Chapter 5- Underground
Disclaimer- I don't own the X-Men or the Underground. I do own Alex, Delia, and West.
No sooner had Delia finished muttering the words than the eight of them had been transported to the Underground. They ended up sprawled in the orange sand except for Logan, who managed to land on his feet, and Alex, who somehow got entangled in a tree on her way down.
"This day just can't get any better," she muttered. The glittery, black branch shook under her weight and she wondered briefly if it would break. She could hear the conversation between the X-Men and fervently prayed that Delia would keep her silence for once.
"Toto, I don't think we're in Kansas anymore," Rachel joked. She looked around the landscape in more than a little wonder. The trees, like the one Alex was trying to remove herself from, had an ebony-colored bark that stood in stark contrast to the burnt sienna hue of the sand that seemed to stretch forever. There were tufts of tall grass and weeds scattered about the hills. As for the glitter, well, it was everywhere. It clung to trees, sand, and weeds alike. It almost resembled a water globe where the glitter had gotten tired of floating around and decided to permanently stick to whatever it had landed on. The whole effect was surreal and more than a little magical.
"Well, where in the world are we. This sure doesn't look like Oz to me." Kurt's normally enthusiastic attitude had been abruptly replaced with a scowl and a grumble. Nobody else knew it, but he had been planning on taking Rachel out to dinner that night. He had a sinking feeling that they wouldn't be back in New York for them to keep their reservations. Everybody gave him such curious and alarmed looks that he instantly felt sheepish for his snappish remark.
"We're in the Underground, aren't we?" The question came from West, Delia's older brother. Nearly everyone had forgotten that he'd shown up. He raised his eyes to where Alex was climbing down. His tone wasn't accusatory, only despairing. The X-Men instantly glanced between the two as if that would explain the situation to them instantly.
"Yeah, we are. It's not my fault, though. Believe me, I'm the last person that wants to see this place right now. I was on vacation." She was smiling, though. "Just watch out for the goblins. They think that fighting is some sort of national pastime. That, and drinking."
Logan grinned to himself. "Sounds like me." He'd learned enough about the Underground from Alex on past occasions to know that he would fit in with the goblins without any real effort, except of course, for being human.
Before anybody could ask how they'd gotten there, Delia spoke up. "I brought us here. It was an accident, though. I didn't mean to say the magic words. They just kind of slipped out. I didn't mean for the goblins to come and take us away." She scuffed her tennis shoe in the sand and avoided everyone's glances.
"You mean to say that you wished us away?" Piotr's voice was full of awe. Then, as if it were an ordinary thing, and maybe it was for the X-Men, he made up his mind. "So, what do we do now?"
"Isn't the Goblin King supposed to come and threaten us before we have to find our way through the Labyrinth?" Kitty's voice showed little concern for their situation. At least, aliens weren't trying to turn them into breeding mothers or copy their looks to take over the Earth.
Delia and Alex exchanged startled glances. How Kitty Pryde, a human that had never entered the Underground before, had known the protocol for such an event was a mystery. "Yes, that's exactly what's supposed to happen," Alex stated slowly. Then, as a sudden thought occurred to her, she whipped her head around from her perch in the tree. A look of pure horror and shock spread across her features a split second before the tree branch snapped. She landed hard on the sand with more than a few choice words to say about it.
She dusted herself off and stood up, purposely declining any help. "Well, I guess it's time for me to find some different clothes. Jareth probably wouldn't like me wandering into the throne room looking like I've been in a fight with a bobcat, especially if there are other fae there." She grinned at Delia. "It looks like you'll get a chance to see Spell after all."
"I'm sorry, but you totally lost me. Who is Jareth, how do you know him, and why does your outfit matter at all?" Rachel was exasperated. She was suddenly seeing that they wouldn't be home in a matter of minutes and it upset her. After all, she had been secretly planning to take Kurt out to the movies since they both had the night off.
