A New Age, A New Team

Chapter 16: New Codename For An Old Face

"Saria Williams… Access granted." The same metallic voice echoed down the long hallway, while Saria sat there at the large metal doors with the X on them and a briefcase in hand. The large doors slowly began to open and Saria walked straight through them as if she was in a hurry.

"Oh Jamal!" She shouted loudly in a sort of singsong voice. "I'm baaaaack." She smirked as she set her briefcase down on a metal table with a rather loud thud. "And I come with good news." She chuckled as she unclasped the latches on the side of the briefcase before flipping the lid open to reveal the gun that Jamal had given her before.

Jamal walked out from behind a machine wiping her greasy hands on an old rag, "I hope it's about the gun…"

"Oh it is, it is." Saria said with a large smile on her face.

"Well? How'd she handle?" Jamal asked curiously as he looked into Saria's brown eyes and then down at the gun in the case.

"Beautifully. You're a genius." Saria raved. "It's perfection."

So I've been told. Jamal smirked. "Why thank you." Jamal nodded his head once to Saria.

"But that ain't why I'm here." Saria said with a serious tone in her voice.

"What's wrong?" Jamal asked as he too became serious.

"When I was lookin' 'round on the database a couple weeks ago, I saw a mutant. Jinx or somethin' like that–"

"Linx." Jamal corrected.

"Right!" Saria gasped. "Linx… Anyway, her power. Can she really control the livin' and the dead?" Saria whispered. Alex…

"And Limbo." Jamal added, "Why?"

"Can ya take me to her?"

"Give me a few moments and I can locate her and then–"

"Jamal, just do it. Don't tell me 'bout it." Saria laughed lightly.

Jamal chuckled, "Fine." He turned around, walked over to his large computer, and sat down in the car before beginning to type furiously on the keyboard. A series of windows popped up on the screen, and as they popped up, Saria's brown eyes with gold in them followed from screen to screen.

"What are you doing?" Saria asked in a slight daze from the screen.

"I'm bringing up the surveillance system so I can search the mansion for her." Jamal said to Saria without even looking away from the monitor screen.

"Oh."

Different visions from around the mansion popped up left and right on the monitor. Saria saw different people walking around the many places in the mansion until Jamal stopped on the surveillance camera in the living room. "Found her." Jamal whispered.

Saria leaned closer to the monitor as she saw a young girl with short black hair, which had a few red highlights on the bottom, who was busy reading a large book on the couch. "That's her?" Saria said skeptically.

"That's our Linx." Jamal chuckled as he turned around in his chair to look at Saria, but when he turned around, she was already out the door. "Um, alright. Bye." Jamal rolled his eyes and then typed a few more codes into the computer and different cameras came on so that Jamal could follow Saria through the mansion.

Saria ran as fast as she could through the mansion towards the large living room where Linx was. Please. Please don't let this be a joke… She thought desperately until she got to the living room. She paused in the doorway and stared at the back of Linx's head, "Linx?" She asked softly.

Linx looked over her shoulder and her two different colored eyes looked at the Latina girl standing in the living room doorway. "Switch…" Linx nodded as she turned back to her book, placed the bookmark in it, closed her book, and then turned her attention back to Saria.

Saria took a deep breath in and then stepped into the living room, "Yeah… I'm gonna be blunt with ya. I heard 'bout ya power," she said as she rounded around the couch to stand in front of Linx, who was sitting on the couch still, "and I want ya to use it on me, or whateva it ya do." She sighed and waited.

Linx took in the information and slowly stood up in front of Saria. "So you're saying that you want me to take you to Limbo or the dead realm?" Linx asked a little worried.

"I got someone there." Saria said in a pleading voice.

"Oh," Linx nodded in an understanding way, "You want to see someone in Limbo."

"Yeah, whateva it is… Can ya do it?" Saria asked a little annoyed.

Linx nodded, "Yes." Linx sat back down on the couch, signaled Saria to sit down also, and then closed her two different colored hazel eyes and spoke softly. "Close your eyes and relax." Saria looked around the living room a little worried and then nodded her head before sitting down next to Linx. Her brown eyes slowly closed and she let her shoulders fall limp. "Think about who you're trying to find." Linx whispered.

