(Two)
Seth was sitting at his work station in the Lab, tip tapping away at his computer. He was content and happy in a way he had never been before. For the first time, he felt comfortable in his own skin. His sensory input had been put to rights after what Kimble had done, he no longer needed his glasses and he found himself far less clumsy than he had been before. He had much to thank Kimble for.
He hadn't had much of a chance to do that, however. His marriage had been a wonderful and moving experience. The idea to have it in the Solarium had been perfect, the ceremony though combined with other couples, had felt deeply personal and was very moving. He had proposed the marriage mostly to set Fallen's mind at ease, but he had been surprised at how profoundly it had affected himself as well. He felt more complete, more thoroughly bonded with his Mistress. He loved her so much and it had been hard to leave her for more than a moment. But he had to come up for air sometime and so had slipped out here for a few moments of work, trying to clear his head.
Seth hadn't seen Kimble in days, not at all since his brother had been awakened. Seth had been compelled to honor his Mistress's request and had been staying away. To compensate Seth had been pestering Remy for news of his brother every time they met and he had learned that Kimble was doing pretty well and that he and Aiden were planning to marry just as Seth and Fallen had. Seth couldn't be happier. It made him feel optimistic for Kimble's future. As for seeing Kimble again, well, that would happen tomorrow, work was resuming on the Dragon 2.
Seth had been thrilled to learn that Kimble had gone through a repair of sorts, but for reasons he couldn't explain, the thought of meeting Asher unnerved him and made him shy away, he and Asher still had not actually met. Seth knew that some of what he felt was guilt for the mess he caused and he feared Asher's judgement, after all it was his own fault that Kimble had collapsed this time.
Seth shivered a little at the thought of what he and Kimble had done. In spite of the terrible fallout, he couldn't regret it. What they had shared was beyond explaining to a rational mind and the after effects, at least for him, had been worth it. He was whole again. Kimble had made him feel worthy of this life and valuable in a way no one else had - Kimble had showed him that he was worth the risk and the price that had been paid. Seth never loved his brother more.
Seth did not speak of Kimble with his Mistress and she didn't ask. She kept track of Seth's whereabouts and he no longer resisted her. He didn't want to break the fragile trust he had with her and was willing to walk the line for however long it took, anything to deflect her misgivings about Kimble. Seth spent his time working where he could be easily tracked, he was most often at the Dragon 2 work site or here in the Lab working on the mysterious numbers he had retrieved from the system the day he had altered his codes. Thoughts of those strange numbers never left him, they preyed on his mind until he played with them again, discovering as he went that they formed a sort of program, a codekey of Dognan nature.
When Fallen had been integrated into the happy X-men family, she brought with her technological upgrades and of course, Seth himself. Seth was constantly working on programs to make the Xavier systems run faster, better, smarter. He had been leaving small traces of himself wherever he went, it should have come as no surprise to discover pieces of that trail when he visited the system again. What was fascinating was this Dognan key. He wasn't sure of its purpose but it sure was fun to work with.
That wasn't all he was doing. He had taken the time to obtain detailed videos of Jael's attack on Washington. At time, the Command ship Jael had lost in the attack had been uncloaked and exposed, certainly so when it crashed. Seth had been able to cross reference the design of that ship against his own files left over from Cerise and also questioned Fallen herself. What he had learned had allowed him to make a composite diagram of Jael's ships and how they functioned.
He couldn't help but smile at the look on Logan's face when he had presented his findings to the Head of Security just that morning. "Well, that was quick thinking," Logan had replied, his shine flickering appreciation of Seth's efforts. "If he tries ta use them ships against us, maybe we'll give him a surprise or two. Assuming we even get the chance."
"I think we might be able to use the same tactic we used back on Cerise," Seth suggested. "If we could get someone inside, we might be able to trigger a Ristle overload just like we did in the reactor core there."
Wolverine nodded. He recalled all too well that time he and Remy and Beast had been kidnapped and dragged into an offensive against a Dognan stronghold. Seth had provided plans for the base then too. Ones they ultimately used to destroy it by setting off the core reactor, a huge explosion. If they could take out Jael's ships in a similar fashion now, all the better. "I'll see if I can work something out with this," Logan said. "The problem is we don't have much time and we're shorthanded. Still, it would be a shame to blow an opportunity like this."
