(Two)
An hour later and the next shack away, Joshua paced restlessly. 'Shay was late for their practice session and he was easily impatient. He wanted so much for this next and perhaps final session to begin. Zander had done very well with his sword practice and Joshua wanted to see if he was ready to take the next step, the next step towards becoming the Channeler he was destined to be.
Joshua looked up as the pilot shuffled in. She was rumpled and dirty, her hair a mess and her uniform full of holes. She had been given another quick recharge by Leon to finish the repair for her damage, but it had done nothing to improve her disheveled appearance. Clearly something ugly had happened. She came in slowly and sank to her knees with her head down.
"What troubles you this day?" Joshua asked, trying to hide his disappointment. He hated it when 'Shay showed up instead of Zander because she never wanted to learn. She was the biggest impediment in Kimble's evolution into the ShaRain and it was harder and harder for him to deal with her. It seemed as though today's lesson was going to be a wash.
"They won't lets us die," she whispered softly.
He came and knelt down in front of her, lifting her chin a bit with a finger to better look her in the eyes. "There is much for you still to learn. Why do you wish to leave this place before you've seen all it has to offer?"
"Alls it's shown me is pain. Cain't fuck, cain't die. What's the point?"
Joshua latched on to the bait she had tossed him. "Why can't you fuck?"
She looked up at him, looking to see if he was going to offer himself. He wasn't. "Kyle won't brings us a man. I ain't had nuthin' since we come here and I wants it. I asked him, but he sez no and then we gots into a fight. Now he's all mad an' I ain't gittin' nuthin'."
"You didn't ask me," he replied with a disarming smile. This he could use to his advantage.
A perplexed, sad look crossed her face. "You gonna lay with me?"
"No, but I'll see to it Cameron brings you someone who will."
Her face brightened just a little. "Ya will?"
"If you do as I ask."
'Shay's smile faltered, so much like Leon this was. "Who ya wants me ta kill?"
Joshua was shocked silent. That was not the response he had expected and wasn't quite sure how to reply. The question had weight, something had occurred that he was unaware of. Odd that he had not seen it. "Why would I want you to kill someone?"
"That's how it works. I kills, then I gits what I wants."
"And who asks this of you?"
Lakotashay was no fool, she could read the shines. This one didn't know what she was talking about and he was afraid of it, not of her but of his plans being ruined. He wouldn't stop the game Leon had invented, more cats would perish. He cared not one bit about them. "Fergit it. 'S nuthin'."
"You brought it up, my dear."
"I'm supposed ta show that I'm willin'. That I'll do it if I hafta...fer the team he says."
Joshua smiled. This was unexpected and most welcome. "Yes. It is important that you are willing to take that final step. Our safety is important. Now, I do not wish for you to kill anyone. I just want you to use your power."
"Whatcha wants me ta do?"
"I want you to make a shield, but I want you to change the shape of it. I want you to make a sword just like you make the spikes."
'Shay frowned. "I cain't... It's too hard."
"Don' worry none, darlin'. 'S piece of cake," Zander crowed happily, coming out in response to the challenge. This would be something he would enjoy and it was enough to make him come all the way out to savor it.
Joshua smiled now. "Zander, my son. How good of you to come."
The Punisher just laughed his deep gravelly chuckle and stood up. He tore off the remains of his ripped up shirt and tossed it, standing tall and flexing his muscles, asserting himself as masculine. He closed his eyes and growled softly in a gentle croon as he cleared his mind and concentrated. He held up his hands and slowly conjured a sword as the albino had asked. It was misshapen and useless, but it was a start. He was silent, working hard, and Joshua didn't interfere. The blade finally smoothed out and became a near perfect representation of Valentin's huge broadsword. It was clear and twinkly like a large crystal, but if it was anything like the shields he could make, it would be virtually unbreakable. Zander looked at it shimmering in his hands and shivered as something passed through him, a ripple of power. This felt right. This was supposed to be here. It belonged in his hands. "This okay?" he asked in a breathless whisper.
"Yes, my son. It's perfect," Joshua said proudly, unable to hide his smile. Cameron would be so pleased. "I want you to practice this. Make it fast, make it quick. This way, you will always have a weapon. I know you have done well with Michael and learned the guns, but guns run out of bullets. You must be ready for anything. This will help you, I have seen it. When you can produce it fast as lightning, I will bring 'Shay a man and she will be happy."
