Gifts and Curses
By Todd Fan
Disclaimer: "They hate from the bottom of your hooves to the top of your pitchfork. They hate you. By God, they hate you good"
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Chapter 28 – A wolf in sheep's clothing
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A couple of hours later, and Imara was still enjoying her bike, Toby clinging onto the back for dear life.
"Imara…..I really don't think you should try to 'jump' anything", he said.
"Oh, don't be a wimp, Tob'", said Imara, "it's only a couple of books!"
"But what if we break our necks?"
Imara thought on this.
"No school"
Luckily, Danielle stepped through the door before the youngster could get ready to make her 'jump'. Imara grinned, looking up.
"Dani!", she said happily.
"Happy birthday, Imara", chuckled Dani, ruffling her hair, rummaging through her backpack, "here ya go"
She gave Imara a small Moai, causing Imara to cock her head at it, blinking at it curiously.
"You got me a head?"
"Hey, that's from Easter Island", said Dani, then smirked, "I had to punch a guy to get the last one"
Imara grinned.
"Thanks, Dani, you're the best", she said, "wanna ride my new dirt bike"
"Maybe some other time", chuckled Dani, starting for the stairs.
"Wait, save me", whimpered Toby.
"Dude, she's gone already", said Imara.
"Oh", Toby sighed, "I don't suppose you want to play Jenga instead?"
Dani chuckled shaking her head in amusement as the kids fell out of earshot, as she headed towards her boyfriends room. He didn't know she was coming, he thought she was still in Chile. She chuckled to herself, he deserved a little surprise every now and again, considering he put up with having her away for such long periods of time. Her grin widened as she entered his room.
"Surprise, Robbie", she smirked, "I thought I'd drop by an……"
She trailed off as Roberto quickly sat up in bed. Next to him slept a woman…a naked woman. Dani looked between the pair in shock, her jaw open slightly.
"….What?"
Roberto looked at Dani through glassy eyes, before blinking.
"Danielle?", he asked, "…what're you doing here?"
The young Cheyenne narrowed her eyes angrily at him.
"Well, obviously, I'm interrupting your little party", she sneered, "sorry for being so inconsiderate!"
Roberto blinked in confusion, then looked down at Gosamyr in his bed. His eyes widened in shock. How did she get there? He groaned, the memories flooding back. He looked up at Dani desperately.
"Dani…I…I didn't know", he shook his head, bewildered, "I didn't know what I was doing…."
Danielle shook her head.
"Névé'eóxôheve!" , she said glaring at him, "I don't want to hear your excuses. When Kitty told me over the phone you were flirting I..I never thought…." (1)
She stifled a sob, running out.
"Dani, wait!", shouted Roberto, moving the follow her, trying to pull on a pair of jeans at the same time, which of course resulted on him falling flat on his face, "DAMNIT!"
There was a small giggle from the bed as Gosamyr sat up and stretched languidly, not in the least bit modest.
"Oh, did your little Earth woman find you?", she teased, "oh, what a shame"
"What…", Roberto frowned, looking at her, "what did you do to me?"
"I manipulated you, Hot Stuff", she smirked, "I can play your emotions like a harp"
"….Why?", asked Roberto, hurt.
"Because I like causing pain", Gosamyr chuckled, "you really should have heeded the Technarchs warning"
Roberto narrowed his eyes, heading for the door.
"I'm not listening to this, I'm going to find Danielle"
Gosamyr snarled, leaping in front of him, shutting the door and smirking.
"You're not going anywhere", she said, "it'd ruin my plans"
Dani ran down the stairs, tears streaming down her cheeks. Why had he done this to her? She thought he really cared about her. She's asked if her being away was a problem, and he promised her it wasn't. She let out a sob, as she got to the bottom, sinking to the floor, leaning against the wall. She let out a cry on pain, clutching her chest, her pulse rate dropping as her eyes widened in realization. She'd had this feeling once before, the feeling of her body shutting down around her.
"No", she managed to whisper out, before her eyes closed, her body shifting into it's hibernation state.
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Over at the Brotherhood House, Pyro was staring blankly at his computer screen. He'd been doing so well, he thought he was on a roll, then suddenly, his muse decided to go packing and left him to his own devices….Sometimes, he hated his muse. Pyro squinted at the screen in front of him, looking at where the words had just….ended. He started at them for a while before flicking his outstretched hands out at the monitor.
"Pleh" (2)
"Got writers block again?", chuckled Wanda amusedly from the doorway.
