Chapter 2
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Disclaimer: Don't own X-Men But Alex, the Dragons and plot are mine, along with a few other things. On with the fic.
Earlier:
"What was that?" Bobby inquired rubbing his arms to lower the hairs and to try and get the goose bumps down.
"That's what I've been putting up with every time ya'll do something that she deems as scary." The retort that they got wasn't at all mean spirited by still slightly irritated.
Bobby and the girls watched over the girl with John all the way back to the school. The rest of the trip went by uneventfully, most of the team hoped that their day was done and they could maybe get to sleep. Well that hope was shot.
Now:
Alex felt the others, Bobby? Jubilee? and Rogue, put their hands on her arms. She was terrified of them; they seemed to have had the same reaction as, Pyro? or is it John, to her skin.
Filing their reaction away, Thinker cocked his head and told her that he needed to run some more tests. Mumbling over the notes he'd been taking he walked over to a coner in the place she kept them and wrote furiously.
Sniffing slightly she wondered what happened to Iceman and what in the world was going on. She just laid there and contemplated all of the things she could do to get away, and how best to get a message to her family. Wondering what caused this connection between John and her she decided that maybe he was alright. Especially considering all of her personalities seemed to be okay with him.
Deciding that Pyro/John seemed to be a person she was able to trust, but she had no idea why and it terrified her, since her mind had apparently decided it without her consent.
Dad, Aunt Mystique, and Granddad always told her and her siblings, "Don't trust others, especially strangers, and never let people in your head." The last one she had apparently disregarded entirely, since she was in what appeared to be John's head and he could feel her feelings, so he must be in hers.
We really need to talk about things before we decide that we are going to do it. She snorted to her other personalities.
But if we did that we would never make any new friends. Replied Innocent, the inner child she still retained.
Yes, but at least we wouldn't get into half as many scrapes. Replied Thinker, as he looked up from his corner. In fact, statistically, we wouldn't. . .
Ignoring Thinker, Wolverine spoke up. Well, I don't think it's a good idea, but when does anyone ever listen to me?
Well, that makes it official, we can trust him. Soldier snorted, grabbing Wolverine and tossing him into a deep pit, that existed in th middle of the area that she held for them. You were not given permission to get out of the hole, private! How dare you undermine the authorities above you! When you hit bottom I want you to do push ups till I tell you to stop. Do you understand me?
Acknowledging the fact that she wasn't supposed to allow people into her head, she tried to get him out, but he seemed unaware of the fact he had planted himself firmly and he didn't seem to want to go anywhere.
Can I have some help? She snorted to her other personalities.
No. Came the reply from all listening personalities.
Alex still tried but she couldn't root him out, his form was blurry, and would solidify once she saw him. Snorting to herself she grumbled and began to clean out some cobwebs in a corner of her brain for him.
She was careful to stay on the marked roads because she had gotten lost before, passing the room with memories, she decided on sticking him in the Ancient Serden language room. "Who needs to know the language of people that aren't even remembered anyhow?" She asked herself.
Scott looked back at the teens, they seemed to be clustered around the girl. "We'll be home in two or three minutes, seat belts."
Scott didn't know why, but this new kid reminded him of Logan, which he considered bad. He had watched as Bobby, Rogue, and John talked quietly, which he also deemed bad. Bobby looked up, but didn't move to get in his seal belt. The said Logan had put his seat belt on the second Scott said to, do to his love of Scott's landing technique.
Logan was pondering this new mutant, he remembered her some now; visions of him and her playing with a beautiful woman in the background, his wife? And the girl was his daughter his daughter, danced behind his eyes. He decided the beautiful woman wasn't his wife. . . it didn't feel right.
Him running, throwing a ball towards a two-year-old girl, she caught it by turning in to a dog,popped into his head to fade to a new memory. Suddenly he was waking up to a baby crying, turning over getting off, was that a sofa, and walking down the apartment's hallway to stop at the door of the babies room. He walked in and there was the little bundle of noise, his whole world, another man's baby!
Logan started with this revelation. DAMN! I lost it, but Logan knew that at one point of time he had known and loved this little girl. But why, when, where? Why can't he remember! Shards of pain rippled through him as he tried to grasp the meaning.
Pyro held the girl closer to him then before to prepare for the rough landing he knew was coming. What was her name? Why did she relax when he held her closer and freak when the others walked near?
John looked at the girl and silently asked, who are you?
He was startled as a name popped into his head, so startled was he that the name popped out before he could censor it. "Alex?"
Fortunately, only one person heard him, unfortunately it was Logan, and he turned to stare at John.
Logan stared at him and looked as though he was about to ask a question, but was jerked forward as the plane finally touched down, catching the words in his throat. John was thankful for the landing that stopped Logan from saying anything.
Gathering, Alex, and making a beeline for the door was all that he had in mind, that and a good nights sleep. Unfortunately that was not what was going to happen. Logan stood right before him as he got up. "John we nee . . ." The wave of pure fear, betrayal, hatred, and grief hit him hard enough that he shouted and fell back, interrupting Logan once again. Fire popped our of nowhere, scorching Logan and the plane around him.
Alex was aware of a question in her head, a soft one barely auditable, but there, "Who are you?" She felt the irresistible urge to say Alex out loud, but she couldn't so she sent her name to John by thinking really hard about him knowing that her name was Alex.
She was still surprised that she had even tried to tell a complete stranger her name when he said it out loud! She started to wakeup even more as something jerked the plane, not her though do to the ever-protective John, but she was still deep under the spell of sleep.
"John we nee . . ." A voice so familiar and close that she screamed in her head, throwing her self backwards, useless to her sleeping form, knowing that her outside body won't listen to her.