"All right," Zander replied, pleased with himself. He needed no reward, he had learned something new and it made him immensely happy. He glowed with pride at Joshua's praise. He would learn this and so much more. Of course he would. He was the Punisher and he had no doubt that it would be put to good use.
(break)
It was evening a week later, when Kyle stood on the porch, his arms crossed in irritation. He watched as the long stretch limo pulled up and Cameron got out. Cameron wasn't alone, he had come with two men Kyle recognized as male prostitutes from the public side of the Club. Kyle hadn't mentioned 'Shay's little fit to Cameron, but clearly someone else had. It must have been Joshua. There was so much going on behind Kyle's back and it made him angry.
Cameron beamed up at him, his face all smiles and cheer. "Hey, Kyle! Long time, no see. How's it going, huh? Our little guest doing better?"
"Yeah, Her Majesty is doing just fine," Kyle replied, his voice dripping with sarcasm. He was much too angry to be placated by Cameron's smiles. For the first time, it all seemed so fake and choreographed, Cameron's charm was fading.
The man didn't seem to sense it. He patted Kyle's back and said, "Now, now. We knew it wasn't going to be easy. He'll be fine. Just fine."
Kyle didn't argue any further, but watched as Cameron walked in the house, greeting Nate with his usual charm. The more Cameron laid it on, the more Kyle was disgusted by it. He was growing more and more distrustful of his boss. Maybe I'm just waking up and seeing who he really is, Kyle thought to himself. Guess it was bound to happen sooner or later.
Cameron asked for 'Shay and she came down the stairs from her room, her head down in a pout.
She had been like this since her little fit, a stoney little empress, dissatisfied with everything around her. She spoke to no one and did her training in an arrogant silence, her face a mask of rage barely held in check. She had little to be happy about, really. Leon continued to bring her cats, forcing her to find new and interesting ways to kill them. His current favorite was when she pulled them apart while they were still alive. 'Shay had grown numb to the cruelty of it, she no longer looked at their shines or thought of their pain, She only wanted the plasma. Leon rewarded her generously as always and she retreated into a steady rhythm of nightly plasma highs. It was the only way she could sleep.
A week had passed since Zander had begun making the swords. He had soon learned how to conjure them perfectly and quickly and 'Shay was eager for her reward as promised, but so far, nothing had happened. She was convinced it had all been a lie, that she was being jerked around. She blamed Kyle for this. Their relationship had not improved and they were at the point of communicating only in single word sentences.
Cameron saw her pout and didn't like it. It was disrespectful. "Is that any way to greet your Master?" he asked, not hiding his irritation.
She said nothing but glowered at him from the foot of the stairs.
"Down, now!" Cameron shouted and pointed to the floor with all the authority of the Master he was. 'Shay responded reflexively, she had no choice, and she dropped to her knees like a stone. It pained her, but her obedience to the command was automatic and beyond her control. She was only obeying the rules of her programming and she couldn't resist. On her hands and feet, she came crawling and lay her lips on his feet.
"There, that's better," Cameron purred, satisfied. He couldn't explain it, but it was quite the rush to see the pilot react unquestionably like that. His ego was stroked better than any compliment and his chest puffed out a little.
Kyle snorted, unable to hide his disgust at the sight of it.
Cameron either ignored it or didn't even see it. He continued to speak to his slave as if she were a child. "Now 'Shay, I brought you a present, but you won't have it if you're going to act like a spoiled little brat."
"Sorry, Master," she mumbled softly.
He cupped her chin to have her look at him. He couldn't hide the fact that he grown quite used to his new role. He would never tire of the sight of this glorious creature groveling before him. "Are you going to be good, my sweet?"
"Yes, Master."
"All right then. I've been very pleased with your lessons. You've done well. Look what I've brought you."
'Shay looked to where Cameron had pointed. Her frigid smile warmed when she saw the two men lounging in the foyer. She didn't recognize them from the Club, but his words had filled her with hope. "Thems fer me?" she asked. One of them winked at her and smiled, giving his own reply.
"Yes. A little reward. Joshua tells me you've made remarkable progress in your work, especially with the sword."
It was true. Zander had done as he was asked and more. He had gone through all the tapes and lessons as well as the next step of conjuring it himself. He could produce a quality sword on demand with a mere flick of his wrist. Cameron was already seeking another instructor to continue Zander's studies, one more talented in swordplay than Joshua. The albino was really little more than an amateur. At least he didn't quibble about it, Joshua was all too eager to go back to New York City and Cameron would take him back with him when he left here tonight.
