you think they haven't come to your rescue? You are of no use to them. They've just been waiting for a chance to get rid of you." I knew it was all lies. They couldn't risk going to such an armed base, just the four of them. They knew I could handle myself.
"Right." I said sarcastically. "They're not like you Ashlock. They will think of a way to get in here if I don't get out on my own." He punched me in the face again for my remark.
"Where is sanctuary, and how do I get in?" he had switched to serious now. Maybe my taunting was getting to him more than he let on. I didn't answer his question. His fist contacted with the other side of my face with more force than before.
"Do you really think you can beat the answers out of me Ashlock?" I spat in his face quite literally hoping I could upset him even more. I knew he needed me for his endgame, so if I couldn't escape, I could at least make him kill me and screw up his plan.
To be truthful, I was starting doubt if I could get out. With the governor I couldn't muster enough strength to break the chains and even if the others could get to the base. How would they find me?
He punched me a few more times. "Oh You will Answer my questions." He went to the door and ushered someone inside. I didn't recognize them. The link looked a little bit intimidating, but that meant nothing to me.
"Come on Ashlock. If not for these chains and this governor, I could take this guy to pieces. Why don't you just torture me yourself?" What was he thinking this guy could do to me that he couldn't?
"Well Shalimar. You see, James here has a power that I think will be quite motivating for you." Ashlock said and James stepped toward me palms up. Fire appeared above each palm and that was when I started to panic. I didn't mean to but I let out a small yelp in fear.
As James got closer to me I tried to back away but there was nowhere to go. I flattened myself against the wall as much as I could. My breathing quickened and I couldn't think. Fire, right there in front of me. All I wanted to do was run away. I screamed unable to keep control of my fear. God damn him Ashlock, why did it have to be fire.
James brought the fire from both hands together and started to make the fireball bigger as it got closer to my face. I screamed again. "Please stop. No Please." I was irrational now.
I couldn't breath, I couldn't think, I couldn't get away. "Tell me what I want to know Shalimar and we can end this." Ashlock said.
I shook my head. "I can't." I could feel tears running down my face. "I won't." Ashlock signaled to James and the fire touched my arm. I screamed again. What was I going to do?
There was an urgent knock on the door. Ashlock waved a hand at James who put out his fireball. I let out a huge breath. Ashlock was talking to someone out in the hall. I couldn't hear what the other man was saying, but Ashlock didn't like it.
"What!" He shouted loud enough for me to hear. The other man's muffled reply was to quiet for me to hear. Ashlock reentered the room followed by five or six links. "Take her to the other room." He instructed them. "Don't worry sweetheart. We'll finish this later." he winked at me.
I smiled trying not to show him how upset I still was. "You really think these grunts can hold me? Even with this governor, I'll kick your scumbag ass if you take off these chains."
He whirled away from the man he was talking to. "Who said you would be conscious." Someone behind me pressed a finger to my neck and I blacked out.
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Brennan:
It had been almost 5 hours and I still couldn't find her. I was sure that I had searched almost the whole base. For the first hour I had followed the tracker to Shalimar's jacket which she was no longer wearing. I left the tracker there in hopes that maybe she would pick up her jacket later. The tracker had not moved since then. I made my way around through a few places I had been before looking for something I had missed. I turned a corner and found myself in a deserted hallway. I went quietly down the corridor looking in the windows of all the doors. No Shalimar.
I glanced at the receiving end of the tracker again for the millionth time. The tracker was motionless. I sighed and peeked around the next corner to see if the coast was clear. It wasn't. There weren't very many places left to search and the hallway around the corner was one of them.
Down at the other end there were at least six or seven links. They were all waiting outside a door. One of them I had seen before talking to Ashlock.
I turned around to make sure no one was coming down the hall I was in. I was too late, a fist came at my face before I could see who it was. I quickly ducked and jabbed. I caught whoever it was in the middle and they doubled over. I quickly stepped away to get a look at them.
It was Will. This was the guy responsible for all of our problems lately. I was almost overjoyed that it had been him to catch me. He was the one who had made me think that Shalimar was dead. For everything else, I wouldn't have wanted to kill him but for that heartache he was going to pay.
