Warning: This chapter contains mild sexual violence
Chapter 5
Finally freeing himself of the bonds that held his wrists, Cable makes quick work of the ropes that hold his ankles. Standing up, Cable moves to the door. Listening, Cable hears nothing of what is going on out in the hall. Opening the door, Cable slips into the hall.
Nothing and no one, thinks Cable, as he searches the hall.
Moving in the direction that he thought they went in, Cable slips a hand to the small of his back and removes a hidden gun. About the size of a small pistol, Cable decides that small is better than none.
Placing his attention back to finding Cannonball, Cable searches every room he comes to. After closing the tenth door, Cable shakes his head in frustration.
Searching like this is taking too long. There has to be a faster way to find Sam.
After entering yet another room, only to find nothing, Cable decides to use the power he considers his weakest: telepathy. Opening his mind, Cable searches the thoughts of those in the building. At first receiving vague images, he slowly focuses his mind till he finds the one mind he was searching for: Cannonball.
He's not that far from here. I should be with him in a couple of minutes.
As Cable keeps his powers tuned to Cannonball, he begins to have images flow through his mind. Disgust. Fear. The brush of skin on skin. Not understanding what he is sensing, Cable opens his mind further and lightly touches Cannonball's mind. As he does, one thought screams louder than all others: rape.
……………
Feeling the presence of another in his mind, Cannonball is distracted from immediate situation. But all too soon, his focus is brought violently back to his environment. Feeling the brush of a hand against his groin, Cannonball attempts to jerk away from Gideon, but finds himself still too weak from the drug.
"Where were you, Samuel?" asks Gideon. "For a moment, your mind was elsewhere."
"Mr. Gideon?" interrupts the doctor.
Shifting his attention away from Cannonball, he watches as the doctor leaves his counter and strolls over to the two men. Upon reaching the mutants, the doctor holds out his hand and presents Gideon with a new syringe.
"Here's the needle that you asked for," says the doctor.
"Very good, Dr. Anderson," replies Gideon. "Now, as I mentioned earlier, I still have some business to attend to with Samuel. I believe we agreed upon one hour?"
"Of course, sir," replies the doctor. "I will leave the needle here on the table in case you need it."
Nodding his head, Gideon quickly dismisses the doctor from his mind. As the doctor lays the needle on the examination table, Gideon slides a hand up and cups Cannonball's groin, only to jerk his hand away when the door to the room bangs open.
Striding into the room, Cable levels his gun at Gideon. Noticing the needle on the table, he glances once at Cannonball to realize that the younger man is drugged.
"What the fuck did you give him?" demands Cable, moving into the room.
"Really, Cable. Such language is hardly needed," says Gideon, shaking his head.
"I will blow your fucking head off and worry about your other limbs later if you don't answer my question," replies Cable.
"A sedative," replies the doctor for Gideon. "Though the current needle on the table is still full of the drug."
While keeping his weapon pointed at Gideon, Cable glances once at the doctor.
"Why was a second needle needed?" asks Cable.
"Mr. Gideon said he needed more time," replies the doctor calmly.
Shifting his gaze back to Gideon, realization slowly dawns in Cable's mind. When he had first connected his mind with Cannonball, Cable had assumed that it was his inability to truly use telepathy that made Sam's thoughts so confused. Understanding now that it was not Cable's limited telepathy abilities, but the drugs that coursed through Cannonball's body that made the images seem unreal.
"More time?" questions Cable, in a voice so low, it could barely be heard.
Saying nothing, Gideon simple smiles.
The rage that Cable was holding inside begins to boil over. Shifting his gun, he shoots the doctor. Dead before he hits the floor, a smoking hole now takes the place where the doctor's heart had once been.
"Honestly, Cable," says Gideon, glancing down at the corpse. "The doctor was very good. He will be difficult to replace."
Moving the gun to point again at Gideon, Cable focuses all of his attention on the green haired man.
"Release Sam," says Cable, his voice and body trembling with rage.
"He is mine," replies Gideon, shaking his head.
Sliding the younger mutant partly in front of him, Gideon uses Cannonball as a shield.
"I do have a question for you, though," says Gideon conversationally. "Will your desire to get me allow you to risk Samuel? If you fire and miss, you may well do more damage to the boy than I have thus far."
…………..
Forcing his mind to focus on what the two men were talking about, Cannonball can only wonder what is going to happen next. Though saved from being raped by Gideon, now Sam was being used as a human shield.
"Only a coward would hide behind someone," says Cable, as he begins to walk toward where Cannonball and Gideon were standing.
"Not hiding, Cable," replies Gideon, shaking his head. "And I wouldn't suggest you come any closer."
"Prove it," snarls Cable, stopping only a few feet away from Cannonball. "Prove you're not the coward you're showing yourself to be."
"If I were to let go of Samuel, he would fall to the floor," replies Gideon reasonably, while shaking his head.
Sliding his free hand up to Cannonball's neck, Gideon almost lovingly places his hand around Sam's throat. Tightening once, almost as a demonstration to Cable that he means business, Gideon slowly loosens his hold on Cannonball's neck, though he does not release him.
"I could easily snap his neck and while it would not kill him, he would still be paralyzed," says Gideon. "If I may be so blunt, Cable, we are at a stalemate."
"I could shoot you before you tightened your grip," says Cable.
"If you could truly aim so well, you would have done so already," replies Gideon. "I believe we need a sort of gentleman's agreement. I cannot move from Samuel's body, otherwise you would be free to fire, but you cannot fire while I remain where I am."
"I know what a fucking stalemate is," replies Cable.