Fortunately and just a little strangely John fell backwards. John? Help! Keep him away please! Don't let him near! Call my dad! Do something! She didn't care that what she was doing went against her survival instincts, that she couldn't tell a complete stranger her weakness, she had to get away from Logan.
"John? Help! Keep him away please! Don't let him near! Call my dad! Do something!" It was in John's head, the yelling and the fear, he stared up at Logan's burnt flesh in horror and watched as he began to heal and swear.
John was grateful that Logan was alive but the since that Logan was a threat was paramount. So he followed his instincts, he bolted; carrying Alex along with him her fear giving him the strength to carry her at an alarming rate.
Rushing past the members of the team who seemed to think he had lost it, he tried to continue forward. But it became apparent at least to his team members that something was 'wrong' and he needed. . . 'help'. Getting over their shock, they did their best to stop him from getting out.
They trailed after him, blocking his means of escape. He started to back up, looking for away out of this mess. The action proved futile, because they now surrounded him on every side; the voice was in his head still frantic, but trying to remain calm. The thought that this was insane crossed his mind more then once.
"Don't let them get to close . . . and watch out on the back-left someone is sneaking up." John ducked in time to be able to keep the person from tackling him and watched as Bobby sailed past him feeling the betrayal hit him that HE had turned against him. John shock it off and switched into battle mode, he wasn't a strong-willed teen anymore, he was a X-men trapped behind enemy lines and Alex was the leader.
"I'm sorry about Bobby, he seemed like a good guy . . ." The pause was uncomfortable and he felt her regret was real, but apparently even in the state she was in she was still thinking because the next thing she said was a plan. "Can you get your back to a wall?" The question came with a hint more calmness than statements before.
Yes. He thought hoping that she could hear him
"Good, do that then set me so that my back is to the wall, I need to sit up. Then do what it is that you can do while I try to wake up. But be careful." The last part was in more of a whisper, like a passing thought that was accidentally dragged into their conversation.
John did what he was told and propped her against the wall while pulling out his lighter and getting a flame ball worked up into his hand. The others stood back keeping an eye on him.
"John, are you okay? You know that you don't want to do this, you know you want to put that ball down and step away from the girl." Jean said in a disturbingly nice croon, Jean was nice and trust worthy, but he can't let his guard down, they'd use that against him and take Alex away from him. He remembered long forgotten lessons, lessons from the street he thought he would never have to use again.
"She's controlling you, you can fight it, just calm down and push her out. We'll stick her in the med lab before something bad happens and someone else gets hurt."
John couldn't believe this; they thought that Alex was a threat? She was terrified of them; he felt it even though they weren't touching. He felt her brace herself for him to hand her over to them, cursing herself for trusting him.
"No."
With that little word he felt a head rush of amazement, happiness, and friendship rush from the girl behind him. "She's terrified, she's helpless, and you think that she is a danger? How could you?"
"Then were did all that blood come from? I don't see a mark on her." Jean said in a reasoning tone.
John looked at Alex, but only for a second do to his lack of trust in the other team members now, thinking that they might try to sneak up on him. He noticed now that his cloths where splotchy with dried blood and so was she, only she was more drenched in blood the splotched with it. He sent a question to her, why do you have all that blood on you? It was that simple, he would believe her no matter what she said.
"It's mine. . . and my fathers." The reply was cautious almost as if she didn't want to mention her father.
He looked dead into Jean's eyes and said, "It's her's and her father's."
"Is she speaking to you John? Is she telepathic?" Jean didn't wait for a reply before she dove right in to his brain. John didn't know what to do, she will find out everything about Alex he knew and he couldn't stop it.
That is until he heard a roar of outrage in his head, it was Alex, and she was PISSED!
Alex felt someone enter John's head and rage over took her. How dare They enter HER friend's head without permission! She didn't question, the fact that he had become her friend so soon, she accepted it as an animal would. Things happen you can't change, go with it, see life till the end. In your last moments you don't want your life to flash before you're eyes and think, well that was boring.
She found Bad Doctor quickly and jumped at her, attacking her, doing to Bad Doctor's mind what she wished she could do to her body. (Alex knows Jean is a doctor because it's in John's head that she is. Also when in the mind of someone it is like walking in a field of doors, labeled ones that are remembered and learned, and blank ones space for new knowledge. You walk around in them as a person, though not with your usual deformities or handicaps.)
A monstrous wolf sliced Jean's side with one of her claws (Alex is in wolf form because she is most comfortable in that shape) as Jean spun to meet her. Jean tried in vain to fight this monstrous thing, but succeeded in only stalling her by throwing her back. "Get out of MY head!" The thing roared in a voice that resounded off the walls of nothingness.
"This is John's head you get out!" Jean snapped back as tried to catch her breath.
"I was invited not you." The monster Alex had become looked at Bad Doctor with hatred in her eyes.
"Now get out." Alex said in a calm voice knowing that this would scare Bad Doctor even more than roaring. That's when a strange man popped in. Alex was startled, she ducked away and flinched as this new man raised his hand to call for silence, expecting a blow.
Professor! John did his best to send the message to the teacher that he thought he could trust to understand, though who knew now a days who you could trust.
He was terrified that something bad could happen to Alex, but if he had been paying attention to Jean he would have seen the cuts and scrapes forming on her body that the others were worried about. But little did he know that the others had already called for the Professor's help when Jean first started being "damaged". Now all he could do was sit there and watch over Alex's unmoving body.
"What are you doing here?" The wolf asked in a suspicious manner. Charles had only heard one side of the story and though it was uncommon for him to judge people without hearing their side of it he had to in this case. He grew in size and began to manipulate the things around him doing his best to force this intruder out. The beast before him cried out in anger, as she began to be attacked by invisible men on every side, but she wasn't leaving.
Cut's soon formed on her body, but she ignored them, trying to attack the things that she couldn't see. That's when she surprised them as she was beginning to be driven back she screamed John's name. Charles then watched as she began to manipulate the things around her with a beginner's clumsiness.
