Disclaimer: I don't own Mutant X or the X Men.

We're All Family

Chapter 24

"Is this what you saw?" Logan put a comforting hand on Shalimar's shoulder.

"That's all of it," Jesse turned toward the teams behind him.

"Jesse, please replay it in slow motion and silent." At Charles' request the disturbing scene began again. "It would seem their reaction was due to the sudden illumination."

"Not a very comfortable place to spend the night," Scott shifted in sympathy.

"Freeze, please. A simple holding area…a basement of sorts," Charles stated.

"No windows and only one door that we can see. All that water's gonna keep it damp." Bobby voice was tight.

"That's Thorne's doing." Shalimar whispered.

"Thorne?"

Adam turned to answer Charles' question. "Thorne is the man Mr. Hennessy hired to capture me. He's a telekinetic new mutant. When we first met Brennan he was working against his will for Genomex."

"Thorne was the one holding his leash." Shalimar paced to the back of the room.

"Thorne held the activator for the governor Brennan wore," Jesse translated. "He didn't hesitate to use it."

"Jack and John jumped to defend…Sissy, I'd guess." Jean stood by her husband.

Jubilee moved closer to the large monitor and seemed to be studying something. "Are those her clothes on the floor? That's the sweater I just gave her as a gift. They didn't…?" Jubes jumped at the sudden growl from Logan.

"Easy, Mon Ami," Remy fearlessly put his hand to Logan's shoulder. "Dey not touch de petite…Not wid Jack dere. You know how protective he is of her. He not be on his feet if dey fight him to get to her."

"I'd venture to say Remy is correct. Observe the way her clothes are carefully laid out…not thrown in a pile or strewn about." Hank looked carefully. His voice next carried a deeper concern. "She doesn't appear to have been affected by the illumination.

"If she'd gotten wet, she may have taken them off to dry." Jubilee didn't sound convinced herself.

"Jack and John weren't bound…only Brennan," Adam began to process the information. "Thorne wouldn't have known about Jack and Sissy. They were just there at the wrong time. He would have assumed my son was a mutant…so if John's not tied he's wearing a…"

"Governor," Jesse finished for him, sympathetic pain laced his voice. "He would have put one on Brennan, too."

"But if he was so unsure about the other two it would make sense that he…"

"You're right, Bob. He probably did." Adam agreed.

"Wait. Now, Brennan and John could handle the governors as long as they didn't use their powers, right?" Jubilee moved away from the monitor.

"That's right. Brennan would have warned John as soon as he was able to." Adam turned to face Charles. "The governor wouldn't hurt Jack. Not being a mutant, he probably just has a headache…not incapacitating."

"But Sissy…" Jesse joined him, his tone grim. "Sissy would be in constant pain like Kitty and Marie were." He turned and met Remy's eyes as they both relived that awful moment they couldn't help their girls while they lay in pain in the military base lab.

"Do you think she was passed out from the pain?" Jean questioned as she moved closer to see the prone girl partially hidden behind the standing men.

"She may have at one point but Brennan wouldn't let her stay in pain if he could do something about it." Adam answered.

"But de man up to his hips in water. He can' do much."

"Brennan could have shocked the device…short circuited it." Jesse offered.

"I suspect that's what they tried to do." Agreed Hank as he looked closer at the scene before him. "If they put her in the water with Brennan, the shock, even at a low intensity, would have made Suzanne pass out."

"Brennan's Achilles heel is long term exposure to water. He wouldn't have been able to manage much more than just enough to short circuit the governor and in this condition he would also have passed out." Adam turned concerned eyes to Shalimar. A moment of intense pride washed over his mind. She was holding up very well, but he could see the anguish she was hiding behind her eyes. "The fact that he reacted to the light would indicate that they did this at some point earlier in the night."

"The constant pain would weaken her," Hank thought out loud. "The voltage needed to render the governor inoperative, even though low and physically unaffecting under normal conditions, would have a major effect on her body as it's conducted through the water."

"She would have gone into shock," Jean concluded. "Jack and John would have recognized that immediately. They stripped her to get her warm. Notice how it seems they're blocking her?"

"All right." Charles unified the conversation. "We have to go on the assumption that the 3 men have working governors. Sissy's is deactivated. Brennan is too weak to affect an escape on his own. When they transmit coordinates we have little choice at this point than to comply with their wishes."

"I'm going with him," Shalimar growled from her place by Jesse.

"Shal, Thorne'll be looking for us…for you, especially." Jesse countered softly.

"I'll be careful. I'll…"

"No, Shal," Adam moved to her side. "I'm going alone. You stay here and find a way to be my back up. I'll get a signal to you somehow."

