THE NEW EXILES
By: The Uncanny R-Man & Agent-G
Shout outs:
X-Over: One of the Project Prodigy children from another reality will show and and be recruited. Maybe they'll go back to Mojo world, it has possibilities.
Rugy631: Actually Skip turned out to be a bad guy so that's why he wasn't there.
Chapter 13: The Prodigy Child
THE COMPLEX
He was back in hell, or at least what he considered hell. There they were all twelve of them about six years old in plain white clothing on a cold metal floor. They were looking at the training course and of course their Keeper a brutal man only known as Simmons. The man had brown hair and a beard and an ugly face with a constant sneer on his face.
He looked at the kids in contempt. "You little freaks think that was good?" He asked them refereeing to their latest attempt at the course a few of the kids were bleeding but not badly enough to require medical attention. "That was pathetic, you're supposed to be weapons! And weapons you'll be!" He saw him grab the girl next to him, she had dark hair and green eyes. She was Prodigy 6.
He grabbed the girl and threw her to the floor roughly, when she tried to stand he stomped on her back causing her to cry out. "Stay down!" He commanded and walked to the side and grabbed a nasty looking whip. "When you fail you get punish, you all know this so why do I have to keep punishing you little brats?"
The boy only known as Prodigy 7 watched as the man raised his hand with the over his head the intent was clear and he knew that he couldn't let that happen. He moved as fast as he could and jumped on top of her just as the whip came down. He bit his lip so hard blood came from it as he whimpered from the pain of the whip tearing his flesh. "What the hell do you think you're doing Seven?" He asked and yanked the boy up off the ground by his hair to see his face. "You think that was funny boy? I asked you a question!" He dropped the boy onto the ground and kicked him in the ribs.
The boy felt some of his ribs break and he was losing consciousness the last thing he remembered was being dragged off to the infirmary and looking at seeing one of the scientist yelling at their Keeper. He saw Prodigy Six still on the ground watching him tears in her eyes.
Vincent woke up with a start. He looked around and tried to remember where he was. "Lights." He said and the room's lights turned on. He looked at the timer and saw it was still early. He also knew he wasn't going to get any more sleep that night and decided to work off that nightmare...which was actually memories of his past. That was the day he got that huge scar on his back. He got dressed in a white gi and sent to the training area.
He entered one of the plain white training rooms. "Computer access program Mayhem 6, level 5."
"Compliance." Said the monotone computer and the area changed back to the ruined remains of his city he heard the thunderous sounds of giants and looked behind him calmly. "MUTANT TARGER AQUIRED." Came the deep booming voice of three Sentinels.
Mayhem just looked at them his eyes glowing crimson. "Bring it." He said coldly to them.
-Later that day-
The girls were riding the elevator back to the main level and the floor was nearly filled with bags of the shopping trip to the Haven City. They had gone to a mall that the robot driver offered them called Cloud Nine, that apparently was a large mall that hovered above the ground.
"You think we over did it a little?" Blink asked looking at their bags. Each of them had at least four bags filled with stuff.
"Nah." Heather said waving it away. "Besides did you see the look on the store owner's faces when we said price wasn't an option?"
"Oh yeah. That was priceless." August said. "I mean I think we got everything we needed, a new wardrobe, shoes, and then some."
"Not to mention a few more personal items." Heather said grinning.
"Why did you have to drag both of us to that store?" Blink said crossing her arms. She remembered how Heather Just HAD to get some lingerie for herself and talked to her and August into it too. "It's not like I got anyone in my life and need it."
"Well first off if Guardian can figure out why he can't make a connection to my universe I want something for when I see my husband again." Heather admitted. "Plus...well...I figured you two might need them anyway I mean with how August here has been meeting Kurt on a daily basis."
"Hey! We're just friends, I mean sure he's like the Kurt I knew, it's...it's just nice to hear 'his' voice you know?" August said to her. "Besides we've been comparing notes and...well...we've sort of just been a shoulder to cry on for each other since we both know what each other has been through."
