CHAPTER 3
Thank you, you three, you make me cry. . . I love reviews.
Now for what you want. On with the fic!
Earlier:
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 . . .
Now:
Alex jumped out of the way as a blur ran into the room. John was knocked back as a female figure latched herself to him. This figure was soon joined by a second.
Two males stood at the door. Alex was grateful that her father had trained her so well. She had reacted automatically and her claws were out, she was in a fighter's stance as well.
"Jumpy aren't you?" It was one of the males. Alex didn't relax from her stance as she tried to place the voice, she recognized him, Bobby, from the plane.
The second figure looked across from her to the two clinging figures. "Kitty, Jubilee you can let him go now."
The figures didn't relax their hold, but Alex now dismissed them as a threat. Keeping an eye on the men while still keeping an eye on them was becoming difficult and she shifted position moving slightly behind John so that she could watch them all at once, Blue Man included.
"John are you alright, man?" It was a feathered boy that asked him the question. He was the one that told the other girls to let go of John.
Alex was watching waiting. Trying to determine what to do.
"Warren could you get them off of me?" John's voice was strained. He had apparently not noticed that Alex was behind him and now trapped against the wall.
As Feather Boy moved forward so did Bobby. Alex remembered Bobby from the jet, but not Feather Boy and even so she didn't trust Bobby. Before they had taken ten steps in Alex growled, her claws glinting in the glow from the light.
Warren found it amusing that the girls had almost chocked the life outta John and was moving forward to help when a growl halted him in his tracks. Looking at the girl behind John he took several steps back. Holding his hands up in an age-old sign of peace.
The blue mutant stopped growling, but still watched him. At the growl Jubilee and Kitty let go of John and jumped back. John sucked in air and looked at him. Warren still had his hands up and wasn't inclined to put them down. Holy shit she has claws!
His face showed his discomfort and the girl must have taken the hint, but she didn't lower the threatening claws.
Alex almost smiled at Feather Boy's discomfort, and barely kept her face neutral. Blue Man looked uncomfortable, as did the females. John turned to her and gave her an apologetic look as he realized that he had just made things worse.
"Sorry." Whispered the voice that was John in her head. "These are my friends Bobby and Warren. I trust them."
To prove his point he walked up to Bobby and Feather Boy, then turned his back to them to look at her. Alex wondered how John could know exactly what made Alex comfortable, what proved the point to her, what showed exactly what he said.
For the benefit of Bobby and Feather Boy he said. "This is Alex, Alex could you please put those away your going to skewer someone by accident."
"It wouldn't be by accident." Alex replied as she lowered her claws and let them slide back into place. She was rewarded by the spike of fear she smelled coming from both of the males and females.
Deciding to ignore them, she went back to the table, situating herself so that she could watch them, and she went right back to eating. She sensed another's presence coming and shot a look up from the sloppy Joe she was eating with a sigh. I'm never going to get to finish my meal. She was wrong as Blue Man went to intercept the interloper.
"John?" It was Feather Boy. He hadn't once taken his eyes off of her. "Um. Are you okay?" Having not receiving an answer the first time he asked again, worry interlacing his voice.
"Oh I'm fine." John said. Alex looked at him and raised an eyebrow. Fine? You're covered in blood.
"You're no better." Taunted his voice, but as he looked down at his clothes. He smiled and Alex's heart did a little flip.
He burst out laughing at his appearance. Alex couldn't help it, over a decade of discipline didn't help as she laughed along with him. Her laugh burst free and Alex was glad to find she could still laugh outside of her pack/family.
Sabertooth's neck was killing him as he opened his eyes. Looking up he realized that he was on the ground. Standing up he moaned. What the hell happened? He glanced around waiting for last nights events to catch up. It always took a moment; his brain shut them out, because way back when he had no reason to live he didn't want to remember.
He started to move, then turned to try and figure out why his neck was hurting a few minutes ago. Looking down he found a rock that had been pressing against his neck the whole time he laid there.
Finally inch-by-inch the last few hours came back. "Shit ALEX!" He turned and ran as fast as he did last night, hoping, praying, that she was all right and still there. As he ran he concentrated on his memories, letting everything come back.
He stopped at right after his talk with Toad. Slowly he went by, memory by memory.
He hit the door, knocking it down. He was furious, zoo, what kind of sick fuck was he dealing with? He had yet to know how sick they really were.
A nauseas smell hit him head on. "Shit, what's that smell?" He sneezed a few times. Deciding that he might not want to smell all there was to smell, he stopped.
Alex had a thoughtful look on her face. She smelled deeply and Sabertooth winced for her. "Blood, death, scat, and. . . " Another deep breath. "Pain. Maybe a hint of despair as well." The answer was delivered in the deadpan voice he was becoming familiar with. Sabertooth was sorry he asked as Alex pushed past.
"David, Nick, Stephan, Phil, Max, Bill, Lisa, Jen, Rain? AJ, Scott, Lee, Katie, Cassie, Lacy, Dan? Keith, Kevin?" Alex voice carried in the silence.
"Alex?" The voices were all hesitant, but there were to few to be all of the names she called to. "Is that you?"
"Where is everyone else? Are you all okay?" She was moving toward the voices.
Sabertooth moved forward to follow her, but was forced back as Toad grabbed his arm. Toad looked him straight in the eye, and then turned away. Sabertooth hated himself for understanding, but he did. Understanding that look he stopped and waited. Waited for him to be needed, waited for a cue to come forth.
Alex didn't notice her father fall back; she was totally preoccupied with finding her family. She pulled up to the still electrified cage. "Where are the others? What happened?"