"I think I can help with that." All eyes suddenly trained on Hank. "I have been experimenting on a way to tag and track a person by their DNA. I've modified a tracking program to scan for specific DNA. It's experimental but has shown promise. With a sample of your DNA and uploading the program into the computers of the Blackbird, I believe we can have a chance of covertly following you with minimal chance of detection."

An incoming signal drew Jesse to the computers. "I have coordinates. They want you in 1 hour. These coordinates are 15 minutes away by the Helix."

"The Blackbird can match that. No problem." Scott smiled.

"We have 45 minutes to put together a plan. Hank, please take Adam to the lab for the DNA extraction and Remy will help with the upload to the Blackbird." Charles watched as the three men left the room, Adam looking at Jesse and Shalimar once more before moving. "Scott, assemble a team and prep the Blackbird."

"There aren't too many of us, but this doesn't need to be a gang war. The smaller numbers are probably better."

The clanking of locks being released made Jack, Sissy and John jump. The door opened and a solitary man stood in the entry. "Well, good morning. I hope you all slept well. I know I did." He greeted with a smug smile.

"You have me," John stood and turned to face the man. He saw the man raise something that was in his hand. Thinking first it was a weapon he froze then realized that it was a remote, probably for the governor he wore. "My father will be here. Let the rest go." He met his captor's eyes with firm resolution as he crossed his arms over his chest, making no sudden movements but not backing down either.

Sissy and Jack looked at each other and rose to their feet to stand behind John. "John," Sissy whispered as she lightly slipped her hand under his arm.

John kept his eyes on Thorne but moved his hand to cover Sissy's, folding it over hers firmly to quell the fear he heard in her soft voice. "Let them take Brennan and go."

"I don't think so," Thorne relaxed his aim. "Mr. Mulwray was the murderer. He has to be held accountable for his crimes."

"You talk like you're some sort of DA," Jack stepped up. "You kidnapped him. You're torturing him and now you want to make it sound as if you're enforcing the law." Jack stepped forward again but stopped when Thorne moved his hand and the bench from against the wall was invisibly pulled between them.

"You…you're a mutant?" Sissy stuttered in wide-eyed shock.

Again the smugness was back on his face. "Yes, I am. You see, Mr. Mulwray and myself go way back. We have a history…of sorts. When I found out I'd have the pleasure of his company again, I knew I'd have to make sure I found him a nice place to stay. It took a while to find this," Thorne walked toward the water's edge. "It works rather well, don't you think?"

"You're killing him," Sissy said as she stepped away from John. Gasping, she saw Thorne take aim at her with the remote, as John pulled her back against his chest with both hands on her arms and Jack quickly stepped in front of her.

"Don't move!" Thorne ordered. Lowering his voice and his arm he continued. "Of course, it's killing him. I had to come up with just the right method to do it slowly. Had to make sure he would be alive long enough to get Kane here for Hennessy. You all made a perfect calling card this morning when we made our contact. Kane is on his way. I'm only waiting long enough for Hennessy to be satisfied." Thorne turned his head to look at the slumped figure in the water. "Then Mulwray is dead."

Like lightning, Jack moved and jumped. When he landed he had kicked Thorne who had fallen to the floor and dropped the remote into the water. Not giving him the time to get to his feet, Jack attacked but Thorne had experience on his side.

Sissy screamed as she saw Jack rush at the man. She turned in John's arms as they closed tighter around her but she refused to look completely away.

The older man dropped back and rolled as he kicked Jack, landing a solid foot in the boy's abdomen. He turned and punched quickly as Jack tried to block. Their parry went on for a few more seconds when Thorne reached in the air and pulled with one hand as he punched at Jack with the other.

Jack easily blocked the punch and the kick that immediately followed but he couldn't block everything. He turned too slowly to avoid the bench that came up from behind at the instant he heard Sissy scream his name. He fell to the floor under the weight of the wood and the darkness in his mind.

When John looked up he saw Thorne pulling something from inside his jacket. Quickly, turning his body to shield Sissy from whatever it might be, he didn't have time to think of what else he could have done when a flash of searing pain began in his neck and quickly flooded his body. The pain intensified. His knees were buckling. Releasing Sissy and turning so he wouldn't crush her, another voice momentarily took his attention but he was unable to do anything but fall.

Brennan had been unconscious before Thorne came in. Now the pain from the governor's activation rudely brought him back as he groaned and jerked with a flood of agonizing spasms.

Sissy hit the floor as John pushed her away. Her attention was on Jack and she was easily unbalanced. When she heard Brennan groan and John fall before her she quickly glanced around and took in the scene. Shock instantly gave way to clarity as she screamed and groaned, rolling aside, clutching her head.

Thorne slowly backed out of the room as he kept his thumb pressed firmly on the button of the remote. Reaching for the door, he pulled it closed and didn't release the trigger until the lock was in place.

