Take the Long Way Home
Whoa dude! Chapter 10! I can't believe how far I've gotten! *Draco and Shawn walk by. Shawn is still counting his money from the game two chapters back.* "I can't believe you managed to get those reviewers to settle down without bloodshed," Draco remarks to me. No thanks to you, ya overgrown gecko. I'm just lucky that they started arguing over who was going to "convince" me that they should be my favorite reviewer first, while I snuck off. I wanted to get out of there before things got physical. "So how'd you get the arm sling?" Mumble mumble. "Say what?" I TRIPPED AND FELL ON MY ARM OKAY?!!!! Both of them blink. "Testy aren't we?" Shawn asks mildly. FIC! START! NOW! Thanatos chooses this moment to gallop by, using his staff as a hobby-horse, screaming "HIGH-HO SIILLVERRR; AWAY!!" WHO GAVE HIM SUGAR!!!!!!! "Calm down, remember your blood pressure," Shawn says. AAAARRRRGHHHH!!!!!!! *Sounds of me tearing out hair*
Animeluvr1- Hmmmmm, a blow shit up day? Eenteresting. Personally, I think Logan has a teeny-tiny, itsy-bitsy, eensy-weensy good side. Somewhere. That's the side that's nice to Kitty and Rouge. When he can find it. As to the explanation bout Bahumut and Shawn, keep reading; all will be explained in time. In three or four more chapters to be precise. And I'm still not sure who's gonna make the first move. Guess we'll all find out together, huh? One question though. By THE Hoard, do you mean the Orcs from the Warcraft PC game series? 'Cause that's the only Hoard I've ever really heard of. Okay, I lied, one last thing. What the heck does 'deck' mean?
D-Ark- Thank you; I consider you to be an extremely accomplished writer, so this was high praise indeed. There's a little more plot development this chapter, or at least hints of it. BlacknightGarurumon huh? Cool. But I got ya beat. I came up with an entire evolutionary line for Metalkoromon. Metalagumon (looks like the name, except it wears a backwards baseball cap and a basketball jersey with a lightning bolt on it [attacks are Lightning Pitch and Lightning Spike, which is why he's got the sports motif] Ultima digivolves (My version of crest digivolution without the crest) to Lasermon (looks like an armored Monocromon with a large gatling gun turret mounted on his back) Mega digivolves to Metaldramon (looks like a metal European dragon.) All of them are vaccine types and muy powerful. Yes I know, I have too much time on my hands.
Disclaimer: surprise me
Chapter 10- Duncan has no honor? Big surprise
"AAA"-talking
'AAA'-thought
AAA-telepathy
AAA-self debate or conversation with "feral side" in Shawn and Rahne's case.
"Okay, let me get this straight. I said 'easy peesy lemon squeezey', and 'which way did he go'? No wonder she slapped me. You take a left here Scott." Shawn was in the front seat of Scott's convertible, talking to Kurt and Bobby, who were in back, while giving directions to the place he had suggested for lunch, Uncle Eddie's Cafe. "But seriously, why did she call me an idiot? I didn't do anything wrong." He puzzled over it for a moment. "At least I think I didn't."
"Ah no vone really understands ze female half of ze species," Kurt waved a hand dismissively.
"Yeah," Bobby piped up, "The day a guy understands a woman is the day Wolverine starts dancing around with Sabretooth in tutus."
"A-men brother!" Shawn sighed.
Actually, I think she may have been a little ticked about that bit of ogling you did in the briefing room," Scott snickered. Shawn flushed redder than his pupils, but he managed to pull a comeback out. Kinda.
"You notice-eh… I mean; what ogling?" Shawn asked innocently, while Kurt and Bobby laughed it up. Real smooth, kid Bahumut of course, putting his two cents in.
"Aw, c'mon man, we all saw how you had to swallow at least twice to keep from drooling all over the place," Bobby smirked. "Not that I blame you, she's defiantly ten-alarm hottie; with three, no strike that, four exclamation marks on hottie," he added, almost as an afterthought. Kurt nodded in agreement. Shawn turned around in the seat and gave them a Look. Not just a 'look', but a 'Look' as in a, 'just think about trying anything with her and I'll take you out; and they will never, ever, find the body,' look before turning back around.