"I didn't even do any drinking last night!", whined Pyro, "I didn't want to be hung-over when I was working, considering I have….umm…a week"
"You'll be fine", said Wanda, rolling her eyes, "you were fine the last time. I don't know why you panic"
"I'm not", said Pyro, "ya want to see panicking? Go watch Toad, he's panicking"
"He's getting married in two months", pointed out Wanda, "he's got a right to panic"
"Speaking of panicking..", mumbled Pyro as Freddy walked past, a worried look on his face, "she still isn't home?"
"No", said Freddy, then frowned, "it's not like Rosey to just…vanish. I mean, she only went out to get milk, that was late last night! What if something happened to her? She could be hurt somewhere, or worse!"
"Deep breaths, Fred", sighed Wanda, "We'll help you look for her, 'kay?. PIETRO, GET YOUR LAZY ASS OUT Of BED!"
"I'm not in bed!",complained Pietro, stepping out of his room, what're you shouting about anyway, you harpy?"
"We're helping Freddy find Rosemary", said Wanda, "he's right, she could be in trouble"
"Why would I want to help her?", asked Pietro with a sniff, "she hates me"
"That's 'cause you're an ass", observed Pyro.
"Have I mentioned yet how glad I am you're becoming a member of my family?", asked Pietro, his voice dripping with sarcasm.
"Just come on!", snapped Wanda, giving her brother a shove towards the door.
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Roberto blinked around his prison dully. He'd woken only a few moments before, finding a woman his own age, and in a similar drugged state next to him. She herself was coming around slowly, pulling herself up into a sitting position, despite her bound hands and feet. As he caught a glimpse of her face, recognition dawned.
"Hey, you're Bobby's girlfriend"
"Lilia", winced Lilia, then looked around, "damnit, she got us"
"Gosmayr?", asked Roberto, then gasped, "Danielle! Oh, dios, I have to get out of here, I have to find her!"
"You guys aren't going anywhere", said Gosamyr, stalking out of the shadows, "expect to Spyder. Trust me, I'm doing you a flavor"
"By locking us up and sending us to a slave trader?", asked Lilia, "some flavor"
"Your planet hasn't got that much longer to exist", said Gosamyr, "so, yeah, it is"
"You're not going into a cocoon phase yet, Gosamyr", said Lilia, "not for a while, yet"
"What are you talking about?", blinked Roberto.
"When pretty in lavender here is old enough, she'll go into a cocoon, then emerge as a planet-eating monster"
"Told you I was different, lover", smirked Gosamyr, giving Roberto a wink, "don't worry too much about your silly little girlfriend. I spared you, because, I have to admit, I kinda like you"
"I'd rather stay with Dani", said Roberto quietly.
"No choice, there", said Gosamyr, then turned to Lila, "no, I'm not destroying this planet"
Lila frowned.
"…….Then who is?"
"I'll fill you in later", smirked Gosmayr, "when we're leaving. Now, if you excuse me, I have to meet him half way, give him a…meal"
She nodded to another cage on the other side of the walkway, where a terrified young woman was sitting.
"…Rosemary?", asked Lilia, straining her eyes to see the member of the 'other' Freedom Force, "is that you"
Rosemary tried to speak, but her voice was muffled against her gag.
"Oh, I love coinky-dinks", grinned Gosamyr, then frowned, "don't try escaping, these cages are teleportation-proof, and no sun to power you, lover-boy"
She chuckled cruelly as she walked off, a few moments later, the area juddered as it began to move.
"We're on her space yacht", said Lila, the sighed, "damnit!"
"But there's a way out, right?", asked Roberto.
"No", said Lila quietly, "I hope you're not above slavery, Roberto, looks like you'll be at it for a while"
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"I can't believe what happened to Dani", said Tabby with a soft frown, where she sat with the other New Mutants in the Institute, a few hours later, "I mean one second, she's telling me about the tanned guys with itty bitty tight shorts and the next, poof! Sleep-time city!"
"Something must have stressed her out: big time", said Sam, "Does Roberto even know?"
"No, no one can find him", said Rahne with a shrug, "Kitty was giving Alex some 'get well cookies' in the Infirmary when Dani was brought in, she's keeping an eye on her"
"Maybe someone should be keeping an eye on Alex", pointed out Doug, who had arrived to be accosted by Imara, demanding that if he was dating her 'brother', he was expected to give her a gift.