'Shay walked over to the men and sniffed at them, checking them out and appraising their quality. The one who had smiled at her leaned towards her and boldly gave her a kiss in invitation, offering her his tongue. She took it and kissed him, retreating after with the tiniest of smiles. They were young, but not very pretty. Whatever. "Kin I takes them now?" she asked without enthusiasm. She wanted them, sure, but was still in a low mood from her frustration.
"Sure. Have a good time," Cameron said awkwardly. He had expected a more vibrant response.
She ignored her Master and tugged on her presents, dragging them upstairs. They followed her like sheep, they had been warned in advance Kimble was a mutant and were being paid handsomely.
Cameron watched her go, a perplexed look on his face.
"I told you Her Majesty was being an asshole. Now you see it for yourself," Kyle snapped. Maybe now he could get Cameron to see what he had been dealing with.
"Hmm. No sign of Kimble?" Cameron was asking only to be polite. He was more than happy that Kimble was gone, the pilot's training was progressing much more quickly with the Lover gone. Soon he would have the warrior Joshua had promised. It was all coming true.
"Almost once. When she was weak, I think Zander saw him start to wake up. He never made it out," Kyle replied sadly, unable to hide his remorse.
"Well, maybe he'll be better after this."
Kyle snorted and turned away. His boss's insincerity was ill concealed. Kyle walked out onto the porch and sat on the railing, wanting desperately to be somewhere else. In one of his aeries preferably. He missed Gail badly and was sorry for the way she had been killed, he had known that Kimble had really loved her. Thinking back on it now, he had to smile. Kimble cutting class just so he could make love to her. Kyle remembered the sound of her laughter, how much more satisfied and full of life it had become, and how it had pleased him. At least she had gotten that one thing before she was gone, she got to know real love.
Kyle looked up into the night sky and saw a star twinkling. "Gail, honey, if you're out there and if you got any pull with the powers that be, help me," he whispered softly. "Help me to help Kimble. I've got no clue what to do. I really don't."
(break)
'Shay had no concern for Kyle or her frustration. She had been given what she had asked for and she was going to waste no time taking what she wanted. She barged into the room she shared with Leon, making the boy jump in surprise. He had been playing with his Game Boy and doing quite well.
"Git out," she barked rudely at him.
He started to protest until he saw who she was with. He made a face of disgust and stomped out, his head down with anger.
'Shay looked at the men and felt oddly disinterested. Now that they were here, she wasn't quite sure what to do with them. She was not the Lover and didn't have his skill in this area. With him gone, she didn't have that sense of duality she had enjoyed so much in the Club. She wanted to lay with men, but it was his finesse and art that had made the experience truly enjoyable. The men stood nervously, unsure of what to do next. The one who had expressed his interest in her introduced himself as Jacob and took the initiative by kissing her again. He was only a whore, but the pilot was beautiful, making this easy for him. 'Shay relaxed and let them take her, closing her eyes and letting go with her anger.
It didn't last.
She had enjoyed them, she really had. Whatever she had wanted, they did for her with smiles and laughter. They gave her the favored spot, in the middle, and laughed as she shivered and climaxed with thunderous shivers. She didn't let them have the backwash, the rush of power that made it fun for them all. That was Kimble's special gift and his alone. It didn't matter, the men performed as expected and saw to it she was satisfied.
It was fun, but it wasn't going to be enough to hold her anger in check, she soon realized. When they were finished, when she was just starting to feel some peace, the guys began joking around with each other as they dressed, laughing about what they were going to do when they got back home. Their idle chatter irritated her. She was at the window now, trying to get some air. Her room had became small, it was now a trap and the walls began to close in on her. They could do whatever they wanted while she was stuck here in this prison. They were going to leave this place while she was forced to remain.
A terrible wellspring of anger took her and in one swift movement, she sent out a wave of spikes at them. She had reacted much too quickly for Zander to interfere and it was over in a twinkling. The boys screamed in shock and surprise as they were impaled by these weapons that had come out of nowhere. Jacob didn't last. He caught a large one in the throat and it almost took his head clean off. It took him less than a second to die. He fell to his knees on the floor, spraying arterial blood all over the walls. The other was fatally wounded as well, he had four spikes in his guts and the blood was coming out of his belly, dark and thick. He lay gasping and twitching next to his partner, not quite sure what just happened. It didn't matter. He passed out, never to wake again.