"Alex thank god you're here. They're dead, damn it Alex, they were killed." David her second in command rushed up to see her. The mutant was six foot, pale from lack of sun as were the rest of them. His once beautiful, shiny, clean, blond hair was limp and greasy from lack of cleaning.
"Why are you here? Are you all right?" David forgot himself and reached through the bars. "Fudge!" He drew his hand inside the bars again; the zap he received was enough to scorch his arm, adding the smell of burnt skin to the scents in the air.
"Keep your wits about you, idiot!" The reply was from Kevin. A mutant that wasn't happy at all. He turned to Alex with a sneer on his face. "Why are you here? Shouldn't you be back in your cage?"
"Alex? What's going on?" A small boy about two, stumbled up. "Did you bring yum-yums? My tummy was rumbling." Moving forward the small three-foot boy looked at her with wide eyes and hands out stretched.
"Better Keith." Alex looked at the small boy ignoring the crude Kevin. "I've come to get you out."
"What! Really? We are very happy to know that." Lacy, Dan, and Nick cried at the same time. Rushing out of the dark half of the large cell, the triplets collided with David almost knocking him into the cell's walls. Being identical triplets they spoke at the same time mostly.
"Shi . . ." David stopped mid word. "P." David sighed in relief. "Watch where you're going!" David spat at the triplets more terrified than hurt. "What do you mean by you've come to get us out? If you remember the whole place is swarming with military, military that can kill US."
Alex rolled her eyes, her small form moving to look at the electric cell.
"Hey where's everyone else?" The upset looking Froggie shoot into the room. Alex had the sudden knowledge that over half her family was dead, making Alex want to cry; fortunately Kevin couldn't keep his moth shut. He had yet to be dominated by Alex in a fight and was feeling rebellious.
"They already escaped, the only way we are going to get out of here." As the power went down to the bars he remained inside, not willing to suffer the soldiers wrath. "Did she fall for the trick again? Toad! You let her fall for this too! Well I'm not going to fall for this!" Kevin sparked her anger.
Alex turned to him ignoring for the moment the clutching hands of Dan. "Well now there is no electricity in your way. You can come and take the leadership from me." Alex walked through the cell door that small Dan opened and transformed into a wolf.
Kevin looking at the changed mutant before him, becoming angry as well. Shifting into the shape of a wolf, revealing his mutation, he didn't wait before he attacked. Slicing Alex down the side that would have 'killed' her had she not dodged to one-side moments before. She still wasn't fast enough as a slash formed down her stomach.
Sabertooth ran into the room to see the two wolves fighting. Which one Alex was was apparent as the blue wolf dodged away striking a blow equal to the one on her to the black wolf's side. He looked at the blood that spread down her side in amazement. She was somehow controlling her healing factor, making it a fair fight.
Alex hated doing this, but she didn't have time for Kevin's dominance problems. Dodging past his defense Alex sprung for his throat. Usually she let them get their aggressiveness out before beating them.
Grabbing mostly hair, but enough flesh to hurt she spun him onto his back. She then drove him into the ground, growling at him she demanded that he submit. The wolf underneath her fought her hold, the wolf wanted to let him up and teach him to respect her authority. The ever-present human in her argued that she didn't have time.
She shook her head shaking him as well. He whimpered as her teeth sunk into the skin, he gave up, tucking his tail in between his legs he begged for forgiveness in the manner of the wolf.
The wolf in Alex was satisfied and was finished, but he had aroused the human in her. Soldier was not satisfied, furious that he had dared to undermine her, especially in front of her troops! She held on to his neck, satisfied as he began to choke.
Toad, Dan, David, Sabertooth, Lacy, Keith, Nick, Max, and Rain watched. Unwilling to help, they were fascinated, they would stand there and let there leader kill Kevin. Kevin wasn't pack, even if he was Alex was their leader. Alex was the only one they trusted; the little ones thought that Kevin must have done something to upset her.
Kevin's wolf side was in the forefront. It decided that Alex was the alpha; the wolf in him trusted that the alpha knew what she was doing. Kevin wanted to fight for the life that Alex was taking away. They came to a compromise, and the black wolf below her begged to be saved.
Alex let up as she came back to her senses. Kevin remained below her as she fought the snide voice telling her to kill him. "Leave me alone! I'm not you! I'm me!" Alex chocked out transforming into her normal self. She jerked back, slamming herself into the far side of the cell. Her breaths came in short gasps.
Little Keith whimpered, moving forward. "Alex? You okay? You got a boo boo on you tummy." Keith walked up to Alex.
"No. Get back, Keith. I'm dangerous." Alex's claws slid out as she warned him.
Toad rushed forward and snatched him away. Everyone, with the exception of Alex, moved out of the cell. Sabertooth dragged out Kevin, as he was unable to crawl at the moment. All except Sabertooth knew what Kevin had provoked. Kevin cowered in a corner knowing that he almost cost them everything. Even Dan understood the importance of what was happening, he stretched his legs growing another foot, reaching the electric box he flipped the switch and the others watched.
Alex's claws dove into the stonewall. Her red eyes now a weird swirling mix of colors. Alex was fighting a fight that was uniquely hers.
(For inside Alex's head snide voice, innocent voice, &mom&, #wolverine#, Alex!Soldier, $thinker$ . . . wow every once and a while during this brief internal fight, I will repost it. Sorry if you're confused, but think about poor Alex.)
! Kill them. Kill them all! Soldier roared in Alex.
& He has suffered enough, he didn't do anything wrong. & The calm reasonable mom spoke.