Alex a deep feeling towards The Man (as she deemed Charles), a feeling that only described him as treacherous a feeling will probably never go away. She backed away as he grew in size, but was determined not to let them mess with John's head, the one thing she could protect for him. She called out his name for help and he gave it. She tried to mimic The Man's movements, while keeping an eye on Bad Doctor; and was relived as she too began to grow in size.
She looked at The Man from across her muzzle and repeated calmly, "I'm sorry, but perhaps you didn't hear me I said GET OUT!"
The Man looked determined to kick her out as suddenly he was in front of her trying to get into HER head! She was doing her best, but she knew that if she didn't return to her body this man was going to get into her head and find where to get her family. No stop thinking like that! You will not let That Place ever get a hold of them, but what about John? As she began to slowly retreat into her own mind she sent a quiet message to John, one only he could hear. "I'm sorry, but I can't stand this much more I need to get back, okay?"
"Yes, just be careful." The comfortable voice of John said to her. "Wait, are you going to be completely gone?" He sounded a bit afraid and worried.
"I don't know, this has never happened before." She admitted to him, but it was too late to go back. "I'm sorry."
Before Alex left completely she looked at Bad Doctor and smiled, a predatory show of teeth. "I'm not done with you yet. I'll get you." Alex promised as she slipped back into her head, but was comforted to find that she could still "feel" John beside her.
John felt the Professor enter his head; with Jean and Alex in there as well he was beginning to feel as if he was having a meeting. He heard Alex's yell as her body started to bruise, but she had been telling the truth about her healing as they healed along with what ever scratches that emerged. When he heard Alex's call for help he was confused, Professor was suppose to help her not push her out. They spook briefly and she left. Right after the conversation was finished and she had left, Jean and the Professor came out of his head.
"John, are you alright?" Jean's hesitant voice came from behind him.
"Are you back dude?" That was Bobby, he could tell his best friends voice from a thousand others.
John spun on them in a fury, but kept his face expressionless. "I'm I alright? I'm I back? I never left. Which you would know if you actually asked before attacking." He was careful keeping all the feeling out of his voice, and was rewarded by the approval from the girl beside him.
Jean looked shocked, then a different look passed over her face so quickly he wasn't certain he saw it. A wave of fear hit him from behind and shoved him forward. He tried to pick himself up, but realized his mistake, Logan had sneaked up behind him and that was the reason behind the fear and the blow from behind.
Before he could say anything Logan had his hands behind his back and was tying them up. "NO!" John started to struggle, but it was to late and he was secured.
"Scott can you get me a sedative we will need that to keep her under because it looks like she is waking up." Jean had wasted no time in moving around him to Alex.
He watched as the needle punctured her blue skin, his heart sank as she whispered the words through a hoarse throat. "No. . . "
"NO!" He echoed. He was struggling as he felt her fear rise along with her sense of guilt. "Please don't do this." John had turned to his friends. "Please." It didn't matter to him that he was begging his friends, it didn't matter that the rope was cutting into his flesh, that he was on the floor, betrayed by the same friends he was asking for help, all that mattered was making them leave Alex alone.
Bobby looked at him and stepped forward though still uncertain. "Please Bobby, help me. You know she can't be evil or dangerous, hell you scared her and you couldn't hurt a fly, please." Bobby, accompanied by Jubilee and Rogue, walked forward and started to untie his cords.
But Scott, who had been watching what Jean was doing, saw the movement and yelled at them to get away. To their credit they didn't listen to him, but as Jean finished putting Alex under anesthesia she turned and stopped them by lifting them off the ground. "Now stop it, and go to your rooms," upon hearing them start to argue she added. "And you won't be coming on the next mission or the next for a while."
Alex felt them over power John and screamed silently. She couldn't have told him about Logan do to the fact that The Man was still trying to enter her head and she couldn't leave in time to warn him; as she felt "Uncle" Logan's betrayal over and over in her head she cursed him in every language she knew (which was quite a few).
She tried to think about how best to help him, she then was quickly distracted by the prick from her nightmares. "No!" The voice she heard whispered from her lips didn't sound like her's, but she knew that it was. I was almost there! I was almost awake. She felt guilty as she realized that John was tied up. She could feel the ropes cutting into his flesh as if it were her own. She felt his hopelessness; she felt his resolve as he called to his friends.
John it's okay. . . I knew years ago that eventually I would have to go back, at least this way my family wasn't hurt. I also got to meet you, which counts for something in my book. If you see my dad tell him not to come after me. Alex sent the message, popping into his head just long enough to say it then popping back out, hoping he would get it just as her memories swallowed her, thanks to the anesthetic.
She was staring up at Uncle Logan. "Can I PLEASE go with you! Pleeeeeaaaasssseee! Please! Please! Please!"
"Alexandra, you can't go with me. I need you to watch after your mommy."
She remembered that night, of course he didn't want her going with him. She needed to be here to get kidnapped.
She floated passed that particular bad memory on to her first night at That Place.
She was curled up into a little ball on a military bed with a military blanket rapped around her. She cried and cried, not for herself, but for her mom. Alexandra had felt her mother's life flow away. "Mom, no. Oh God no." As she sobbed when she felt her mom disappear off her radar. She heard footsteps silently approach. "Hh-ell-llo."
Alex remembered the only time she ever stuttered in that place, the pure fear she felt at that time. Alex's heart leapt as she saw a man's face appear from around the corner.
"It's okay," Toad quickly reassured her as she shrunk away, "I'm here to help you."
"Stay away." Alexandra cried out.
"I'll stay right here." Toad stopped just in side the door and sat down. The guards posted out side Alexandra's cell shot him a brief look, but they didn't move to stop him after shutting him inside.