"I can work on it, too," Seth offered.
Logan simply smiled in answer, knowing this young Siskan was more than capable. Wolverine had been a little cautious around Seth since he had come out of hiding with his Mistress, looking him over without trying to be too obvious about it. He had to confess that even though Kimble had been way out of line, Seth was much improved from their indiscretion. Seth was bright and alert, more comfortable in his environment than he had ever been before. The clumsiness was gone, the fact that he no longer needed glasses making it all the easier to see his clarity of vision. The only time Seth squinted now was when he looked at Logan, the man's shine doing that even to Remy at times. All that did was lump Seth into their strange and mysterious class.
"Take all the time you need," Logan replied. "But not too long. I can't even explain why Jael hasn't attacked yet. He could come at any moment."
Seth nodded to that, shivering off a small vibration of fear. He wasn't looking forward to that at all. "See ya," he said and left, clutching his notes to his chest.
(break)
Not far away, in his solitary hideout, Skye was not pleased. It was feeding time at the ranch and Famayalin hadn't come when called. Some days had passed since he had brought Kristalay here and the boy had taken to hiding out more and more now that Skye had focused most of his concerns on Kristalay. It was true that Skye had been neglecting his first young lion, but now that Skye was finally satisfied with Kristalay's progress, it was time to get these two working together. He had set up a small gym area in a room next to his large bathroom for just this purpose.
It would seem that young Famayalin wasn't exactly cooperating. Though Skye hadn't been paying it much mind, he wasn't entirely unaware that Famayalin's appetite had been gradually shrinking and now not even the lure of raw human meat had been able to draw him from his hiding place.
Skye walked away from the bowls, not caring in the least when Kristalay lunged forward and began greedily gobbling down Famayalin's portion as well as his own.
Skye walked through his quarters, they weren't very big and didn't have that many places to hide. He checked under his bed, in the closets, but it was in the empty shower stall that he found his pet. Famayalin was curled up and shivering on the cold tile, whimpering softly and completely miserable.
"What's this?" Skye asked, his tone a little sharp. "You don't comes when I calls. You knows the rules, no supper fer you!"
"Mrr! Don't care!" Famayalin hissed in return, the only sign of respect was the deepening tremble in his arms and the softness of his voice. In spite of his apparent bravado, he was as frightened of his Master as he was defiant.
Skye reacted quickly. He snatched in irritation at his uncooperative lion and dragged him out by his hair, hauling him onto the mat for a closer look. What Skye saw surprised him. Famayalin was rumpled and unkempt, his face lost in a short scraggly beard. It brought Skye up short.
Both of his lions were once men and as such, their faces were as hairy as any grown human male. When Skye had first found Famayalin, the boy had had a filthy beard down to his chest. Skye liked to see the faces of his lions and had been the one to keep Famayalin shaved and pretty. To see the boy like this now was a sign of neglect.
Skye's face softened as he tugged on the hair on Famayalin's chin. "Gits my blade."
Famayalin's whole face broke out into a wide, toothy smile. He had missed the loving affection of his Master and to have the man's focus on him again was a pleasure. He scrambled to comply, finding the various shaving supplies and bringing them to Skye before settling down to be pampered.
Skye went to work with happiness. He held Famayalin close to him and lathered his face before using a straight razor to carefully scrape the hair from his cheeks. Almost immediately Skye could feel the vibrations of love from his lion. The defiance was gone, replaced with utter bliss. As Master, Skye should be upset at his pet's insubordination, but this joy was a sign of Famayalin's utter submission. Famayalin had suffered from being neglected, he needed his Master's love.
In spite of his violent purpose, Famayalin wasn't vicious by nature, at least not with Skye. Always this one had wanted to be gentled, to be touched as though he meant something. It was a feature of Famayalin's character that Skye had been quick to use to his own advantage. Physical punishment worked very well, Famayalin didn't like pain. He could endure a fair amount of it, but didn't like it. Before Kristalay had come, Famayalin would beg to sleep in the bed with his Master, wanting the company more than the possibility of sensual pleasure. Kristalay was just as hungry, but in a more sadistic and aggressive way. Famayalin was emotionally sensitive where Kristalay was not. The differences between his two lions were startling and something Skye had not foreseen.