'Shay stood quiet as the door burst open. The men hadn't been anywhere near silent as they had fallen and died. She had heard them come, her new Masters. They came stomping up the stairs all angry and put out. Kyle freaked when he saw what she had done and had to be forcibly dragged away, he wanted to kill her. "You bitch!" he howled in his outrage.
Cameron stood as he was without speaking, watching the two men die with casual disinterest. His first thought was, Wow. I never saw that coming. The next was Why? He tried to work the mess in his mind and came up with nothing that could explain this. He looked at the pilot who stood so angry and beautiful in front of the window. "Did they displease you?"
"Kill me," she demanded.
"No."
"Kill me! I killed thems so ya hafta kill me! That's the law! I read it in yer books!"
So that's what this was, Cameron now realized. He wasn't about to let her get away with it. She had to learn quickly that this tactic wasn't going to work. He couldn't have her slicing people up at the drop of a hat. "I am the Master! You will not take that tone with me! How dare you do this thing? I bring you fine fresh young men to play with and this is how you show your gratitude!"
'Shay burst into tears and turned away. She smashed both fists through the window in a desperate bid to end this terrible suffering and tried to cut herself on the jagged shards of glass, but Zander pushed and shoved within, forcing her back until Cameron could come closer and restrain her properly.
Cameron stomped over, trying not to fall. The two men 'Shay had so senselessly murdered had quieted, but the floor was slick with their blood. When he saw she hadn't even cut herself on the glass, he grabbed her hair and tossed her down to the floor like a dog that had piddled on the carpet. "What is this crap! You will obey me!"
Lakotashay fell and stayed down. Tears were streaming from her eyes. "I cain't do this no more! It hurts so bad! Jus' kills us, please!" she wailed, swallowed up inside with pain.
Cameron took advantage of opportunity. He took a fistful of her hair and dragged her face up to his before shouting, "You will never be free of me! I am your Master! You will do as I say! You won't be allowed to die, you understand me? Never! You are mine to do with as I please and you will obey me! I want you to swear you will obey! You will protect me and the team! That is your job, your function here! Swear it!"
She broke down and cried. It would be the last time for a long while to come.
"Swear it!"
"I-I swears!" she said and let go of it all with one great sob. The light died out of her eyes and she was drowned in a great blank nothing. She wouldn't fight anymore, what was the point? She saw nothing, heard nothing, felt nothing. Just the same, she wouldn't give up control, no, she was much too selfish for that. The pilot's body remained hers.
"I swear, what!"
"I swear to the Master I will protects him and the team," she said in a tiny dead voice.
"Good. Now clean this mess up," he snarled and walked away, leaving her alone and miserable to contemplate her terrible crime.
'Shay did as she was had been commanded. She found some towels in the tiny attached bathroom and started to mop up the blood. She could hear Kyle howling his rage and disgust from downstairs, it stopped only when he had been sedated and put to bed. She knew she had disappointed him but she didn't care. She wasn't Kimble, she had no desire to please anyone but the Master and even then it wasn't true desire, it was only programming. There was no love in her heart for anyone.
It took the pilot a long time to clean up the mess. Nate came up silently and carried the bodies away, saying nothing and assigning no blame. He had seen much worse – this was a camp for the unruly and out of control, the worst of Cameron's pack, and just like the X-men, there was a small unmarked graveyard in the back.
'Shay mopped and mopped with the towels, heaving up gel every so often when she was overcome by the terrible stench of her slaughter. The blood was everywhere, it was on her hands, it was in her long flowing hair from her leaning over the puddles as she sopped up the mess. The smell of it made her sick.
Hope yer happy, now, Zander said.
She didn't respond. There was nothing left inside of her now. She knew she should feel sorry for the two men, they had pleased her and this wasn't their fault, but she didn't feel a thing. For all the cats Leon had brought her this past week? Nothing. For two dead prostitutes? Even less. Cameron had his ice cold gangster killer. She was right here in this tiny room mopping up blood with nary a tear in sight.
Zander cursed her and sat down in the circle of light, pissed off. He was aggravated that his reaction time had been so slow. He just wasn't strong enough to stay out all the time, not just yet. The workouts tired him and he was forced to retreat. When he saw the prostitutes, he figured this was 'Shay's deal and had checked out for while. He was paying the price now for that lapse in judgement. What to do?