Alex eyed the redhead critically. She had a severe problem with being yelled at, but decided to excuse it. After all, nobody had planned on being stuck in a place they had never heard of with a girl they had just met as their only hope to get out. "Jareth is the Goblin King and my guardian. My outfit only matters because he's not here. That means he's probably busy talking to other fae. If I barge into his throne room looking like this, I'll have to be lectured for months on etiquette and appearance and several other things that I can't stand to hear about. It's one of those stupid fae rules that have almost no meaning except to give others something to gossip about. And I just happen to like keeping as much of a low profile as I can."
"Does that mean you're a fae too?" Kitty's voice was naturally confused. She'd read stories about mythical creatures, but, with the exception of Thor and some of the residents of Otherworld, had never thought to meet any of them.
"Oh, it's much worse than that," Alex smirked. "I'm half-fae, the only one in the Underground, to be exact. That means, depending on their mood, I can either be shunned from proper society or revered as some unusual curiosity. Also, in case you were wondering, I was planning on taking you straight through the Labyrinth as soon as I got changed. I just happen to know all the shortcuts."
"As long as they don't involve going anywhere near the Bog of Eternal Stench," Delia piped up. Instantly, she earned such inquiring looks that she wished she would have stayed quiet.
"How is it that you know all about this place," Delia? You've never once mentioned it at school." Kurt was back to his relaxed self, but couldn't help be suspicious of the way the two girls pretended to be friends when Delia's own brother had thought that Alex was dead.
"Don't push the girl, Elf. She's been openmouthed enough today. It doesn't matter if she's been here before or not. All that matters is getting us out of here in time for you to go on your date." Logan laughed at Nightcrawler's surprised expression. "The restaurant called earlier to confirm your reservations. Besides, I didn't know it was supposed to be a secret."
Alex shot a look of thanks to him for getting the others momentarily distracted. The last thing anybody wanted was to hear how this all started. "Well, are we ready to get going? I'm not waiting around all day, you know." Without waiting for an answer, she trotted off in the direction of the cabin she shared with Spell.
West was the first one to catch up with her. His sharp blue-grey eyes took in her determined face with a glance. "I thought you were dead."
"I got better," she said evenly, "or worse, depending on how you want to look at it. It happens all the time. Look at the X-Men. Some of them have died or gone missing several times. I suppose they can spare a few members every now and then for death. Why shouldn't it happen to me once or twice?"
"Gee, that wasn't a vague reference to Spell, was it?" She glared at him a moment before looking away. "Something's wrong here, isn't it? You're in too much of a hurry just to get on clean clothes that will probably end up torn in a few moments anyway. Something bad is happening and it's actually got you nervous."
She glanced over her shoulder to see how close the X-Men were. "Look, I know you're mad at me, but you need to forget about what happened between us for now." She saw him about to protest and shook her head. She'd known what he was thinking even before he did. "There's no time to argue with me. None of you asked to be here and none of you need to be stuck here. I lied about Jareth. Being in charge of the Labyrinth is his main responsibility. It's his job to give the humans the thirteen hour time limit and set the rules. If he didn't show up, there's a reason why. I just don't want anybody else to get worried about it."
He put his hand on her elbow, firmly, but not forcefully. "You're not going to do anything stupid, are you?" She paused in her stride and gave him an oblique look. "I just don't want to get stuck here. I've seen what some of these fae can do."
She pulled her arm away from him. "Don't worry. Spell knows how to get you humans to the castle in secret. She'll be able to teleport you home from there." She strode away, hoping the next half-mile would go quicker than the last one had.
The X-Men watched the interaction with curiosity. Once again, they were the ones out of the loop. There was an exaggerated sigh behind them. "Those two will never learn," Delia stated mockingly. She rushed to explain before anybody could ask her. "They used to date." Oddly, that fact didn't seem to shock anybody.
"Your brother was under the impression that she was dead," Nightcrawler said sagely.
"She was," the girl replied. "She got better."