$ If you're not challenged, then you get too cocky, and are killed when your back is turned. $ Thinker stated for once not going on.
I can't be killed. I'm invincible! Snide snarled in reprof.
$ Your invincible, but others aren't. &
! That's why you must kill them now. Before they can be used against you! Kill them, kill them . . . ! The soldier continued to chant it in the back ground as the others fought.
I'm me so you need to get out of my head, I won't kill anyone. I'm going to listen to my mom.
! Then why are you charging the electrified cage bars? Screaming Kill kill? Sorry, but it seems I'm on the forefront in this battle. !
Why would you do that? Why would you hurt Kevin? Innocent seemed terrified and confused. She never understood violence, the others protected her as often as possible.
I agree with Soldier. I'm helping him. That's why we're winning. HA!
# I'm helping too. Don't ask why. I'm evil! Evil! Eeeviiiilllll! # (Okay I know that is not the way Wolverine acts but everyone acts weird in Alex's head. Deal.)
( Snide voice , innocent voice , & mom &, # wolverine #, Alex ! Soldier , $ thinker $)
$ I'm not getting in the middle of this. I'm neutral, there are pros and cons on both sides of the conversation are extremely tangible . . . $ Thinker continued to talk about the pros and cons, but everyone tuned it out.
Maybe if we all team up then we can kill him.
& You can't kill him. He's part of all of us. He maybe a cough little boring, but I'm your mother so deal with it. &
OUT! OUT! OUT! OUT! I'm Tired of this so OUT!
Sabertooth was officially freaked out. Alex had gone from attacking the wall, to attacking the electrified bars screaming Kill, to screaming, out. The entire time her eyes changing color.
He looked toward the others, The Dragons. "So . . . who are you guys?"
No one seemed inclined to tell him anything, anything at all. Sabertooth looked toward Toad. "So are you going to help me? Alexand . . . Alex said that there were twenty of you total. I count nine, so where is the rest?"
The wolf that he had dragged out transformed into a boy about fifteen, with tan almost caramel skin with black hair, and almost golden eyes. His neck was bleeding slightly and so was his side but other then that Sabertooth couldn't tell if he was just covered in that much filth or if he was bruised that much.
"Their gone, dead." He sniffed in scorn, but rubbed his neck where Alex's teeth sunk too deep. "I'm Kevin." He growled out. "You really the boss' dad?" Being newly dominated he now treaded carefully, what the alpha said went.
He would follow every rule and study all the ranks of command. His lesson being new, he was less likely to want to anger Alex. Right now he only recognized her strength as a fighter. Latter he might come to respect her, or fear her more, but already he had completely put his life in the small blue girls hands along with rest of The Dragons.
Alex's fight was over, she was thrilled when she was finally able to control her body again. She found her self on the floor. "My head. Which one of them did this?" She opened her eyes and looked at her pack.
"Everyone alright?" She moaned out while struggling to her feet.
"We're fine, now." Came the reply, in unison, from the triplets, Lacy, Dan, and Nick.
David just nodded in the affirmative. Keith now in Max's arms just stared at her, not quite able to comprehend what had happened. Rain walked behind Max and grinned, the first one to seemingly be happy.
Alex looked toward Kevin. "Well I'm glad you're still alive. I think."
Kevin looked at her; he was standing but didn't seem inclined to do anything without permission.
"Dad could you please turn off the electricity?" Alex looked at her father, who being so shocked that she had called him dad was just staring. "Earth to dad, come in dad. There you are, I'm going to be zapped to death, again. Could you flip a switch, it's right behind you. Come on you could do it." Alex sounded like she was talking to a shy dog.
Sabertooth was embarrassed that he had been off in dreamland so he walked over to the electric box. Even though there was only one switch he looked at the box thoughtfully. "Which one should I choose? So many choices . . ."
Alex let out an ever-suffering sigh and waited patiently. Keith looked at Sabertooth from Max's arms and giggled, he pointed toward the giant switch on the box. "There! Silly!" He pointed then buried his head into Max's shoulder and continued to giggle softly.
"There? Oh, the switch . . . are you sure?" At a nod from the head still buried into Max's shoulder, Sabertooth flipped the switch and the electricity cut off.
"Alex?" Little Keith said, his head now appearing from Max's shoulder. "Is he really your dad?"
Alex looked at Keith and opened the door to the cage; she then looked at everyone one at a time. She walked up to Sabertooth placing a hand on his elbow, the highest part of him that she could grab with out reaching way up, looking like a little kid who was standing next to her father, she nodded her head still in affirmative.
( "Yes he is, but that doesn't mean you have to trust him. I still don't.
I will watch him, and wait for his role in the pack to be realized. In the past, when things were fake, I was forced to leave alone; I was forced to 'travel light'. He beat the shit outta me and never apologized. He has done things that make me want to believe him, he doesn't were cologne and he smells like he is telling the truth. If he becomes not worthy of that trust I will defend you with my life and I will take you, my pack, The Dragons, away from him and we will go somewhere else. I will protect you, I will defend you. But yes I he is my father, really my father." ) (The Dragons use a special language it will be surrounded by ( 'kay back to the fic.)
Sabertooth looked at her a bit confused. "Uh . . . are you speaking English? Is what you said good?" He looked at The Dragons but none of their expressions had changed. They turned and seemed to ignore him, the started to head toward the door.
The triplets looked up suddenly. "Do you hear that?" Everyone froze in the act of going towards the door. The sound of boots clicking in the hallway could be heard through out the room, the murmurs were indistinctive. "Who is it? We are curious."