He looked across him at Kimble and felt a great sense of loss. The pilot was still balled up, his back to the screen. When had things gotten so out of control? he asked himself, though he already knew the answer – when they left the X-men. When they left Remy behind. That pretty boy had never done much for Zander but he couldn't deny the mutant's value. Gambit's love had calmed the Lover's fears and his rage and made the Lover feel like he was worth something. Those were the things that would keep the Quitter in her place. All that was gone now. This grand experiment in leaving the grounds had blown up in Zander's face. The way Zander saw things now, their only hope was to get back to the X-men, but how was he possibly going to pull that off? He would have to be stronger and pay more attention. He wasn't about to let the Quitter let this get any worse than it already was.
(break)
Later that night, Leon came into their new room, walking cautiously around the pilot as he found his bed. He had no idea what she was going to do next. He had been taken by surprise at first as the rest of the team had been by what she had done, but then when he thought of the cats, realized it wasn't so different after all. What he was unsure of was how she would react to him. He would have to be cautious in what he said so that he didn't end up on the floor as the prostitutes had.
Lakotashay ignored him. She sat silently on her bed, her face still and dead. She was freshly showered and there was no trace of blood on her skin or hair. It had taken her hours to clean up the mess and she had been quite thorough, but Leon insisted he wanted a new room anyway. He wouldn't sleep where two men had died, especially two faggot boys at that. He walked around his roommate, marveling at her stillness, it was as though she were a statue.
She was crouched on the bed, her hands and feet tucked under her and her head down.
"Hey, you," he said, daring to poke her with a finger.
She didn't move.
He sat on his bed and got comfortable. "You were right to kill them," he said. "They were little faggot boys. I told Cameron that stuff was wrong, that it was bad, but he never listens to me."
She raised her head and looked at him with her dead, pale eyes.
"It's true," he continued, seeing he now had her attention. "It's a sin to be a faggot, the Bible says so."
Lakotashay tried to absorb that thought. Yes, Nightcrawler had given them a Bible and Kimble had tried to read it, but he hadn't gotten very far. "What's a sin?" she asked softly.
Leon smiled now, in his element. He would instruct her, oh yes. "It's doin' something bad. You know, like suckin' dicks or takin' it in the ass. The only time you're supposed to have sex is to make babies, that's it. Can't do that with no guys."
"We cain't make no babies, not ever."
"Then you shouldn't be fucking. Haven't you wondered why nothing seems to be working out for you? God's punishing you for being a whore."
'Shay shuddered with a strange realization, Leon's words made a kind of sense. She was a whore. A no good, useless piece of garbage. "So, if we don't ever fuck no more, God'll let us die? It's the only thing I wants."
"Well, suicide's a sin, too. The only way you can die is to let God kill you."
'Shay's brow creased with confusion. This was like running in circles. Yes, No, Maybe. Was this just another game? "How does he do that?"
"When he thinks it's time, he lets it happen. It's different for everybody. Some of us get sick, others get shot or hit by cars. We don't know how it will be, only that it will happen. 'Till then, you have to do your work and stop being so much trouble."
The Quitter tried to sort this out into something she could understand. "So if I'm good, I'll gits to die?"
"Not just die, but you'll be with God up in Heaven having fun all the time. Everybody dies. It's just a matter of when," Leon instructed, his voice carrying authority. Of course he conveniently left out the parts about "Thou shalt not Kill", that didn't apply to ugly old cats and stinking male whores.
Lakotashay put her head down again. "I hopes it won't be too long. I hates it here."
"The only reason we're here is because of you. If you behave, we'll get to go back to the City. I heard Cameron talk about it. He's got some jobs for us, but he's waiting to see if you're going to be good. He's really mad about those guys you wasted. At least he doesn't have to pay them now, I guess."
"I'll be good," she said softly. Really, what choice did she have?
"Good. Now go to sleep. I'm tired."
Leon shut the light off and crawled into bed. 'Shay stayed as she was, listening to his breathing change. She would behave, she would pull the jobs Cameron wanted. She could care less about this place, she figured the City was as big a trap as this, it just had more buildings in it. Perhaps if she was good, this God would let her die.
Zander didn't argue, he was actually glad to hear the news. A trip to the City was a chance to be noticed. Maybe he could find a way to get some kind of signal out. He promised himself to be patient and not let any opportunities go to waste.