(Thirteen)
Kimble walked into Joshua's dimly lit apartment, already awed by the mystical surroundings. The room he was in was dark, the only real light came from the sconce candles which were still lit, even though some feeble moonlight could be seen through an open window. Joshua only had them open at night, the daylight was much too bright for his sensitive eyes. Tapestries and paintings of wizards and mythical beasts were hung in between the lights, adding to the atmosphere of having gone to another place. There was no regular furniture, only large cushions for seats and candle stands all over. The floor was carpeted in rich fabric, but Kimble couldn't tell the color, it was too dim. He went to where he was told and sat on a cushion in front of a low table.
Joshua came in from a door that was disguised in the darkness. It was as though he had melted out of the darkness itself, startling Kimble a little. Cameron's mysterious councillor was wearing the dark robes as usual and slowly pulled back his hood in an exaggerated, dramatic gesture. Kimble gasped sharply when he saw Joshua was an albino. He peered at Kimble with his pink eyes and demanded, "Show me the Mark."
Kimble cocked his head up at him. "What?"
"Your tattoo," Cameron said gently from behind him.
Kimble stood up and arched his back as Cameron's strange advisor circled him. He rotated slowly, amused by Joshua's curiosity. He grunted a small laugh when Joshua reached out and ran a finger down the length of the Sword. He liked this man's touch. He took a deep breath and flexed his abdominal muscles, sniffing up at Joshua with interest.
Joshua smiled at him. "I want to see you."
"All right." Kimble dropped his pants without a care and stood proudly, showing off his naked beauty. He liked the way Joshua was looking at him. The robed man paced around him, touching him here and there lightly, impressed with his pilot's body. Kimble was growing aroused and didn't try to hide it.
"You are beautiful," Joshua purred.
"Thanks." Kimble tracked him with his eyes. "Lay with me," he boldly demanded in turn, enchanted by Joshua's otherworldliness. He reached out with his hand to Joshua's pale white face, but the albino stopped him.
"I am not for you. Another awaits," Joshua promised, not the least bit thrown by Kimble's proposal. He seemed to have anticipated Kimble's response and smiled.
"Kind of a shame. I likes yer skin. Yer all white like me."
"And what are you?"
"What do ya thinks I am?" Kimble countered playfully, his eyes teasing.
"You are the ShaRain."
"That's right. La ShaRain natay LaRoo. Guardian Angel. Least that's what I calls myself when I'm foolin' around."
"You are the ShaRain and this is no joke," Joshua said firmly.
His seriousness frightened Kimble a little and his smile faltered. "What do ya means?"
"You are looking for the LaRoo."
"No. An angel's gonna come lookin' fer me. LaRoo, it means angel. I gots sumpthin ta do but I won't know what it is 'till my angel comes."
Joshua glanced at Cameron and shrugged. Same thing only different.
"What I don' unnerstand is how yous even know about it. I was told b'fore I got here an' I ain't told nobody 'cept my Fallen."
"Joshua knows lots of things," Cameron said enigmatically. Kimble was a little spooked by Cameron's ominous tone of voice and he rushed to say something comforting. "Don't worry, nothing bad will happen to you here."
Joshua spoke before Kimble could say anything else. "Tell me. What does the word "Channeler" mean to you?"
Kimble was quiet, but his insides were jumping. The word had sent a shock right through him and then waited as if he was supposed to do something now, but he had no idea what. Channeler. That word meant something to him, it had to, to affect him like this. He frowned. "It makes me feel funny."
"Funny how?"
"I dunno. Kinda scared."
Joshua came up to him and lay both his hands over Kimble's chest. He closed his eyes and whispered the word again. Kimble trembled again as that strange vibration coursed through him and a flood of images poured into Joshua's mind. The albino smiled, happy now. He had Seen what he needed to know, what had eluded him in his visions until now. He looked up into Kimble's face and said, "What do you know of swords?"
"I hates 'em," Kimble replied and backed away. Zander swirled restlessly from within, rattling his chains. He knew what a sword was good for. Yes, indeed. "Alls they do is kill people."
"Easy, son," Kyle said, giving Joshua a hard look. He didn't know what was going on, but this was too spooky. He didn't like Kimble's fear. It was as if he had actually seen swords in use and was terrified. Perhaps he had. They knew so little of Kimble, all that was certain was that Kimble wasn't human and wasn't even from around here.