"I'm sorry August, I just thought that maybe you and him would you know, take this as a way of having a second chance or something." Heather said although she could relate to that.
August shrugged. "It's alright."
"Yeah but that still doesn't explain why you had to drag me in though." Blink stated.
Both August and Heather looked at each other then to their leader. "You're kidding right?" August said with a smirk.
"Yeah I mean you and Vince have been hanging out all alone I might add for a little while." Heather said grinning too. "I mean what exactly do you two do?" She said with a lecherous look.
Blink was startled by this remark. "What?! W-we just talk! I mean we both have had to live in a living hell of a world, seen friends die, had to make tough choices, fought against impossible odds and yet lose...it's just nice to have someone to relate too."
"Uh-huh." Both girls said at once Blink just fumed a little and turned away from them. As the door opened they got their bags and walked out to the living quarters. On they way there they saw Vincent walking out of one of corridors to the left, both Heather and August gave each other a look and they both understood what they wanted to other to do and grinned at what they had planned.
"Hey Vince what's up?" August shouted over to him. He stopped and walked to them and got an amused smile on his face as he saw all their purchases.
"Geez...did you girls buy out a whole store yet?"
"Ha! They wish." Heather said with a smile. "Not like we can afford it or anything. I thought you and the guys were going to try for another movie marathon or something?"
Vince looked a little uncomfortable. "Well I was...but they both decided on a horror movie marathon and I can't watch those movies."
"Too scary?" Heather said joking.
Vincent lost any good humor in his face as he got a grim expression. "I don't like the kind of killing that goes on...it brings back a few...painful memories." There was an uncomfortable silence after that, ever since Vince had gathered them together not long ago and told them of his 'childhood' they tried to avoid certain tings that would relate to that part of his life. Luckily nothing much did to everyone's relief.
Then August got a small grin but got rid of it as she thought of a way to shatter the tension. "Hey Blink all that's got to heavy, I'd carry it but my hands are full." She then elbowed Heather.
"Huh! Oh yeah, well I could too but my other form is a little awkward to carry it all you know?" Heather said catching on.
"What are you girls going on about?" Blink asked them eyeing them carefully.
"If you want a hand I wouldn't mind helping out." Vince said sincerely.
"Um...sure." Blink said handing him two bags and taking the two others herself.
"Go on we'll catch up, maybe he could help you put them away too." Heather said to her as they both left. When they were out of earshot she grinned. "Take one Canadian, add being raised by a priest and you get one polite guy who will help anyone out."
"Especially if he likes her." August said smirking. "I mean it's so obvious he likes her, I just wish I could see his face if he does help her unpack and pulls out that lingerie we got her." Heather burst out laughing at the thought of the look on his face of the tough guy and the serious one of the group with and soon August joined in. "Oh God I bet his face would get all red in a second."
"And what about Blink's, you can't say her reaction wouldn't be hilarious too." Heater said between laughs.
NEXUS CHAMBERGuardian was standing on the high platform in front of the holographic controls and windows in the large and dark smooth walled room. He was looking through the multi-verse for something that needed to be fixed at the moment. He was still trying to find a way to link with Heather's reality but it was proving difficult, there were only a few reasons why something like that was happening and none of them were good. He also was trying to think of anyway to help out John Proudstar too and he was running out of options with him as well.
Then something caught his cosmic senses. He saw a young woman with long black hair and green eyes, he saw the terrorist organization named Hydra. And what he saw they had planned for the woman wasn't good. When he looked into the past he was surprised at what he found about her. He was surprised so much he lost concentration and snapped back to his normal perceptions in the Nexus Chamber.
"Well...he should find this interesting." Guardian said as he decided to do a little more research into the matter before he gathered them for a briefing.
BRIEFING ROOM – 2 HOURS LATEREveryone had gathered together in the briefing room. "Any bets on where we're going this time guys?" Morph asked them all.