When he recovered the two of us started to fight. He was a good fighter, fast and strong. That was something I had expected. He may have been a good fighter, but I was better. At one point, I knocked him backwards and started to form a tesla coil. I was getting bored I just wanted him dead.
"That won't work Brennan." He said.
I laughed. "Do you actually think I'm going to fall for that again. Your powers don't work if I don't want them to." I said shaking my head.
Will was now standing between me and the hallway I needed to go down. "I don't need my powers." Will gloated although I didn't understand why.
There was a scream and it sounded like Shalimar. It came from down the hallway. I stopped forming my tesla coil and ran at Will hoping to get past him. If Shalimar was screaming, she was no longer keeping her cover and that meant I had to get to her, now more than ever.
Before I could take a step someone grabbed me from behind. I didn't know how many of them there were. I felt the sharp, familiar pain of a subdermal governor being implanted. Will smiled at me. "A subdermal governor will work perfectly fine." I really didn't like his smug smile.
Shalimar screamed again and this time I was absolutely sure it was her. I tried as hard as I could to get away from the links holding me. I had to get to her. The Shalimar I knew wasn't scared of anything. Why would she of all people be screaming? Then it hit me, Fire. They must be torturing her with fire. How could they do that to her?
As the links dragged me around the corner I could see that one of them had run ahead and was almost at the door at the other end of the hall. Shalimar screamed again and it sent knives through my heart to hear it. I pulled against the arms restraining me as hard as I could. There were too many of them, it was hopeless.
The link that had been sent ahead knocked on the door and after a moment Ashlock came out. The two of them were talking and once the link explained that I was there, Ashlock shouted. "What!" and looked my way. I didn't know if he saw it or not, but I smiled at him anyway.
The link responded. Then Ashlock told the five or six mutants outside the door to follow him in. They went back inside as I was slowly dragged down the hall. I couldn't hear what was being said but I was pretty sure I heard Shalimar's voice and she sounded scared.
The links kept dragging me down the hall. I wanted to get to Shalimar, but I wouldn't do it their way if I had any say in it. I was hoping that if they had to drag me maybe they would mess up and it would be easier for me to escape.
They had probably dragged me halfway down the hall when the door opened again. There were six or seven of them dragging Shalimar away. The instant I saw her I gave a quick and decisive pull and managed to break away from my captures.
"Shalimar!" I shouted while running at breakneck speed. Ashlock stepped in front of me and put a hand up. I ran into what felt like a solid wall. He had used his powers to create a shield. I pounded my fists against his fake wall as Shalimar got further away. She must have been unconscious, she wasn't moving at all.
"Where are you taking her?" I shouted before I was grabbed from behind by the links that had been holding me before. Once they had me again. Ashlock let down his shield. I was pulled into the room where they had had Shalimar and they attached chains to my wrists and ankles.
I looked at the chains around my wrists. There was blood on them. Oh god, it was Shalimar's. I pulled as hard as I could against the chains and the links backed away. That was a good sign. They were scared of me. Well I would have been too. I was really pissed.
Ashlock stepped up in front of me. "You know what Mulwray, you just don't know when to give up do you?" he shook his head.
"Well my parents did always tell me I was a stubborn troublemaker." I said nonchalantly. He punched me in the middle and I doubled over. He then proceeded to knee me in the chin.
"You and that blond bitch. You are very alike. You both love to piss me off." As I stood up he got me in the middle again. "But that doesn't matter because eventually one of you will tell me where sanctuary is and how to get in." he smiled.
"You see Brennan I know you care about her, it's quite obvious. But if you don't answer my questions, I might just have to ask her." He started pacing in front of me now.
"Brennan. I know you wouldn't want that because she is more stubborn than you and that would mean I might have to make her scream the answers." He stopped to look me in the eyes.
"I won't tell you anything Ashlock. Neither will she. You know that, so why do you insist on asking… oh yeah. I forgot. You just love to hear yourself talk don't you?" I laughed. "Do you really think anyone else cares what you say? They're all just scared of you, that's the only reason they listen."