"A sword is a useful tool. I should know, I have a couple myself. I could teach you to use them," Joshua suggested.
"Don't wanna hurts nobody," Kimble replied, lowering his eyes.
"For fun then," he insisted.
Kimble, Zander growled. You knows a sword is weapon. We's suppozta learn it all. Evrathin', includin' this.
I hates the sword, ya know what it does. It killed all them guys on Nine, I cain't.
Then let me.
Can ya kills y'self with a sword? Lakotashay asked, breaking up the conversation.
Kimble was horrified. "No!" he shouted then backed up and said more quietly. "I don't thinks I wants ta learn no swords."
Cameron noticed Kimble's discomfort. "Don't worry, you don't have to do anything you don't want to. Just think about it, okay? Nothing will happen to you. We want to help you learn your powers and become all that you can be. We will discover just what a Channeler is together, how about that? Stay and join us."
"Why're ya helpin' me?"
"That's what we do. We help mutants who are lost or own their own. They join us and help our cause," Cameron explained.
Kimble was reassured by the familiar sound of this and settled down. It was the same as the Clan had done back on Cerise. Kimble had helped Fallen rescue countless alphas from the Dognan pens. The alphas would then join the Clan and strengthen them with their powers. It had seemed to work out pretty good for all involved then, he had no reason to question it here. It was also the same rhetoric he had heard at Xavier's. Maybe he couldn't hang there, but he might be able to do better here, especially since Cameron wasn't put off by his need for the Club. He might actually find true acceptance. It was the only thing that could make him willingly walk away from Remy, the one and only thing. One thing was certain though, he had no intention of learning the sword. That was a promise.
Cameron continued to work Kimble, saying what he knew the pilot wanted to hear. "We can see you are special and we will help take care of you. All we ask is that you help out on one of our teams. You can stay with Kyle, he has an opening now. Would you like that?"
"Yeah," Kimble answered. "Kyle's been real nice ta me."
"Leon is on his team now as well. He has agreed to give you all the plasma you need. See? This is how we all help each other here."
"All right. I'll stay, I guess," Kimble agreed. He was still a little spooked and uncertain. "Are ya shure ya wants me? The last group I was with wuz pissed off at me alla the time me cuz I wants ta play so much. I don' want no more trouble."
"The Club will take care of that. We want you to with us. We accept you for who and what you are," Cameron said carefully, choosing the words Joshua had told him to use when he had predicted Kimble's coming. He had been told of Kimble's sexual needs and insecurities. He saw these things as tools to be used to control this wonderful new potential weapon.
Kimble beamed, hooked in. He was happy now at the thought of being someplace where he was wanted and could be useful. "Well, all right then. I'll help yous with whatever ya want."
"Good," Cameron said, clasping his hands. "I'll have Kyle settle you in. I'm sure we have a spare bed someplace for you."
"Gail has no roommate," Joshua said, blinking at Cameron and smiling ever so slightly.
"That'll do."
"Sir?" Kyle said and waited. It wasn't customary to bed co-operatively, in fact it was discouraged. Gail was waiting for the next female recruit, not a man, certainly not a sexual creature as Kimble was. It could only lead to trouble.
Cameron just held up a hand. "That will be fine."
Kyle sighed and shook his head. What was going on? All the rules were being broken for Kimble, why? There was more going on here than it seemed. He would have to have a long talk with Cameron about this and how Kimble should best be handled.
(break)
Kyle brought Kimble upstairs to where the Freedom Kings lived and did their work. He showed Kimble around, showing him the training rooms and the gym. They did not possess the technology the X-men did and had to rely on more conventional methods of training. The gym was huge and filled with large obstacle courses and workout equipment. There were a few mutants huffing and puffing away, running the courses without using their powers. Kyle explained that they took maintaining their physical condition very seriously. They never knew when some freak might put a restraining collar on them and their powers were negated. Cameron wanted his crew ready for any contingency.