Alexandra looked sideways at him. He sat there for hours, he didn't move just watched her.
Alexandra wouldn't cry in front of him. He's one of them. A voice in her head said in a snide voice. But I'm so lonely. . . That was Alexandra's child voice. Some times she felt her angry side fight with her inner child.
The man finally spoke. "What's your name?"
Alexandra looked at him with a poker face on. Never let them see your emotions. That was Uncle Logan's voice. Don't talk to strangers. That was mom. I'm SOOOO lonely, and he doesn't seem so bad. Yeah well neither did the men at the door. I'm Lonely! Strangers.
"What's your name?" Alexandra countered looking at the man across from her.
The man looked down, "Toad." The mumbled reply was almost lost to her even though she had heightened abilities that were being strained. The guards snored, they had fallen asleep during the boring hours that had passed.
Alexandra looked at the man. He was greenish, his hair was shocking green, but filthy. "Toad?" Alexandra looked at him with surprise, most of her fear having been replaced by a wary curiosity. "Who gave you a name like that?"
The man across from her flinched, Alexandra noticed the signs of something that people don't want to talk about. To her surprise he opened his mouth to tell her.
"My name's Alexandra." Alexandra, cut in and the man shot her a look of gratitude. "Do you like that name?" Alexandra was randomly trying to add to a conversation as her cautiousness evaporated.
The man looked at her. "No. . . "
Alexandra looked over at him, she slowly got up her muscles screamed at her for a split second, her healy-thingy kicked in and she instantly was "healed" of muscle cramps. All the voices got together talking quietly. Froggie. The voices formed as one letting her know what they wanted.
"Froggie." Her voice emerged softly. "What do you think about that one?"
"Froggie . . ." Trying it out on his tongue. "It's okay . . ." His voice trailed off for a second. "Are you okay?" He seemed to genuinely care.
The memory slipped away. Alex waited hoping to get a better memory like the last one. Luck wasn't on her side as she slipped into the night that she was rescued.
Alex was trying not to laugh, as her father seemed to be getting lost without noticeing.
He turned toward her and her brother and gave them a lost look. She stepped ahead and started forward. She felt them drop back, but was to busy thinking the best way out to slow down.
She froze, the others. She couldn't just leave them! Stupid what if the knew that you had almost forgotten them!
She felt Toad then her father catch up. She stopped. Her father! Would he let her take them along with her? He had to, she couldn't just leave them! Though she was one of the youngest of the twenty children total she was the leader of the band. Her mind being sharper than the others because of her 'gifts' she learned fast and she was a good leader.
Toad almost ran into her prone form and he skidded to a halt.
"What is it?" Toad asked looking ahead seeing if there was any military personal further on.
She looked at him then her father then back at him, for a moment a look of worry passed over their faces before she said, "the others."
Toad looked as if a train had fallen on him, "Oh my god we almost forgot them!" He looked horrified at the idea of leaving his family behind.
"What others?" Sabertooth looked worried as he looked at them. Turning to the sheepish looking Alex. "What others?"
Alex looked down for a moment when she looked up her hooker face was up, the one that showed no emotion, but resolve. "I won't leave them." The statement was made in an ice voice.
"I never said you had to. But what others?" Sabertooth tried to be as appeasing as a giant cat man could be.
"The other children." The poker face hadn't so much as shifted. "The other Dragons." She referred to the name they had given themselves, the name they recognized each other by.
"The Dragons?" Sabertooth caught on after a moment. He gave out a long-suffering sigh. "How many?"
Unlike last time the mask didn't slip at him not immediately saying no. "Twenty, including me and Froggie." The words came out dead. Flat. Like the eyes that now stared at her father.
"Twenty?" The words came out as flat as hers. He was already thinking about where to stick them all and adding up the costs in his head. "Where are they?"
This time the mask fell away. She squealed in a like the little kid she was supposed to be and launched at him in glee. For Sabertooth that moment was worth all of the trouble he has and ever will be put threw. Or at least so he thought, he had yet to meet The Dragons.
Both Toad and her then started to trot down another hallway; Sabertooth trotting behind. They came to a door marked Zoo, Sabertooth gave a disgusted snort and knocked down the door. What he saw and heard would haunt him for the rest of his life . . .
The memory slipped past, and Alex mentally sighed. The bad part was next and she didn't want to think about that right now.
The memory flowed past and she was grateful that none of the others sucked her in. She felt the drugs ware off as her quicksilver took over. Fortunately once she was injected with something it never worked again.
John? Are you there? She felt towards him, trying to see if he could reach her now. Getting no response, she pushed back her fear at being alone again and tried again and again.
John was in the danger room. He had gotten his hands out of the restraints and got his emergency lighter, the original the team had taken from him. He was thinking on what section he should melt away or if he even could when a voice appeared in his head. "John are you there?"
"Alex?" He was so startled that he asked out loud while looking around as if she was standing right behind him. Her laughter brushed the walls of his mind and he had a weird feeling that she hardly ever laughed before . . . Before what? He wasn't quite sure, but he knew it was bad.
Alex? Where are you? Are you okay?
"I'm in a weird room . . ." He almost felt her sniff. "It's a lab! Get me out! They've got me! They've got me!" The terror and guilt drew him to his knees, he knew he was having an anxiety attack, but she wasn't letting up. The terror grew and he felt as if his stomach might jump out of his body. The crawly bugs wiggling for release clawed at his stomach reeking havoc on his newly acquired ball of fire.
Calm down Alex please your going to kill me. But it was no use the terror he felt was a living thing eating at his insides, crawling under his skin. The bugs were going to make him sick, but he wasn't worried about that, he was worried about what Alex was feeling.