Kurt shivered, even though you couldn't tell because of the hologram. "I thought Herr Logan was ze only vone who could give a look like zat," he whispered to Bobby. The Iceman nodded.
"It reminds me of the way Logan looked after I put the purple dye in his shampoo," he replied. He shuddered, remembering how long it had taken for the instructor to calm down. He had been on best behavior for the entire week, and he still thought that Logan flexed his hands a little when ever he saw Bobby coming out of or going into a bathroom, as if wanting to wrap them around the boy's throat.
"That's it right there Scott." Shawn intruded on Bobby's thoughts, pointing out a mid sized café style restaurant, with some large tables set up near the sidewalk. There was a couple just leaving as they pulled up, a busty blonde woman in a corset type top and a large, rough-cut man with long, unkempt, dirty-blonde hair. They were walking away, so none of the boys saw the man's face, but Shawn caught a glimpse of the woman's as she turned and said something to the man. Her face had an expression on it that held both aloofness and no small amount of disgust. Almost like a queen who's being forced to talk to a pig herder Bahumut mused. You say something? Sawn asked Nah, just thinking aloud, so to speak Whatever Shawn shrugged it off.
The four of them were seated and served their drinks by a pretty young waitress, who gave Kurt a little more attention than he really wanted. "Something wrong hon?" the waitress, whose name tag read 'Kelly' asked when he started to squirm around in his seat.
"You'll have to excuse my friend," Shawn chuckled, "I've heard that he's kinda got a girlfriend, and from what I gather, he's not the type to keep a harem." Shawn had made it his business to snoop around and try to dig up the dirt on any and all relationships at the Institute. It was kind of a hobby for him, this meddling in relationships.
Scott and Bobby snorted, while Kurt looked like he couldn't decide whether to kill Shawn right then and there, or die of shame himself.
Kelly covered her mouth with one hand as she blushed. "Oops, I didn't know I was trespassing," she giggled as she took their orders. Shawn and Kurt both had burgers, Scott had a sub and Kurt opted for the Ham and Swiss. As she left, the busboy passed her, on his way to the recently vacated table. A very familiar busboy; with shaggy, shoulder-length brown hair. Scott sprayed his drink across the table, narrowly missing soaking the Shawn and Bobby, when he caught sight of him.
"ALVERS?!?" he choked, "What the hell are you doing here?!?!" Lance whirled as he heard the voice of his most hated rival. He scowled when he found the source of the voice.
"Summers," he growled. He started towards the table, but stopped short when he caught sight of the rest of the group. One face in particular stopped him. Said face was slurping on a Mt. Dew when he noticed Lance.
"Oh, hey Lance; wazzup?" Shawn gave him a small wave before returning his attention to his drink. He looked up after a second. "What?!" Scott's mouth was hanging open, while Kurt was wiggling a finger in his ear, thinking something was really wrong with his hearing. Bobby was looking like he expected someone to tell him he was on Candid Camera.
Scott was the first one to regain coherent speech. "You KNOW him?!?!" he nearly shouted. "Do you realize exactly who and what he is?" he asked in a dangerous tone, getting up into Shawn's face from across the table.
Shawn took another slurp of pop before looking Scott straight in the eye. "Lance Alvers, codename: Avalanche. Known Brotherhood member, sometimes stands in as impromptu leader. Has authority issues, but always ready to do what he believes must be done in any given situation. Has a longstanding thing for one Kitty Pryde. Also has an ongoing rivalry with one Scott Summers." He gave Scott a piercing look before continuing. "Friends include Todd Tolenski, Fred Dukes and Shawn O'Reily." He took another casual sip of pop while Bobby, Kurt and Scott all stared at him. "I believe that just about covers it." He paused. "And if you don't get out of my face in ten seconds, they'll be picking up what's left of you in a Dust-buster, savvy?" (Gotta love 'Pirates of the Caribbean'; Captain Sparrow da bomb!) Scott gulped and backed off a little, he hadn't forgotten what one of those fireballs of Shawn's could do.
Lance snickered a little as he watched the face off. Scott had backed down fairly quickly at the implied threat. The look on his face had been priceless! "Apparently, Shawn's private space is sacred to him; violate it and you get burned, literally,' he thought. His train of thought stopped when Shawn turned and spoke to him.