Alex looked up, "Shoot. It must be the troops." She looked around, and then towards her dad, she seemed a little uncertain. Could he have been lying? Did she just sentence The Dragons to death?
Even though they must have been thinking along same lines, all of her Dragons looked to her for reassurance. "How long since you busted in?" She decided to ask, trying to put the mask back into place, after letting it slip so much.
Sabertooth looked towards the door, then at his watch. "Uh . . . almost 13 hours ago. It took us a while for you to heal, and for you to get over the thing that happened in the cell. What was that in there anyhow?" He looked at her and then back towards the door. "You don't think I had anything to with this?" Looking at her now hardened face he decided that she did. "Is there a back way outta here?" Deciding that trying to convince her right now would be pointless, he moved on.
Alex looked at him in question, but started to move towards the back. "Not now but I can make one."
Sabertooth followed behind the other Dragons. He was behind two boys that had picked up the littlest kid and were taking turns caring him. Keeping one ear out for a rear attack he followed Alex down the hall as she twisted and turned her way out of the maze.
Suddenly he watched her pause; he walked up behind her and turned to see what she was looking at. "Logan?"
Alex was staring in morbid satisfaction at the man in front of her. She heard his voice uttered from every one of The Dragons in disgust, then she heard it from her father, a curios mixture of shock and happiness written in his scent and posture.
The man in front of her looked up, and the world cried for what Sabertooth was about to go through, the rain hitting the roof harder and harder.
Sabertooth shook his head to get rid of the image; he was nearing the tree that Alex was near. He stopped his rush forward, almost falling backwards in his attempt. "Magneto."
Alex coughed a few times to get the laughter out of her system. She looked at John and smiled. She then looked at the door, sniffing her eyes went from dancing blood to a hard ruby. She hadn't accepted Feather Boy or Bobby, but she was more at ease with them then she was with the man that was about to walk in.
She could smell the sudden confusion coming from everyone in the room, but didn't bother to speak out loud. She spoke to John because she felt the need to. Incoming of the unpleasant kind.
Blue Man came in first, giving her an apologetic look. She didn't wonder why because she smelt him, even before the man walked in.
Alex tensed, claws ready, and forward, evaluating the area. She could smell the sudden fear coming of the females and both males, not caring about the state of mind the others were in she let out a menacing growl. Inching slowly backward towards the window. The Men rolled in in a wheel chair, startling Alex into stopping her growling for a nanosecond. Huh?
Professor Charles Xavier walked into a scene that shocked him. Standing in front of him was a young mutant that looked in a weird way like Logan. Rolling forward he raised his hand. "I'm sorry to have disturbed your meal." Looking at the teen in front of him and around at the mess on the table.
Alex growled out, "You're not the only one to do so." She began to walk backwards again, back towards the window.
"Alex?" John said hesitantly. "Where are you going?"
Alex shot a look at John, pleading for him to please not make this harder then it is.
"Alex? Will you consider coming to my office? I wish to speak to you in private." The Man spoke again, for some odd reason she got an immediate vibe that matched her Granddad's.
She shook her head, backing up farther; she suddenly leaped up, landing carefully on the windowsill.
Blue Man sounded desperate as he blurted out. "But don't you want to go to school?"
That was the only thing that could have stopped her totally, that coupled with the lost look John was suddenly wearing was the other half of the equation. Still facing the grounds before her, Alex waited. Hesitation was something that she was trained not to do, ever, but that was exactly what she was doing.
Follow your instincts soldier! They keep you alive; you're in enemy territory! RUN! Retreat!
Alex wrinkled her nose, but turned around, balancing precariously on the ledge of the sill. You're not the boss of me! She snapped at Soldier, hating the way she sounded like a defiant child.
"If I do that doesn't mean anything, it just means that I want to go to school." Alex looked at The Man; she felt a soft movement in her mind and became enraged. "OUT OF MY HEAD!" The Man erased any doubt she had of leaving.
Jumping out of the window she landed directly into Logan's path.
"Alex!" John's voice reached her ears, having never bothered to retract her claws she brought them forward and charged.
Charles knew he had just blown a very important moment. The expressionless look she had given him had made him curious as to her emotions and instinctually he had reached lightly toward her mind.
John rounded to him giving him a disappointed look. Turning he rushed toward the door giving Charles had a bad feeling.
A moment later he discovered that Logan and Alex were fighting as the clash of metal resounded from below. Charles tried to get a hold of Wolverine below him.
Logan, please retreat we don't want to scare her anymore. Receiving no response Charles spoke allowed. Right now not wanting to go all the away around to the door and back as John, Warren, and Bobby were apparently doing, he shouted out the window down below.
"Logan! I SUGGEST YOU STOP OR YOU WILL LIVE LIKE A THREE YEAR OLD GIRL FOR THE REST OF YOUR LIFE!" Logan had apparently heard him and taken the threat seriously because he backed away. Still keeping his claws ready he looked up toward The Man.
"I'll stop, but would you really do that?" Wolverine asked, his gruff voice raking on Alex's nerves
Watching in satisfaction as Logan's wounds closed off still leaving blood on his clothes, Alex didn't notice John sneaking up on her. She turned to leave while The Man and Logan were temporarily distracted. But as she was about to run a small explosion knocked her over.
Turning over quickly she was glad for the thousandth time that night that her family taught her so well. Adverting her claws mid strike was difficult, but Alex had been taught how, her claws grazing the flesh near John's windpipe, Alex jerked back. "Shit! What the fuck do you think you are doing? Idiot! I could have killed you!"
Alex, ever one to express her feelings let loose a punch the landed in the middle of his chest. Even not using her full strength Alex knew it would still leave a large bruise.