As soon as she heard the lock, Sissy moved to John's side. "John, Oh my God, are you all right? John?" She was almost afraid to touch him as her hands lightly skimmed his head and shoulders.

Panting heavily he reached a hand out to her as he weakly nodded his head and tried to find his voice. "I'm…I'm o…k." He rose to his knees and pointed behind him. "Jack?"

Sissy rushed to Jack's side and pushed the bench from atop her friend. Kneeling next to him, she sucked in a gasp as she noticed the blood on the back of his head. "No, Jack," she whispered, "please, be ok, be ok, be ok…" Slowly she reached out to touch his shoulders.

John came up beside her and put a hand over one of hers. "Don't, Sis…" his breathing was still a little heavy but much better than a moment ago. "Let me check him." John's hands moved expertly over Jack's head, neck and upper body. "He's ok. I just need something…I know…"

Sissy watched curiously as John stood up and pulled off his sweater. Her breath caught when she saw his triceps stretch as he pulled his white tee shirt off. Wow! He's built like Gambit, slim and…oh… suddenly thought stopped as her eyes slid over his exposed chest.As the material pulled over his head she quickly looked back at Jack and forced herself to breathe again, hoping the sudden flush she felt didn't show in her face.

"I need to clean and cover this wound." He ripped his shirt and took one piece to the water's edge and soaked it. Bringing the dripping cloth he squeezed it over the cut to rinse out the blood. After a few more trips he had it cleaned enough to examine further and bandage it with the dry piece of cloth he'd handed to Sissy. "Sissy, will you get me one of the jackets?"

Sissy silently jumped up and fulfilled his request. She watched as he arranged Jack more comfortably than he'd fallen. He covered him with the jacket and arranged the sleeve to cover the bandage and cushion Jack's head. A groan from the water made her jerk her head in that direction.

"J…ohn," Brennan began a coughing fit.

John rushed into the water to his side. He pushed his hands, one on Brennan's back and the other on his chest, holding him firmly to relieve the pain as he coughed. When the coughing subsided, John tried to move Brennan to sit better in the chair, the pain spasms of the governor upsetting his already uncomfortable perch. "Don't talk, Bren…" John ordered as he heard Brennan try again. "Thorne was here, alone. Jack caught him off guard and attacked. The governor remote fell into the water. They fought. Then a bench hit Jack from behind. Thorne's a mutant." He saw Brennan weakly nod his confirmation. "On his way out the door he pulled another remote from his jacket. Let's just say I don't want to go through that again. I don't think you can handle another shot either."

"Sisss," Brennan slurred.

"I'm right here, Brennan. I'm fine."

"She was great, now that I think about it. She pretended to be affected. Thorne doesn't suspect a thing." John smiled back at her.

"Ja…"

"He's unconscious. The bench caused a cut. I took care of him. He'll be ok. No more talking. You're too weak at the moment. Try to conserve as much energy as you can. We'll wait for Adam." John saw the slight nod of Brennan's head as gravity on his eye lids won out over consciousness. Slowly, John sloshed out of the water. He picked up his sweater from the place it had been dropped at Jack's side. With a last check on Jack, he turned and moved back to the wall where they had been sleeping. Slipping his sweater back over his now chill kissed skin he sat, careful not to get the coats wet. Leaning against the wall he put elbows on raised knees and placed his hands on his head. This is crazy…Mom…I hope she's ok…of course she is. Uncle Adam would make sure before he did anything else. I hope he gets here soon. I can't do anything for Brennan while he's in the water… His thoughts were random as he rubbed the residual pain from his neck. He opened his eyes when he felt Sissy come and sit beside him. She curled her legs to her chest and wrapped her arms around them as she silently put her head to her knees. John's thoughts switched again to this young lady beside him. She was more than a little girl. Though not yet a woman, she seemed to be handling their situation extraordinarily well. He would have expected her to be…

Sissy stifled the sob as she tried to hide her tears. Now that the immediate danger had passed and Jack and Brennan were at least…ok…she began to feel…?

John shifted and reached out to put his arm around her shoulder. He gently tugged until she didn't resist and leaned on him. "It's ok, Sis. We'll get out of here."

Curling next to him and letting her head fall to his shoulder she sniffed, "John,…I'm so scared."

"You could have fooled me." He smiled when she turned her tear streaked face up to look at him. "You've been very strong this whole time. I'm impressed." Gently he wiped the tears with a thumb as he touched her face. "Don't worry. Uncle Adam will be here. I know they must have a plan by now." He smiled warmly as she put her head on his shoulder. "Tell me more about you. What subjects do you like?" He offered a distraction…or was it? He really wanted to know.

TBC