Hey everybody, Lindsey here saying, MUAH! Geez, was that a major writer's block. Sorry about the delay the writer's block was an issue but so was time. I was at my friend's house for awhile because my mom was getting a mastectomy (sp) and she was at the hospital for awhile. And also, I've been busy because my budy is having relationship trouble (save me from THAT drama), my grandmother was in town, and now, my seemingly long-lost brother is in town.
Aalene could feel her knees getting a little wobbly. "I-I'm sorry." She looked back at Magneto. She knew his powers were weak but fear for a person does not fade in different circumstances.
With a shake of his head, Magneto walked over and slipped his arm around Aalene's shoulders. "Don't worry about it, my dear. I never expected you to actually do it." He looked from Aalene to Pyro with a small smile. "I would never truly ask you to kill another mutant, unless they stood in our way."
She should have been feeling relief. But she didn't. Sure, she was glad that she wouldn't have to kill her only ally, yet she was still afraid. Maybe she would not have to kill Pyro. But what horrendous things would Magneto have her do?
I caught Pyro's gaze of sympathy and he quickly turned back to Magneto. "Alright, we all know why Aalene is here." He gripped his left wrist with his right hand, in front of him. "Shouldn't we get this show on the road?"
Magneto smiled wisely at Aalene. "He's always like this. Always in such a hurry. With young people today, it's all about instant gratification." He looked at his watch and sighed. "But he's probably right. If we want to be on schedule, we should begin shortly."
Swallowing hard to moisten her dry throat, Aalene nodded. Since the moment she had entered the base, words had eluded her. But she found them to be useless here, anyway. She felt like all of this was just a twisted game of follow the leader. But make sure you trust the leader. The thought entered her mind before she could suppress it.
With a low, deep laugh, Magneto led Aalene down a long hall. "Now, this might seem a little scary to you but don't panic, my dear girl." He gave her some kind of version of a fatherly smile.
Uncomfortable and nervousness now enhanced, Aalene tried to return the smile but it came out wobbly and uncertain. "Alright." She tried to keep calm as he led her down a hallway and turned to a door on their left.
Magneto had been right. Just a quick glance at the room made Aalene want to scream and dart back down the hallway. It had a sinister look to it. There was a chair, completely metal, in the middle of the room. And a table to the right with a single metal box on it. No immediate danger was displayed but Aalene sensed menace in the air. She cleared her throat nervously and stepped inside.
Immediately taking control of the operation, Magneto walked to the chair and sat down, giving him what seemed an even more threatening air. "So, Pyro thinks that you may be able to transfer stolen energy into my body to strengthen my powers. I'd like to test his theory."
Aalene shifted nervously from foot to foot as she gazed up at the powerful mutant before her. "I guess we could try. But, in order to return you to your former glory, it would take a lot of energy and around fifteen minutes." As she warned him about the resources she required, Aalene began to process. She could feel her energy growing as she stole it from all around her. All of the technology that surrounded her was full of it, so magnificent and beautiful. She could feel it filling her body, giving her a power few could even dream of.
It was almost sad to let it go. Like Aalene was losing part of herself. Reluctantly, she placed her hands on Magneto's forehead and let the energy rush from her body, into his. Tears spilled from her eyes during the process. She never imagined it would hurt this much.
Pyro watched the procedure and felt something inside of him ache. He could see the tears falling from Aalene's eyes and he wished they'd stop falling. He felt something when he saw them. And it meant he was weak and vulnerable. Or, so he felt.
Trying desperately to control the pain and the flow of energy, Aalene continued to procedure. She could feel her own power dwindling and she realized she was using her own energy. Her own life. The realization scared her and she let go, quickly.
Stumbling backwards, Aalene knew she had pushed her limits. She could feel her limbs becoming too heavy for her to hold up. Black splotches were eating away at her vision and she swallowed down a cry of distress. She knew she was losing consciousness and the knowledge both intrigued and scared her.
Pyro, noticing Aalene's situation, dove for Aalene, trying to catch her before she hit the hard floor. He succeeded and held her, her hair brushing the floor as he tried to hold her head up. He looked at her, worried, for a moment. Then, he remembered Magneto and looked up, expectant.
Magneto was staring down at his hands. "That was an incredible experience." He finally said. Climbing to his feet, he smiled at Pyro. "Let me test her abilities." He whirled around and held his hands out to the chair. Almost immediately, the chair crumpled, like a simple ball of paper. His smile widened. "Amazing."
Nodding, Pyro looked down at Aalene. "I told you she could do it, didn't I? She's incredible. She's…beautiful." He lifted her a little bit more, watching her as she slept, recuperating from the strain.
"Indeed." Magneto concurred, a hint of a smile on his face, coming to a silent conclusion. "Her powers are incredible." His eyes lingered on her face, trying to memorize every feature. "I have something for her." He turned and went to the table, opening the lid of the metal box. Gingerly, he lifted two silver bracelets out of it and brought them over to the unconscious girl. Carefully, he lifted her wrists and snapped the bracelets on.
Pyro glanced up at Magneto, questions in his eyes. "What are those for?"
Magneto shook his head. "Nothing, really. A token of appreciation. A sign of her power." He gave a small laugh. "This one is powerful alright, but surely not tame." He reached down and traced a scar near her right eye. "Maybe you can make our guest feel a little more comfortable." Sighing, "She seems rather tired."
Nodding, Pyro stood up and carried Aalene out of the room. He took a few turns and came into a room that Magneto had reserved for the new guest. It was nothing extravagant. Just a place where she could rest. He walked over and placed Aalene on the bed. She sighed a little in her sleep, and it seemed cute, almost. Noticing for the first time the scar Magneto had called attention to, Pyro reached out and pressed his finger against it, as if trying to erase the pain for her.
Stirring, Aalene opened her eyes slightly and looked up at Pyro. "God, did you get the license plate number?"
He gave her a quizzical look.
"Of that freakin' bus that just hit me." She managed a weak laugh and a sarcastic smile.
Laughing, Pyro observed silently, how much he liked Aalene's smile. "Yeah, that little stunt really seemed to take it out of you." He shrugged. "But I'm sure it's nothing a good rest wouldn't help."
Aalene sat up. "Yeah, you're probably, right." She brushed her hair back. "Can I ask you a question?" The look in her eyes let Pyro know that the question wasn't something simple.
"Yeah?"
Her eyebrows knitted together. "What's your name?"
The question confused Pyro. He looked at her, at a complete loss. "I-I don't get it."
Sighing, she inched closer to the edge of the bed and motioned Pyro to sit down next to her. As he complied, she continued. "It's just…you told me to call you John. But Magneto calls you Pyro. Which one is your real name?"
Pyro hesitated. "I guess it depends on who you ask-,"
"No, it doesn't John." She brushed a lock of blue hair over her shoulder. "Which one do you feel?" She pointed to his heart. "Which one does this answer to?"
That shocked Pyro into silence. A rare occurrence. "I don't know." Earlier, Pyro would've said his mutant name. But something about the way the girl had said 'John' confused his answer. Two completely sides of him were at war.
At Pyro's silence, Aalene smiled. "I once heard about this survey they did. They asked all of these little kids what they thought love meant. One answer stood out among all the others. The little kid was about four and he said that love is when someone says your name, you know it's safe in their mouth."
Catching what she meant, Pyro inched his hand a little closer to hers. "John."
My biggest fear about that chapter was I made it too mushy. I know it's short and, frankly, not my best work. I apologize but after the long heitous, I just wanted to get something out there for you guys.