Ashlock shook his head. "Ok Brennan. If that's the way you want it." He reached down and took the ring from my finger. "I love these rings." He put his other hand in a pocket and took out Shalimar's ring. "Now that I have two, it's starting to become quite the collection maybe when the others come for you two I can get some more. That's what these are for right? For tracking eachother, for talking.
"Well I think it just cute that you all wear matching little rings. You're almost like a club." I didn't know what he was getting at but I was getting bored.
"Yeah." I said. "Sort of like a club. No psychopaths allowed. Guess you can't join." I said sympathetically then laughed at my own joke.
"So your little club, why did they decide to send you to rescue Shalimar? Hmm? Is it because you love her?" he smiled. "Well back at your so called safe house, that must have been fun for you." Now I knew what he was getting at. He was trying to lure me into saying something by teasing me.
"I know I had fun watching her taunt you. That must have hurt when she slapped you." He grabbed my chin where he had kneed me. "I hope it hurt. That it was the one you love made it all the more fun to watch." I blocked it out. I wouldn't let him see any pain in my eyes.
"Ok." Ashlock said. "He won't tell us anything yet. Take him to the other room. I have some business to attend to. I will ask them later, and maybe I won't be so nice about it."
So the links took me to the room where they were holding Shalimar. It was more like a prison cell than a room, but I didn't care. She was there and she was alive. They threw me into the room and shut the door. I almost wish it had been dark. I wouldn't have had to see the bruises. I bit back tears for the angry purple spots that marred her perfect skin. I ran my knuckles over her cheek incensed at what Ashlock had done to her.
She was still unconscious. I lifted her up carefully and laid her down carefully against the back wall of the small room. I sat down beside her and lifted her up so her head was in my lap. At least she could sleep comfortably.
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Emma:
After our conversation with Adam, I had traced his last signal to an abandon warehouse. We hadn't gone right away though to check the place out. We instead opted to wait a few hours just in case Shalimar, Brennan, or Adam called, but all three of their com rings were deactivated.
It was possible to track the com rings while they were deactivated, but it was a lengthy procedure that took hours. So far we had only tried Brennan's but it was hopeless. We couldn't find him. We assumed that Shalimar's would be the same and Adam himself had told us that trying to follow him would be futile.
We had decided that only I would go to the warehouse to look for any type of clue. Jesse needed to stay at sanctuary and monitor the computers and make sure that nothing changed while I wasn't there.
When I got to the warehouse. I quickly walked through it once to look for obvious things. There was nothing.
"Jesse." I started. "There's nothing here as far as I can tell, but I've only given it a once over. I'm gonna stick around and see if there's anything I didn't catch at first glance. I'm getting a weird vibe off of this place. I think there was more to what Adam was telling us."
"Honey." He sighed in response. "You won't find anything there. Adam said it would be futile, and I'm willing to bet he's right. We just need to wait until he calls us." Oh did I forget to mention that Jesse didn't really think it necessary to search the warehouse.
"I don't know Jesse. I've just got a feeling about this." There were new aspects of my powers that I was uncovering almost by the day. In this warehouse there seemed to be almost like an emotional residue left over and I wanted to discover exactly what it was.
"Please Emma just come back to sanctuary." He pleaded with me. He was somehow immune to my powers so I wasn't privy to his feelings unless he shared them with me. Without powers, I could easily guess that he was feeling useless and unhelpful like I myself was starting to feel. I knew we would pull through it though.
"Jesse I need to do this to feel like I'm actually helping. Even if I don't find anything." I told him.
"Ok Emma. But please come back as soon as you're done. I miss you baby." He seemed to understand… but he said he missed me.
"Jesse I've only been gone for half an hour." I smiled.
"Still too long." I could practically hear him pout.
"Ok see you soon." I said good bye. When our conversation was over. I missed his voice. Even if I thought he was making fun of me.
I wandered a little more around the warehouse. I was getting a weird feeling and eventually I was drawn to a room. It looked like Adam and Robin had been there. Not like they had left anything behind, but I could feel Robin's feelings almost like she was there with me.
