(Eight)

The next morning, the very day that Anya predicted the X-men might have a chance at snagging their wayward Siskan, Leon was looking for Kimble himself, it was feeding time. He went through the hallway, making his way to Kimble's room quickly. He stopped when Gail suddenly opened the door to their room, surprising him. She was dressed only in a skimpy canvas bathrobe. Gail both intrigued and repulsed Leon at the same time. She had a shapely body but he was frightened by her scales. He wondered if they would cut his bare skin if he lay against her. He looked past her and saw Kimble sprawled on his belly across her bed. It was still early and he hadn't yet gotten up to dress for class. He was naked and unharmed. Guess that answered that question.

Gail saw where Leon was looking. "Morning, rat boy," she teased without humor.

Leon made a face. "How can you let him touch you? Don't you know he's queer? I saw some films Cam made of him from the club. He lets guys...you know...fuck him in the ass!"

Gail just laughed at him. "Poor, Leon. Don't you know? He's an alien. He doesn't have an ass!" She giggled and walked off down the hall towards the small common kitchen that was shared by all the dormers on this level. She was in search of coffee and could care less what Leon was thinking.

Leon snorted in disgust and went into the dorm room. Kimble was almost back asleep, contented from her love and acceptance. They had only finished making love a few minutes ago, a nice way to start the day. He sensed Leon looming above him and opened his eyes. "Hey."

"Hey, yourself. You hungry?"

Kimble grinned. "Shure." He rolled over in anticipation and held out his hands.

Leon looked down on his naked body, his eyes cold and hard. He saw Kimble's perfect physique—the lean, hard muscles, his glowing skin, and hated it. Kimble was everything he wasn't and never would be. "Cover yourself!" Leon hissed.

Kimble did as he was told. He pulled the blanket over his legs, trembling. He could sense Leon's anger painfully but didn't know why Leon was mad at him.

"You want this?" Leon asked, making a small ball of plasma.

"Yes," Kimble answered warily. There was something in Leon's shine, the boy wanted something in return.

"Then say, "I am a pervert, a sexual freak"."

"Why? It ain't true."

"I saw what you do at the club. It ain't natural. You ain't natural."

Kimble cocked his head in confusion. "It's only fuckin', it don' mean nuthin'."

"It's evil to let another man fuck you like that! Now say the words!"

"It ain't evil. It's luvin'. It's good. I kin shows you -"

"You keep away from me!" Leon hissed, charging up his fists and making the plasma ball really large.

Kimble cowered away, fearing its size. He wanted the plasma, yes, but he didn't know if he could survive another big hit like the first time. "S-Sorry, I didn't mean nuthin-"

"Say the words!" Leon demanded again, smiling now that he could see Kimble was cowed.

"I -I'm a pervert. I-I'm a sexual freak," Kimble stammered, shaken.

"Say it like you mean it!"

"I'm a pervert! I'm a sexual freak!"

Kimble gasped sharply in fear as Leon tossed him the ball of plasma. Leon shrank it down at the last moment, sparing him. It came into Kimble and flooded him with its delicious heat. He swallowed it gratefully with his body, but felt some pain as Leon's harsh words came inside with it. Leon's attacks on his sexuality were happening more and more. Combined with Kyle's criticism, it was stressing him out all the more. He began to doubt the lessons Sheyman had taught him about how all consensual sex was good. This kept happening to him, this aversion to his sexual openness. If it was always happening, maybe he was the one who was wrong and not everyone else. Maybe he really was bad. These thoughts were still in his mind, clouding him, and leaving him open to attack as Leon stood over him.

Leon saw Kimble getting high from the plasma and was disgusted. How dare this freak suggest he needed to be shown that the sinful, lustful horror called homosexual love was something to be enjoyed! He saw his perverted uncle's face and let his rage take over. The rape he had suffered at his uncle's hands had been brutal and the man was never punished. Looked like he'd just found someone to take it out on.

Unable to restrain himself, Leon gave Kimble another hit of plasma, overdosing him on purpose. Kimble shivered and moaned, overcome with heat and instantly intoxicated. Leon sneered and punched his helpless prey in the face, sending a fine spray of grey blood from Kimble's nose across the bed. Kimble squealed, but had so much plasma in him, the injury healed itself right away. The blood shimmered and disappeared as if it had never happened.

Kimble moaned and rolled over, holding his hands to his face in agony, the plasma's healing capabilities didn't stop him from feeling the pain. Leon punched him again, this time on his back where his kidneys should have been. Kimble balled up, with a startled grunt, but didn't defend himself. He was high and hopelessly confused, feeling the pain without knowing its source. Leon hit him over and over again until his hands hurt, his rage fueling his frenzy, until he heard the change in the pilot's breathing. It was a sudden reality check and finally forced him to stop. Kimble was gasping now in a sickening wheeze, not really moving, only heaving for air.

Leon saw where Kimble's skin had begun to bruise. Kimble's body was sensitive to many things and showed its damage quickly. The bruises spread rapidly, growing ugly and large. They were black and in the shape of his fists. Leon was frightened now, knowing he couldn't possibly hide this.