Kyle took Kimble down to the living quarters. They all shared a large common room, but most of them hung out in the Club in their free time. He said they were a little short on space at the moment and Cameron decided that he should bunk with Gail, she was the only one without a roommate. He left Kimble at the door to his room, patting him on the back and saying he should try and get some sleep. It was now quite late and they wanted him to start with classes the next morning. The training here was run like a formal school with rules and everything. He gave Kimble a scrap of paper with a schedule on it, smiling gently when he saw Kimble make a face.
"I ain't so good with schedules," Kimble groaned.
"Just do your best." He patted Kimble on the back again and walked away.
Kimble walked in the room slowly, feeling a little out of place in this large dormitory. He saw an empty bed and clean night stand and figured this must be the place where he was supposed to go. Kimble sat down on the bed, feeling a little lost. He didn't own anything except the pants that Kyle had given him and it made him feel a little sad.
Gail's side of the room was cluttered and well lived in, not unlike the work station he used to have in the Lucky Dragon's control room. She didn't have any nude pictures, but did have a lot of statues and figures of naked women in sensual, sexy poses. They were sleek and beautiful, everything she wasn't. She was a dragon lady in the fullest sense, a lizard in vague human form and would never be normal again. Her bed didn't have the usual blankets, her bed clothes were made of rough canvas and thick wooly cloth because her scales would shred ordinary blankets. Her own clothes were made of the same rough materials. She didn't have a regular full uniform like the rest of the team, she was limited to a basic bra top and pants, but she did have an arm band with the King's logo on it.
The girl herself was sitting on her bed and looking with amusement at his lost and forlorn expression. She was her usual half human, half lizard self, her scales glinting in the light of the room. She had been forewarned about her new room mate and hadn't put up much of a fuss. Most folks moved in and moved on, finding her gruesome appearance too much to handle for long.
She smiled at him in her toothy way. "Nothing to put away?"
He shrugged and tugged on his clothes. "Jus' me, I guess," he said with a playful smile.
"Light traveler, huh?" she teased with a laugh. She was surprised he wasn't making excuses to flee or even acting uncomfortable around her. "Well, nobody should have a bare night stand. It's bad luck," she said, feeling oddly generous. She stood up and brought him one of her small statues. She set it carefully down on the small stand and was rewarded with a small Kimble smile.
"My name is Gail." She offered her hand, curious if he would take it.
He did. "I'm Kimble. I 'members you from the other night. 'Bout the only thing I can remember," he said with a laugh.
"Yeah, well. I'm hard to forget," she said a little sadly.
She expected him to say something about how ugly she was, most men did, but instead he said, "Yeah, I likes the way yer scales catch the light. They's kinda shimmery, ya know? Like feathers."
She cocked her head at him in surprise. Someone who wanted to have a conversation with her, how rare. How nice. "Are you hungry?"
"Don't eat regular food like yous guys," Kimble said. "I eats energy, plasma. Like Leon makes. But thanks fer askin'."
"You can't eat regular food? That sucks."
"Oh, I kin eats. Jus' don hafta, is all."
Gail reached behind her to her night stand and found a box of Twinkies. She held one up. "I'm a sucker for junk food. You like?"
Kimble grinned and came over. "I like."
He sat next to her on the bed and munched his treat happily. She took his class schedule and clicked her tongue. "Wow. Newbie stuff. I don't miss this."
"I ain't never been in a formal school."
"I can tell," she said with a laugh at his poor English.
He just snickered at her. "I ain't dumb, though. I knows lotsa things."
"Oh? Like what?"
"I kin fly a space ship."
She looked at him seriously for a moment, then busted up laughing.
"What? Ya don' b'lieve me?"
She couldn't answer, she was too busy giggling.
"Oh, shure. That wuz my best best pick up line," he joked. He should've known he wouldn't be taken seriously. They didn't fly ships here, not that he saw anyway. The Lucky Dragon was unique.
She patted his shoulder, careful with her hands. Her scales could cut. "You're cute, you know that? But it's late. You should try and sleep."
Kimble went over to his bed, but he was too excited to sleep. He snuggled down and Gail shut off the light, still laughing. He wasn't even close to being sleepy and would snicker at her, keeping her laughter going until she finally threw a pillow at him. He settled down eventually, watching her glow shimmer in the dark. She was happy now, a much different color than when he'd first walked in. It pleased him and he closed his eyes, contented. In a few minutes, he was fast asleep.