Alex suddenly went calm, "Deep breathes, deep breathes, in, out, in, out, your okay, you've done this before. It's essential to life, life is still preferable, life is good. Life is good. Life is good, life is good." She seemed to be thinking to herself, as if she was unaware he could he her.
Are you okay now? John sent the message carefully, hoping that she wouldn't back track to terror.
"I'm a little better now." Alex sent back though he could almost sense her fear waiting just out of reach.
Don't worry the X-team are the good guys, they are just complete idiots. You see we were sent to help you get a handle on your powers. We were sent to HELP you not HURT you. Then they were a little up tight after seeing that guy get decapitated. You being covered with blood didn't help matters. I believe it's yours, but they are, as I said, very up tight. John said this as fast as possible trying to keep her calm. What's going on now?
"I'm getting a headache because you're talking so fast. Other then that I'm in a lab," she paused, the terror reaching for her, she pushed it down and continued with her analysis of the room, "I think I might be on an examining table. There is one, wait two people here."
John felt Alex's rage build as someone stuck another needle in her arm. He held his breathe as she fought those emotions down again.
"I'm almost awake, I need maybe two or three more minutes. You say these people are you friends?" The ending question was almost mocking.
Yes.
"Then why did they tie you up, attack your mind, and stick you in a holding place?" The reply was louder almost as if she were closer. "They sound like really loyal friends." The rage was there again. Building, raging, strengthening, getting almost out of control.
Alex calm down. He dove in her mind trying to reach her as she fled deeper and deeper, but Alex wasn't answering him, she was in a sea of rage. Red, as he reached to help her that is all he saw, the danger room around him was red; he was furious.
These people had kidnapped him, attacked his friend, they were constantly attacking his brain, were running all types of experiments on him, and were generically pissing him off. How DARE Bad Doctor attack him, go into his friend's brain? How dare she experiment on him? They had John even defending them! They had his only friend in this place against him now. He could feel the threads that held his sanity together slip, they would pay!
John jerked out of Alex's mind as fast as he was able. He had gone so deep he had almost become her! That was a new one. He had no physic powers, he had no connection to this girl so why was he able to enter her mind? What was he going to do to help her and his friends, without betraying either one of them? He could feel her slipping away, and she had murder on her mind.
Alex severed all contact with John. The animal she had created in That Place surfaced, the one that killed without a thought; the thing that didn't care about anything, but survival and pack. Bad Doctor retreated, maybe some primal instinct telling her that something was up.
She was off to get some more supplies from the other room. Alex waited, she could sense the other person move closer, she felt him just out of reach, the small protesting part of her ceased to exist as she sensed her uncle a few feet away from her.
Inside she went completely still, waiting, smelling, sensing. She sensed his attraction to Bad Doctor. If he wanted her then he could watch her die like she watched her mother slaughtered before her very eyes. He would feel what she felt and know the anguish she had felt.
Bad Doctor was coming, something in her hand clacked. Alex's muscles bunched, her claws extended even as launched forward. Grabbing Bad Doctor Alex's claws grazed her neck, piercing skin, blood rolled down, beckoning, telling her to kill, but Alex held back.
Bad Doctor was knocked against the examining table that moments ago held Alex. She was between the door and Alex, but also between intruders and Alex. Alex used the lessons in antinomy that her father insisted that she and her brothers and sisters learn.
Uncle Logan stared at her in shock. One eye on Uncle Logan she looked at the needles and wires prodding from her body in distaste.
Looking at Bad Doctor in her death grip. "Told you we weren't done."
Jean looked at the girl holding her life in her hands. The claws weren't fully extended, she looked at the aim and realized that when the claws were fully extended her death would not be swift, but would be inevitable and painful. "Think we could talk about this?"
The girl, Alex, she looked at her, while keeping an eye on Logan. "No, I don't think so." The remark was made with no emotion. She looked Jean in the eye for a split second. "Do you think you could have stuck me with any more needles?" No humor laced her voice. Nor crossed the ruby eyes of hers.
They weren't just red they were ruby, cold like the stone, hard, unfeeling, and beautiful.
Jean sent out a call to the Professor. Not surprisingly, he had already sent the X-men out to aid her in her peril.
Moments later Scott, Storm, and Hank burst into the room. A nick in her neck was added to the scratch as she felt the claw extend more. "No!" It was torn from her abused throat, claw going deeper.
Scott stopped, his hand resting on his visor. "Jean are you okay?" He seemed worried about the blood that was running down his fiancés neck.
Alex watched the expressions on all of these strangers' faces. Blue Man seemed worried about them all, which included Alex herself, this surprised her more then anything else. All of the others seemed to be worried about Bad Doctor.
Her red gaze fixed itself on All-American. "She's fine, but she will cease to be fine if you take another step forward." This comment was stated to Logan who was inching forward so carefully no one else noticed. They turned to him. "I would suggest that you step back, just to keep her safe, wouldn't want to slip up and get your mate killed, would you Logan?" She saw the instant fear in his eyes even as All-American sputtered.
Suddenly her wrists were killing her. "Alex? What's going on? ALEX? ARE YOU THERE!"
You're yelling. I can hear you just fine. What's wrong with your wrists?
"Thank god! Where have you been and what's going on?"
What happened to your wrist? Alex watched blood roll down her wrist, it refused to heal for a moment, but the quicksilver was determined. It still hurt which she found disconcerting.
"Are you okay?" This was said out loud. Alex turned to Blue Man.
"What do you care?" She bit it out between clenched teeth. Suddenly, along with John's voice her personality came back. What was she doing? Could she kill this woman just because her uncle liked her? Yes. It was her again, the voice of her street self.
NO! Alex called, I left you behind! You're not me anymore, my uncle deserves to die, not the woman he is attracted to!
Don't you mean love? The Snide voice replied.
He's not capable of love! Alex believed that, more then anything
Well that is one thing we agree on.