Skye did not have full blown visions as Aiden did, but he saw flashes of things that sometimes came true. He had foreseen his discovery of Famayalin, limp and broken in a pile of garbage in a New York City alleyway, had known just where Kristalay would be found. That same sense of destiny had drawn him here to Arizona, here to where this pathetic Game was going to come to an end, hopefully by blowing up in Jael's face.
Settling in here at this new lair had been difficult. Back in Boston, Skye had grown accustomed to a certain lifestyle, one he was loathe to give up in spite of having to hide out like this.
Years ago, Skye had been discovered in the Games Master's possession by Remy when the thief had sought out his Master to help with Kimble's reintegration. Once Skye had laid eyes on Remy, it had taken nothing for Skye to manipulate that naive little thief into taking him away with him. Of course Skye hadn't spent much time with Remy, it had been less than a day before Gambit had sent Skye off with his cousin Etienne to Boston. Not that the bumpy relocation had bothered Skye in the least. Remy's innocence wasn't so complete that Skye would be able to get away with whatever he wanted - and Skye wanted a great many things, oh yes.
Gambit wasn't a complete idiot, while he had been mislead into thinking Skye wasn't related to the Game, Gambit had known that Skye was a Siskan Courtesan of some power just the same. Remy let Etienne know that Skye was to be placed somewhere he could serve clients, all the better to keep the Siskan quiet. Etienne complied with all the graciousness of a Thieves' Guild Headmaster, he dumped Skye on Rose Red, a woman of skill who ran a high clientele brothel that catered to the wealthy. Skye didn't resist, especially when he first met Rose Red and saw in her eyes complete understanding.
Rose ran that brothel well, one that sometimes catered to clients that liked things a little out of the ordinary. Well, Skye was anything but normal. There was nothing he wouldn't do, no matter how repulsive or abusive. Nothing was beyond him and soon enough he had his own special list of clients. Rose herself was more than pleased with the arrangement, Skye was cheap to keep by comparison with the other girls and never complained. She kept him in the finest clothes and gourmet food, all the while keeping more than half of his wages to herself.
While Skye reveled in his freedom of sexual expression, it didn't keep his darker side from emerging. While Skye had been integrated by the Games Master, he was not even close being mentally well by anyone's standards. So much damage had been done to him too little too late for it to ever be forgotten. Skye used his superior intellect to use Rose as much as she used him, he exploited every loophole he could find in her system to indulge some of his more twisted desires. He was sometimes driven out to clients' homes for private sessions and had access to transportation for little field trips. He used this new freedom to murder the occasional client when he knew he could get away with it and consumed what he wanted. It was easier here than when he had lived with Paladon, here he was far less supervised, sometimes even being benevolently neglected. Skye was all over it. He had gotten better at covering up his kills with practice, and if anyone suspected, they never confronted Skye about it. Not while he was making Rosie money hand over fist and the police never came calling.
Just before Jael had his clash with Sheba, the one that left the New York skyline in ruins and thousands dead, Skye began to have vivid dreams. He couldn't see as much as Aiden did, but some things were specific enough to give Skye some ideas of what to do next and where he might go to do that. Skye also knew he wanted to defeat Jael, the source of all this, and that he would need others to help him do it. He began to formulate a plan, experimenting with his power and how it affected clients. He had always known that his power went beyond mental control, and he was now suspecting it could do so much more, especially with the more malleable DNA of mutants. He began to dream of lions, ones that his power alone would create, and then began to know just where and when he would find them.
Jael's attack on New York was the trigger that set Skye in motion. The news coverage alarmed him and he fully expected Remy to come flying up from New York to collect him. When it didn't happen, Skye gathered what he needed and fled - but not before he removed a hefty wad of cash from Rose Red's stash. It was his anyway, he reasoned with a sly grin, since he had been the one to earn it. Skye left Boston, seeking both safety in anonymity - and his first lion.