"That seems to be an occupational habit," Rachel said with a small grin. She was, no doubt, thinking of the many times Jean had died and then miraculously come back to life.
"Yeah, it happens more often than not," Kitty stated with a sideways glance at Piotr. She still hadn't gotten over the shock of finding him alive. "I wonder who will show up next."
"Hey, D! Keep an eye open. I'm going to run ahead and start changing. You know what's good and what's bad. You've got to keep everybody from getting into trouble while I'm not looking." She winked at her with a grin. "Oh, and if you decide to make music, keep it down. Goblin King doesn't like heavy metal. I found that one out the hard way."
"Hey, kid, make sure to get bandaged up while you're gone. You're bleeding all over the place," Logan snorted.
Alex just laughed at him. "When am I not bleeding all over the place? Hanging around you doesn't help things at all. I'll see you guys in a little bit." She turned back around and started running as fast as she could. There would be almost no time for her to warn Spell about their unexpected visitors. She easily put the rest of the group far behind her as she rushed to the small cabin. Finally, she rounded the last bend and saw the place she called home.
The crumbling shack looked deserted from the outside. Nobody would give it a second glance either in the Underground or on Earth. It was the type of place that was instantly forgettable. It also didn't hurt that there was a barrier around it that didn't allow people to see the structure for what it really was. Once you stepped beyond the barrier, you saw a two-story house that could have easily been in any suburb in America. It was apparent now that the design had been loosely based off of Xavier's, but smaller.
Alex stepped through the doorway. "Ana? Spell, are you here?" As she waited for her roommate to pop up, she gathered up the first aid kit and an extra set of clothes from the basket by the door. It just happened that her favorite outfit was on top.
"What are you doing back so soon?" The blue-eyed blonde stepped out from behind a bookcase that doubled as an entrance to their secret passageway. She took in Alex's state without a bat of her eye. She had seen the girl in a much worse state and occasionally had put her in such a state.
"There's no time for a big explanation. I got wished away and the X-Men are going to be here in a few minutes. It's your choice whether to go or stay, but I really need your help getting these bandages on." She managed to gesture while still trying, helplessly, to get out of the wetsuit.
"You're going to need help with a lot more than that," Spell told her grimly. "Devon attacked the Goblin City this morning. He's got Jareth locked away in the dungeon and is attempting to take control of the country." She calmly began cleaning out Alex's deep gashes, making no inquiries as to how she got them. Inside, her own thoughts were in turmoil. The X-Men were here and very shortly would be almost face to face with her.
"I figured something like that was going on when Jareth never showed up to do his intimidation skit. Still, that's really low, even for Devon. He's not going to get away with it if I have anything to do with it." Suddenly, she whirled around to face her best friend. "I didn't bring the X-Men here on purpose. I swear, this was not my idea."
"It was time I faced them anyway," Spell whispered quietly. "I really do need to stop hiding now that I have my memory back. Let's just hurry up and get you bandaged and dressed. I'm assuming that Delia is the one that ended up wishing you guys away. Is she with them?"
"Yeah, so is her brother," Alex muttered. "Out of all the people in the world, why did it have to be him? Anybody else, I could deal with."
Spell chuckled. "Maybe fate decided to stick her nose into our business once again. You never know. There could be an important reason for everything happening right now."
Meanwhile, the X-Men, along with Delia and West, were making their way to the cottage very slowly. Now that Nightcrawler and Rachel had both realized that they weren't going to make it home very soon, they had given up their anger and were now chatting amiably about the scenery. The same could not be said about Piotr and Kitty. They were about as far apart as they could be while still being within hearing range of each other. Kitty had her arms wrapped around herself and her head down as she walked. Every now and then, she would sneak glances at the tall Russian, but never when he would notice. There was a chance that he wouldn't have noticed anyway. He was taking in the landscape with an artist's eye. Logan glanced between the two of them and shook his head in disgust. Talk about never learning. He loped up to West and Delia, just in time to hear some of their quiet conversation.
