An Offer
Tala woke to a sharp stinging in her rib cage area. She kept her eyes closed and bit her lip trying to keep herself from crying in pain. The memory of what had happened earlier came rushing back. NO, James She changed to her dog form. It was harder then usual using more of her energy. Tala opened her eyes, growled, and flung herself at the closest person. Her vision was blurred so all it looked like was a dark blue blob. She didn't care; she just needed to run, to be outside with animals. The blob fell from the unexpected attack. Tala ran to the door but it was closed. Changing would waste all her power. She cursed the door and changed. She was running down a hall, someone was touching her mind. Her body lifted off of the floor suspending her in mid air.
Tala fought with the air but she only lost more energy. She stopped fighting and tried to breath. She was panting almost out of breath. Someone from behind her pulled her from the air and held her gently as if she was made of glass. The arms were hairy and…blue? She looked up into an animal's face but felt peace fill her. It was too human to be anything but a mutant. Then she realized she had just jumped on this guy.
He was walking her back the way they had come. "I'm so sorry that I hurt you." Tala said quietly trying to look sincere. It smiled.
"Don't worry it takes a lot more than that to hurt me." Its voice sounded like a guy. Must be a guy, thank you captain obvious
"Where am I?"
"You're at the mansion, just a little lower than you're used to. I don't know what you did girl but you sure beat yourself up pretty well. Your whole body is a glass and thorn pin cushion. I need to get the rest of it out. Oh and we think you might have cracked a rib or two." That would explain the stomach pains.
"How long have I been asleep?"
"Only a day." They arrived back at the room and he set her down on the examine table. "I'm going to put this little needle in you so you can sleep and not feel too much pain. Is that ok?" Tala didn't answer. She was already asleep. Hank smiled but stuck the needle in anyways. Better that she didn't have to go through any more pain. Then he started back on pulling out glass shards from her body.
(The next day)
Tala was in her 'nest' sleeping. She felt that is all she had been doing for the last two days. She got out of her hole and stretched She shook the dirt off her fur and started at a trot to the school for breakfast. When she got there she sat in between Bobby and Rahne. No one brought up what had happened, something Tala was grateful about. She knew her friends had questions but they knew better then to press the matter. After breakfast they went up to Bobby's room assured that no one would be there.
"So how are you feeling?" Rahne asked. Tala shrugged.
"I feel like one big bruise but going into town and gorging myself with chocolate ice cream will make everything perfect." She stared at the ceiling pretending to see chocolate.
"You do know that chocolate can kill dogs." Bobby said. "I don't know if I can allow you to have chocolate, wouldn't want you to die." Tala's jaw dropped.
"No you don't understand, I'll die if I don't have chocolate." Tala said while pretending to die from lack of chocolate. Looking must like a dehydrated crawling through the desert looking for water. Rahne smiled but it was more like a scowl.
"Tala what happened before we found you?" Tala shook her head. "Why can't you tell me? We found you with you on the verge of dieing a guy dead and a mad man after Bobby. What happened? Can't you tell us?"
"I could but then I would have to kill you." Tala said smiling.
"Tala I'm being serious, you almost died." Death was welcome.
"Don't worry about it, it won't happen again."
"How do you know that? The police haven't caught the guy. What if he comes after you again?" Tala was no longer joking. A look of terror crossed her face.
"They haven't caught-" Tala couldn't say his name. "Please tell me you're joking? Please" She pleaded. Rahne shook her head suddenly worried. Sure Tala had been scared when the guy had been there. Rahne would have been too if a guy was coming after with a pole. But if Tala was scared to just know he was out there now that scared Rahne.
"Come with me." Tala said quickly.
"Where?" Rahne asked.
"Let get away from here, run away. Who wants to get told what to do anyways? I lived for two months in the forests before I could do it again. What do you say? Lets leave New York and never look back."
"I can't just leave without telling my mom where I'm going. She is in Scotland, being here is the only way I can contact her."
"Then we could go to Europe. That would be better." Tala was smiling now a smile of hope.