"Because, I took the Hippocratic Oath. You still fall under that oath." Blue Man shrugged carrying on the conversation even as Alex was arguing with her self.
"The Hippocratic Oath (Modern version)." Alex recited it from memory, careful not to make mistakes.
"I swear in the presence of the Almighty and before my family, my teachers and my peers that according to my ability and judgment I will keep this Oath and Stipulation.
"To reckon all who have taught me this art equally dear to me as my parents and in the same spirit and dedication to impart a knowledge of the art of medicine to others. I will continue with diligence to keep abreast of advances in medicine. I will treat without exception all who seek my ministrations, so long as the treatment of others is not compromised thereby, and I will seek the counsel of particularly skilled physicians where indicated for the benefit of my patient.
"I will follow that method of treatment which according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patient and abstain from whatever is harmful or mischievous. I will neither prescribe nor administer a lethal dose of medicine to any patient even if asked nor counsel any such thing nor perform the utmost respect for every human life from fertilization to natural death and reject abortion that deliberately takes a unique human life.
"With purity, holiness and beneficence I will pass my life and practice my art. Except for the prudent correction of an imminent danger, I will neither treat any patient nor carry out any research on any human being without the valid informed consent of the subject or the appropriate legal protector thereof, understanding that research must have as its purpose the furtherance of the health of that individual. Into whatever patient setting I enter, I will go for the benefit of the sick and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief or corruption and further from the seduction of any patient.
"Whatever in connection with my professional practice or not in connection with it I may see or hear in the lives of my patients which ought not be spoken abroad, I will not divulge, reckoning that all such should be kept secret.
"While I continue to keep this Oath inviolate may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art and science of medicine with the blessing of the Almighty and respected by my peers and society, but should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse by my lot." Alex stopped to take a breath, she was glad that her father was such a bear with knowledge. 'If you can learn it, do!' He always said that, he also hated how everyone considered him ignorant. Big dumb blond that was only good for killing people and for his muscle.
After the breather she started in again, shocking even Blue Man. "The Hippocratic Oath (Original Version)
"I swear by Apollo the physician, AEsculapius, and Health, and All-heal, and all the gods and goddesses, that, according to my ability and judgment, I will keep this Oath and this stipulation.
"To reckon him who taught me this Art equally dear to me as my parents, to share my substance with him, and relieve his necessities if required; to look up his offspring in the same footing as my own brothers, and to teach them this art, if they shall wish to learn it, without fee or stipulation; and that by precept, lecture, and every other mode of instruction, I will impart a knowledge of the Art to my own sons, and those of my teachers, and to disciples bound by a stipulation and oath according the law of medicine, but to none others.
"I will follow that system of regimen which, according to my ability and judgment, I consider for the benefit of my patients, and abstain from whatever is deleterious and mischievous. I will give no deadly medicine to any one if asked, nor suggest any such counsel; and in like manner I will not give a woman a pessary to produce abortion.
"With purity and with holiness I will pass my life and practice my Art. I will not cut persons laboring under the stone, but will leave this to be done by men who are practitioners of this work. Into whatever houses I enter, I will go into them for the benefit of the sick, and will abstain from every voluntary act of mischief and corruption; and, further from the seduction of females or males, of freemen and slaves.
"Whatever, in connection with my professional practice or not, in connection with it, I see or hear, in the life of men, which ought not to be spoken of abroad, I will not divulge, as reckoning that all such should be kept secret.
"While I continue to keep this Oath unviolated, may it be granted to me to enjoy life and the practice of the art, respected by all men, in all times, but should I trespass and violate this Oath, may the reverse be my lot!
"This is the oath I prefer though." Alex stated as an after thought.
"Another version, approved by the American Medical Association, is as follows:
"I do solemnly swear, by whatever I hold most sacred: That I will be loyal to the Profession of Medicine and just and generous to its members. That I will lead my live and practice my art in uprightness and honor.
"That into whatsoever house I shall enter, it shall be for the good of the sick to the utmost of my power, my holding and keep myself far aloof from wrong, from corruption, from the tempting of others to vice.
"That I will exercise my art solely for the cure of my patients, and will give no drug, perform no operation, for a criminal purpose, even if solicited, far less suggest it.
"That whatsoever I shall see or hearof the lives of men or women which is not fitting to be spoken, I will keep inviolably secret.
"These things do I swear. Let each bow the head in sign of acquiescence. And now, if I will be true to this, my oath, may prosperity and good repute be ever irs; the opposite, if I shall prove myself forsworn." Alex let that seep in as she stared at the shocked and speechless strangers. Suddenly her claws stuck Jean again causing a squeak to emerge. "I thought I told I to stay back, Logan."
Logan once again was forced to take steps back. "So what are you going to do to Jean?" Alex's eyes flickered toward All-American as he spoke.
Alex looked at him, her expression blank. "Most probably kill her." She felt the laughter bubble up out of nowhere as John whispered, "liar."
I am not! The retort was sent with a wealth of laughter behind it. I'm just a huge fibber.
Fibber, liar, same difference.
Stop making me want to laugh, it's going to get me killed!, but the laughter never once crossed her eyes or face.
All-American tensed, the color draining from his face at the prospect of Bad Doctor being killed. Alex filed that away for future reference, handing it to thinker who was as always taking notes on the lives around Alex.. "We don't want to hurt you, we just want to help." His voice cracked and he was obviously lying, right now all he wanted to do was kill her, she could smell it.
Alex once again shot a meaningful look at the needles and tubes prodding from her body. "I can see that."
Blue Man was the only one decent enough to look ashamed.
"I have no idea why we thought you may be a danger." All-American stated with a wealth of sarcasm.
"If I may point out, I had done nothing, but lay around, literally. So you're the aggressors and I'm just the aggressed."