She sensed Feather Boy's coming charge and rolled out from under John's body in time to miss most of the charge. Just glimpsing her shoulder it threw her once again off balance.
"HALT!" The Man shouted from above again, Alex seeing the missed placed but convenient tree, having just crashed into it promptly retreated upwards. Away from the ever-charging bodies below, Alex thought about where she was, how to get home, and about the prospective of going to school.
The Man had apparently decided to join them, and Alex watched him warily from above. "Let's start over? Hello Alex, My name is Professor Charles Xavier. I would like to help you."
Alex's eye's remained dead. "No really? What do you want?" Alex was unaware that she had repeated almost the same thing that her uncle had.
The Man looked at Alex with a strange look on his face. "Follow me and I'll show you."
Alex stood up in her tree. "Thanks, but I gotta get home, or my dad 'll be real worried. He might even come here and if this is really a school you might not like the company he brings." Alex put the subtle threat in there, just in case.
"Maybe I could help." The Man spoke, though he did sound a bit worried that the 'school' might be in danger. "I do have Cerebro, it helps me contact mutants from far distances. If you give me his last were-abouts then I can track him and have Scott bring the jet out to him. Now please describe him."
Alex almost laughed. "Well, let me see. His last current location was a town spelled, G O F U C K Y O U R S E L F."
John as well as everyone else had gone red in the face, John sputtered in indignation for a moment. "Alex! What do you think your saying!" But he had a wealth of laughter in his voice.
The Man's face burst into flame, red faced but trying to hold onto the laughter he sputtered. After waiting for his laughter to subside. "Will you at least tell me his description?"
Alex thought about the possibilities that the info will get right fall into the wrong hands. Deciding to keep the information vague, she released that he was blond, tall and had long hair. Watching the sickened look that passed across John's face she jumped down.
"What is it John? What do you know? What's wrong?" She didn't wait for an answer and that was her down fall, acting on her impatience she peeked into his head. Seeing the brief glimpse of the long blond haired man, watching his head chopped of. Alex felt everything fall apart. "NNNOOO!"
Her knees hit the ground with a hard thud. Claws jamming into the ground as a familiar feeling came over her. Here we go again.
"Alex?" John's voice cut threw the revulsion in Alex's head for a moment.
"Yo, dude. Stic' me sumewhere I can't g't 'ou. 'Kay." Alex directed the comment to The Man. "Bett'r 'urry. 'Ont last 'ong." Alex tried to make intelligent speech as several personalities shot out of their cages; some rushing forward faster, wanting to destroy what had caused Alex so much pain.
John was confused but didn't question the orders given to him. Grabbing Logan's arm he dragged him closer. "Help me!"
He felt Alex stiffen as Logan grabbed her, but she didn't resist, which frightened him worse then if her head had spun around in rage.
Looking at the professor he silently let a question surface in his head.
"To the Danger room." Professor Charles Xavier turned and headed of in the direction indicated.
John let it completely slip his mind that he had blasted a hole threw it till they got there. "Opps. I think I might have, uh damaged the danger room, a little . . ." Looking a little, upset he avoided everyone's censorious gaze.
The Professor had already sent for back up. Rep came in, tools in hand, an angry look on her normal face.
"You just had to blow a hole threw the Danger room's walls didn't you?" Rep said, flipping her hair in an irritated way. She started to mumble as she set to work, using her tools to determine how much she had to replace.
Alex shifted in Logan's arms, her once red eyes a weird swirling red and green, Christmasy if you think of it. "'Urry, can't 'old out moch longer." Her voice went deeper and growled. "Almost there." Her eyes green now.
"Alex hold on! We're almost there." John didn't like the empty space that had been Alex's thoughts/emotions. Looking at Rep as she began her repairs on the danger room, he almost groaned in frustration.
Rep was working as fast as possible, her mutation being that she could grow thing from the stump of what they had been. (Ex. A sword is cut in two; she can make them turn into two swords.) But she needed to know the diameters to be able to fit a hole.
Finishing the replacement, she moved out of the way as the girl that had been lying in Logan's arms, stiff and shaking with some barely controlled emotion, came shooting by. The door slammed shut just as her eye's turning pure black, catching Rep's.
Rep gasped at the black hole that existed where emotions once did. Being sucked in, feeling utter hopelessness seep in, there was no meaning to her life. No reason she should scream as a blade passed into her skin, ending the suffering. The door shut just in time to save Rep from walking threw them, walking right onto the blue girls out stretched claws.
Looking at the Professor, she said in a pale weak voice that somehow held conviction. "Make it end." She wasn't thinking anymore, wasn't thinking about what she said. In her minds eye she saw the black eyes, the endless eyes, those eyes had wanted to ease her suffering. "Make the pain end!" She screamed, the pain of living driving her to her knees.
She was back there; in the place she had buried the memories.
The cries of her friends around her as she hid.
Hid behind a small dumpster, watching the butchering of her family, watching the F.O.H. slaughter them all.
The Professor watched as one of his happiest, most love-life student, sobbed on the ground. Sobbed and asked for him to kill her. Reaching out a placating hand he touched her mind, feeling raw the old horrible feelings surface, memories she had forgotten, resurface. Every bad thing she had ever done, seen done, or had done to her was there; all in the forefront of her mind.
"What in the world?" Looking at the newly repaired door Charles wondered what kind of poor soul screamed in such agony behind it. Wincing as he heard a thump then the sound of flesh on metal, he wondered what kind of trauma had happened to the poor child, the one before him and behind the door.
Charles sent his mind into the Danger Room, trying to figure out what was going on. Not only did he find Alex, but several other mutants with her. "Oh no."