"What are you doing here anyways man?"
Lance fingered the material of his uniform meaningfully as he spoke. "I'm writing a new country hit single. What do ya think I'm doing here?"
"Um, working?" Bobby guessed. Scott and Kurt both palmed their faces while Lance shot Shawn a look of sympathy. "What?"
"I didn't know you had a job Lance," Kurt said.
"There are a lot of things you don't know about me Elf," Lance retorted. "But how else do you expect us to pay for the heating and water at the boardinghouse? Threaten the water and gas companies? Ask Magneto or Mystique for cash? The only reason they haven't evicted us is cause I've been able to make payments. Barely. Now if you'll excuse me, I gotta get back to work." With that, he turned back to the table he had been clearing off, tossing a "see ya later", over his shoulder to Shawn.
The others settled back into their seats while they waited for their food. Bobby broke the uneasy silence that had settled. "So… how did you meet Lance?" he asked Shawn.
"Kinda had a run in with Pietro; left the guy seeing double," he chuckled at his joke, while the others looked confused. Luckily, further explanation was cut off by a girl yelling, "Hey, Kurt!" Even through the holograph, you could see Kurt's face light up.
"Amanda!" he cried, as a tan skinned girl with black hair hugged him from behind and gently kissed him on the cheek.
"Care to introduce us after you get through? I'm pretty sure that we've already established that she's your girlfriend." Shawn commented dryly. Bobby chuckled while Scott shot a frown in Shawn's direction, which was pointedly ignored. Both Amanda and Kurt blushed, although you couldn't see Kurt's blush.
"Amanda, this is Shawn, a new student at the Institute. Shawn, this is Amanda, mein girlfriend." Kurt made the introductions. Shawn offered his hand, which Amanda shook without hesitation.
"So… if you're a student there, you must be a mutant too, right?" she asked.
He replied in a deadpan voice with an absolutely straight face. "Actually I'm the host body for an alien invader, who plans to use his man-eating pumpkins of doom to subjugate the entire planet." He smiled at her, then said, "Yeah I'm a mutant, but no one's exactly sure what all I can do. But I do know I can do this." He held up his hand and concentrated on it for a moment. Small gray scales began to cover the skin, as his fingernails grew longer and sharper. After a moment, he held up his hand for her to see. The knuckles had become larger, his fingers were longer and now ended in sharp claws, and the entire hand was covered in fine, grey, diamond shaped scales.
"So you're a shape shifter?"
"Not exactly. I think I'm just limited to anything between my human and my fully transformed form, whatever that may be. Like Rahne," as he spoke, he reabsorbed the scales and claws as his hand shifted back to normal. "Plus I can spit fire balls when I transform."
"But you'll never manage to be as cute as Kurt is, no matter what you transform into," Amanda cooed, nuzzling her boyfriend's cheek. Bobby and Shawn shared one of those looks of complete understanding that friends are capable of. This one said, 'I think I'm gonna be sick'!
Shawn quickly excused himself from the table, saying that he had to take care of something. Man, Kurt wasn't kidding when he said chicks dig the fuzzy dude Bahumut groaned. I know, I swear it looked like she was going to jump him! Shawn replied. Too bad Maria doesn't have the same idea Bahumut remarked slyly Yeah, it's- WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT?!?! The only reply that Shawn got was Bahumut's laughter. Shawn just sighed as he headed to the bathroom. He had come to expect this sort of behavior from his mental friend, ever since he was three and Bahumut had first started to speak with him.
Back outside, Amanda had dragged over a chair from an adjacent table, and was now leaning against Kurt while she talked with him, occasionally directing a comment or question to the other two. Unfortunately, this peaceful moment was shattered when a venomous voice drawled, "Well. Well, what do we have here? Some mutie freaks and a little mutie lover."
Scott turned his head and shot a glare at Duncan that had almost as much force behind it as one of his optic blasts. Amanda however, shot up and got right up into the jocks face, ignoring the ten goons behind him. "Listen you bigoted little basterd! What makes you think that you're so much better than them? I'm going out with Kurt because he's sweet and he's kind and everything that you could never be!" As she spoke, she jabbed him in the chest with her finger.