Good point. The voice of John was way louder than before.
"We can work this out." White Hair had been dormant and now she stepped up. "We want you to trust us. We really want to help, really we do." White Hair sounded sincere, but the fury coming off All-American testified differently.
"You want me to trust you? When John trusted you, you walked all over him, you tied him up, locked him up, and betrayed that trust. Oh, I sooo trust you! Let me just hop up on the table and you can drug me some more!" Alex paused never once changing her deadpan tone. "Umm, no thanks I think I'll stay here."
"How do you know John is locked in the Danger room?" Bad Doctor said from in front of her, Alex looked at her.
"I'm not going to tell you." Suddenly she jerked backward releasing Bad Doctor from her death hold. The claws of her Uncle Logan sliced the air where her head had been.
Stupid! Never look away from an opponent! Alex scolded her self as she crouched ready for another attack, she was thankful for her training as Logan pressed his advantage, following with a round kick hitting air once again. Alex was the one to press the advantage this time, she hit flesh and went to the metal covered bone with her own claws, she jumped back once more waiting for another opening.
"Stop! Logan!" It was Blue Man he appeared between the two of them just as Logan attacked once again. For no sane person reason Alex moved forward pushing him out of the way, claws sliced threw her torso just as John ran in the room. Blood sprayed the room coating Logan and All-American.
She growled, backing up, daring Logan to attack again.
John walked into a nightmare, blood gushed from Alex's middle. Logan and Scott where covered in it, Hank was on the floor dazed looking.
"HANK!" The others rushed to see if he was all right while Logan faced off with Alex.
"Alex! Fuck!" The world narrowed down to one person, fear gripped him, more intense then he had felt earlier, this time he knew it was all his. He rushed forward bypassing arms that darted out to stop him. Planting himself firmly between Alex and Logan, much in the way Hank had moments before; John faced Alex. "Holy shit." It came out no more than a whisper. "Shit, shit, shit, shit." Was no longer thinking he pressed his hand on the gash. "Why isn't it healing?"
Alex noticed she had been changed into a clean non-bloody outfit that now had more blood on them then the old ones. John's hands were digging into her wound as he held her organs in. She didn't know why, but her eyes refused to focus on the team. "No idea, probably because I need to eat something." She kept her voice devoid of emotion. Finally she was able to focus, she watched them all warily.
"Eat something. Anything in particular?" Blue Man was once again standing; it was he that asked the question.
Alex tried to push off the table she was now leaning against. Her legs almost refused to hold her. "Steak, rare. Actually just bring me the cow, I'll eat it raw." John caught the half-joke while the others just stared at her in horror. John laughed out loud as well as in her mind. "What are you laughing at, I'm serious." Alex never took her eyes away from Logan or All-American.
"Fibber." The remark was made softly, she barely heard it.
Alex couldn't help it the laughter bubbled up out of nowhere, and she was to weak from blood loss to stop it. She was once again forced to lean against the lab table, after the laughter subsided she took a deep breath. The shocked people around her just gaped.
"See now did that hurt?" Looking away from the team for the first time she realized that John was covered in new blood, having never changed from the old outfit it joined the rubbed off blood, the blood still poured from her body in a steady stream.
"Quite a bit actually." Pausing for a moment she thought. "I think my kidney is about to slide out, you might want to catch it before the rest of my organs follow."
Mumbling a few choice curse words he moved his hand to compensate for the slipping organs.
"Maybe we should focus on the task at hand. If I may?" Blue Man stepped forward and Alex growled.
"No you may not!" The growl accented each word and made the threat eminent.
Blue Man took a step back and Logan moved forward threatening. Alex stood straighter she almost took a step forward as well, but John reminded her that she was in no position to fight.
"You're in no position to fight, you have a gapping hole in your body." John's remark brought another smile though she didn't look down from Logan's eyes.
"It just levels the playing field a little more. I've fought with worse odds." Alex's eyes now flitted to the rest of the team, they turned thoughtful. Revealing for the first time emotion. "Though it would have been easier if I had a machine gun."
"Let's see if we have a machine gun in a school," White Hair added sarcastically, "we keep it next to the beer."
Alex didn't here the last part; her mind was stuck on school, school, school. "School? Like for norms?"
Blue Man looked hopeful suddenly. "Uh, Scott, Jean, Logan, Ororo why don't you go up stairs." The pleading look he gave the other members of the team wasn't lost on Alex.
Logan looked taken aback. "No way in h . . ." Before he could continue his objection Alex took center stage.
"Hell? Well you know a lot about hell don't you Logan. You should, you sent me there!" Ignoring the protest from John and hands were forced away from her open wound. "You really want to hang around Logan? You really want to stick around and talk about it?"
Logan looked shock and then angry, but Bad Doctor grabbed his left arm while All-American grabbed his right arm, being careful of his claws they dragged him out. White Hair looked at Blue Man then Alex and John.
"Be careful. We'll be right upstairs if you need us. Don't let your guard down or turn your back." She whispered it in to Blue Man's ear as she left, Alex heard it and she watched the reaction on his face.
"Alex, we need to get you fixed up." That was the disembodied voice of John.
"I would like to be of some service." Alex looked apprehensively at Blue Man as he spoke.
She seemed to think it over. Looking at John she sighed. Hopping up on the table behind her she gave John an annoyed look as he followed her up trying to keep his hands over the wound.
"My life is in your hands literally, John. If you trust him I will too." Alex looked at Blue Man. "Have at me!"
Blue Man hid a smile as he stepped up to her. Alex couldn't suppress the small growl deep in her throat. Blue Man looked at the wound, he pushed on her shoulders to make her lay down. Alex did, watching his hands the entire time. She felt more then saw John move away to clean up the mess.
Blue Man suddenly looked uncomfortable with something. Alex looked nervous. "Umm . . . We have a problem. I need to clean the wound."