Jono shrugged. "Wherever it is you know that we'll get right in the middle of trouble, but then again that's part of the job."
"As long as it isn't a battlefield I'm fine with it." Vincent said shrugging. Just then the huge double doors slide open and Guardian strolled in and activated the holo-projector that they were gathered around.
"Well I know you are all wondering what is going on so I'll get right to it." And image of a green multi headed creature was on screen. "There is a terrorist group known as Hydra, in this reality they recently got a new agent working for them and they're going to use her."
"Her?" Morph asked his interest going up as he sat up straighter in his chair.
Guardian sighed then went on. "Yes her." And image showed a young woman in her early twenties with long black hair and green eyes. She wore a tight black costume with a red 6 over her heart. She was athletically built, yet also had a feminine and petite form, there was also some type of metallic band around her head.
"Whoa babe alert." Morph said smiling.
Blink rolled her eyes at his comment. "What's that thing on her head?"
"I believe it to be some type of controller, you see it represses her personality and make her obedient." Guardian answered her.
"You mean that bird isn't working for them of her own free will?" Jono asked appalled by that.
"Yes." He said grimly. Then he noticed that Vincent had remained eerily quiet and had been staring at her. "I figured you'd recognize her."
"So it is her." He said in a small voice.
"Yes it is." He said the others wanted to know what they were talking about so he elaborated. "You see she was part of Project Prodigy, the same program that Vincent here was a part of in his youth. Only in this reality he didn't survive, in fact she was the only survivor of that program. You see Hydra attacked the lab and the children with the exception of her were accidentally killed."
"She is being sent to a bio lab to get a dangerous bio weapon. You're mission is two-fold. First is to not only make sure the bio weapon is safe but I want you to destroy it, August a fire ball will do it, it's too dangerous to be left in dangerous hands. Second...I want you to try and free her of that control and take her back with you."
"You mean she'll be one of us?" Heather asked.
"Sort of, I'm thinking of a support member." He said to her. "With everything going on I want reserves members just in case especially since I think we're pissing off the Dark Circle lately and it won't be long until they strike back at us in some way."
Vincent got up. "Well if that's everything then let's get going." He said sternly and in a very serious tone. The others with the exception of Blink didn't know this, but he had always blamed himself for not being able to get any of the other kids out when he escaped. To him this was a second chance to save at least one of them.
DIMENTION M-5-7563.2In a top secret military base in the middle of nowhere, was where the US government used for testing of certain biological weapons. It was supposed to be a secret that no one outside the base and high-ranking people in the government knew about it, but Hydra a terrorist organization that spanned the world and they had found out that in this base was the most deadly virus ever created, and they wanted it.
So they sent their greatest weapon, a mutant woman that they bought. She had the power of gravity and was completely under their control. Thanks to a control device that was attached to her head, it kept her subservient and would carry their orders to the letter without hesitation. So when she was ordered to retrieve the virus at all cost and not to let anyone get in her way she obeyed.
The front entrance, which was carved into a mountain, was easy enough. All she did was make the gravity too much for the soldiers to stand and crushed the metal doors inward. She walked along the huge dark tunnel and as soldiers tried to gun her down all she did was make the gravity around her so strong the bullets just fell to the ground. The soldiers tried to pull back and at one point one of the guards fired a grenade at her.
She merely makes it turn at a right angle into the far wall. She walked on totally in control of the situation and unafraid. It was one of the things the band also did it suppressed her emotions too. She marked on to the inside of the complex and found an elevator.
It had an electronic lock, but she just made the door crumple and fall into the shaft. She jumped in without hesitation and slowly floated down on top of an elevator She opened the hatch and jumped in. She got rid to the doors in front of her and walked on. She looked at the walls to see if she was on the right floor and she was.