"Why?", asked Ray, arching a brow, "he's healing. He can go home soon"
"If he's eaten Kitty's 'Get Well Soon' cookies, he's in trouble", said Doug, then shuddered, "they aren't so much 'Get Well' cookies, more like 'I'll End Your Suffering For You' cookies"
"Yeesh", winced Tabby, "how are you not dead yet?"
"I developed a very strong stomach", said Doug, "plus I learned to hide her baked goods in plant pots"
"Plant pots!", said Ray, clicking his fingers, "ingenious"
"Um….guys?", said Warlock from where he was looking out of the window, "I think we have company"
Outside, a huge blizzard was blowing around, leaving huge snow drifts in it's wake. In the middle of it all stood a not-happy-looking Bobby.
"Not again", said Ray, "I thought he said he'd 'got better'"
Rahne sighed, standing, morphing into her transitional form, starting for outside, followed by the others. Bobby narrowed his eyes as they stepped out, letting the wind die a bit.
"Where. Is. She?", he asked.
"Who?", blinked Sam.
"Lila", said Bobby, then crossed his arms, "'Lock, I'm looking in your direction"
"Why me?", blinked Warlock, "I thought we had already cleared up the fact I do not 'abduct' people"
"Because Nick said the kidnapper left extraterrestrial DNA", said Bobby.
Warlock blinked, then narrowed his eyes.
"Gosamyr"
"You called?"
The alien in question smirked as she walked over to them.
"If you are looking for Lilia?", asked Warlock, jutting a thumb in Gosamyrs direction, "ask her"
Bobby turned to her, clenching his fists.
"You're the one that took Lilia?"
"Li?", grinned Gosamyr, "oh yeah. Don't worry, Snow-Boy, she's not hurt. She's just going to take a one way ticket back to Spyder"
"No", said Bobby, remembering the past Lila had explained to him, "you can't! She's a person, she shouldn't be used as a slave"
"Considering what's going to happen to the rest of this gods-forsaken rock, she's got a good deal", replied Gosamyr, then smirked, "Roberto too"
"You took Roberto?", asked Tabby, then narrowed her eyes, forming a boom-ball in her hands, "you'd better let them both go: now"
"Oh. I am so scared", said Gosamyr in monotone, "you are in no position to make threats. Not considering your current…situation"
"What are you talking about?", asked Sam.
"..Hey, guys", said Tabby suddenly, "do you hear that?"
The group blinked at her, before falling silent. She was right, a small, faint humming sound could be heard. The humm suddenly rose higher in pitch, then dropped low. Warlock frowned for a moment, before a look of terror crossed his face.
"...Uh oh"
"'Uh oh'?", asked Bobby, "what do you mean 'uh oh'?"
He was answered by a louder humming sound, this time much closer..almost above them.
"Um...call me crazy, but I think that may be an 'uh oh'", said Rahne, pointing skywards.
Above them, a dark black shape was hovering slowly towards earth. It wasn't anything any of them had seen before.
"Um...Warlock", said Tabby, "should we be worried?...should we be worried?"
"You should be a little more than worried", said Warlock, then sighed, "I've been here for so long...I thought he'd given up looking for me"
"He?", asked Kitty.
"Magus", said Warlock, watching the big black thing descend, "my biological father".
"Oh yeah, he'll be here before long", spoke up Gosamyr, "I made a deal, he gets you, I get my freedom. Sweet deal actually, especially considering I got my boss two slaves in the bargain, too"
"And you believed him?", asked Warlock, incredulous.
"He gave his word", said Gosamyr
"Heh…", said Warlock, shaking his head, "you are dumber than I thought. Magus does not 'promise' anything but death and destruction. If you think he will spare you, I am afraid you are sadly mistaken"
"But I found you for him", protested Gosamyr, "I gave him a human to feed off, so he knew how to deal with this planet before hand. He owes me"
"You keep telling yourself that", said Warlock, crossing his arms.
"'Lock, buddy, you gotta get out of here", said Tabby, "if he finds you, he'll kill you"
"I am fully aware of that", said Warlock, then sighed, hanging his head, "I cannot run. It will not do you guys any good if I do. I am not going to abandon you"
"How noble", sneered Gosamyr, as the black ob dropped before them.
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(1) – Cheyenne for 'Don't say anything'.
(2) This is what I do when I get writers block. It works sometimes, honest.
BWAHAHAHAHAHA! Cliffy! Sorry. I like throwing them at you once in a while. Do review. Until next time…