Skye possessed many skins and he hadn't been so stupid as to flash them all in front of Rose or anyone else. He used them now, though. He got himself ready and changed his image at will, catching the first train to New York City. Skye realized this would take him closer to Jael, but had no fear of being detected easily in the vast sea of people that lived there. He followed his dreams, letting intuition rule him and sure enough, he found young Famayalin wasted and battered in a pile of garbage, lying in some forgotten alleyway. One man's garbage was another's treasure and Skye had found a kind of wealth in Grog's poor battered flesh. Grog would be recovered and sicced back on his evil former Master, a sight Skye couldn't wait to see.
It had taken some effort, but Skye had gotten Famayalin out of the alley without being detected. By now Skye had built some cloaking bracelets and he used them now to secretly remove Famayalin's limp body and find them shelter. His ability to fly and to carry heavy objects was coming into handy here. A few days at a nice quiet hotel lost in a Kundatesh backwash and Famayalin had capitulated easily. Not long after, Skye and his precious new lion-to-be were in their new digs here in Arizona.
Skye had taken Famayalin with him to this new place. Again, Skye had let his dreams and intuition lead him. He had found this empty building lying in dusty neglect. Charles Xavier had purchased it as part of his take over of this Industrial Park, but it was too far away from the Complex Xavier was using now to be of any real use. Skye moved in, set up his cloaks where he needed them and settled in happily.
Skye used his ability to fly to steal away to the city and bring back furniture and equipment. What he couldn't afford from his supply of cash, he stole though manipulation and stealth. Paladon had possession of Skye long enough for the Siskan to learn Dognan technology, especially those things that would further his cause. He knew how to make cloaks, new how to make restraints no human could break. Skye would always hold the upper hand for as long as he could. He would never be bullied again.
While Famayalin had surrendered easily enough in this isolation, Kristalay's surrender had proven to be another matter. The man had been a perfect find and a thrill in the stealing of him right out from under the X-men's noses, but there was a deep rooted sense of independence in there Famayalin would never have. While Skye was confident that Kristalay was under his control, there was an edge of defiance that hadn't been yet been eliminated.
Skye was hoping that getting his two lions settled into some kind of cooperative exercise and training program would be helpful. While Skye had anticipated there might be some rebellious tension between the two lions, he hadn't expected the depth of Famayalin's jealousy and hurt.
"I still loves you, m' Little Lion," Skye purred, stroking his hands through Famayalin's rumpled and tangled hair.
"Mrrr!" Famayalin whimpered and leaned his head to his Master's chest. He had his own story, this one, his own set of troubles, ones he could never articulate. All he could do was shiver and let his pain be known. He could not bear to be neglected and tossed aside as so many had done to him before.
"I'll never leaves ya. We gots so much ta do, you an' me."
"Why 'Tooth? 'May'lin good enough!" the young lion snarled in an angry sob.
"Cause I needs two of ya fer Jael. One just ain't gonner be good enough. Don' worry, yous two will make yer peace. Thinks about all we kin accomplish."
Famayalin wasn't interested in Jael, not while he had a Master who was devoted only to him. What Jael did was no longer a concern for him, only pleasing his Master. "Love me," he growled again. "Love 'May'lin!"
"Always, my pet," Skye replied and let Famayalin have a sip of his power. It was enough to gentle the young lion's rage and settle him into bliss. Now back in control, Skye lay Famayalin down and possessed him, Famayalin allowing it freely. There were no cries of pain, only Famayalin's soft whimpers of joy. The boy's clawed hands gently scratching his back in loving gestures of complete happiness. Famayalin was his.
Just the same, Skye had no illusions. Famayalin's current acceptance of Kristalay's place was only temporary. Famayalin's ire was sure to return the next time Kristalay was chosen for his Master's pleasure. Not that that would stop Skye from making that choice, he was the Master after all and entitled to all of its privileges, including full choice of bed partner. His lions were animals in the truest sense and they would have to settle this issue of dominance themselves and if not, he would do it himself one way or another. Nothing was going to stand in the way of his plans.