Alex raised an eyebrow. "Aanndd . . . Why is that a problem?"
"Because I will need to numb the area around the wound, which means using a . . . needle." Blue Man jerked back as Alex sprung away.
"No way in HELL!" Alex snarled, she didn't even allow John to come near her. Alex tried to calm her self down, but she kept remembering a needle piercing her skin . . . over and over. Being trapped in a body that no longer responded while scientists cluttered around and cut her again and again. She backed up further, she shook her head, mumbling no she backed up farther, her claws had retracted when Logan left, now they sprung back. "Get away from me." She hissed it at both Blue Man and at John.
She was retreating, they could see that. John looked at Hank. An idea struck. "How about we forget the needle, how about we just wrap it up and get you something to eat." John was digging at the bottom of the barrel, hoping she wouldn't leave him. "Alex, don't leave me." Silently, mind-to-mind, he added, please?
She looked at him, the red receding from her eyes. Sighing she looked down at her hands, the claws retracted one by one slowly. "'Kay. But no needles." She walked over slowly. Her gaze strayed toward John apologizing to him with her eyes and mind. Sorry about that and thanks for bringing me back.
Alex stared into outer space as Blue Man wrapped up the wound, distancing her self from the pain. "We should stitch it up." He heard a warning growl emanate from her, but he continued his work.
"So this is a school?" Alex couldn't help herself as the question kept repeating its self over and over.
Blue Man nodded. "Don't the norms think it's weird to have a blue teacher?" Alex asked curiously.
John laughed out loud. "This is a school for mutants, no norms." She knew he felt her shock because no way it showed on her face and he burst out laughing.
"No norms? Really? My dad never mentioned there was a school for mutants like us." She allowed the disbelief to creep a little into her voice.
Blue Man's face looked thoughtful. "Was your dad with you on your trip to the woods?"
Alex considered telling him that it was none of his business, but he had been nice to her and her dad said to be courteous to people if they were courteous to you. "Yes he was."
"What happened to him?" Blue Man looked at her. Alex decided she liked this man, he was straight forward, educated, and spook to her as if he expected her to follow. He didn't seem to dance around an issue and he had yet to try to slice and dice her or needle her, she took this as a good sign.
"Don't know." She jumped off the table as he finished. She screamed in her mind, the pain almost made her pass out. She didn't let it show on her face or voice as she asked. "Can I see it?" The question was a cautious olive branch to peace.
"Allow me to be your guide." Blue Man bowed at the waist, purposely exposing his back and neck, trusting her.
"Me too!" John added feeling protective and left out.
"My, my, my such gentlemen." Alex leaned ever so slightly on John as they made there way to the elevator. She paused out side the elevator; she looked into the small space. "No stairs?"
"It's okay it only goes up from here." John made a joke as he stepped into the elevator after Blue Man. Alex had pulled back and laid an uneasy eye on the elevator.
"Controlling your powers is the same as controlling your fear. Never let it stop you, work with it till it listens to you, not the other way around." Her Granddad had told her that when she had confessed to being afraid of spiders. She was still afraid of spiders, but that didn't stop her from full filling a life's dream like this one now did. This one prevented her from going to school.
"I might go berserk and kill you." Alex told them as she stepped in and the doors closed. Alex leaned against the wall watching everything, everyone. Blue Man and John were smart enough to know when to stay back and act small and insignificant avoiding her eyes. She counted the seconds that seemed like an eternity.
As the doors opened she burst out, ignoring the scream from her middle that nearly blinded her with pain. She looked around even though her torso was eating at her screaming to sit, or better yet lie down.
"Sit down, you're hurting!" The John in her head urged as he felt her pain.
No. Alex sent back. She started to walk down a corridor as Blue Man and John followed. John could hear her every silent scream, feel her pain, but she never let it show, no outward sign, not even any limp in her walk.
Alex could sense the others watching her, but she only looked around for a minute before she started sniffing out food. She knew her quicksilver needed fuel and she also knew that John was suffering with her. The latter urged her to find food faster then her own discomfort did.
She made her way to the kitchen, slowly being mindful of her wound so as to lessen the impact on John. Blue Man began to tell her about different rooms as they walked, Alex set her mind on record then focused on sorting out the smells and following the food.
She could smell children of all ages crisscrossing the hallways. She logged each individual smell away so she could find the owner and place the smell to the person and personality.
She found the Kitchen and looked around. She looked at Blue Man for permission before fixing her self the food she so needed. Her Father, Aunt and Granddad all had strict rules in manners and she used them as often as possible, as did her brothers and sisters.
Sitting down with enough food to feed a small elephant she began to eat after a quick pause, which she said a prayer inwardly. She felt the curiosity emanating from John and silently asked, what?
"Where do you put it all?" John spoke mind to mind as well.
I use it up constantly, talking, healing, everything, I was depleted before and I don't know when I will need my quicksilver again. Plus don't go telling me I'm thin, I way an extra twenty pounds not including the metal. She sounded finished, but another reason popped unbidden in her mind. I also don't know when I well get food again once I leave. She shot him a look and was obviously looking for a reaction, did he hear her? Alex looked at John. No I don't think so, he isn't reacting like he did.
She started packing away the food, her whole attention on getting as much down as possible without being a pig.
She almost to the bone in some leftover ribs she found, but she didn't slow.
John watched Alex devour the food and tried not to laugh. He watched her thoughtfully. After she was done John pushed at her making her sit back so he could look at the wound.
Pulling back the cloth he was amazed to see only a fading bruise through excess the blood. "Holy shit." He whispered awed at the practically unmarked skin. He suddenly felt her tense and slowly stand, the door behind him burst open to reveal . . .
Cliffy, who is it? Well I will need more reviews to up date some more.