The entire time she was yelling and jabbing at him, Duncan was getting madder and madder. At the end of her tirade, he raised his hand, intent on striking her clear across the face to teach her to keep her mutie loving mouth shut. Kurt, Bobby and Scott all tensed. If he hit Amanda, it would be war! Amanda realized that she might have pushed the jock too far, and her eyes widened as his hand began to descend. But a cold voice stopped him mid-swing. "Hit her Blondie, and I'll show you exactly what it feels like to swallow each and every one of your teeth."
Duncan and more than half of his cronies paled and turned around, fear plain on their faces. They came face to face with an irate looking Shawn. "Hullo boyas," he said giving them a particularly toothy grin. There were two twin thuds as two of the guys who had faced him in the alley, while sober, decided that fainting was better than running away screaming like little babies.
"YOU!" Duncan snarled. He had been slightly drunk during the fight, and had managed to convince himself, after several days, that he being slightly tipsy was the reason the younger boy had won.
"Me," Shawn smirked. Then his smirk turned to a frown with frightening speed. "Only a dishonorable coward would strike a woman without just cause. How about you fight someone who'll provide more of a challenge?" Then he smirked again. "Unless of course; you're a craven little coward." Duncan stopped backing away
'I don't know what craven means, but nobody calls me a coward!' "Fine ya mutie loving freak! Right here, right now!" Shawn nodded.
"Very well then, just give me a moment." He reached into his jacket pocket, and retrieved his CD player and headphones. Earlier, when they were just leaving, Scott had suggested that he leave it behind. Shawn had looked at him like he had just suggested for him to leave his lungs behind. Scott had discreetly dropped the subject after that.
Shawn hooked the player to his jeans and settled the headphones around his neck. He plugged the headphones into the CD player and cranked the volume up to the max. The player already had a cd in it, so all he did was press skip until it landed on number nine. Then he settled into a fighting crouch, one hand hovering near the play button. Duncan, his cronies and Amanda watched all this with something between awe at Shawn's cool attitude and disbelief at his actions. Amanda returned to Kurt's side and asked in a hushed voice, "Shouldn't one of you try and help him out?"
Bobby nodded an affirmative, then called, "Hey Shawn! You want us to call the ambulance for this guy once you get done with him; so you don't have too?"
Shawn shook his head. "Let his cronies take care of him," he declared.
During this time, Shawn was having a rapid fire planning session with Bahumut. So should I really hurt him, or what? I'd say a lesson in humiliation is in order Don't you mean humility? Did I say humility No There ya go
"This isn't gonna be a repeat of last time!" Duncan snarled. With that, he charged Shawn, fists up and ready to do some damage.
Shawn just grinned and punched play on his CD player. "The Rockafeller Skank" began blasting from the headphones around his neck as he sprang into action.
Duncan's initial charge faltered for a moment before he resumed it. He tried to throw a right hook, but Shawn simply ducked under it. "Your stance is too wide," he commented in a conversational tone.
"Shut up!" growled the jock, attempting another swing.
"Just trying to make conversation Blondie. By the way, you're telegraphing that right jab. I can see it coming from a mile away." Shawn dodged to the left, then threw a soft left jab, so light, he didn't even feel it rated being called a punch. It connected easily, rocking his opponent back on his heels.
This guy's even more pathetic the second time ya fight him! Bahumut snickered. I know, I know… but it's not his fault his punch can't break wind I think that it's time to show him some of your fancier moves It's your strategy
Shawn dodged another swing, then went on the offensive. He lightly jabbed Duncan in his belly, which had been pathetically guarded, causing the older boy to bend down, clutching at the afflicted area. Shawn leaped forward, looking as if he was trying to tackle the jock by the head. In stead, he used his opponents head as a springboard, launching himself to the opposite side of their 'battlefield'. As he passed over Duncan, he formed a single claw, and slashed through the belt his opponent was wearing.
As soon as the other he recovered Duncan spun around, murder flashing in his eyes, to find his opponent, arms crossed, tapping his foot impatiently. "I'm waaaiiiting," Shawn drawled in a bored voice. Duncan balled his fists and charged, a howl of rage escaping his lips. That's when the last strand that had been holding his belt up snapped.