The corridors where circular and smooth with pipes on the ceiling and colored lines on the floors. On the walls there were names of the areas in colored boxes and saw which way she needed to go. At one point when she reached a junction one Security Forces man tried to surprise her with a punched but she ducked under it, and leaned forward. She raise her leg behind and over her back for a kick to his face and as he staggered back she kicked him in the chest and flipped and with the other leg sent a kick under his chin, making him land on his back out cold and she ended her flip kick combo into a crouching position.
She got up and moved on. She encountered other resistance but with used her powers or her fighting skills to subdue them. She finally reached a vaulted area and she stretched out her arms and concentrated and the hinges crumpled like paper then the door well inward. She saw her objective, it was a container the size of a thermos.
She went to reach for it but suddenly a purple glowing thing stuck it and it disappeared. She turned around to face the Exiles. Blink now had the canister in her possession. She threw it up into the air. "August now!"
August didn't need to be told twice and blasted it, with as much force as her fire powers could muster making sure to incinerate any trace of it. "Well that was easy." Morph said.
"Yeah but now we got the bird to deal with mate, and I don't think she's going down easy." Chamber said pointing to Prodigy 6.
"Look you don't have to do this." Mayhem asked her, hoping that she might actually stop, but Vince knew that it most likely wouldn't work. She did want to stop though, she didn't want to do any of this, but she was trapped in her own body and watched helplessly as she raised her hands and started to crush the Exiles under her gravimetric force.
Only Heather, August and Vincent had the strength to still stand but just barely. "Jono, you think you could do something with her mind?" Heather strained to get out.
"No...can't...get...through...being blocked...plus...it's hard when...my body...is getting' bloody...squished!" He had even more trouble getting it out then her.
"Fine then." August sent out a fireball but she was surprised when it was deflected. "Oh...crap."
Vincent managed to get both his hands together and they glowed as he sent an energy beam at her but it too was deflected. Blink noticed a slight change in the pressure, but just slightly. "Vince! Try to break...her concentration!"
He nodded and then fired smaller beams only in a scatter shot type of attack. They too were deflected so he made more and then moved them around, it was straining and it was hard to concentrate making so many beams and varying them, but soon Prodigy 6 had to think of only the energy beams and the Exiles felt the pressure decrease.
Blink teleported behind her and kicked her in the back. With her control totally gone the pressure was also gone and all the Exiles tried for an attack. Chamber fired a blast of his psionic biokinesis energy at her but she just flipped over it. Morph tried to grab her from behind but she threw an elbow into his gut, spun and back handed him in the face then finished it with a swift high kick to the head and he staggered back against a wall. "Ouch...that girl can hit." He muttered.
Heather in her transformed state went for her, but she placed a hand on the one of the pipes above her head and seemed to force it out and sent it flying at incredible speed hitting her in the chest. Blink was next and she was joined by August as the two of them tried their fighting skills, they managed to force her back but both women were a little surprised at her skills.
Then Prodigy 6 activated her powers again and Blink fell to the floor while August fell to her knee but still threw a punch it was slow and was easily caught. August saw the woman raise her other arm in an attack but a blur caught her eye and Vincent was suddenly behind Prodigy 6.
In fact her head sharply tilted to the side and she fell to the floor. August felt the increased gravity gone and saw that Vincent's arm was where her head was and his hand in a knife like pose. She guessed he had used a chop to the back of her head.
She looked and saw that she was still breathing so he had controlled it with enough force to knock her out and not kill her. The others had gathered around her by now. "Remind me not to get on her bad side." Morph said rubbing his jaw form her kick.
Just then more soldiers came in with guns drawn. "HOLD IT!" An officer said.
"Uh...Blink I think now is a good time to make an exit." Jono said to her. She nodded and pulled out the PADD and pressed the emergency recall button and the Exiles and Prodigy 6 disappeared in a flash of light, leaving some very confused military force behind.