"No, it's nothing like this. Sure, there's sand everywhere, but it's rough like the desert. The mines are worse than anything, cold and wet. I think that's why some of the others just gave up hope. Even when we got out, they just let themselves die. Spell and Alex are the only other ones that I know are still left. We don't like to talk about anything that happened. It's just one of those terrible nightmares that you don't believe was real. That's why Mom and Dad kicked me out, isn't it?" She looked her brother right in the eye. "They didn't want to believe that I was telling the truth. Why did you believe me though?"
He looked at her with something akin to pity. "Why would I doubt you? You never lied to me before. Besides, you're my sister. I'm supposed to take your word for it." He tenderly ruffled her hair. "You don't have to tell me anymore than you want to. Believe me, Alex never said a single thing about it. It was like it never even happened to her. I almost believe that she's repressed the whole thing."
"She hasn't," Logan chimed in. "She got drunk one night and told me everything. If I ever get my hands on that bastard Devon, they'll have to sweep up the pieces with a broom." Unconsciously, he popped his claws. "I figured out the moment I saw her again that Alex had been through some sort of hell." He nodded at Delia. "I knew it about you too. You've got the same look about you." He sniffed the air. "There's something going on, isn't there? Alex was way too nervous for just a little walk around her backyard. She's not the type to be scared for no good reason, either." He grinned. "I could use another fight today."
"I just want to make it out of here alive again. I know it's a different country, but still, I'll feel better once I'm back home. Jareth is a fair man, if you know what rules to play by."
Kitty overheard that comment and laughed. "That's certainly an understatement. I heard that he speeds up time whenever it strikes his fancy to, sends an army of goblins after you, and tries to get everybody to betray you." She made no attempt to explain her source of information until Delia pushed her. "I knew this girl in college that said she'd been in a place like this with a man called the Goblin King. She was telling me about this one night when we'd been up studying late. I guess I never gave it a thought that she could be lying. After all, I've been to space so many times that I've lost count. I guess she was telling the truth. That labyrinth back there certainly seemed to fit her description."
"Sarah," Delia breathed. "You knew Sarah. She's a living legend here. In fact, that's why Alex was on Earth. She's been looking for her." By this time, they had gotten close to what they perceived as a shack.
"Please, tell me that she did not go in there," Rachel said. "That place looks like it's going to fall down with a strong breath of air." She looked skeptical. Still, she followed to footprints almost to the edge of the house. Instantly, the true nature of the place was revealed to them.
"Alex stood in the doorway, attempting to hold back a smile at their obvious surprise. She looked much more comfortable in a pair of tan cargo pants and a man's white dress shirt. "Things aren't always what they seem in this place. Don't worry, though. You'll be out of here long before anything else can surprise you like that."
"Alex?" She turned to look at someone in the house that none of the others could see. When she stepped farther into the house, it was obvious that her intent was seriously deliberate. She muttered under her breath as she did so. "Then again, maybe not."
When everybody had made it into the house and the door was shut behind them, Alex took a long slow look at the group. This was not going to go well. She could already feel it. She saw Logan sniff the air and knew that there would be no turning back from this point. "I guess most of you already know my friend, Spell."
The girl stepped from the shadows so that everybody could see her. "Hi guys." There was a collective gasp from the room as everyone realized that another teammate had come back from the dead.
Yeah, another chapter done in less than a month. I actually had to write this twice, as my mom's computer has neither internet connection or a floppy drive. Technically, I have a chapter and a half more done, but I haven't had the time to retype it. I don't know how many people are actually reading this now, so I'm trying to wrap it up and concentrate on other stories or original fiction, due to the urging of some friends.
Enigmagirl2727-I hope this answered some of your questions. If you don't understand the Underground thing, I suggest you watch Labyrinth. It's a good movie and there will be a few appearances from some of the characters in it.
Next chapter-Spell! Anybody have an idea of who she is? If not, you'll find out. Review and tell me what you think. I need to know if anybody's still reading it so I can judge how much to put in before the ending.
