Alrighty then, here's the next chapter! I know darkflame1516 isn't the only one reading this...but s/he is certainly the only one REVIEWING...I love him/her dearly. Shame on my readerswho wallow in their discrasefull (sp?) freeloadery. Shame.
Don't own Marvel. Never have...but I hope to, someday. winkwink
Bon appetite!
"Damn!" he hollered, beating against the door with his fists. His nose was bleeding freely now, dripping down into his mouth and staining his shirt crimson. "Techno, you bastard, open the door!" He spun around, shouting for the little man.
"Sheesh, Johnny-boy, can't you do anything yourself? I'm working here."
"Open the goddamn door, Techno."
"Yes, master," Techno growled into the microphone, flicking the switch to open the cell door. Pyro dashed out into the hallway, wiping his nose on his sleeve.
"Where did she go, Tech? Answer me!"
"She's heading north, towards the boss. You'd better catch her before he does, or both our asses are fried. I'll keep him in silent, but you hurry."
"You're an angel, Tech. I'll get her," Johnny said, then ran all-out down the corridor.
How on God's Own Earth do I get these things off?
Morgan paused at a junction, her back up against the cool stone. All of the drugged fuzz was gone, leaving behind a dizzying headache. She stared at the cuffs heatedly, wishing with all of her might that, like Cyclops, her looks really could kill.
Her eyes burned, but no ray of crimson salvation poured from them. Angrily, she waved her arms above her head. They slid down her arms to her elbows.
Yelping in pain, she bit her lip. The cry echoed around the stony walls, magnifying it to an incredible volume before it fell away into nothingness. Furious with herself, she made to run back down the corridor.
Half a minute.
She raised her arms again, and the cold metal slipped back to her elbows, stopped by the width of the joint. Dropping her arms back to her sides, she watched as it fell down around her wrists. The narrowest part of the cuffs rested on the widest part of her hand, right below the thumb knuckle. With a soft chuckle, she wedged her fingers together and tried to pull her hand through the slick metal.
It stuck, right at the knuckle.
She swore, trying to pull the pinching cuffs back over her hand. Other hand, Oleander. Yanking down on the right manacle, she grunted as it scrapped the skin off of her wrist. She gripped her fingers closer and closer together, willing the metal away from her skin…
It popped off, swinging into the wall with a clank. "Yes!" she whispered, bringing her bleeding wrist to her mouth. She wiggled her fingers gently, checking for any residual damage.
The hairs rose on the back of her neck, making her turn around. Pyro stood at the junction, flicking his lighter open.
"MOVE!" he cried. She dove to the left, a massive jet of flame singeing the tips of her hair. The loose manacle did not fair so well; it melted, stinking, to the floor.
Now she was trapped. She pulled at her other handcuff desperately, the heat of the flames baking her skin. She closed her eyes against the glare, trying with all of her might to remove her bonds before Pyro realized he had missed.
The burning sensation stopped abruptly. She raised her free hand in front of her face, ready to defend herself with whatever miniscule powers she could muster…
"You alright?"
Totally thrown off, she opened her eyes to find the boy kneeling in front of her. "You alright?" he asked again, gripping her shoulders and shaking her gently. Lowering her hand slightly, she slapped him across the face.
He reeled back slightly, startled. His face and chin were covered with dried blood, and a large red handprint was forming on his right cheek. He looked about ready to strike back, but instead he pointed his finger towards the hall behind her. "Look, I just saved you. I'd appreciate it if you didn't hit me again. Ok?"
Warily, Morgan glanced over her shoulder. A charred body lay on the floor, the smell making her gag. Scales blew off of the corpse, taking flight on the AC intake draft. Four crumbling eye sockets stared unblinkingly up at the pair accusingly. The creatures ribs could be clearly seen poking through the rapidly retreating skin, the hands and feet thin and brittle. "What in the hell…" she whispered, glancing back at Pyro.
"He was a mutant. Called himself the Greenman, could spit acid. Looked like a normal guy on the street. Not anymore, though," he chuckled. "Totally insane, deformed. Must have escaped from the ward. That stuff'll do that…" He stopped, clearing his throat and watching her silently for a moment. She raised an eyebrow at him. Do not give in to her. Remember how she humiliated you. Remember what it will accomplish for mutantkind. "It's for the best," he whispered, then stood, reaching out a hand for her to grasp.
"I'm not going anywhere until you unlock these cuffs. You've fused me to the floor," Morgan said, gesturing at the smoking lump of metal that was firmly rooted to the steel tiles. Johnny groaned, dragging his hand down his face in exasperation.
"You do have a key, don't you?"
"Munh."
"Sorry, I couldn't quite make that out."
"NO!" he growled, looking up and down the corridor. If he had fried Techno's link in this hallway, he'd never get her loose. He ran his hands over the superheated wall, searching for the tiny surveillance camera that would connect him directly to the other mutant. "It's a radio lock. You have to send a specific signal…damn," he said, pulling from the wall a twist lump of electronics that had once been a very fine camera. "Now we'll never get you loose."
"I can do it," she said matter-of-factly, cracking the knuckles of her free hand. "I've seen your computer boy fly his robots. I can send it." He turned to look at her, taking his turn to raise an eyebrow. For a moment, their eyes met. She looked away angrily, brushing her smoky hair out of her face. "Oh good Lord, if I can't get it off, you can always burn me loose."
"Oh. Right," he muttered, wondering why he didn't think of that. He leaned up against the wall, watching her carefully.
Morgan closed her eyes, trying to relax. Her free hand hovered over the other, tingling gently as she forced power through the numb veins. Her fingers responded excitedly, growing warm beneath her skin. She forced the energy outward, to probe the shackle more closely. A soft electronic beep entered her mind, calling her mind forward. She touched it gently.
Cold! her brain shrieked, trying to force her to pull away from the burning cold that was creeping through her fingers. Biting her lip, she forced herself onward, searching for the source of noise, to find the lock. The metal drew her power from her like nails through a straw, the pain climbing gradually up her arm until she was no longer bare it. Hissing sharply, she released it, shaking her hand to bring back the warmth.
Johnny was at her side. "You finished?" She nodded curtly, waving her entrapped hand. The metal shackles fell to the floor with a sharp crack. She moved her fingers in astonishment.
She was free.
The sound of a igniting lighter made her look up. Johnny held it before him, his other hand ready to strike if she made a move to escape. "Get up."
She stood slowly, her hands at her sides. He grabbed her arm, but released it quickly; it was icy cold, like a corpse. Scowling, he pushed her down the hall, past the flaking corpse. "Just move. We're going to find the boss."