"No, Tala if you are afraid of him this is the safest place. The x-men can protect you but I can't leave here."
"Don't you understand? He knows I'm here, he will find me." Tala was close to tears. "Please don't make me stay here."
"He is the reason you left your home in California, isn't he?" Bobby asked. "What did he do to you? When you first came here you were the most skittish person I had ever seen. Then you changed you grew you became more confidante, stronger in a way. What did he do to make you lose that at just mentioning him?"
"You don't understand. You couldn't." She stood up and ran out, down the hall, out the doors, and away from her 'nest'.
Tala ran crying not seeing where she was going so she stumbled on logs and roots. When her ribs screamed at her to stop she had to listen. She climbed the closest tree and sobbed. She had forgotten how much it hurt to leave the ones you become close to. 'Tala, can you hear me?' His voice was worried. Yes professor. 'Are you alright?' Yes 'Why don't you come back?' No I can't her knows I'm there he will kill him. 'Who will kill who, Tala please I need to you to come back. I want to help you." You can't help me no one can. I need to think, I just need to think. "Ok but you are always welcome back at any time. Rahne says she misses you, she is sorry, and she wants you to come back. Please be safe.' She didn't know how long she sat in the tree, thinking and she didn't care.
Night came and went before she left the tree. She changed into her dog form and walked along trying to find a stream to help her burning throat. As she lapped the cold water she found her mind second guessing her decision to leave. Her body was hurting so bad she wadded into the cool water and let it num her body. She sat in the river for hours moving only when she was thirsty. She moved to the bank and started to doze when she heard them. They were down wind from her but she could hear them. She jumped back into the water onto the opposite bank before scrambling up a tree.
"You're sure she came this way?" A guy demanded. Who ever he was talking to must have answered but she couldn't hear it. "Well you better be sure. I'm tired of walking."
"I'm sure Lance." Tala felt her normally short nails turn into claws. She felt her vision go black and white but her vision improved. She felt her teeth grow longer and sharper. She was ready, this time she would fight before he could take her. She was just about to jump at them when they came into view. James was not with them. She smelt the air around them. There was no sent of him on them. She huffed silently and laid back down on the branch and let her body go normal.
There three guys, one of them reminded her of a toad. He was wearing green and… was he hopping? The other guy with him had brown hair and had to be taller than her with a scowl on his face. The last guy was way over weight. No offence dude He had a blond mow hawk. Tala listened and put names with faces. There was a buzz right by her ear. Annoyed she waved a hand at it. It stung her. She watched as the bee fell dead now. More buzzing filled the air around her. Crap She was practically sitting on the bee's hive. Thinking it would be better to take her chances with the guys, she jumped into the river. It wasn't as deep as she had hoped but she wasn't too banged up.
She sat up in the water and looked at the guys. They were staring in bewilderment. She got out of the water and looked at them with a little more respect than she had in the tree. "Are you the mutant?" Asked Lance
"What mutant?" Tala asked.
"The mutant that ran away from the x-men." How do they know about that? Can I trust them?
"Who is asking?" Tala said.
"We represent the Brotherhood." Lance said. He seemed to be the leader or at least spokes person. "I'm Lance, this is Toad, and Freddy." Tala nodded trying to be nice.
"What do you want with her?"
"We are here to make an offer to her, to join the Brotherhood."
"Why would she want to do that?"
"For protection, shelter, food, I don't know, to be around people." Tala thought about how hard it had been to come back to civilization after two months.
"Alright," She agreed.
To my favorite yobanut! Thank you for giving me this idea for my story. So all the rest of yas if you don't like it blame him! Just kidding.
A dragons wings: thanks for reviewing it means a lot to me! I'm glad you like it!
Yaya: Can I call you that? No I'm sorry she doesn't have different personalities, I'm sorry that I confused you like that! Please keep reading!
My pen name is…: Thanks for the review!
Kool wolf: hey keep your story up it gets better and better with each chap! Thanks for reviewing!
Neassa: I hope that unexpected was still good! Please keep reading!