He made his hands glow and lay them over Kimble's back where the bruising was the worst, hoping another shot of plasma would make the damage go away. He wasn't prepared for what happened next. He gasped as he was suddenly sucked out of his body and taken to another place. The damage had been severe enough that Kimble's body was trying to take him to the Black Room just as it had Gambit that time in the gym. Leon shrieked in horror when he found himself falling backwards through space in an alien place, Kimble's arms wrapped around him in a loving embrace. He wasn't capable of feeling the comfort and love the others had felt here in the freefall of Kimble's mind. He squealed and tried to get away but he was trapped.

"Well, who's this? A stowaway?" he heard a rough voice growl. He looked around him in fear and was startled when he saw a shadowed image of another man falling next to him. Zander had stopped by to check out the intruder. Inside Kimble's mind Zander was no mere voice, he was a powerful spirit and had physical form. Leon saw Zander's shattered mirror face and screamed.

Zander just laughed. "Guess that means we won't be seeing you back here any time soon, ya piece of fuckin' garbage. Best be keepin' yer hands to yerself now, boy. You wake me, I'll rip yer fuckin' heart out!"

Leon screamed again but was greeted only by a tinny mechanical voice. "Unable to make connection."

He woke abruptly back in the real world and fell backwards onto his ass, bewildered. He scrambled away, crab walking until he hit the wall and came back to himself. He was here, he was home. Kimble groaned and shook once before passing out from so much plasma being pumped into him. The damage to his body was gone, the only thing that remained was Leon's terror. Leon was a quick boy and learned his lessons well. "Don't touch Kimble when he's really hurt", that was the lesson here. He scrambled to his feet and fled, hoping that Kimble wouldn't know what was done to him.

(break)

Kimble woke when he felt Gail touch him. He was impossibly high, his skin hot and dry. He was achingly thirsty, almost in pain from it. Gail was worried, shaking him. He tried to answer her, but couldn't. She left him and returned with some water, brining a cup to his face. He drank it down greedily, slopping it all over himself. "What happened ta me?" he asked in a daze.

She touched him gently, careful with her hands. "I was going to ask you the same thing, kiddo."

"I-I feel like shit...I'm so high..."

She petted him and he shivered, her touch was irresistible to him in this condition. He reached for her, but fell on top of her instead. His body was beyond his ability to control, the movement sent the room spinning and he was instantly nauseated. He vomited, he couldn't help himself, and Gail scowled when she saw what he sicked up. It was all grey with the thick bands of orange plasma in it. She had seen this before and understood now what was wrong. Leon had just been here, he must have overdosed Kimble on purpose...but why?

"Do you remember anything?"

"Not really."

He searched inside himself. Zander?

Yeah, kid?

What happened?

Yer little plasma boy wuz beatin' on ya so I scared him away.

Why would he do that? He's supposed to be our friend.

Don' know. Seems ta me yer so called friend ain't too cool with ya screwin' around. Don' think he's had the right proper pleasure of sucking on a nice fat dick. Poor boy, he mighta found it to his liking.

Yer mean, Zander. Cam said he got raped. Cain't think of nuthin' worse.

Too bad he's takin' it out on us. Maybe we outta teach the boy a lesson.

Maybe we should leave. This place is really startin' ta suck anyhow. We could go back home, take Gail with us.

Don' think she's gonna go. Yer gonna hafta decide. Put up with Leon poundin' on ya, defend yerself an' beat him up back, or bail. Best git thinkin' on it, Leon cain't be trusted. Don' know what he'll do next.

"Kimble? You okay?" Gail asked, spooked by his quiet. She had seen him blank out before like this and it always made her nervous. She was aware of his fragmentation, she was too close to him not to be, but it never really came out around her often. She made Kimble too happy.

"Yeah, still a little high, is all."

"I'm going to get Kyle, okay? You're sick."

"All right..." he slurred and closed his eyes.

She left him and a few minutes later, he heard Kyle's voice close by. He could hear them talking but not what they were saying. He felt it when Gail came back, though. She eased him down into a comfortable position and wrapped around him. He was hot to the touch, but her scales gave her some petted him and he drifted off to sleep, dreaming of her.

He slept most of the day, coming in and out. Sometimes Gail was there, sometimes she was gone. His whole body was numb and he could do little more than lay quiet and dream. He could hear Zander whispering to him, offering reassurance that he was going to be okay. They would settle this score and Leon was toast.

It was late when Kimble finally snapped out of his delirium. He was alone and could tell by the light from the window it was almost dark. He got up drunkenly and staggered to the shower. The water revived him and he felt almost human now. He let the water pour over him as his mind went to work.

I hafta git outta here. Gonna take Gail with me.

Fergit it, kid. We're stayin'. I got Leon's number, don't you worry. That little shit is mine, Zander said forcefully. He wasn't going to let this go.

Kimble sighed. All right. We'll play it your way, but it's gotta git better'n this. I'm sick of this place already.

He came out of the bathroom, squeaky clean and shiny and saw Gail waiting for him. Her presence made him smile, he just couldn't help it. "Hey, Gail."

"You look better. How do you feel?"

"Still a little fuzzy, but I'll be all right."

"Kyle was worried about you. He said I have to take extra special care of you tonight."

Kimble grinned, liking the sound of that. "Whatcha gots in mind, baby doll?"

"There's fireworks tonight. I made a deal with Barney. I paid him fifty bucks to let us up onto the roof to watch."

"We...we kin goes outside?" It would be the first time since he'd been taken here.

"Yes." She grabbed his hand and tugged on him. "Let's go!"