"Tut tut, Cable. You really must work on your language," says Gideon, shaking his head. Gideon pauses for a moment before continuing. "Perhaps, we fight duel for young Samuel?"
"What do you mean?" asks Cable, glancing between Cannonball and Gideon. Sam isn't slumping as much as he was when I first entered the room. Maybe the drug is wearing off.
"A fight," replies Gideon to Cable's question. "The winner gets Samuel."
"Gets?" asks Cable, wanting clarification before agreeing to whatever Gideon was suggesting.
"As in to do with what he wants," says Gideon, as he slowly moves his thumb back and forth over Sam's jaw. "Whatever he wants."
Trying to buy more time for Cannonball, Cable ponders what Gideon has said. Understanding what the other man means by the last part of the agreement, Cable knows that if he lost such a match, Cannonball would be used by Gideon before the immortal killed him.
Watching Cable, Cannonball wonders what is going through the mind of the other man. But even as he ponders what his leader is thinking, Cannonball can feel his strength returning to his limbs. Catching Cable's eyes, Cannonball quickly realizes that Cable is buying time for Sam. Tentatively tightening and loosening his muscles, Cannonball guesses that he almost has enough strength to jerk away from Gideon before the External knew that the drug had worn off so much.
Beginning to lose his patience, Gideon squeezes Cannonball's neck. Not able to breath, Cannonball knows that it is too early to try to fight Gideon yet. Hoping that he would a little more time, Cannonball places his faith in Cable.
"Your decision?" asks Gideon, as he keeps his grip tight on Cannonball's neck.
"Loosen your hold and I will give you my answer," replies Cable, fighting to keep his focus solely on Gideon.
Nodding his head, Gideon loosens his hold on Cannonball's throat. Taking his chance, Cannonball throws his weight to the right. Surprising Gideon with the quick move, Cannonball quickly finds himself on the floor.
Pulling the trigger, Cable fires on Gideon. Realizing what Cable would do the moment Cannonball was out of his hands, Gideon jumps to the side and dodge the shot. Firing twice more at the immortal, Cable misses each shot.
"Must we do this all day?" asks Gideon, as he dodges yet another shot.
"Fine. I can think of another way to finish you off," replies Cable, before tossing the gun to the side.
Taken off guard by this new tactic, Gideon isn't able to move in time to dodge the punch Cable places in his face. Thrown back, Gideon finds himself on the floor.
"Weren't able to move in time?" snarls Cable, as he stalks toward the fallen man.
"I must admit, you caught me off guard," replies Gideon, using the table to get to his feet.
Feeling the brush of something hard against his hand, Gideon realizes that the sedative needle is within reach. Needing a distraction, he glances once around the room and finds that Cannonball had almost dragged himself half way across the room.
"Please don't go too far, Samuel," says Gideon. "We're not done yet."
Using all his strength just to move farther away from Gideon, Sam says nothing. Cable, on the other hand, is not nearly so silent.
"You're more than done, you son of a bitch," roars Cable.
Lunging for the immortal, Cable misses Gideon. Turning around to face Gideon, he feels the smallest prick in the back of his shoulder. Jerking around, he notices that Gideon has a needle in his hand.
"Hmm," says Gideon, glancing once at the needle before looking at Cable. "I wasn't able to get all of the drug into you, but I probably got enough that you won't be so fast any more."
Feeling his mind begin to fog, Cable wonders just how much of the drug got into him. Realizing that his leader was in trouble, Cannonball pushes himself into a standing position, using the wall for support. Hoping that he could use his mutant ability to help out, Cannonball powers up his blast energy. Forcing the energy to flow over him, Cannonball uses his mutant power to take flight. And just as his namesake states, he flies through the short distance like a bullet and slams into Gideon.
So sure over his soon victory, Gideon doesn't see Cannonball until it's too late. Thrown back, Gideon crashes into the far wall. Using the wall to push himself up, Gideon stares at Cannonball who is now standing next to Cable.
"Ah may be drugged, but ya ain't taking me without a fight," says Cannonball.
"Oh, but I shall take you, Samuel," replies Gideon.
"Never that," states Cannonball firmly.
Focusing his energy into his fists, Cannonball shoots out a blast of his mutant energy. Caught off guard, not knowing that Sam could do that, Gideon takes the hit full in the chest. Thrown back into the wall, Gideon again climbs to his feet.
"I underestimated you, Samuel," says Gideon, bowing his head slightly in Cannonball's direction. "That shall not happen again."
"Didn't ya say that the last time you messed with me?" asks Cannonball, attempting to power up his mutant ability once more.
"Indeed," replies Gideon.
Glancing between the two weakened heroes, Gideon calculates his chances of winning. Finding that the odds are not enough in his favor, he decides that retreat is the better part of valor. Shifting his body a couple of feet to the right, he presses his right palm against a hidden panel.
"I believe I will call this whole thing a stalemate," says Gideon, as he pushes his hand into the panel.
Feeling a rush of air at his back, he glances once of his shoulder to find that the escape door had opened. Turning to look once more at the other two men, he nods once.
"We shall meet again, Samuel," promises Gideon.
Slipping into the door, the panel closes before either hero can get to the wall. For a moment, there is nothing but silence in the room. Finally not able to take it any more, Cannonball glances at Cable.
"Sir?" asks Cannonball, saying so much in just that one word.
"It's time to go, Sam," says Cable.
Taking a few steps over to the younger man, Cable hesitates a moment before placing a hand on Sam's shoulder.
"Let's go home," says Cable, not knowing what else to say.
Not saying anything, Cannonball merely nods.