Sabertooth looked at Magneto and frowned. "Magneto, what are you doing here? Do you have Alex? Where's Alex? Is she alright?" Sabertooth very rarely spoke like a moron but a sinking feeling in his gut told him something was very, very wrong.
Magneto looked at him and he knew that she wasn't with him.
"What do you mean, where's Alex! She's with you! You took her shopping!" The Third in command behind Magneto shouted. Kevin didn't look happy at all.
"Told you there was something wrong. Told you! Now we must look for her to the south. In New York, yes New York." Turning the triplets started to head in the direction of New York, not being able to wait, they set out with a single-minded purpose.
Lacy, Dan, and Nick, had had a vision this morning, just before the shooting, that Alex was going to be taken away by a black shadow, then go to a lab where she would fight Logan. Having told their family the news they all ran to save Alex. Finding the truck empty they had begun the search for their missing family members.
"Is Alex gone?" The soft confusion from the youngest of their numbers was almost comforting. Keith was fourteen now, and he relied on Alex more then anyone else.
"Keith grab the triplets we need to regroup. New York is in the states. Which means we're going to need pass ports, food, fake names, phone numbers, housing, jobs, disguises, and time." David, now in command, lived up to the job. Dishing out orders like a pro.
Max wrapped his arm around Rain's waist, a silent show of companionship and comfort.
Rain was very reliant on Alex as well. He was scared; terrified that he would never see her again. Having firmly wrapped him self around Alex, he totally lost with out her. Rain looked at his mate, Max was shaking as well. He had never been to the states, and Max was an import from England.
It was Max's life dream that he would go to the United States, now wrapping his arm around the only man he would ever love, he was eager to leave.
Aunt Mystique looked at them then wrapped her arms around both boys' shoulders. "It's alright, it wont take long. Magneto and I will get the pass ports soon."
The shape shifter was closer to a mother then anyone else aside from Alex. Alex was the only mother most of them had, without her Mystique was every one's back up plan.
Kevin shifted and started to sniff around. Picking up the smell of blood he followed it. Everyone followed and sighed. Kevin was Alex's left hand man, second only David, he grew to love her quickly. Once Kevin decided that he was your friend he never let you go. Distancing himself from the others as he broke into a run, Kevin thought about when he first realized when Alex had gone from a feared leader to a trustworthy friend.
Sabertooth walked threw the door to their cabin. It had been six months since the escape and much to Sabertooth's horror all of the Dragons insisted on sleeping in the same room. When he refused to get a bed big enough to fit all of them they had slept on the floor.
He passed the bedroom and looked at the four beds put together. He stuck two of them side to side in two pairs. Putting the ends together it formed one huge bed. This was so that they could sleep in a comfy curled up pile together.
Kevin was awake but Sabertooth just nodded to him, Kevin didn't sleep until everyone else was. Under all of the covers on this particularly cold night limbs everywhere, snoring absent, which wasn't unusual for this group.
In the cell if you snored the guards would wake you and beat you. Needless to say, you don't snore, not if you every wanted to get to sleep.
Learning not to snore had been Keith's worse nightmare, being around two now he had mastered it. Keith was part of a breeding program, he had been born and raised in the facility and knew no other life. He hated open spaces and if it weren't for all of them surrounding him he wouldn't be able to function in the real world at all.
Kevin lay in the heap, staring at the ceiling, trying to fall asleep. He couldn't help but not trust the others. They accepted him only because they knew he was powerless against their leader. Only acknowledging the fact that their leader dominated him so he was 'safe'.
Kevin hated Alex with a passion, she degraded him, he wasn't safe here but he needed a pack. Kevin had long ago accepted that he would be stuck here; he didn't have to like it.
Suddenly Alex rolled over and snuggled into his shoulder, sighing the pained look on her face disappeared. Like he had chased away her nightmares. Kevin felt a curious melting his heart. Looking at the girl eight years his junior he suddenly felt less like a prisoner and more like the family. Looking back he realized that everyone had treated him as family since he had fought with Alex.
She snuggled deeper into his shoulder, almost burrowing into it, taking a deep breath she relaxed completely into a deeper sleep. David on her other side turned and snuggled into her.
Little Keith snuggled onto Kevin's right leg; it was numb because he had already been laying on it. Surrounded by his pack Kevin began to feel like he was part of something bigger, part of one whole. Part of a family. A peace stole into him and he fought sleep to keep it in him for as long as possible but he soon lost the fight. Drifting off to sleep with a smile on his face.
Since that night Kevin had protected the Dragons above all else, putting his life and limbs in danger for them. Having the favor returned on many occasions too.
But never for Alex, she took care of her self. Now he had the chance to help her, with more then just the dishes or something trivial like that.
Arriving at the scene he began to sniff out; the bloating body near by almost making him sick, and filling him with hunger. Pushing every thing else aside he found her.
A boy had been here, Alex's fear made him gag, hatred for that smell over took him. Finding the other various smells he cataloged them and marked them down on his death list.
He took a deep breath and howled when he remembered the smell that had been nagging him. David came out right after that.
Kevin looked at him, transforming back into human shape. "I'm going to find her, you stay here, get the others ready. I will find her. We will get her back." Looking David in the eye, knowing that he wanted to go just as badly. "You wouldn't be able to stand the isolation, and you're in charge now." Not waiting for a response from the man in charge he transformed and turned heading south, towards New York. Heading home, after he swore never to.
Heading home.