LATER – BACK AT THE COMPLEXThe woman known only as Prodigy 6 slowly opened her eyes. She looked up to see an unfamiliar setting and suddenly sat straight up and gasped. Something was different, and then it hit her. She was thinking clearly again, her mind was her own she was sure of it. She reached to her head and the band was no longer there.
"I removed that horrid device if you're wondering." Startled she turned to see a balding man in white clothing. He moved cautiously to her. "It's alright you're safe here, no will hurt you again." She wasn't sure if she believed him or not but then the doors to the far said opened and a man in dark clothing and the others she remembered fighting walked in.
"So how's our guest Doc?" The man in black asked.
"Physically she's fine...but emotionally..." The Doc trailed off leaving that in the air, Guardian nodded in understanding. While this was going on Vincent made his way to her side. He was amazed at how she looked now. The last time he had seen 'her' or the others was just as children but he did remember those eyes of hers.
"Hello...my name is Vincent Freeman...I was once known as Prodigy 7." He said to her and then he rolled the sleeve of his shirt to reveal a scar on his left arm. The woman instantly grabbed her own left arm in the same place where she had an identical scar from those days. The scars were where tracking implants were put into all the children and she noticed how his scar was identical.
Then she looked into his eyes, he was older then the last time she had seen him but his eyes were the same. "Is it...really you?" She had thought she was the only survivor, she thought she was alone in the world.
He scratched the back of his head. "Well...yes and no...it's a long story." He explained everything to her, other realities, the Exiles, the reality he came from where she was dead and he had been the only survivor. They talked for about an hour, mostly it was him answering all her questions then Guardian spoke up.
"Well now that you understand the situation I was wondering if you would like to stay?"
Her face lit up, she would like to be in this place. It felt safe to her and she had never felt that, plus there was someone here she could relate to, someone who would know what she had gone through and frankly seeing Vincent again, even though he wasn't her Vincent was still nice she remembered that day that her Vincent had taken a whip for her and other times that Prodigy 7 had comforted her and it was nice to see him again in any form. "Yes I would but what would I do?"
"Is she going to be an Exile?" Heather asked.
Guardian thought about it. "Well...not right away. She needs time to heal." He told her. 'And not just physically.' He mentally thought. "Besides I could use someone to help out on a few projects I got going at the moment so if that's alright with you miss...you know I forgot...you need a name."
The Exiles tried to help her out with names but she didn't much care for the few that were offered until Vincent spoke up. "How about April?" He asked. No one really knew it, but that name held great significance to him. The first memory he had was when he was three years old. It was of a woman that seemed to care about him even love him.
He remembered her face and her voice and remembered someone from the other room calling out to her calling her by name. He figured that woman had been his mother and to him the name April was deeply personal. He hadn't even told Blink this, mainly because shortly after that men in black combat gear came, he saw his mother shot trying to get him out of there. Then he was taken to the Project. He didn't know her last name or even his real name for that matter.
The only thing he had left of his mother was just a name, a memory and a drawing of her he had done in his sketchbook. This girl was like a sister to him, a sister in arms sharing the same dark past and he couldn't think of anyone else he would want to carry that name.
She thought about it. "April...I like it."
"So what about a last name?" August asked them.
"I know!" Morph said. "Her powers are gravity based right? How about Newton?"
The others looked at him but April spoke up. "If it fits with my powers I guess I'll try it."
Guardian smiled. "Well that's nice to hear, but I think you need to get some rest right Doc?"
Doc nodded. "I believe so, you're still a little weak from the battle and you need to let your body and mind recover." Then he looked to the Exiles. "You can all visit her in the morning if you like but please let her get some rest."
The Exiles went off but Vincent lagged behind being the last to leave, he turned to see her again. "It's...good to have you here." He said and she actually smiled for the first time in her life and nodded. She got comfortable on her bed and it wasn't long until she was asleep and for the first time in years it was a pleasant sleep without nightmares.
NEXT UP CHAPTER 14: HELLFIRE AND WOLFSBANE
Please if you read please review any comments and/or suggestions are welcome