I'm comin' Alex…

Saria was transported to a world of black and ever shade of grey. The crimson red sky was filled with black clouds and the cracked ground of ash seemed to spread for miles. She looked around and saw the occasional random trees, which had no leaves and the branches struck out in all directions that looked as if it was burnt but had managed to survive. She was in Limbo.

She looked to her left and saw a cloaked figure standing next to her, and while the figure did scare her, she showed no sign of fear. "Relax Saria," a voice said calmly and the figure pushed back the cloak hood to reveal it was Linx. "It's me."

"Where are we?" Saria asked softly as she looked around. People were shuffling their feet as the walked with their heads down, which made them look like zombies.

"Limbo." Linx said calmly as she looked around. "You're looking for the one named Alex Williams, correct?"

One of the zombies lifted their head and let out a scream that sent a chill through Saria's body as she felt the zombie's pain. "Yeah." She said absentmindedly, as she looked at the zombie's face in horror. Their face was filled with sadness and fear. Their eyes were bloodshot and their bodies were shades of grey and black, as if they had no souls to grant them color.

Linx held her staff in her hand as she slowly looked around Limbo to see if her two different colored hazel eyes could find Alex. "There." She said softly as she used her staff's head to point at the young man walking around just like the other zombies.

"Alex…" Saria whispered as her brown eyes filled with tears. Without hesitation, Saria took off running as fast as she could towards Alex. Linx slowly walked towards Saria and Alex without in hurry in her pace.

Saria dropped to her knees in front of her little brother, "Alex." She said happily.

It had been seven years since she had seen Alex. It had been seven years since her had been murdered right in front of Saria's eyes. Every night that she had fallen asleep, she had prayed that she would get to see him again. Every night she vowed revenge. However, now… Now she had him.

Alex slowly raised his head up to the crimson red sky and let out a heart-wrenching scream. His young eyes were bloodshot and filled with fear and sadness. His skin was cold to the touch and a shade of lifeless grey.

Saria felt her body scream out for her little brother, "Make 'im stop." She pleaded as she held onto Alex's shoulders and felt the chill of his skin. Her brown eyes looked up at Linx and she screamed, "Make 'im stop!" Tears streamed down her face as she looked back at Alex. Make 'im stop hurtin'. He didn't do nothin'. He's innocent. It's my fault he's here. "Make it stop…" Saria whispered.

Linx slowly took her staff and lightly tapped Alex's shoulder, and as soon as the edge of her staff touched the young boy, his skin filled with color once again. His once bloodshot eyes, returned to their normal brown. "Saria…" Alex gasped as he fell into Saria's arms.

"Alex." Saria gasped loudly as she pulled Alex into her arms. She felt the warmth of his skin once again, his breath against her shoulder, his arms around her. She felt everything she had been wishing for, for seven years. She felt it all. "Oh Alex. I'm so sorry." She whispered as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

"Sissy, no." Alex whispered. His semi-long brown hair shook from side-to-side as he shook his head. "Listen to me…" Alex said as he pulled away from Saria's arms. "Ya're powers to twist reality are a gift. Ya will be great one day. Ya will protect the world."

"What are ya talkin' 'bout Alex?" Saria asked in confusion.

"There are different types of mutants. There are the angels, the deaths," he said as he glanced at Linx, "and then there are mutants like ya: the twistas."

"What are ya talkin' 'bout?" Saria asked in annoyance and confusion.

"Ya a Twista." Alex said as he put his hand on her cheek softly. "So be what ya are…"

"What?" Saria gasped. I'm Twista.

A loud screeched sounded over Limbo, and in an instant both Linx and Saris were pulled out of Limbo and back into reality. Linx looked up and around the ceiling in fear. Something's wrong. Linx thought as she stood up. An alarm was sounding over the entire mansion.

"W-W-What happened!" Saria shouted in anger as she stood up also.

"There's something wrong." Linx whispered as she looked around.

"Who cares. Take me back… Now!" Saria shouted.

"I can't," Linx sighed, "I need silence and concentration to go."

"Damnit!" Saria shouted as she stormed out of the living room and then the mansion. Alex…

Linx watched Saria storm out and then looked at the ceiling. "All X² members report to the briefing room." Cerebro said over the intercom throughout the mansion. Linx nodded and slowly walked out of the living room towards the briefing room to meet everyone else and to find out why an alarm was sounded.