David watched Kevin disappear and knew instantly that he was right, that he couldn't stand the isolation. Feeling like he was sinking into blackness already, he turned to try and find someone, anyone to just stay near him. He was thrilled as Rain, Keith, and Max popped out of the trees.
Relief washed over him and Max laid a comforting hand on his shoulder. All of the Dragons needed constant contacted with their pack; a hand on the shoulder, just the presence of another family member was enough. Kevin, Toad, and Alex were the only ones who could go for any extended period of time without it.
"Toad shit . . . he's going to be so pissed." The strangled statement was from David.
Rain's eyes widened in surprise and a small amount of fear. "Not it!"
"Not it!" Max stated.
"Not it." Said all of the Dragons, Magneto, Mystique, and Sabertooth in sequence. Not wanting to tell the bed ridden member that his little sister was missing.
David just stood there in shock. Everyone looked at him smiling. "Uwnn." David groaned as he realized that he was the only one left.
Dipping his head as they all explored the bloody area. Max was the one who found the decapitated man.
Keith walked forward to see what the fuss was about. "Eww. Nasty, why would someone leave a body here? The evidence could easily be traced back to them. Stupid norms." Turning his head a glimmer from the moon made the jack on the back of his neck.
Keith, being born at the military base was the weirdest of them all. There was a computer jack on his head let him download information from a computer. The only thing was he had the hardest time of them all thinking for himself. Lacy, Nick, Dan, David, Max, and Rain almost couldn't think for themselves.
Most of them had been at The Place for leeway. Alex hadn't wanted to do what she was told. Refusing to run simulation, or missions, attacking personal, being rude, disruptive, and killing scientists; trying to figure out how to control her they had tried pain, starvation, torture, everything.
One day one of the guards had hit Toad for dropping a bucket on his toe. Alex went crazy, slicing them into little bits with her fingernails, growing them sharp first. It hadn't taken long for the scientists to exploit that advantage, gathering other children, older and younger, to torture if she disobeyed.
They would cover it up by telling them they had done something wrong, they hadn't followed directions, did something they weren't told to do, till finally the poor children had convinced them selves that it was their fault and they deserved it. Deserved the punishment dealt to them, till they were afraid to speak, act, sometimes even breath, sleep or eat without express permission.
Kevin just was thinking along the same path as the others. They all shared a link, were able to sense where the others were. Following the same direction of thoughts, Kevin thought about himself.
Kevin hadn't been There long enough. They had escaped before he grew totally dependent, totally brainwashed. He still was weird like the rest of them; he could go a few days with out constant companionship crippling him to the worse extreme. He also could think for himself better then the others; not as well as Alex because Alex didn't care about pain that changed the others to what they are; but enough so that he might be able to function for a day or so.
Kevin shook his wolf head, trotting down the path, in the woods. Traveling ten or fifteen miles in two or three hours is a peace of cake to all wolves, traveling for days straight would exhaust him a little but not enough to make him stop, a good thing cause he would be traveling on foot till he could steal a car.
Against all the adults protests Kevin taught all of his pack how to pick a lock and steal cars. Rain taught them how to pick pockets, Max to shop lift. Alex taught them all when all or any of them were necessary.
Now followed under that rule, Kevin wasn't allowed to keep the car, getting as far as he could on what ever amount of gas there was then dumping it, making sure that it was wiped of all finger prints. Then call the police and tell them that he had stolen a car at and that he was a mile marker to please tell the owner thank you. Then continue on his way.
He checked out the first dine in gas station, watching as a black sports car filled up with gas.
Snickering as the punk walked in paid for the gas then stuck around to flirt with a waitress, Kevin transformed. Creeping closer and closer Kevin looked down the road, shivering in the particularly crisp cold afternoon.
He had been traveling a few hours, getting far enough away but now it was snowing. The snow hadn't bothered him except for slowing him and freezing his paws. The constant slowing got to him and he needed to cover ground, and fast.
Now in the cold as a barely clad man he wasn't so lucky as too have all that fur. Getting close enough to try the handle Kevin almost blew his cover by laughing out load. The keys in the ignition, Kevin just turned the keys and drove off as fast as possible, a full tank what luck!
"I'm coming Alex, I'm coming." Kevin whispered as the motor roared and the punk came running out.
Alex shape shifted into the soldier; her muscles growing; fur covering her arms, skin, eyes, and hair turning a dark green and brown; the mixed colors for camouflage. It now stood a head taller then its dad, the size meant to intimidate, and making it harder for a man to get an accurate shot at it's head.
Wrinkling its nose at the walls around it Solider waited for Alex's memories to come. What do the mil's want now? Why did Alex bring it forward? What was so terrible that she needed it to retreat into?
The last thing that happened popped into Soldier's head. The horrified Soldier roared.
Soldier slowly, year by year, grew to love all of the Dragons. Sabertooth, Mystique, and Magneto were included in that grouping as well. Especially Sabertooth, he was its father, Soldier had warmed up to him faster then the others.
Now he was gone, gone, gone, gone. The missing tear glands burned in phantom pain. Alex had been specific when constructing Soldier's physical from.
Soldier couldn't speak, its throat made for grunts, howls, snarls, growls, and roars only. Its eyes are missing their tear glands. In the end the result was a killing machine that couldn't cry out, or cry at all.
Soldier was Alex's defense against the world, just another part of her; the hardest part of her. It looked at the claw marks on the walls, the marks Alex had created because forcing her shape like this is worse then any of the others.
Soldier calmly read threw the rest of Alex's memories.
Going to the small cowering part of its brain that the others were recuperating in, Soldier fought down envy. It envied them because they could grieve right now and it could only wait till they were better till it could start.