There was a crate against a wall and when I stood close to it, I got a sudden blast of emotions. I couldn't see what Robin's vision had been, but I could feel what she felt when she saw it. I don't know how I knew it was Robin's vision, it just made sense.
I could feel pain and suffering, then it changed to happiness. What was going on? I decided I had had enough of the warehouse.
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Jesse:
When my conversation with Emma ended. I missed her voice. I was sick of everything that was going on. All three of our friends missing and there was nothing we could do to find them. I wanted desperately to do something to help or just get away.
Then a thought struck me. I could program the computer to notify me through my com link if anything changed. That way Emma and I would be free to relax away from the computers. I thought it was making us both a little crazy not being able to do anything while all of our friends were missing. I understood why Emma had to search the warehouse.
We could have dinner or sit and watch a movie. Just something to get our minds off of everything. My mind also wandered back to the previous nights' activities. That was always an option and it would keep us distracted.
I quickly set to work, rigging the computer systems to notify me via com link if anything were to change. When I finished with that I got on the phone with an old friend.
"Jesse. I haven't heard from you in ages. How have you been?" the voice on the other end belonged to none other that of Tony Kilmartin my father's cousin, and one of the only friends I had kept after joining Mutant X and leaving home.
"Tony I need your help and if memory serves right you owe me a favor." I said.
"That I do my boy. What can I do you for?" he asked.
"Reservations for two at Chez Rio, 9:30 tonight." Tony knew everyone who was anyone and I was pretty sure he could pull this off.
"Jesse you dog, you finally got yourself a girl. Congrats buddy. The reservations won't be a problem. Have fun."
"Thanks a million Tony, maybe you could meet her sometime." I said.
"Sure. See you soon." He said.
"You too." I hung up the phone and called Emma back on the com ring.
"Hey Em you done yet?" I asked
"Yeah I'm on my way back right now I should be there in another ten minutes." her tone changed. "Why?"
"No reason." I said suspiciously.
Ten minutes later she got back and I quickly pulled her into a hug. "I have a surprise for you." She rolled her eyes.
"What is it now Jesse?" She whined like a little kid.
"You'll see, but first you'll have to get dressed." I started to pull her toward her room.
"Jesse I am dressed." She sighed giving up on trying to figure out what I had planned.
"Well you have to change." We got to her room then and I walked over to her closet and took out a couple of dresses that she had there. I put them all in one place apart from her other clothing "One of these." I said pointing to the dresses. She looked at me smiling and raised an eyebrow. "Have a shower and get changed, I'll be back when I've done the same." I left then Off to my own room.
Half an hour later we were both ready to go. When we entered the city, I stopped the car and leaned over placing a kiss on Emma's forehead before blindfolding her. "Well be there soon." I told her.
When we got to the restaurant, I got out and helped Emma out of the car. "Jesse, you know I hate not being able to see. Can I take it off now?"
"Uh-huh." I acknowledged and pointed her toward the restaurant so she would see exactly where we were going when she could see.
"Oh Jesse. Wow." She turned around and kissed me. "How did you-" I silenced her with a kiss.
"That's none of your business Ms. Delauro." We went inside were taken to one of the more private areas of the restaurant.
We didn't really get a chance to speak until we had ordered and were waiting for our food.
"Jesse. What if something happens to one of the others?" Emma seemed uneasy.
I smiled and held up my hand. "I set up the computers to notify me if anything changes." She smiled and started to and relaxed. She sat quietly for a few minutes and she still seemed uneasy.
"What's wrong?" I asked concerned. She shook her head.
"While at the warehouse, I think I picked up the feelings that Robin had when she had a vision." She looked down at the table. "Whatever it was, it was fading, it could have been a couple of day's old."
"It'll be ok Emma." I reached over and put my hand over hers lightly. "When this is all over, we'll ask Adam about it ok." She smiled and nodded. "But for now forget about Mutant X, forget about Ashlock. Let just have a good time, you and I."
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TBC
I hope I haven't made you folks wait too long. See you next chapter.