When Duncan had gotten dressed that day, he had chosen extremely baggy jeans. So baggy in fact, that a belt had been the only way to hold them up. The operative word in that sentence is had.
When his belt broke, his jeans dropped and gave the spectators a view that wasn't really appreciated. Scott and Bobby both snickered, while Kurt and Amanda covered each other's eyes. Even Duncan's goons started hooting. Duncan had on a pair of red satin boxers with lace edging and the words "Come and get it" plastered across the front. He tried to pull up his pants, facial expression set somewhere between "Kill all witness-es" and "Die of shame on the spot".
Shawn was standing back, enjoying his work, when a sudden flash of pain caused him to cringe. It had felt like something cracking inside his skull. "Ughhh," he winced, clutching at his head. Kill the threat a voice hissed in his head. And it wasn't Bahumut. 'No, not now!' Shawn thought frantically, shaking his head to clear it. He was so wrapped up in this, he didn't see Duncan's fist coming towards him. He did however, see whole galaxies explode underneath his eyelids when said fist connected with his face.
Duncan stood over the fallen boy, gloating as much as can be possible while holding your pants up with one hand. He turned away, a disdainful sneer on his face. "That's what I'm gonna dish out to any other mutie loving freaks." Scott and Bobby moved to check on Shawn as Duncan swaggered away.
A chilling growl, however, stopped everyone in their tracks.
Shawn rose up, a murderous gleam in his reptilian eye. A faint gleam of scales was visible on his face, and his eyebrows were nearly gone, replaced by a ridge of scales. Fangs were visible at the corners of his mouth. But there were some new features as well. Kurt called over to Scott, "Scott; look at his back!"
Along their friend's neck, small bone-colored protrusions were growing out of his spine. There were two small oval shaped bumps, each about half an inch in length, with a two inch high, thorn shaped spike in-between them. From the way his shirt was tented along his back, the growths ran the length of his spine. "He's never done that before," Bobby scratched his head.
"I think he's tapping into more of his mutation!" Scott announced. Kurt shot him a look that said 'Ya think?'
Shawn walked up to Duncan, who appeared to be slightly unnerved by this new development. The trail of urine making its way down his pants leg confirmed this. "Y-y-y-you're a mutant!" he gasped. Shawn got up in his face and grinned, showing off several perfectly formed fangs.
"Y-y-y-you're right!" he mocked, before delivering a beautiful spinning drop kick to the other boy's head. Once again, Duncan lay crumpled at Shawn's feet. Shawn loomed over the fallen jock, an evil gleam in his eye. Finish him off! a voice hissed in his mind, carrying the same feral tone as Bahumut, except on a much greater level. Unlike Bahumut however, this voice carried absolutely no trace of any human qualities such as kindness or understanding.
NO! Shawn shouted into his mind, Bahumut! Help me contain him! This should just take a second kid; but it may sting a little Bahumut replied A moment later, another wave of pain swept over Shawn.
---Back at the Institute---
Jean was reading a book in her room, when her abilities picked up on something. It was a psychic shockwave, so faint as to be almost unnoticeable. She immediately put her book down and placed her hands on either side of her head. Professor? she sent telepathically.
Yes Jean, I felt it too.
What was that? I've never felt anything like it
I believe it was some sort of containment wave, but it was gone before I could find the source The Professor answered.
---Back at the Café---
Shawn shook his head as he turned and walked away from Duncan's still form. 'I can't believe he was able to break free, even for a second!' he thought.
Scott, Bobby, Kurt and Amanda all gathered round him. "You okay?" Bobby asked. Shawn shook his head.
"Guys I got a headache, I'm gonna head back to the Institute." He pulled out his wallet and pulled a bill at random from it. "Use this to pay for the meal and you guys can split whatever's left over amongst yourselves." He handed the bill to Bobby, turned, sprouted his wings and tail, and flew off. Bobby took a closer look at the bill he had been handed.
"Holy SHIT! He handed me a Benjamin!"
---To be continued---
What is the meaning behind Shawn's strange headache? Who or what is this third persona in his head. Find out later. Next chapter, Shawn's uncle comes for a visit, bringing news, both good and bad, his guitar, and Mozart. Who's Mozart you ask? Find out next time, but in the meantime, Read & Review!