Soldier was asked to stay there. To learn all it could, to trust John completely, not kill Logan until all of them could be able to witness it, not blow its cover, leave those John trusted alone, spend most of its time around John or the Blue Man, and please not kill everyone else.
Alex gave the order to go knock on the door; then retreated to the far corner, crying her eyes out with the others.
Soldier carefully, knowing that if it wasn't careful it might hurt the door, it knocked on it.
John had listened for the last ten minutes as something tore up the inside of the danger room. Warren, Bobby, Logan, Rep, Hank, and the others had left. Leaving the professor and him alone.
Now listening to the loud knock on the door John let hope swell up, reaching for Alex's mind as his hand reached for the door John was met with a blank wall. Nothing at all. Suddenly John had a bad feeling but his hand had continued, the door opened and John fell back wards. "Jesus Christ! Who the hell are you!"
The thing wrinkled its nose and growled but pushed past him. It looked at the professor then at him, grunting it walked out.
Soldier looked at a man sitting in a wheel chair then at the one called John. Grunting it hunkered down to eye level with John. Its glittering eyes stared at him, it willed him to at least try and understand.
Its mitch-matched eyes flashed red for a split second, that was all it took and Soldier knew it.
John looked at Wheels; Soldier knew that Alex referred to him as The Man, but all of them had very different opinions about everything. Letting out a very Sabertooth like snarl Soldier turned to Wheels, moving very slowly forward like a curled up snake right before it strikes.
Soldier reached forward after stopping very close. Touching him on the shoulder Soldier shrugged, (tongue twister!) it had wanted to see if it could scare him and now knew that even though he was scared Wheels held his ground.
"Alex?" The question was from John.
Soldier turned and grunted, John looked like he was trying to understand but couldn't quite. Raising a mammoth hand, it made the sorta sigh.
"What do you mean?" Wheels asked.
Soldier was getting dizzy from the turning back and forth so ignored the question and started to explore, knowing that eyes were watching it all the time. This is going to be a lloonngg day.
Almost there, Alex. Don't you worry. Kevin chanted in his head, speeding down the deserted road. If he went slower then he might get farther on less gas, but it was one of the safety rules. Grab and speed, get as far away form the crime as possible and pray you weren't caught. He was glad that not many people were out or they might call the cops on a half naked man driving a car down the highway at break neck speeds.
Looking at the gauge on the dashboard Kevin cursed, the gas would be gone any minute.
Opps, wrong, now.
Kevin sighed as he started down the road in the blizzard, looking for a sign that told him how much farther to New York. Stopping he saw a huge expanse of frozen lake, Lake Michigan. Yee-fucking-haw, another hundred miles and he might be where he needed to be, might.
Changing shape to avoid frostbite, he started across the lake he hoped that any plane that flew over wouldn't find it strange to see a wolf crossing the lake in a blizzard at 9 am.
His claws clicking on the ice he went back into the mile-eating trot. He traveled and traveled, everything looking the same, nothing changing but the depth of the snow and the cold slowly sinking into his bones.
After hours of trotting, hours of the biting wind, he finally let himself rest. Curling up, his paws hiding in his chest fur, his nose in his tail. Kevin closed his eyes to sleep, his mind trying to remain calm, his body wanting to go forward. Forward toward his family, towards his pack.
Fifteen minutes later Kevin found himself back in a trot, unable to stop going forward.
New York here I come. Kevin thought bitterly, glad the ice between his toes had melted during his brief brake.
Soldier sniffed around, going through each room till all that was left was the elevator.
Wheels hadn't left its side the entire time, not speaking, letting it gaze wander over the Blackbird appreciatively. He apparently understood that it was tired of questions.
"Excuse me? We do need to get going, you've been here for forty-eight hours, or at least Alex has, and we need sleep because tomorrow we have school. So are you goin' up or shall we bring some blankets down for you?" Wheels spoke startling Soldier slightly.
Soldier looked at the elevator then stepped in. Unlike Alex, Soldier was incapable of being scared; it didn't have that part of the brain.
Wheels exchanged looks towards John but stepped up. Soldier tensed moving away, a part of it wanting to stay outta reach, and another didn't like to be touched.
Charles looked at the creature before him. The hair on its arms was light enough so that when it was hot it wouldn't over heat it but it would protect it in 10 and below weather. It moved in complete silence to the point that in more then one case they lost it. The obvious muscles wrapped around its arms showed it was strong; to help in hand to hand battles.
One eye green and the other brown to match its coloring was ideal for camouflage. Everything about it was meant for survival, everything unbending, and everything fight ready. Curious Charles reached forward, using his lightest mental touch, Charles explored.
Soldier looked at Wheels, and growled. Slamming its shield down, it reached out and broke the mental arm, roaring at him silently. All of the color in his face vanished and he sucked in his breath. Beads of sweat dotted his brow as if his own arm had been snapped in two.
Eyes blazing Soldier was grateful when the door opened and burst forward out the door.
It was met by a group of very military looking people. It let a roar out that shook the walls, at the person closest to the door.
Pushing past the group that seemed to swarm around it, it grabbed him and lifted Logan above the ground. It ignored the shouts around it and closed down. Its only thought being to kill this man, the single-minded purpose it was built with kicking in.
The blast caught it off guard but nothing could stop it once it locked the metal in its arm and hand. Logan's face turned blue as he stabbed it repeatedly, cutting at its arm till he realized it was pointless to fight. Using up the little oxygen that was in his body to feed his arm muscles.
Soldier watched as he passed out and smiled, increasing the pressure.
Cliffy, need more? Well give me time and more reviews. BYE!